These olde Philosophres wyse[1319]
Be weie of kinde in sondri wise
Thre Stones maden thurgh clergie.
[Sidenote: Nota de tribus lapidibus, quos philosophi
composuerunt, quorum primus dicitur lapis vegetabilis, qui
sanitatem conseruat, secundus dicitur lapis animalis, qui
membra[1320] et virtutes sencibiles fortificat, tercius
dicitur lapis mineralis, qui omnia metalla purificat et in
suum perfectum naturali potencia deducit.]
The ferste, if I schal specefie,[1321]
Was _lapis vegetabilis_,[1322]
Of which the propre vertu is
To mannes hele forto serve,
As forto kepe and to preserve[1323]
The bodi fro siknesses alle,
Til deth of kinde upon him falle. 2540
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 87=]
The Ston seconde I thee behote
Is _lapis animalis_ hote,
The whos vertu is propre and cowth
For Ere and yhe and nase and mouth,
Wherof a man mai hiere and se
And smelle and taste in his degre,
And forto fiele and forto go
It helpeth man of bothe tuo:
The wittes fyve he underfongeth
To kepe, as it to him belongeth. 2550
The thridde Ston in special
Be name is cleped Minerall,
Which the metalls of every Mine
Attempreth, til that thei ben fyne,
And pureth hem be such a weie,[1324]
That al the vice goth aweie[1325]
Of rust, of stink and of hardnesse:
And whan thei ben of such clennesse,
This Mineral, so as I finde,
Transformeth al the ferste kynde 2560
And makth hem able to conceive
Thurgh his vertu, and to receive[1326]
Bothe in substance and in figure
Of gold and selver the nature.
For thei tuo ben thextremetes,[1327]
To whiche after the propretes
Hath every metal his desir,
With help and confort of the fyr
Forth with this Ston, as it is seid,[1328]
Which to the Sonne and Mone is leid; 2570
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 88=]
For to the rede and to the whyte
This Ston hath pouer to profite.
It makth multiplicacioun
Of gold, and the fixacioun
It causeth, and of his habit
He doth the werk to be parfit[1329]
Of thilke Elixer which men calle
Alconomie, as is befalle[1330]
To hem that whilom weren wise.
Bot now it stant al otherwise; 2580
Thei speken faste of thilke Ston,
Bot hou to make it, nou wot non
After the sothe experience.
And natheles gret diligence
Thei setten upon thilke dede,
And spille more than thei spede;
For allewey thei finde a lette,[1331]
Which bringeth in poverte and dette
To hem that riche were afore:
The lost is had, the lucre is lore, 2590
To gete a pound thei spenden fyve;
I not hou such a craft schal thryve
In the manere as it is used:
It were betre be refused
Than forto worchen upon weene
In thing which stant noght as thei weene.
Bot noght forthi, who that it knewe,
The science of himself is trewe
Upon the forme as it was founded,
Wherof the names yit ben grounded 2600
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 89=]
Of hem that ferste it founden oute;
And thus the fame goth aboute
To suche as soghten besinesse
Of vertu and of worthinesse.
Of whom if I the names calle,
[Sidenote: [THE FIRST ALCHEMISTS.]]
Hermes was on the ferste of alle,
To whom this art is most applied;
Geber therof was magnefied,
And Ortolan and Morien,[1332]
Among the whiche is Avicen, 2610
Which fond and wrot a gret partie
The practique of Alconomie;
Whos bokes, pleinli as thei stonde
Upon this craft, fewe understonde;
Bot yit to put hem in assai[1333]
Ther ben full manye now aday,
That knowen litel what thei meene.
It is noght on to wite and weene;
In forme of wordes thei it trete,
Bot yit they failen of beyete,[1334] 2620
For of tomoche or of tolyte
Ther is algate founde a wyte,
So that thei folwe noght the lyne
Of the parfite medicine,
Which grounded is upon nature.
Bot thei that writen the scripture
Of Grek, Arabe and of Caldee,[1335]
Thei were of such Auctorite
That thei ferst founden out the weie[1336]
Of al that thou hast herd me seie; 2630
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 90=]
Wherof the Cronique of her lore
Schal stonde in pris for everemore.
[Sidenote: [LETTERS AND LANGUAGE.]]
Bot toward oure Marches hiere,
Of the Latins if thou wolt hiere,
Of hem that whilom vertuous
Were and therto laborious,
Carmente made of hire engin
The ferste lettres of Latin,
Of which the tunge Romein cam,
Wherof that Aristarchus nam 2640
Forth with Donat and Dindimus[1337]
The ferste reule of Scole, as thus,[1338]
How that Latin schal be componed
And in what wise it schal be soned,
That every word in his degre
Schal stonde upon congruite.
And thilke time at Rome also
Was Tullius with Cithero,
That writen upon Rethorike,
Hou that men schal the wordes pike[1339] 2650
After the forme of eloquence,
Which is, men sein, a gret prudence:
And after that out of Hebreu
Jerom, which the langage kneu,
The Bible, in which the lawe is closed,
Into Latin he hath transposed;
And many an other writere ek
Out of Caldee, Arabe and Grek
With gret labour the bokes wise
Translateden. And otherwise 2660
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 91=]
The Latins of hemself also
Here studie at thilke time so[1340]
With gret travaile of Scole toke
In sondri forme forto boke,
That we mai take here evidences
Upon the lore of the Sciences,
Of craftes bothe and of clergie;
Among the whiche in Poesie
To the lovers Ovide wrot
And tawhte, if love be to hot, 2670
In what manere it scholde akiele.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Forthi, mi Sone, if that thou fiele
That love wringe thee to sore,
Behold Ovide and take his lore.[1341]
[Sidenote: Amans.]
My fader, if thei mihte spede
Mi love, I wolde his bokes rede;[1342]
And if thei techen to restreigne
Mi love, it were an ydel peine
To lerne a thing which mai noght be.
For lich unto the greene tree, 2680
If that men toke his rote aweie,[1343]
Riht so myn herte scholde deie,
If that mi love be withdrawe.
Wherof touchende unto this sawe
There is bot only to poursuie
Mi love, and ydelschipe eschuie.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi goode Sone, soth to seie,
If ther be siker eny weie
To love, thou hast seid the beste:
For who that wolde have al his reste 2690
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 92=]
And do no travail at the nede,
It is no resoun that he spede
In loves cause forto winne;
For he which dar nothing beginne,
I not what thing he scholde achieve.
Bot overthis thou schalt believe,
So as it sit thee wel to knowe,
That ther ben othre vices slowe,
Whiche unto love don gret lette,
If thou thin herte upon hem sette. 2700
[Sidenote: [vi. SOMNOLENCE.]]
viii. _Perdit homo causam linquens sua iura sopori,_
_Et quasi dimidium pars sua mortis habet._
_Est in amore vigil Venus, et quod habet vigilanti_
_Obsequium thalamis fert vigilata suis._
Toward the Slowe progenie
Ther is yit on of compaignie,
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de Sompnolencia, que Accidie[1344]
Cameraria dicta est, cuius natura semimortua alicuius
negocii vigilias obseruare soporifero[1345] torpore
recusat: vnde quatenus amorem concernit Confessor Amanti
diligencius opponit.]
And he is cleped Sompnolence,
Which doth to Slouthe his reverence,
As he which is his Chamberlein,
That many an hundrid time hath lein
To slepe, whan he scholde wake.
He hath with love trewes take,
That wake who so wake wile,
If he mai couche a doun his bile,[1346] 2710
He hath al wowed what him list;[1347]
That ofte he goth to bedde unkist,
And seith that for no Druerie
He wol noght leve his sluggardie.
For thogh noman it wole allowe,
To slepe levere than to wowe
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 93=]
Is his manere, and thus on nyhtes,
Whan that he seth the lusti knyhtes
Revelen, wher these wommen are,
Awey he skulketh as an hare, 2720
And goth to bedde and leith him softe,
And of his Slouthe he dremeth ofte
Hou that he stiketh in the Myr,
And hou he sitteth be the fyr
And claweth on his bare schanckes,
And hou he clymbeth up the banckes
And falleth into Slades depe.
Bot thanne who so toke kepe,
Whanne he is falle in such a drem,
Riht as a Schip ayein the Strem, 2730
He routeth with a slepi noise,
And brustleth as a monkes froise,
Whanne it is throwe into the Panne.
And otherwhile sielde whanne
That he mai dreme a lusti swevene,
Him thenkth as thogh he were in hevene
And as the world were holi his:
And thanne he spekth of that and this,
And makth his exposicion
After the disposicion 2740
Of that he wolde, and in such wise
He doth to love all his service;
I not what thonk he schal deserve.[1348]
Bot, Sone, if thou wolt love serve,[1349]
I rede that thou do noght so.
[Sidenote: Confessio Amantis.]
Ha, goode fader, certes no.
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 94=]
I hadde levere be mi trowthe,
Er I were set an such a slouthe
And beere such a slepi snoute,
Bothe yhen of myn hed were oute. 2750
For me were betre fulli die,
Thanne I of such a slugardie
Hadde eny name, god me schilde;
For whan mi moder was with childe,
And I lay in hire wombe clos,
I wolde rathere Atropos,
Which is goddesse of alle deth,
Anon as I hadde eny breth,
Me hadde fro mi Moder cast.
Bot now I am nothing agast,[1350] 2760
[Sidenote: [THE LOVER’S WAKEFULNESS.]]
I thonke godd; for Lachesis,
Ne Cloto, which hire felawe is,
Me schopen no such destine,
Whan thei at mi nativite
My weerdes setten as thei wolde;
Bot thei me schopen that I scholde
Eschuie of slep the truandise,
So that I hope in such a wise
To love forto ben excused,
That I no Sompnolence have used. 2770
For certes, fader Genius,
Yit into nou it hath be thus,
At alle time if it befelle[1351]
So that I mihte come and duelle
In place ther my ladi were,
I was noght slow ne slepi there:
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 95=]
For thanne I dar wel undertake,
That whanne hir list on nyhtes wake
In chambre as to carole and daunce,
Me thenkth I mai me more avaunce, 2780
If I mai gon upon hir hond,
Thanne if I wonne a kinges lond.
For whanne I mai hire hand beclippe,
With such gladnesse I daunce and skippe,
Me thenkth I touche noght the flor;
The Ro, which renneth on the Mor,
Is thanne noght so lyht as I:
So mow ye witen wel forthi,[1352]
That for the time slep I hate.
And whanne it falleth othergate, 2790
So that hire like noght to daunce,
Bot on the Dees to caste chaunce[1353]
Or axe of love som demande,
Or elles that hir list comaunde
To rede and here of Troilus,
Riht as sche wole or so or thus,[1354]
I am al redi to consente.
And if so is that I mai hente
Somtime among a good leisir,
So as I dar of mi desir 2800
I telle a part; bot whanne I preie,
Anon sche bidt me go mi weie[1355]
And seith it is ferr in the nyht;
And I swere it is even liht.
Bot as it falleth ate laste,
Ther mai no worldes joie laste,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 96=]
So mot I nedes fro hire wende
And of my wachche make an ende:
And if sche thanne hiede toke,
Hou pitousliche on hire I loke, 2810
Whan that I schal my leve take,
Hire oghte of mercy forto slake
Hire daunger, which seith evere nay.
Bot he seith often, ‘Have good day,’
That loth is forto take his leve:
Therfore, while I mai beleve,
I tarie forth the nyht along,
For it is noght on me along
To slep that I so sone go,
Til that I mot algate so; 2820
And thanne I bidde godd hire se,
And so doun knelende on mi kne[1356]
I take leve, and if I schal,
I kisse hire, and go forth withal.
And otherwhile, if that I dore,
Er I come fulli to the Dore,[1357]
I torne ayein and feigne a thing,
As thogh I hadde lost a Ring
Or somwhat elles, for I wolde
Kisse hire eftsones, if I scholde, 2830
Bot selden is that I so spede.
And whanne I se that I mot nede
Departen, I departe, and thanne[1358]
With al myn herte I curse and banne
That evere slep was mad for yhe;
For, as me thenkth, I mihte dryhe
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 97=]
Withoute slep to waken evere,
So that I scholde noght dissevere
Fro hire, in whom is al my liht:
And thanne I curse also the nyht 2840
With al the will of mi corage,
And seie, ‘Awey, thou blake ymage,
Which of thi derke cloudy face
Makst al the worldes lyht deface,
And causest unto slep a weie,
Be which I mot nou gon aweie[1359]
Out of mi ladi compaignie.
O slepi nyht, I thee defie,
And wolde that thou leye in presse
With Proserpine the goddesse 2850
And with Pluto the helle king:
For til I se the daies spring,
I sette slep noght at a risshe.’
And with that word I sike and wisshe,
And seie, ‘Ha, whi ne were it day?
For yit mi ladi thanne I may
Beholde, thogh I do nomore.’
And efte I thenke forthermore,
To som man hou the niht doth ese,
Whan he hath thing that mai him plese[1360] 2860
The longe nyhtes be his side,
Where as I faile and go beside.
Bot slep, I not wherof it serveth,
Of which noman his thonk deserveth
To gete him love in eny place,
Bot is an hindrere of his grace
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 98=]
And makth him ded as for a throwe,[1361]
Riht as a Stok were overthrowe.
And so, mi fader, in this wise
The slepi nyhtes I despise, 2870
And evere amiddes of mi tale
I thenke upon the nyhtingale,
Which slepeth noght be weie of kinde
For love, in bokes as I finde.
Thus ate laste I go to bedde,
And yit min herte lith to wedde
With hire, wher as I cam fro;
Thogh I departe, he wol noght so,
Ther is no lock mai schette him oute,
Him nedeth noght to gon aboute, 2880
That perce mai the harde wall;
Thus is he with hire overall,
That be hire lief, or be hire loth,
Into hire bedd myn herte goth,
And softly takth hire in his arm
And fieleth hou that sche is warm,
And wissheth that his body were
To fiele that he fieleth there.
And thus miselven I tormente,
Til that the dede slep me hente: 2890
[Sidenote: [DREAMS.]]
Bot thanne be a thousand score
Welmore than I was tofore
I am tormented in mi slep,
Bot that I dreme is noght of schep;
For I ne thenke noght on wulle,
Bot I am drecched to the fulle
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 99=]
Of love, that I have to kepe,
That nou I lawhe and nou I wepe,
And nou I lese and nou I winne,
And nou I ende and nou beginne. 2900
And otherwhile I dreme and mete
That I al one with hire mete
And that Danger is left behinde;
And thanne in slep such joie I finde,
That I ne bede nevere awake.
Bot after, whanne I hiede take,
And schal arise upon the morwe,
Thanne is al torned into sorwe,
Noght for the cause I schal arise,
Bot for I mette in such a wise, 2910
And ate laste I am bethoght
That al is vein and helpeth noght:
Bot yit me thenketh be my wille
I wolde have leie and slepe stille,
To meten evere of such a swevene,
For thanne I hadde a slepi hevene.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, and for thou tellest so;
A man mai finde of time ago
That many a swevene hath be certein,
Al be it so, that som men sein 2920
That swevenes ben of no credence.
Bot forto schewe in evidence
That thei fulofte sothe thinges
Betokne, I thenke in my wrytinges
To telle a tale therupon,
Which fell be olde daies gon.
[Sidenote: [TALE OF CEIX AND ALCEONE.]]
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 100=]
This finde I write in Poesie:
Ceïx the king of Trocinie
[Sidenote: Hic ponit exemplum, qualiter Sompnia prenostice
veritatis quandoque certitudinem figurant. Et narrat
quod, cum Ceix Rex Trocinie pro reformacione fratris sui
Dedalionis in Ancipitrem transmutati peregre proficiscens
in mari longius a patria dimersus[1362] fuerat, Iuno
mittens Yridem nunciam suam in partes Chymerie ad domum
Sompni, iussit quod ipse Alceone dicti Regis uxori huius
rei euentum per Sompnia certificaret. Quo facto[1363]
Alceona rem perscrutans corpus mariti sui, vbi super
fluctus mortuus[1364] iactabatur, inuenit; que pre dolore
angustiata cupiens corpus amplectere, in altum mare super
ipsum prosiliit. Vnde dii miserti amborum corpora in aues,
que adhuc Alceones dicte sunt, subito conuerterunt.]
Hadde Alceone to his wif,
Which as hire oghne hertes lif 2930
Him loveth; and he hadde also
A brother, which was cleped tho
Dedalion, and he per cas
Fro kinde of man forschape was
Into a Goshauk of liknesse;
Wherof the king gret hevynesse
Hath take, and thoghte in his corage
To gon upon a pelrinage
Into a strange regioun,
Wher he hath his devocioun 2940
To don his sacrifice and preie,
If that he mihte in eny weie
Toward the goddes finde grace
His brother hele to pourchace,
So that he mihte be reformed
Of that he hadde be transformed.
To this pourpos and to this ende
This king is redy forto wende,
As he which wolde go be Schipe;
And forto don him felaschipe 2950
His wif unto the See him broghte,
With al hire herte and him besoghte,
That he the time hire wolde sein,
Whan that he thoghte come ayein:[1365]
‘Withinne,’ he seith, ‘tuo Monthe day.’[1366]
And thus in al the haste he may
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 101=]
He tok his leve, and forth he seileth
Wepende, and sche hirself beweileth,
And torneth hom, ther sche cam fro.
Bot whan the Monthes were ago, 2960
The whiche he sette of his comynge,
And that sche herde no tydinge,
Ther was no care forto seche:
Wherof the goddes to beseche
Tho sche began in many wise,
And to Juno hire sacrifise
Above alle othre most sche dede,
And for hir lord sche hath so bede
To wite and knowe hou that he ferde,
That Juno the goddesse hire herde, 2970
Anon and upon this matiere
Sche bad Yris hir Messagere
To Slepes hous that sche schal wende,[1367]
And bidde him that he make an ende
Be swevene and schewen al the cas
Unto this ladi, hou it was.
This Yris, fro the hihe stage
Which undertake hath the Message,
Hire reyny Cope dede upon,
The which was wonderli begon 2980
With colours of diverse hewe,
An hundred mo than men it knewe;
The hevene lich unto a bowe
Sche bende, and so she cam doun lowe,[1368]
The god of Slep wher that sche fond.
And that was in a strange lond,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 102=]
Which marcheth upon Chymerie:
For ther, as seith the Poesie,
The god of Slep hath mad his hous,
Which of entaille is merveilous. 2990
Under an hell ther is a Cave,
Which of the Sonne mai noght have,[1369]
So that noman mai knowe ariht
The point betwen the dai and nyht:[1370]
Ther is no fyr, ther is no sparke,
Ther is no dore, which mai charke,
Wherof an yhe scholde unschette,[1371]
So that inward ther is no lette.
And forto speke of that withoute,
Ther stant no gret Tree nyh aboute 3000
Wher on ther myhte crowe or pie
Alihte, forto clepe or crie:
Ther is no cok to crowe day,
Ne beste non which noise may
The hell, bot al aboute round
Ther is growende upon the ground
Popi, which berth the sed of slep,
With othre herbes suche an hep.
A stille water for the nones
Rennende upon the smale stones, 3010
Which hihte of Lethes the rivere,
Under that hell in such manere
Ther is, which yifth gret appetit
To slepe. And thus full of delit
Slep hath his hous; and of his couche
Withinne his chambre if I schal touche,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 103=]
Of hebenus that slepi Tree
The bordes al aboute be,
And for he scholde slepe softe,
Upon a fethrebed alofte 3020
He lith with many a pilwe of doun:
The chambre is strowed up and doun
With swevenes many thousendfold.[1372]
Thus cam Yris into this hold,
And to the bedd, which is al blak,
Sche goth, and ther with Slep sche spak,
And in the wise as sche was bede[1373]
The Message of Juno sche dede.
Fulofte hir wordes sche reherceth,
Er sche his slepi Eres perceth; 3030
With mochel wo bot ate laste
His slombrende yhen he upcaste
And seide hir that it schal be do.[1374]
Wherof among a thousend tho,
Withinne his hous that slepi were,
In special he ches out there
Thre, whiche scholden do this dede:
The ferste of hem, so as I rede,
Was Morpheüs, the whos nature
Is forto take the figure 3040
Of what persone that him liketh,
Wherof that he fulofte entriketh
The lif which slepe schal be nyhte;
And Ithecus that other hihte,
Which hath the vois of every soun,
The chiere and the condicioun
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 104=]
Of every lif, what so it is:
The thridde suiende after this
Is Panthasas, which may transforme
Of every thing the rihte forme, 3050
And change it in an other kinde.
Upon hem thre, so as I finde,
Of swevenes stant al thapparence,
Which otherwhile is evidence
And otherwhile bot a jape.
Bot natheles it is so schape,[1375]
That Morpheüs be nyht al one
Appiereth until Alceone[1376]
In liknesse of hir housebonde
Al naked ded upon the stronde, 3060
And hou he dreynte in special
These othre tuo it schewen al.
The tempeste of the blake cloude,
The wode See, the wyndes loude,
Al this sche mette, and sih him dyen;
Wherof that sche began to crien,
Slepende abedde ther sche lay,
And with that noise of hire affray
Hir wommen sterten up aboute,
Whiche of here ladi were in doute, 3070
And axen hire hou that sche ferde;
And sche, riht as sche syh and herde,
Hir swevene hath told hem everydel.
And thei it halsen alle wel[1377]
And sein it is a tokne of goode;
Bot til sche wiste hou that it stode,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 105=]
Sche hath no confort in hire herte,
Upon the morwe and up sche sterte,
And to the See, wher that sche mette[1378]
The bodi lay, withoute lette 3080
Sche drowh, and whan that sche cam nyh,
Stark ded, hise armes sprad, sche syh[1379]
Hire lord flietende upon the wawe.
Wherof hire wittes ben withdrawe,
And sche, which tok of deth no kepe,
Anon forth lepte into the depe[1380]
And wolde have cawht him in hire arm.
This infortune of double harm
The goddes fro the hevene above
Behielde, and for the trowthe of love, 3090
Which in this worthi ladi stod,
Thei have upon the salte flod
Hire dreinte lord and hire also
Fro deth to lyve torned so,
That thei ben schapen into briddes
Swimmende upon the wawe amiddes.
And whan sche sih hire lord livende
In liknesse of a bridd swimmende,
And sche was of the same sort,
So as sche mihte do desport, 3100
Upon the joie which sche hadde
Hire wynges bothe abrod sche spradde,
And him, so as sche mai suffise,
Beclipte and keste in such a wise,
As sche was whilom wont to do:
Hire wynges for hire armes tuo
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 106=]
Sche tok, and for hire lippes softe
Hire harde bile, and so fulofte
Sche fondeth in hire briddes forme,
If that sche mihte hirself conforme 3110
To do the plesance of a wif,
As sche dede in that other lif:
For thogh sche hadde hir pouer lore,
Hir will stod as it was tofore,
And serveth him so as sche mai.
Wherof into this ilke day
Togedre upon the See thei wone,
Wher many a dowhter and a Sone
Thei bringen forth of briddes kinde;
And for men scholden take in mynde 3120
This Alceoun the trewe queene,
Hire briddes yit, as it is seene,
Of Alceoun the name bere.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Lo thus, mi Sone, it mai thee stere
Of swevenes forto take kepe,
For ofte time a man aslepe
Mai se what after schal betide.
Forthi it helpeth at som tyde
A man to slepe, as it belongeth,[1381]
Bot slowthe no lif underfongeth 3130
Which is to love appourtenant.
[Sidenote: Confessio Amantis.]
Mi fader, upon covenant[1382]
I dar wel make this avou,
Of all mi lif that into nou,
Als fer as I can understonde,
Yit tok I nevere Slep on honde,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 107=]
Whan it was time forto wake;
For thogh myn yhe it wolde take,[1383]
Min herte is evere therayein.
[Sidenote: [SLEEPING AND WAKING.]]
Bot natheles to speke it plein,[1384] 3140
Al this that I have seid you hiere[1385]
Of my wakinge, as ye mai hiere,[1386]
It toucheth to mi lady swete;
For otherwise, I you behiete,
In strange place whanne I go,
Me list nothing to wake so.
For whan the wommen listen pleie,
And I hir se noght in the weie,
Of whom I scholde merthe take,
Me list noght longe forto wake, 3150
Bot if it be for pure schame,
Of that I wolde eschuie a name,
That thei ne scholde have cause non[1387]
To seie, ‘Ha, lo, wher goth such on,[1388]
That hath forlore his contenaunce!’
And thus among I singe and daunce,
And feigne lust ther as non is.
For ofte sithe I fiele this;
Of thoght, which in mi herte falleth[1389]
Whanne it is nyht, myn hed appalleth, 3160
And that is for I se hire noght,
Which is the wakere of mi thoght:
And thus as tymliche as I may,
Fulofte whanne it is brod day,
I take of all these othre leve[1390]
And go my weie, and thei beleve,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 108=]
That sen per cas here loves there;
And I go forth as noght ne were
Unto mi bedd, so that al one
I mai ther ligge and sighe and grone 3170
And wisshen al the longe nyht,
Til that I se the daies lyht.
I not if that be Sompnolence,
Bot upon youre conscience,
Min holi fader, demeth ye.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
My Sone, I am wel paid with thee,
Of Slep that thou the Sluggardie
Be nyhte in loves compaignie
Eschuied hast, and do thi peine
So that thi love thar noght pleine: 3180
For love upon his lust wakende
Is evere, and wolde that non ende
Were of the longe nyhtes set.
Wherof that thou be war the bet,
To telle a tale I am bethoght,
Hou love and Slep acorden noght.