Er Crist was bore among ous hiere,
Of the believes that tho were
[Sidenote: Quia secundum Poetarum fabulas in huius libelli
locis quam pluribus nomina et gestus deorum falsorum
intitulantur, quorum infidelitas vt Cristianis clarius
innotescat, intendit de ipsorum origine secundum varias
Paganorum Sectas scribere consequenter. Et primo de Secta
Chaldeorum tractare proponit.]
In foure formes thus it was.
Thei of Caldee as in this cas 750
Hadde a believe be hemselve,
Which stod upon the signes tuelve,
Forth ek with the Planetes sevene,
Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene.
Of sondri constellacion
In here ymaginacion
With sondri kerf and pourtreture
Thei made of goddes the figure.
In thelementz and ek also
Thei hadden a believe tho; 760
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 153=]
And al was that unresonable:
For thelementz ben servicable
To man, and ofte of Accidence,
As men mai se thexperience,[1532]
Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie;
So mai no mannes reson seie
That thei ben god in eny wise.
And ek, if men hem wel avise,
The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe,
That be hem lieve or be hem lothe, 770
Thei soffre; and what thing is passible
To ben a god is impossible.
[Sidenote: Et nota[1533] quod Nembroth quartus a Noe ignem
tanquam deum in Chaldea primus adorari decreuit.]
These elementz ben creatures,
So ben these hevenly figures,
Wherof mai wel be justefied
That thei mai noght be deified:
And who that takth awey thonour
Which due is to the creatour,
And yifth it to the creature,
He doth to gret a forsfaiture. 780
Bot of Caldee natheles[1534]
Upon this feith, thogh it be les,
Thei holde affermed the creance;
So that of helle the penance,
[Sidenote: [ii. BELIEF OF THE EGYPTIANS.]]
As folk which stant out of believe,
They schull receive, as we believe.[1535]
[Sidenote: De Secta Egipciorum.[1536]]
Of the Caldeus lo in this wise[1537]
Stant the believe out of assisse:
Bot in Egipte worst of alle
The feith is fals, hou so it falle; 790
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 154=]
For thei diverse bestes there
Honoure, as thogh thei goddes were:[1538]
And natheles yit forth withal
Thre goddes most in special
Thei have, forth with a goddesse,[1539]
In whom is al here sikernesse.
Tho goddes be yit cleped thus,
Orus, Typhon and Isirus:
Thei were brethren alle thre,
And the goddesse in hir degre 800
Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte,
Whom Isirus forlai be nyhte
And hield hire after as his wif.
So it befell that upon strif
Typhon hath Isre his brother slain,
Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn,
And he his fader deth to herte
So tok, that it mai noght asterte
That he Typhon after ne slowh,
Whan he was ripe of age ynowh. 810
Bot yit thegipcienes trowe[1540]
For al this errour, which thei knowe,
That these brethren ben of myht
To sette and kepe Egipte upriht,
And overthrowe, if that hem like.
Bot Ysis, as seith the Cronique,
Fro Grece into Egipte cam,
And sche thanne upon honde nam
To teche hem forto sowe and eere,
Which noman knew tofore there. 820
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 155=]
And whan thegipcienes syhe[1541]
The fieldes fulle afore here yhe,
And that the loud began to greine,
Which whilom hadde be bareigne,--
For therthe bar after the kinde
His due charge,--this I finde,
That sche of berthe the goddesse
Is cleped, so that in destresse
The wommen there upon childinge
To hire clepe, and here offringe 830
Thei beren, whan that thei ben lyhte.
Lo, hou Egipte al out of syhte
[Sidenote: [iii. BELIEF OF THE GREEKS.]]
Fro resoun stant in misbelieve[1542]
For lacke of lore, as I believe.
[Sidenote: De Secta Grecorum.[1543]]
Among the Greks, out of the weie
As thei that reson putte aweie,[1544]
Ther was, as the Cronique seith,
Of misbelieve an other feith,
That thei here goddes and goddesses,
As who seith, token al to gesses 840
Of suche as weren full of vice,
To whom thei made here sacrifice.
The hihe god, so as thei seide,
To whom thei most worschipe leide,
[Sidenote: Nota qualiter Saturnus deorum summus appellatur.]
Saturnus hihte, and king of Crete
He hadde be; bot of his sete
He was put doun, as he which stod
In frenesie, and was so wod,
That fro his wif, which Rea hihte,
Hise oghne children he to plihte,[1545] 850
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 156=]
And eet hem of his comun wone.
Bot Jupiter, which was his Sone
And of full age, his fader bond
And kutte of with his oghne hond
Hise genitals, whiche als so faste
Into the depe See he caste;
Wherof the Greks afferme and seie,
Thus whan thei were caste aweie,
Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde.
And of Saturne also I finde 860
How afterward into an yle
This Jupiter him dede exile,[1546]
Wher that he stod in gret meschief.
Lo, which a god thei maden chief!
And sithen that such on was he,
Which stod most hihe in his degre[1547]
Among the goddes, thou miht knowe,
These othre, that ben more lowe,
Ben litel worth, as it is founde.
[Sidenote: Iupiter deus deliciarum.]
For Jupiter was the secounde, 870
Which Juno hadde unto his wif;
And yit a lechour al his lif
He was, and in avouterie
He wroghte many a tricherie;
And for he was so full of vices,
Thei cleped him god of delices:
Of whom, if thou wolt more wite,
Ovide the Poete hath write.
Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo,
Saturne and Jupiter also, 880
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 157=]
Thei have, althogh thei be to blame,
Attitled to here oghne name.
[Sidenote: Mars deus belli.]
Mars was an other in that lawe,
The which in Dace was forthdrawe,
Of whom the clerk Vegecius
Wrot in his bok, and tolde thus,
Hou he into Ytaile cam,
And such fortune ther he nam,
That he a Maiden hath oppressed,
Which in hire ordre was professed, 890
As sche which was the Prioresse
In Vestes temple the goddesse,
So was sche wel the mor to blame.[1548]
Dame Ylia this ladi name
Men clepe, and ek sche was also
The kinges dowhter that was tho,
Which Mynitor be name hihte.
So that ayein the lawes ryhte
Mars thilke time upon hire that
Remus and Romulus begat, 900
Whiche after, whan thei come in Age,[1549]
Of knihthode and of vassellage
Ytaile al hol thei overcome
And foundeden the grete Rome;
In Armes and of such emprise
Thei weren, that in thilke wise
Here fader Mars for the mervaile
The god was cleped of bataille.
Thei were his children bothe tuo,
Thurgh hem he tok his name so, 910
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 158=]
Ther was non other cause why:
And yit a Sterre upon the Sky
He hath unto his name applied,
In which that he is signified.
[Sidenote: Appollo deus Sapiencie.[1550]]
An other god thei hadden eke,
To whom for conseil thei beseke,
The which was brother to Venus,
Appollo men him clepe thus.
He was an Hunte upon the helles,
Ther was with him no vertu elles, 920
Wherof that enye bokes karpe,
Bot only that he couthe harpe;
Which whanne he walked over londe,[1551]
Fulofte time he tok on honde,
To gete him with his sustienance,
For lacke of other pourveance.
And otherwhile of his falshede
He feignede him to conne arede[1552]
Of thing which after scholde falle;
Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle 930
He hath the lewed folk deceived,
So that the betre he was received.
Lo now, thurgh what creacion
He hath deificacion,
And cleped is the god of wit
To suche as be the foles yit.[1553]
[Sidenote: Mercurius deus Mercatorum et furtorum.[1554]]
An other god, to whom thei soghte,
Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghte
What thing he stal, ne whom he slowh.[1555]
Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh, 940
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 159=]
That whanne he wolde himself transforme,
Fulofte time he tok the forme
Of womman and his oghne lefte;
So dede he wel the more thefte.
A gret spekere in alle thinges
He was also, and of lesinges
An Auctour, that men wiste non
An other such as he was on.[1556]
And yit thei maden of this thief
A god, which was unto hem lief, 950
And clepede him in tho believes[1557]
The god of Marchantz and of thieves.
Bot yit a sterre upon the hevene
He hath of the planetes sevene.
[Sidenote: Vulcanus deus Ignis.]
But Vulcanus, of whom I spak,
He hadde a courbe upon the bak,
And therto he was hepehalt:
Of whom thou understonde schalt,
He was a schrewe in al his youthe,
And he non other vertu couthe 960
Of craft to helpe himselve with,
Bot only that he was a Smith
With Jupiter, which in his forge
Diverse thinges made him forge;
So wot I noght for what desir
Thei clepen him the god of fyr.
[Sidenote: Eolus deus ventorum.[1558]]
King of Cizile Ypolitus
A Sone hadde, and Eolus
He hihte, and of his fader grant
He hield be weie of covenant 970
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 160=]
The governance of every yle
Which was longende unto Cizile,
Of hem that fro the lond forein
Leie open to the wynd al plein.
And fro thilke iles to the londe
Fulofte cam the wynd to honde:
After the name of him forthi
The wyndes cleped Eoli
Tho were, and he the god of wynd.[1559]
Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd! 980
The king of Crete Jupiter,
[Sidenote: Neptunus deus maris.[1560]]
The same which I spak of er,
Unto his brother, which Neptune
Was hote, it list him to comune
Part of his good, so that be Schipe
He mad him strong of the lordschipe[1561]
Of al the See in tho parties;[1562]
Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes,
And the strange yles al aboute[1563]
He wan, that every man hath doute 990
Upon his marche forto saile;
For he anon hem wolde assaile[1564]
And robbe what thing that thei ladden,
His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden.
Wherof the comun vois aros
In every lond, that such a los
He cawhte, al nere it worth a stre,
That he was cleped of the See
The god be name, and yit he is
With hem that so believe amis. 1000
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 161=]
This Neptune ek was thilke also,
Which was the ferste foundour tho
Of noble Troie, and he forthi
Was wel the more lete by.
[Sidenote: Pan deus nature.]
The loresman of the Schepherdes,
And ek of hem that ben netherdes,[1565]
Was of Archade and hihte Pan:
Of whom hath spoke many a man;
For in the wode of Nonarcigne,[1566]
Enclosed with the tres of Pigne, 1010
And on the Mont of Parasie
He hadde of bestes the baillie,
And ek benethe in the valleie,[1567]
Wher thilke rivere, as men seie,
Which Ladon hihte, made his cours,
He was the chief of governours
Of hem that kepten tame bestes,
Wherof thei maken yit the festes
In the Cite Stinfalides.
And forth withal yit natheles 1020
He tawhte men the forthdrawinge
Of bestaile, and ek the makinge
Of Oxen, and of hors the same,
Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame:
Of foules ek, so as we finde,
Ful many a soubtiel craft of kinde
He fond, which noman knew tofore.
Men dede him worschipe ek therfore,
That he the ferste in thilke lond
Was which the melodie fond 1030
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 162=]
Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe,
With double pipes forto pipe;
Therof he yaf the ferste lore,
Til afterward men couthe more.
To every craft for mannes helpe
He hadde a redi wit to helpe
Thurgh naturel experience:
And thus the nyce reverence
Of foles, whan that he was ded,
The fot hath torned to the hed, 1040
And clepen him god of nature,
For so thei maden his figure.
[Sidenote: Bachus deus vini.]
An other god, so as thei fiele,
Which Jupiter upon Samele
Begat in his avouterie,
Whom, forto hide his lecherie,
That non therof schal take kepe,
In a Montaigne forto kepe,
Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde,
He sende, in bokes as I finde:[1568] 1050
And he be name Bachus hihte,
Which afterward, whan that he mihte,
A wastour was, and al his rente
In wyn and bordel he despente.
Bot yit, al were he wonder badde,
Among the Greks a name he hadde;
Thei cleped him the god of wyn,
And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.[1569]
[Sidenote: Esculapius deus medicine.[1570]]
Ther was yit Esculapius
A godd in thilke time as thus. 1060
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 163=]
His craft stod upon Surgerie,
Bot for the lust of lecherie,
That he to Daires dowhter drowh,
It fell that Jupiter him slowh:
And yit thei made him noght forthi[1571]
A god, and was no cause why.
In Rome he was long time also
A god among the Romeins tho;
For, as he seide, of his presence
Ther was destruid a pestilence, 1070
Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente,
And that Appollo with hem sente[1572]
This Esculapius his Sone,
Among the Romeins forto wone.
And there he duelte for a while,
Til afterward into that yle,
Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth,
Where al his lyf that he sojorneth
Among the Greks, til that he deide.
And thei upon him thanne leide 1080
His name, and god of medicine
He hatte after that ilke line.
[Sidenote: Hercules deus fortitudinis.[1573]]
An other god of Hercules
Thei made, which was natheles
A man, bot that he was so strong,
In al this world that brod and long
So myhti was noman as he.
Merveiles tuelve in his degre,
As it was couth in sondri londes,
He dede with hise oghne hondes 1090
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 164=]
Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe,
The whiche horrible were and lothe,
Bot he with strengthe hem overcam:
Wherof so gret a pris he nam,
That thei him clepe amonges alle
The god of strengthe, and to him calle.
And yit ther is no reson inne,
For he a man was full of sinne,
Which proved was upon his ende,
For in a rage himself he brende; 1100
And such a cruel mannes dede
Acordeth nothing with godhede.
[Sidenote: Pluto deus Inferni.[1574]]
Thei hadde of goddes yit an other,
Which Pluto hihte, and was the brother
Of Jupiter, and he fro youthe[1575]
With every word which cam to mouthe,
Of eny thing whan he was wroth,[1576]
He wolde swere his commun oth,
Be Lethen and be Flegeton,[1577]
Be Cochitum and Acheron, 1110
The whiche, after the bokes telle,
Ben the chief flodes of the helle:[1578]
Be Segne and Stige he swor also,
That ben the depe Pettes tuo
Of helle the most principal.
Pluto these othes overal
Swor of his commun custummance,
Til it befell upon a chance,
That he for Jupiteres sake[1579]
Unto the goddes let do make 1120
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 165=]
A sacrifice, and for that dede
On of the pettes for his mede
In helle, of which I spak of er,
Was granted him; and thus he ther
Upon the fortune of this thing
The name tok of helle king.
Lo, these goddes and wel mo
Among the Greks thei hadden tho,
And of goddesses manyon,
Whos names thou schalt hiere anon, 1130
And in what wise thei deceiven
The foles whiche here feith receiven.
[Sidenote: Nota, qualiter Sibeles Dearum[1580] Mater et
origo nuncupatur.]
So as Saturne is soverein
Of false goddes, as thei sein,
So is Sibeles of goddesses
The Moder, whom withoute gesses
The folk Payene honoure and serve,
As thei the whiche hire lawe observe.[1581]
Bot forto knowen upon this
Fro when sche cam and what sche is, 1140
Bethincia the contre hihte,
Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte;
And after was Saturnes wif,
Be whom thre children in hire lif
Sche bar, and thei were cleped tho
Juno, Neptunus and Pluto,
The whiche of nyce fantasie
The poeple wolde deifie.
And for hire children were so,[1582]
Sibeles thanne was also 1150
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 166=]
Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calle
The moder of the goddes alle.
So was that name bore forth,
And yit the cause is litel worth.
[Sidenote: Iuno Dea Regnorum et diuiciarum.[1583]]
A vois unto Saturne tolde
Hou that his oghne Sone him scholde[1584]
Out of his regne putte aweie;
And he be cause of thilke weie,
That him was schape such a fate,
Sibele his wif began to hate 1160
And ek hire progenie bothe.
And thus, whil that thei were wrothe,
Be Philerem upon a dai
In his avouterie he lai,
On whom he Jupiter begat;[1585]
And thilke child was after that
Which wroghte al that was prophecied,
As it tofore is specefied:
So that whan Jupiter of Crete
Was king, a wif unto him mete 1170
The Dowhter of Sibele he tok,
And that was Juno, seith the bok.[1586]
Of his deificacion
After the false oppinion,
That have I told, so as thei meene;
And for this Juno was the queene[1587]
Of Jupiter and Soster eke,
The foles unto hire sieke,
And sein that sche is the goddesse
Of Regnes bothe and of richesse: 1180
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 167=]
And ek sche, as thei understonde,
The water Nimphes hath in honde
To leden at hire oghne heste;
And whan hir list the Sky tempeste,
The reinbowe is hir Messager.
Lo, which a misbelieve is hier!
That sche goddesse is of the Sky
I wot non other cause why.
[Sidenote: Minerua Dea sapienciarum.]
An other goddesse is Minerve,
To whom the Greks obeie and serve: 1190
And sche was nyh the grete lay
Of Triton founde, wher sche lay
A child forcast, bot what sche was
Ther knew noman the sothe cas.
Bot in Aufrique sche was leid
In the manere as I have seid,
And caried fro that ilke place
Into an Yle fer in Trace,
The which Palene thanne hihte,[1588]
Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte. 1200
And after, for sche was so wys[1589]
That sche fond ferst in hire avis
The cloth makinge of wolle and lyn,[1590]
Men seiden that sche was divin,
And the goddesse of Sapience
Thei clepen hire in that credence.
[Sidenote: Pallas Dea bellorum.[1591]]
Of the goddesse which Pallas
Is cleped sondri speche was.
On seith hire fader was Pallant,
Which in his time was geant, 1210
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 168=]
A cruel man, a bataillous:
An other seith hou in his hous
Sche was the cause why he deide.
And of this Pallas some ek seide
That sche was Martes wif; and so
Among the men that weren tho
Of misbelieve in the riote
The goddesse of batailles hote
She was, and yit sche berth the name.
Now loke, hou they be forto blame. 1220
[Sidenote: Ceres dea frugum.[1592]]
Saturnus after his exil
Fro Crete cam in gret peril
Into the londes of Ytaile,
And ther he dede gret mervaile,
Wherof his name duelleth yit.
For he fond of his oghne wit
The ferste craft of plowh tilinge,
Of Eringe and of corn sowinge,
And how men scholden sette vines
And of the grapes make wynes;[1593] 1230
Al this he tawhte, and it fell so,
His wif, the which cam with him tho,[1594]
Was cleped Cereres be name,
And for sche tawhte also the same,
And was his wif that ilke throwe,
As it was to the poeple knowe,
Thei made of Ceres a goddesse,
In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse,[1595]
And sein that Tricolonius
Hire Sone goth amonges ous 1240
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 169=]
And makth the corn good chep or dere,
Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere;
So that this wif be cause of this
Goddesse of Cornes cleped is.
[Sidenote: Diana Dea Moncium et Siluarum.[1596]]
King Jupiter, which his likinge
Whilom fulfelde in alle thinge,
So priveliche aboute he ladde
His lust, that he his wille hadde
Of Latona, and on hire that
Diane his dowhter he begat 1250
Unknowen of his wif Juno.
And afterward sche knew it so,[1597]
That Latona for drede fledde[1598]
Into an Ile, wher sche hedde
Hire wombe, which of childe aros.
Thilke yle cleped was Delos;[1599]
In which Diana was forthbroght,
And kept so that hire lacketh noght.
And after, whan sche was of Age,
Sche tok non hiede of mariage, 1260
Bot out of mannes compaignie
Sche tok hire al to venerie[1600]
In forest and in wildernesse;
For ther was al hire besinesse
Be daie and ek be nyhtes tyde
With arwes brode under the side
And bowe in honde, of which sche slowh
And tok al that hir liste ynowh
Of bestes whiche ben chacable:
Wherof the Cronique of this fable 1270
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 170=]
Seith that the gentils most of alle
Worschipen hire and to hire calle,
And the goddesse of hihe helles,
Of grene trees, of freisshe welles,
They clepen hire in that believe,
Which that no reson mai achieve.
[Sidenote: Proserpina Dea Infernorum.]
Proserpina, which dowhter was
Of Cereres, befell this cas:
Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile,[1601]
Hire moder in that ilke while 1280
Upon hire blessinge and hire heste
Bad that sche scholde ben honeste,
And lerne forto weve and spinne,
And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne.
Bot sche caste al that lore aweie,
And as sche wente hir out to pleie,[1602]
To gadre floures in a pleine,[1603]
And that was under the monteine
Of Ethna, fell the same tyde
That Pluto cam that weie ryde,[1604] 1290
And sodeinly, er sche was war,
He tok hire up into his char.
And as thei riden in the field,
Hire grete beaute he behield,
Which was so plesant in his ÿe,
That forto holde in compainie
He weddeth hire and hield hire so[1605]
To ben his wif for everemo.
And as thou hast tofore herd telle
Hou he was cleped god of helle, 1300
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 171=]
So is sche cleped the goddesse
Be cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde,
The Greks whilom be daies olde
Here goddes hadde in sondri wise,
And thurgh the lore of here aprise
The Romeins hielden ek the same.
And in the worschipe of here name[1606]
To every godd in special
Thei made a temple forth withal, 1310
And ech of hem his yeeres dai
Attitled hadde; and of arai
The temples weren thanne ordeigned,
And ek the poeple was constreigned
To come and don here sacrifice;
The Prestes ek in here office
Solempne maden thilke festes.
And thus the Greks lich to the bestes[1607]
The men in stede of god honoure,
Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure, 1320
Whil that thei were alyve hiere.
And over this, as thou schalt hiere,
[Sidenote: Nota, quod dii Montium Satiri vocantur.]
The Greks fulfild of fantasie
Sein ek that of the helles hihe
The goddes ben in special,
Bot of here name in general
Thei hoten alle Satiri.
[Sidenote: Oreades Nimphe Montium.]
Ther ben of Nimphes proprely
In the believe of hem also:
Oreades thei seiden tho 1330
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 172=]
Attitled ben to the monteines;[1608]
[Sidenote: Driades Siluarum.]
And for the wodes in demeynes
To kepe, tho ben Driades;[1609]
[Sidenote: Naiades fontium.]
Of freisshe welles Naiades;
And of the Nimphes of the See
[Sidenote: Nereides Marium.[1610]]
I finde a tale in proprete,
Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece,
Which hadde of infortune a piece,--
His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle,[1611]
So as the happes scholden falle, 1340
With many a gentil womman there
Dreint in the salte See thei were:
Wherof the Greks that time seiden,
And such a name upon hem leiden,
Nereïdes that thei ben hote,
The Nimphes whiche that thei note
To regne upon the stremes salte.
Lo now, if this believe halte!
Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle,[1612]
In every place wher thei duelle 1350
Thei ben al redi obeissant
As damoiselles entendant
To the goddesses, whos servise[1613]
Thei mote obeie in alle wise;
Wherof the Greks to hem beseke
With tho that ben goddesses eke,
And have in hem a gret credence.
[Sidenote: Manes dii mortuorum.[1614]]
And yit withoute experience
Salve only of illusion,
Which was to hem dampnacion, 1360
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 173=]
For men also that were dede
Thei hadden goddes, as I rede,
And tho be name Manes hihten,
To whom ful gret honour thei dihten,
So as the Grekes lawe seith,
Which was ayein the rihte feith.
Thus have I told a gret partie;
Bot al the hole progenie
Of goddes in that ilke time
To long it were forto rime. 1370
Bot yit of that which thou hast herd,
Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd,
Ther is a gret diversite.
[Sidenote: Amans.]
Mi fader, riht so thenketh me.
Bot yit o thing I you beseche,
Which stant in alle mennes speche,
The godd and the goddesse of love,
Of whom ye nothing hier above
Have told, ne spoken of her fare,
That ye me wolden now declare 1380
Hou thei ferst comen to that name.[1615]
Mi Sone, I have it left for schame,
Be cause I am here oghne Prest;[1616]
[Sidenote: Qualiter Cupido et Venus deus et dea amoris
nuncupantur.[1617]]
Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest[1618]
Upon the schrifte of thi matiere,
Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere:
And understand nou wel the cas.
Venus Saturnes dowhter was,
Which alle danger putte aweie
Of love, and fond to lust a weie; 1390
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 174=]
So that of hire in sondri place
Diverse men felle into grace,
And such a lusti lif sche ladde,
That sche diverse children hadde,
Nou on be this, nou on be that.
Of hire it was that Mars beyat
A child, which cleped was Armene;
Of hire also cam Andragene,
To whom Mercurie fader was:
Anchises begat Eneas 1400
Of hire also, and Ericon
Biten begat, and therupon,
Whan that sche sih ther was non other,
Be Jupiter hire oghne brother
Sche lay, and he begat Cupide.[1619]
And thilke Sone upon a tyde,
Whan he was come unto his Age,
He hadde a wonder fair visage,
And fond his Moder amourous,
And he was also lecherous: 1410
So whan thei weren bothe al one,
As he which yhen hadde none
To se reson, his Moder kiste;
And sche also, that nothing wiste
Bot that which unto lust belongeth,
To ben hire love him underfongeth.
Thus was he blind, and sche unwys:
Bot natheles this cause it is,
Why Cupide is the god of love,
For he his moder dorste love. 1420
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 175=]
And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde,
Diverse loves tok in honde,
Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere:[1620]
And for sche wolde hirselve skiere,
Sche made comun that desport,
And sette a lawe of such a port,
That every womman mihte take
What man hire liste, and noght forsake
To ben als comun as sche wolde.[1621]
Sche was the ferste also which tolde 1430
That wommen scholde here bodi selle;
Semiramis, so as men telle,
Of Venus kepte thilke aprise,
And so dede in the same wise
Of Rome faire Neabole,
Which liste hire bodi to rigole;
Sche was to every man felawe,
And hild the lust of thilke lawe,[1622]
Which Venus of hirself began;
Wherof that sche the name wan, 1440
Why men hire clepen the goddesse
Of love and ek of gentilesse,
Of worldes lust and of plesance.
Se nou the foule mescreance
Of Greks in thilke time tho,
Whan Venus tok hire name so.
Ther was no cause under the Mone[1623]
Of which thei hadden tho to done,
Of wel or wo wher so it was,
That thei ne token in that cas 1450
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 176=]
A god to helpe or a goddesse.
Wherof, to take mi witnesse,
[Sidenote: Nota de Epistola Dindimi Regis Bragmannorum
Alexandro magno directa, vbi dicit quod Greci tunc ad
corporis conseruacionem pro singulis membris singulos deos
specialiter appropriari credunt.]
The king of Bragmans Dindimus[1624]
Wrot unto Alisandre thus:
In blaminge of the Grekes feith
And of the misbelieve, he seith
How thei for every membre hadden
A sondri god, to whom thei spradden
Here armes, and of help besoghten.
Minerve for the hed thei soghten, 1460
For sche was wys, and of a man
The wit and reson which he can
Is in the celles of the brayn,
Wherof thei made hire soverain.
Mercurie, which was in his dawes
A gret spekere of false lawes,
On him the kepinge of the tunge
Thei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.
For Bachus was a glotoun eke,
Him for the throte thei beseke, 1470
That he it wolde waisshen ofte
With swote drinkes and with softe.
The god of schuldres and of armes
Was Hercules; for he in armes
The myhtieste was to fihte,
To him tho Limes they behihte.[1625]
The god whom that thei clepen Mart[1626]
The brest to kepe hath for his part,
Forth with the herte, in his ymage
That he adresce the corage. 1480
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 177=]
And of the galle the goddesse,
For sche was full of hastifesse[1627]
Of wraththe and liht to grieve also,
Thei made and seide it was Juno.
Cupide, which the brond afyre[1628]
Bar in his hond, he was the Sire[1629]
Of the Stomak, which builleth evere,
Wherof the lustes ben the levere.
To the goddesse Cereres,[1630]
Which of the corn yaf hire encress 1490
Upon the feith that tho was take,
The wombes cure was betake;
And Venus thurgh the Lecherie,
For which that thei hire deifie,
Sche kept al doun the remenant[1631]
To thilke office appourtenant.
[Sidenote: [ORIGIN OF IDOL-WORSHIP.]]
Thus was dispers in sondri wise
The misbelieve, as I devise,
[Sidenote: Nota de prima ydolorum cultura, que ex tribus
precipue Statuis exorta est; quarum prima fuit illa, quam
in filii sui memoriam quidam princeps nomine Cirophanes a
sculptore Promotheo fabricari constituit.]
With many an ymage of entaile,
Of suche as myhte hem noght availe; 1500
For thei withoute lyves chiere
Unmyhti ben to se or hiere
Or speke or do or elles fiele;
And yit the foles to hem knele,
Which is here oghne handes werk.
Ha lord, hou this believe is derk,
And fer fro resonable wit!
And natheles thei don it yit:
That was to day a ragged tre,
To morwe upon his majeste 1510
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 178=]
Stant in the temple wel besein.
How myhte a mannes resoun sein
That such a Stock mai helpe or grieve?
Bot thei that ben of such believe
And unto suche goddes calle,
It schal to hem riht so befalle,
And failen ate moste nede.[1632]
Bot if thee list to taken hiede
And of the ferste ymage wite,
Petornius therof hath write[1633] 1520
And ek Nigargorus also;
And thei afferme and write so,
That Promotheüs was tofore
And fond the ferste craft therfore,
And Cirophanes, as thei telle,
Thurgh conseil which was take in helle,[1634]
In remembrance of his lignage[1635]
Let setten up the ferste ymage.
Of Cirophanes seith the bok,
That he for sorwe, which he tok 1530
Of that he sih his Sone ded,
Of confort knew non other red,
Bot let do make in remembrance
A faire ymage of his semblance
And sette it in the market place,[1636]
Which openly tofore his face
Stod every dai to don him ese.
And thei that thanne wolden plese
The fader, scholden it obeie,
Whan that they comen thilke weie. 1540
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 179=]
[Sidenote: Secunda Statua fuit illa, quam ad sui patris
Beli culturam Rex Ninus fieri et adorari decreuit. Et sic
de nomine Beli postea Bel et Belzebub ydolum accreuit.]
And of Ninus king of Assire
I rede hou that in his empire
He was next after the secounde
Of hem that ferst ymages founde.
For he riht in semblable cas
Of Belus, which his fader was
Fro Nembroth in the rihte line,
Let make of gold and Stones fine
A precious ymage riche
After his fader evene liche; 1550
And therupon a lawe he sette,
That every man of pure dette
With sacrifice and with truage
Honoure scholde thilke ymage:
So that withinne time it fell,
Of Belus cam the name of Bel,
Of Bel cam Belzebub, and so
The misbelieve wente tho.
[Sidenote: Tercia Statua fuit illa, que ad honorem Apis
Regis Grecorum sculpta fuit, cui postea nomen Serapis
imponentes, ipsum quasi deum Pagani coluerunt.]
The thridde ymage next to this
Was, whan the king of Grece Apis 1560
Was ded, thei maden a figure
In resemblance of his stature.
Of this king Apis seith the bok
That Serapis his name tok,
In whom thurgh long continuance
Of misbelieve a gret creance
Thei hadden, and the reverence
Of Sacrifice and of encence
To him thei made: and as thei telle,
Among the wondres that befelle, 1570
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 180=]
Whan Alisandre fro Candace
Cam ridende, in a wilde place
Undur an hull a Cave he fond;[1637]
And Candalus, which in that lond
Was bore, and was Candaces Sone,
Him tolde hou that of commun wone
The goddes were in thilke cave.
And he, that wolde assaie and have[1638]
A knowlechinge if it be soth,
Liht of his hors and in he goth, 1580
And fond therinne that he soghte:
For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte,
Amonges othre goddes mo
That Serapis spak to him tho,
Whom he sih there in gret arrai.
And thus the fend fro dai to dai
The worschipe of ydolatrie
Drowh forth upon the fantasie
Of hem that weren thanne blinde
And couthen noght the trouthe finde. 1590
Thus hast thou herd in what degre
Of Grece, Egipte and of Caldee
The misbelieves whilom stode;[1639]
And hou so that thei be noght goode
Ne trewe, yit thei sprungen oute,
Wherof the wyde world aboute
His part of misbelieve tok.
Til so befell, as seith the bok,
That god a poeple for himselve
Hath chose of the lignages tuelve, 1600
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 181=]
Wherof the sothe redely,
As it is write in Genesi,
I thenke telle in such a wise
That it schal be to thin apprise.
[Sidenote: [iv. BELIEF OF THE JEWS.]]
[Sidenote: De Hebreorum seu Iudeorum Secta, quorum
Sinagoga, ecclesia Cristi superueniente, defecit.]
After the flod, fro which Noë
Was sauf, the world in his degre
Was mad, as who seith, newe ayein,
Of flour, of fruit, of gras, of grein,
Of beste, of bridd and of mankinde,
Which evere hath be to god unkinde: 1610
For noght withstondende al the fare,
Of that this world was mad so bare
And afterward it was restored,
Among the men was nothing mored
Towardes god of good lyvynge,
Bot al was torned to likinge
After the fleissh, so that foryete
Was he which yaf hem lif and mete,
Of hevene and Erthe creatour.
And thus cam forth the grete errour, 1620
That thei the hihe god ne knewe,
Bot maden othre goddes newe,
As thou hast herd me seid tofore:
Ther was noman that time bore,[1640]
That he ne hadde after his chois
A god, to whom he yaf his vois.
Wherof the misbelieve cam
Into the time of Habraham:[1641]
Bot he fond out the rihte weie,
Hou only that men scholde obeie 1630
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 182=]
The hihe god, which weldeth al,
And evere hath don and evere schal,
In hevene, in Erthe and ek in helle;[1642]
Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle.
This Patriarch to his lignage
Forbad, that thei to non ymage
Encline scholde in none wise,
Bot here offrende and sacrifise
With al the hole hertes love
Unto the mihti god above 1640
Thei scholden yive and to no mo:
And thus in thilke time tho
Began the Secte upon this Erthe,[1643]
Which of believes was the ferthe.
Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived,
So moste it nedes be received[1644]
Of him that alle riht is inne,[1645]
The hihe god, which wolde winne
A poeple unto his oghne feith.
On Habraham the ground he leith, 1650
And made him forto multeplie
Into so gret a progenie,
That thei Egipte al overspradde.[1646]
Bot Pharao with wrong hem ladde
In servitute ayein the pes,
Til god let sende Moïses
To make the deliverance;
And for his poeple gret vengance
He tok, which is to hiere a wonder.
The king was slain, the lond put under, 1660
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 183=]
God bad the rede See divide,
Which stod upriht on either side[1647]
And yaf unto his poeple a weie,
That thei on fote it passe dreie[1648]
And gon so forth into desert:
Wher forto kepe hem in covert,
The daies, whan the Sonne brente,[1649]
A large cloude hem overwente,
And forto wissen hem be nyhte,
A firy Piler hem alyhte. 1670
And whan that thei for hunger pleigne,
The myhti god began to reyne
Manna fro hevene doun to grounde,
Wherof that ech of hem hath founde
His fode, such riht as him liste;
And for thei scholde upon him triste,
Riht as who sette a tonne abroche,
He percede the harde roche,[1650]
And sprong out water al at wille,
That man and beste hath drunke his fille: 1680
And afterward he yaf the lawe
To Moïses, that hem withdrawe
Thei scholden noght fro that he bad.
And in this wise thei be lad,
Til thei toke in possession[1651]
The londes of promission,
Wher that Caleph and Josuë
The Marches upon such degre
Departen, after the lignage
That ech of hem as Heritage 1690
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 184=]
His porpartie hath underfonge.
And thus stod this believe longe,
Which of prophetes was governed;
And thei hadde ek the poeple lerned
Of gret honour that scholde hem falle;
Bot ate moste nede of alle
Thei faileden, whan Crist was bore.
Bot hou that thei here feith have bore,[1652]
It nedeth noght to tellen al,
The matiere is so general: 1700
Whan Lucifer was best in hevene
And oghte moste have stonde in evene,
Towardes god he tok debat;
And for that he was obstinat,
And wolde noght to trouthe encline,
He fell for evere into ruine:
And Adam ek in Paradis,
Whan he stod most in al his pris
After thastat of Innocence,
Ayein the god brak his defence 1710
And fell out of his place aweie:
And riht be such a maner weie
The Jwes in here beste plit,[1653]
Whan that thei scholden most parfit
Have stonde upon the prophecie,[1654]
Tho fellen thei to most folie,
And him which was fro hevene come,
And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome,
And was among hem bore and fedd,
As men that wolden noght be spedd 1720
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 185=]
Of goddes Sone, with o vois
Thei hinge and slowhe upon the crois.
Wherof the parfit of here lawe
Fro thanne forth hem was withdrawe,
So that thei stonde of no merit,
Bot in truage as folk soubgit
Withoute proprete of place
Thei liven out of goddes grace,
Dispers in alle londes oute.
And thus the feith is come aboute, 1730
That whilom in the Jewes stod,
Which is noght parfihtliche good.
To speke as it is nou befalle,
Ther is a feith aboven alle,
In which the trouthe is comprehended,
Wherof that we ben alle amended.