Of guile and of soubtilite
Is non so slyh in his degre
To feigne a thing for his beyete,
As is this vice of which I trete. 7090*
He can so priveliche pyke,
He can so wel hise wordes slyke
To putte awey suspecioun,
That in his excusacioun,
Ther schal noman defalte finde.
And thus fulofte men be blinde,
That stonden of his word deceived,
Er his queintise be perceived.
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 366=]
Bot natheles yit otherwhile,
For al his sleyhte and al his guile,[602] 7100*
Of that he wolde his werk forsake,
He is atteint and overtake;
Wherof thou schalt a tale rede,
In Rome as it befell in dede.[603]
[Sidenote: [TALE OF LUCIUS AND THE STATUE.]]
Er Rome cam to the creance
Of Cristes feith, it fell per chance,
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de illis qui laruata consciencia
Sacrilegium sibi licere fingunt. Et narrat quod, cum quidam
Lucius clericus famosus et Imperatori notus deum suum Apollinem
in templo Rome de anulo suo, pallio et barba aurea spoliasset,
ipse tandem apprehensus et coram Imperatore accusatus taliter se
excusando ait: ‘Anulum a deo recepi, quia ipse digito protenso
ex sua largitate anulum hunc graciose michi optulit; pallium ex
lamine aureo constructum tuli, quia aurum maxime ponderosum et
frigidum naturaliter consistit, vnde nec in estate propter pondus
nec in yeme propter frigus ad dei vestes vtile fuit; barbam ab
eo[605] deposui, quia ipsum patri suo assimilare volui,[606]
nam et Apollo, qui ante ipsum in templo[607] stetit, absque
barba iuvenis apparuit. Et sic ea que gessi non ex furto set
honestate[608] processisse manifeste declaraui.’]
Cesar, which tho was Emperour,
Him liste forto don honour
Unto the temple Apollinis,
And made an ymage upon this, 7110*
The which was cleped Apollo.
Was non so riche in Rome tho;
Of plate of gold a berd he hadde,
The which his brest al overspradde;
Of gold also withoute faile
His mantell was of large entaile,
Beset with perrie al aboute,
Forthriht he strawhte his finger oute,
Upon the which he hadde a ryng,
To sen it was a riche thing, 7120*
A fin Carbuncle for the nones,[604]
Most precious of alle Stones.
And fell that time in Rome thus:
Ther was a clerk, on Lucius,
A Courteour, a famous man,
Of every witt somwhat he can,
Outake that him lacketh reule
His oghne astat to guide and reule;
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 367=]
How so it stod of his spekinge,
He was noght wys in his doinge. 7130*
Bot every riot ate laste
Mot nedes falle and mai noght laste:
After the meede of his decerte,
So fell this clerk into poverte
And wiste noght how forto ryse;
Wherof in many a sondri wyse
He caste his wittes hier and ther,
He loketh nyh, he loketh fer,
Til on a time that he com
Into the temple, and hiede he nom[609] 7140*
Wher that the god Apollo stod.
He sih the richesse and the good,
And thoghte he wolde be som weie
The tresor pyke and stele aweie;
And therupon so slyhly wroghte,
That his pourpos aboute he broghte,
And wente awey unaparceived.
Thus hath the man his god deceived,[610]
His ryng, his mantell and his beerd,
As he which nothing was a feerd,[611] 7150*
Al prively with him he bar:
And whan the wardeins weren war
Of that here god despuiled was,
Hem thoghte it was a wonder cas,
How that a man for eny wele
Durste in so holy place stele,[612]
And namely so gret a thing.[613]
This tale cam unto the king,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 368=]
And was thurgh spoken overal:
Bot forto knowe in special 7160*
What maner man hath do the dede,
Thei soghten help upon the nede
And maden calculacioun,
Wherof be demonstracioun
The man was founde with the good.
In juggement and whan he stood,
The king hath axed of him thus:
‘Sey, thou unsely Lucius,
Whi hast thou do this sacrilegge?’
‘Mi lord, if I the cause allegge,’ 7170*
Quod he ayein, ‘me thenketh this,
That I have do nothing amis.
Thre pointz ther ben whiche I have do,
Wherof the ferste point stant so,
That I the ryng have take aweie.
As unto that this wole I seie:[614]
Whan I the god behield aboute,
I sih how he his hond strawhte oute
And profred me the ryng to yive;
And I, which wolde gladly live 7180*
Out of poverte of his largesse,[615]
It underfing, so that I gesse,
As therof I am noght to wyte.[616]
And overmore I wol me quite,
Of gold that I the mantell tok:
Gold in his kinde, as seith the bok,
Is hevy bothe and cold also;
And for that it was hevy so,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 369=]
Me thoghte it was no garnement
Unto the god convenient, 7190*
To clothen him the somer tide;
I thoghte upon that other side
How gold is cold, and such a cloth
Be resoun oghte to be loth
In wynter time for the chele.
And thus thenkende thoghtes fele,
As I myn yhe aboute caste,
His large beerd thanne ate laste
I syh, and thoghte anon therfore
How that his fader him before, 7200*
Which stod upon the same place,
Was beerdles with a yongly face:
And in such wise as ye have herd
I tok awey the Sones berd,[617]
For that his fader hadde non,
To make hem liche, and hier upon
I axe forto ben excused.’
Lo thus, wher Sacrilegge is used,
A man can feigne his conscience;
And riht upon such evidence 7210*
In loves cause, &c. (_as_ 7033 ff.)
* * * * *
In loves cause if I schal trete,
[Sidenote: [SACRILEGE OF LOVERS.]]
Ther ben of suche smale and grete:
If thei no leisir fynden elles,
Thei wol noght wonden for the belles,
Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse;
That wol thei leten overpasse.
If that thei finde here love there,
Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere, 7040
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 370=]
And axe of god non other grace,
Whyl thei ben in that holi place;
Bot er thei gon som avantage
Ther wol thei have, and som pilage
Of goodli word or of beheste,
Or elles thei take ate leste
Out of hir hand or ring or glove,
So nyh the weder thei wol love,[618]
As who seith sche schal noght foryete,
Nou I this tokne of hire have gete: 7050
Thus halwe thei the hihe feste.
Such thefte mai no cherche areste,
For al is leveful that hem liketh,[619]
To whom that elles it misliketh.
And ek riht in the selve kinde
In grete Cites men mai finde
This lusti folk, that make it gay,
And waite upon the haliday:
In cherches and in Menstres eke
Thei gon the wommen forto seke, 7060
And wher that such on goth aboute,
Tofore the faireste of the route,
Wher as thei sitten alle arewe,
Ther wol he most his bodi schewe,
His croket kembd and theron set
A Nouche with a chapelet,
Or elles on of grene leves,
Which late com out of the greves,
Al for he scholde seme freissh.
And thus he loketh on the fleissh,[620] 7070
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 371=]
Riht as an hauk which hath a sihte
Upon the foul, ther he schal lihte; (7250*)
And as he were of faierie,
He scheweth him tofore here yhe
In holi place wher thei sitte,
Al forto make here hertes flitte.
His yhe nawher wole abyde,
Bot loke and prie on every syde[621]
On hire and hire, as him best lyketh:
And otherwhile among he syketh; 7080
Thenkth on of hem, ‘That was for me,’
And so ther thenken tuo or thre,
And yit he loveth non of alle,
Bot wher as evere his chance falle.
And natheles to seie a soth,
The cause why that he so doth
Is forto stele an herte or tuo,
Out of the cherche er that he go:
And as I seide it hier above,
Al is that Sacrilege of love; 7090
For wel mai be he stelth away
That he nevere after yelde may.
Tell me forthi, my Sone, anon,
Hast thou do Sacrilege, or non,[622]
As I have said in this manere?
[Sidenote: Confessio Amantis.]
Mi fader, as of this matiere
I wole you tellen redely
What I have do; bot trewely
I mai excuse min entente,
That nevere I yit to cherche wente 7100
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 372=]
In such manere as ye me schryve,
For no womman that is on lyve.
The cause why I have it laft
Mai be for I unto that craft
Am nothing able so to stele,
Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele.[623]
Bot yit wol I noght seie this,
Whan I am ther mi ladi is,
In whom lith holly mi querele,
And sche to cherche or to chapele 7110
Wol go to matins or to messe,--
That time I waite wel and gesse,
To cherche I come and there I stonde,
And thogh I take a bok on honde,
Mi contienance is on the bok,
Bot toward hire is al my lok;
And if so falle that I preie
Unto mi god, and somwhat seie
Of Paternoster or of Crede,[624]
Al is for that I wolde spede, 7120
So that mi bede in holi cherche
Ther mihte som miracle werche (7300*)
Mi ladi herte forto chaunge,
Which evere hath be to me so strange.[625]
So that al mi devocion
And al mi contemplacion
With al min herte and mi corage
Is only set on hire ymage;
And evere I waite upon the tyde.
If sche loke eny thing asyde, 7130
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 373=]
That I me mai of hire avise,[626]
Anon I am with covoitise
So smite, that me were lief
To ben in holi cherche a thief;
Bot noght to stele a vestement,
For that is nothing mi talent,
Bot I wold stele, if that I mihte,[627]
A glad word or a goodly syhte;
And evere mi service I profre,
And namly whan sche wol gon offre, 7140
For thanne I lede hire, if I may,
For somwhat wolde I stele away.
Whan I beclippe hire on the wast,
Yit ate leste I stele a tast,
And otherwhile ‘grant mercy’
Sche seith, and so winne I therby
A lusti touch, a good word eke,
Bot al the remenant to seke
Is fro mi pourpos wonder ferr.
So mai I seie, as I seide er, 7150
In holy cherche if that I wowe,
My conscience it wolde allowe,[628]
Be so that up amendement
I mihte gete assignement
Wher forto spede in other place:
Such Sacrilege I holde a grace.
And thus, mi fader, soth to seie,
In cherche riht as in the weie,
If I mihte oght of love take,
Such hansell have I noght forsake.[629] 7160
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 374=]
Bot finali I me confesse,
Ther is in me non holinesse,
whil I hire se in eny stede;[630]
And yit, for oght that evere I dede,
No Sacrilege of hire I tok,
Bot if it were of word or lok,[631]
Or elles if that I hir fredde,
Whan I toward offringe hir ledde,
Take therof what I take may,
For elles bere I noght away: 7170
For thogh I wolde oght elles have,
Alle othre thinges ben so save[632] (7350*)
And kept with such a privilege,
That I mai do no Sacrilege.
God wot mi wille natheles,
Thogh I mot nedes kepe pes
And malgre myn so let it passe,[633]
Mi will therto is noght the lasse,
If I mihte other wise aweie.
Forthi, mi fader, I you preie, 7180
Tell what you thenketh therupon,[634]
If I therof have gult or non.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Thi will, mi Sone, is forto blame,
The remenant is bot a game,
That I have herd the telle as yit.
Bot tak this lore into thi wit,
That alle thing hath time and stede,
The cherche serveth for the bede,
The chambre is of an other speche.
Bot if thou wistest of the wreche, 7190
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 375=]
Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght,
Thou woldest betre ben bethoght;
And for thou schalt the more amende,
A tale I wole on the despende.[635]
[Sidenote: [TALE OF PARIS AND HELEN.]]
To alle men, as who seith, knowe
It is, and in the world thurgh blowe,
[Sidenote: Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo
ponit exemplum. Et narrat, pro eo quod Paris Priami
Regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie
insula a templo Veneris Sacrilegus abduxit, illa Troie
famosissima[636] obsidio per vniuersi[637] orbis climata
divulgata precipue causabatur.[638] Ita quod huiusmodi
Sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Priami omniumque
suorum interitum, set eciam ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem
vindicte fomitem ministrabat.]
Hou that of Troie Lamedon
To Hercules and to Jasoun,
Whan toward Colchos out of Grece
Be See sailende upon a piece 7200
Of lond of Troie reste preide,--
Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide:
And for thei founde him so vilein,
Whan thei come into Grece ayein,
With pouer that thei gete myhte
Towardes Troie thei hem dyhte,
And ther thei token such vengance,
Wherof stant yit the remembrance;[639]
For thei destruide king and al,
And leften bot the brente wal. 7210
The Grecs of Troiens many slowe
And prisoners thei toke ynowe,
Among the whiche ther was on,
The kinges doughter Lamedon,
Esiona, that faire thing,[640]
Which unto Thelamon the king
Be Hercules and be thassent
Of al the hole parlement
Was at his wille yove and granted.
And thus hath Grece Troie danted, 7220
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 376=]
And hom thei torne in such manere:
Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere (7400*)
The cause why this tale I telle,[641]
Upon the chances that befelle.
King Lamedon, which deide thus,
He hadde a Sone, on Priamus,
Which was noght thilke time at hom:
Bot whan he herde of this, he com,
And fond hou the Cite was falle,
Which he began anon to walle 7230
And made ther a cite newe,
That thei whiche othre londes knewe
Tho seiden, that of lym and Ston
In al the world so fair was non.
And on that o side of the toun
The king let maken Ylioun,[642]
That hihe Tour, that stronge place,
Which was adrad of no manace
Of quarel nor of non engin;
And thogh men wolde make a Myn, 7240
No mannes craft it mihte aproche,
For it was sett upon a roche.
The walles of the toun aboute,
Hem stod of al the world no doute,
And after the proporcion
Sex gates weren of the toun
Of such a forme, of such entaile,
That hem to se was gret mervaile:
The diches weren brode and depe,
A fewe men it mihte kepe 7250
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 377=]
From al the world, as semeth tho,
Bot if the goddes weren fo.
Gret presse unto that cite drouh,
So that ther was of poeple ynouh,
Of Burgeis that therinne duellen;
Ther mai no mannes tunge tellen
Hou that cite was riche of good.[643]
Whan al was mad and al wel stod,
King Priamus tho him bethoghte
What thei of Grece whilom wroghte, 7260
And what was of her swerd devoured,
And hou his Soster deshonoured
With Thelamon awey was lad:
And so thenkende he wax unglad,[644]
And sette anon a parlement,
To which the lordes were assent.
In many a wise ther was spoke,
Hou that thei mihten ben awroke,
Bot ate laste natheles
Thei seiden alle, ‘Acord and pes.’ 7270
To setten either part in reste[645]
It thoghte hem thanne for the beste (7450*)
With resonable amendement;
And thus was Anthenor forth sent[646]
To axe Esionam ayein[647]
And witen what thei wolden sein.
So passeth he the See be barge[648]
To Grece forto seie his charge,
The which he seide redely
Unto the lordes by and by: 7280
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 378=]
Bot where he spak in Grece aboute,
He herde noght bot wordes stoute,
And nameliche of Thelamon;
The maiden wolde he noght forgon,
He seide, for no maner thing,
And bad him gon hom to his king,
For there gat he non amende
For oght he couthe do or sende.
This Anthenor ayein goth hom
Unto his king, and whan he com, 7290
He tolde in Grece of that he herde,
And hou that Thelamon ansuerde,
And hou thei were at here above,
That thei wol nouther pes ne love,
Bot every man schal don his beste.
Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste,
The king bethoghte him al that nyht,[649]
And erli, whan the dai was lyht,
He tok conseil of this matiere;
And thei acorde in this manere, 7300
That he withouten eny lette
A certein time scholde sette
Of Parlement to ben avised:[650]
And in the wise it was devised,
Of parlement he sette a day,
And that was in the Monthe of Maii.
This Priamus hadde in his yhte
A wif, and Hecuba sche hyhte,
Be whom that time ek hadde he
Of Sones fyve, and douhtres thre 7310
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 379=]
Besiden hem, and thritty mo,[651]
And weren knyhtes alle tho,
Bot noght upon his wif begete,
Bot elles where he myhte hem gete
Of wommen whiche he hadde knowe;
Such was the world at thilke throwe:
So that he was of children riche,
As therof was noman his liche.[652]
Of Parlement the dai was come,
Ther ben the lordes alle and some; 7320
Tho was pronounced and pourposed,
And al the cause hem was desclosed, (7500*)
Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde.
Thei seten alle stille and herde,
And tho spak every man aboute:
Ther was alegged many a doute,
And many a proud word spoke also;[653]
Bot for the moste part as tho[654]
Thei wisten noght what was the beste,
Or forto werre or forto reste. 7330
Bot he that was withoute fere,
Hector, among the lordes there
His tale tolde in such a wise,
And seide, ‘Lordes, ye ben wise,
Ye knowen this als wel as I,
Above all othre most worthi[655]
Stant nou in Grece the manhode
Of worthinesse and of knihthode;
For who so wole it wel agrope,
To hem belongeth al Europe, 7340
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 380=]
Which is the thridde parti evene
Of al the world under the hevene;
And we be bot of folk a fewe.
So were it reson forto schewe[656]
The peril, er we falle thrinne:
Betre is to leve, than beginne
Thing which as mai noght ben achieved;
He is noght wys that fint him grieved,
And doth so that his grief be more;
For who that loketh al tofore 7350
And wol noght se what is behinde,
He mai fulofte hise harmes finde:
Wicke is to stryve and have the worse.
We have encheson forto corse,
This wot I wel, and forto hate
The Greks; bot er that we debate
With hem that ben of such a myht,
It is ful good that every wiht
Be of himself riht wel bethoght.
Bot as for me this seie I noght; 7360
For while that mi lif wol stonde,
If that ye taken werre on honde,
Falle it to beste or to the werste,[657]
I schal miselven be the ferste
To grieven hem, what evere I may.
I wol noght ones seie nay
To thing which that youre conseil demeth,
For unto me wel more it quemeth
The werre certes than the pes;
Bot this I seie natheles, 7370
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 381=]
As me belongeth forto seie.
Nou schape ye the beste weie.’ (7550*)
Whan Hector hath seid his avis,
Next after him tho spak Paris,
Which was his brother, and alleide
What him best thoghte, and thus he seide:
‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong,
And suffre schame is more strong,
Bot we have suffred bothe tuo;
And for al that yit have we do 7380
What so we mihte to reforme
The pes, whan we in such a forme[658]
Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe.
And thei here grete wordes blowe
Upon her wrongful dedes eke;
And who that wole himself noght meke
To pes, and list no reson take,
Men sein reson him wol forsake:[659]
For in the multitude of men
Is noght the strengthe, for with ten 7390
It hath be sen in trew querele[660]
Ayein an hundred false dele,
And had the betre of goddes grace.
This hath befalle in many place;
And if it like unto you alle,
I wole assaie, hou so it falle,
Oure enemis if I mai grieve;
For I have cawht a gret believe
Upon a point I wol declare.
This ender day, as I gan fare[661] 7400
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 382=]
To hunte unto the grete hert,
Which was tofore myn houndes stert,
And every man went on his syde[662]
Him to poursuie, and I to ryde
Began the chace, and soth to seie,[663]
Withinne a while out of mi weie
I rod, and nyste where I was.
And slep me cauhte, and on the gras
Beside a welle I lay me doun
To slepe, and in a visioun[664] 7410
To me the god Mercurie cam;
Goddesses thre with him he nam,
Minerve, Venus and Juno,
And in his hond an Appel tho
He hield of gold with lettres write:
And this he dede me to wite,
Hou that thei putt hem upon me,[665]
That to the faireste of hem thre
Of gold that Appel scholde I yive.[666]
With ech of hem tho was I schrive, 7420
And echon faire me behihte;
Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte (7600*)
That Appel of mi yifte gete,
Sche wolde it neveremor foryete,
And seide hou that in Grece lond
Sche wolde bringe unto myn hond
Of al this Erthe the faireste;
So that me thoghte it for the beste,
To hire and yaf that Appel tho.
Thus hope I wel, if that I go, 7430
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 383=]
That sche for me wol so ordeine,
That thei matiere forto pleigne
Schul have, er that I come ayein.
Nou have ye herd that I wol sein:
Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’
And every man tho seide his,
And sundri causes thei recorde,
Bot ate laste thei acorde
That Paris schal to Grece wende,
And thus the parlement tok ende. 7440
Cassandra, whan sche herde of this,[667]
The which to Paris Soster is,
Anon sche gan to wepe and weile,
And seide, ‘Allas, what mai ous eile?
Fortune with hire blinde whiel
Ne wol noght lete ous stonde wel:
For this I dar wel undertake,
That if Paris his weie take,
As it is seid that he schal do,
We ben for evere thanne undo.’ 7450
This, which Cassandre thanne hihte,
In al the world as it berth sihte,
In bokes as men finde write,
Is that Sibille of whom ye wite,
That alle men yit clepen sage.
Whan that sche wiste of this viage,
Hou Paris schal to Grece fare,
No womman mihte worse fare
Ne sorwe more than sche dede;
And riht so in the same stede 7460
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 384=]
Ferde Helenus, which was hir brother,
Of prophecie and such an other:
And al was holde bot a jape,
So that the pourpos which was schape,
Or were hem lief or were hem loth,[668]
Was holde, and into Grece goth
This Paris with his retenance.
And as it fell upon his chance,
Of Grece he londeth in an yle,
And him was told the same whyle[669] 7470
Of folk which he began to freyne,
Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne, (7650*)
And ek of contres there aboute
Of ladis many a lusti route,
With mochel worthi poeple also.
And why thei comen theder tho,
The cause stod in such a wise,--
For worschipe and for sacrifise
That thei to Venus wolden make,
As thei tofore hadde undertake, 7480
Some of good will, some of beheste,
For thanne was hire hihe feste
Withinne a temple which was there.
Whan Paris wiste what thei were,
Anon he schop his ordinance
To gon and don his obeissance
To Venus on hire holi day,
And dede upon his beste aray.
With gret richesse he him behongeth,
As it to such a lord belongeth, 7490
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 385=]
He was noght armed natheles,
Bot as it were in lond of pes,
And thus he goth forth out of Schipe
And takth with him his felaschipe:
In such manere as I you seie
Unto the temple he hield his weie.
Tydinge, which goth overal
To grete and smale, forth withal
Com to the queenes Ere and tolde
Hou Paris com, and that he wolde 7500
Do sacrifise to Venus:
And whan sche herde telle thus,
She thoghte, hou that it evere be,
That sche wole him abyde and se.[670]
Forth comth Paris with glad visage
Into the temple on pelrinage,
Wher unto Venus the goddesse
He yifth and offreth gret richesse,
And preith hir that he preie wolde.
And thanne aside he gan beholde,[671] 7510
And sih wher that this ladi stod;
And he forth in his freisshe mod
Goth ther sche was and made hir chiere,
As he wel couthe in his manere,
That of his wordes such plesance
Sche tok, that al hire aqueintance,
Als ferforth as the herte lay,
He stal er that he wente away.
So goth he forth and tok his leve,
And thoghte, anon as it was eve, 7520
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 386=]
He wolde don his Sacrilegge,
That many a man it scholde abegge. (7700*)
Whan he to Schipe ayein was come,
To him he hath his conseil nome,
And al devised the matiere
In such a wise as thou schalt hiere.
Withinne nyht al prively
His men he warneth by and by,
That thei be redy armed sone
For certein thing which was to done: 7530
And thei anon ben redi alle,
And ech on other gan to calle,
And went hem out upon the stronde[672]
And tok a pourpos ther alonde
Of what thing that thei wolden do,[673]
Toward the temple and forth thei go.
So fell it, of devocion
Heleine in contemplacion
With many an other worthi wiht
Was in the temple and wok al nyht, 7540
To bidde and preie unto thymage[674]
Of Venus, as was thanne usage;
So that Paris riht as him liste
Into the temple, er thei it wiste,[675]
Com with his men al sodeinly,
And alle at ones sette ascry
In hem whiche in the temple were,
For tho was mochel poeple there;
Bot of defense was no bote,
So soffren thei that soffre mote. 7550
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 387=]
Paris unto the queene wente,
And hire in bothe hise armes hente
With him and with his felaschipe,
And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe.[676]
Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente,
And such a wynd fortune hem sente,
Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte;
Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhte
And gon hem forth toward the toun,
The which cam with processioun 7560
Ayein Paris to sen his preie.
And every man began to seie
To Paris and his felaschipe
Al that thei couthen of worschipe;
Was non so litel man in Troie,
That he ne made merthe and joie
Of that Paris hath wonne Heleine.
Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peine
To Helenus and to Cassaundre;
For thei it token schame and sklaundre[677] 7570
And lost of al the comun grace,
That Paris out of holi place (7750*)
Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif,
Wherof that he schal lese his lif
And many a worthi man therto,
And al the Cite be fordo,
Which nevere schal be mad ayein.
And so it fell, riht as thei sein,
The Sacrilege which he wroghte
Was cause why the Gregois soughte 7580
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 388=]
Unto the toun and it beleie,
And wolden nevere parte aweie,
Til what be sleihte and what be strengthe
Thei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe,
And brent and slayn that was withinne.
Now se, mi Sone, which a sinne
Is Sacrilege in holy stede:
Be war therfore and bidd thi bede,
And do nothing in holy cherche,
Bot that thou miht be reson werche. 7590
And ek tak hiede of Achilles,
Whan he unto his love ches
Polixena, that was also
In holi temple of Appollo,
Which was the cause why he dyde
And al his lust was leyd asyde.
And Troilus upon Criseide
Also his ferste love leide
In holi place, and hou it ferde,
As who seith, al the world it herde;[678] 7600
Forsake he was for Diomede,
Such was of love his laste mede.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Forthi, mi Sone, I wolde rede,
Be this ensample as thou myht rede,[679]
Sech elles, wher thou wolt, thi grace,
And war the wel in holi place
What thou to love do or speke,
In aunter if it so be wreke
As thou hast herd me told before.
[Sidenote: [DIVISIONS OF AVARICE.]]
And tak good hiede also therfore 7610
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 389=]
Upon what forme, of Avarice[680]
Mor than of eny other vice,
I have divided in parties
The branches, whiche of compainies
Thurghout the world in general
Ben nou the leders overal,
Of Covoitise and of Perjure,
Of fals brocage and of Usure,
Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe,[681]
Which nevere drouh to felaschipe, 7620
Of Robberie and privi Stelthe,[682]
Which don is for the worldes welthe, (7800*)
Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge,
Which makth the conscience agregge;
Althogh it mai richesse atteigne,
It floureth, bot it schal noght greine
Unto the fruit of rihtwisnesse.
Bot who that wolde do largesse
Upon the reule as it is yive,
So myhte a man in trouthe live[683] 7630
Toward his god, and ek also
Toward the world, for bothe tuo
Largesse awaiteth as belongeth,
To neither part that he ne wrongeth;[684]
He kepth himself, he kepth his frendes,
So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes,
That he excedeth no mesure,
So wel he can himself mesure:
Wherof, mi Sone, thou schalt wite,
So as the Philosophre hath write. 7640