Which was ordeigned for the king,
And ther he dede of al his thing,
And was arraied realy.
[Sidenote: Qualiter Athenagoras Appolinum de naui in
hospicium honorifice recollegit, et Thaisim, patre
consenciente, in vxorem duxit.]
And out he cam al openly,
Wher Athenagoras he fond,
The which was lord of al the lond:[1650] 1750
He preith the king to come and se
His castell bothe and his cite,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 334=]
And thus thei gon forth alle in fiere,
This king, this lord, this maiden diere.[1651]
This lord tho made hem riche feste
With every thing which was honeste,[1652]
To plese with this worthi king,
Ther lacketh him no maner thing:
Bot yit for al his noble array
Wifles he was into that day, 1760
As he that yit was of yong Age;[1653]
So fell ther into his corage
The lusti wo, the glade peine
Of love, which noman restreigne
Yit nevere myhte as nou tofore.
This lord thenkth al his world forlore,
Bot if the king wol don him grace;
He waiteth time, he waiteth place,
Him thoghte his herte wol tobreke,
Til he mai to this maide speke 1770
And to hir fader ek also
For mariage: and it fell so,
That al was do riht as he thoghte,
His pourpos to an ende he broghte,
Sche weddeth him as for hire lord;
Thus be thei alle of on acord.
[Sidenote: Qualiter Appolinus vna cum filia et eius
marito nauim ingredientes a Mitelena vsque Tharsim cursum
proposuerunt. Set Appolinus in sompnis ammonitus versus
Ephesim, vt ibidem in templo Diane sacrificaret, vela per
mare diuertit.]
Whan al was do riht as thei wolde,
The king unto his Sone tolde
Of Tharse thilke traiterie,
And seide hou in his compaignie 1780
His doghter and himselven eke
Schull go vengance forto seke.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 335=]
The Schipes were redy sone,
And whan thei sihe it was to done,
Withoute lette of eny wente
With Seil updrawe forth thei wente
Towardes Tharse upon the tyde.
Bot he that wot what schal betide,
The hihe god, which wolde him kepe,
Whan that this king was faste aslepe,[1654] 1790
Be nyhtes time he hath him bede
To seile into an other stede:[1655]
To Ephesim he bad him drawe,
And as it was that time lawe,
He schal do there his sacrifise;
And ek he bad in alle wise
That in the temple amonges alle
His fortune, as it is befalle,
Touchende his doghter and his wif
He schal beknowe upon his lif. 1800
The king of this Avisioun
Hath gret ymaginacioun,
What thing it signefie may;
And natheles, whan it was day,
He bad caste Ancher and abod;
And whil that he on Ancher rod,
The wynd, which was tofore strange,
Upon the point began to change,
And torneth thider as it scholde.
Tho knew he wel that god it wolde, 1810
And bad the Maister make him yare,
Tofor the wynd for he wol fare
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 336=]
To Ephesim, and so he dede.
And whanne he cam unto the stede
Where as he scholde londe, he londeth
With al the haste he may, and fondeth
To schapen him be such a wise,
That he may be the morwe arise
And don after the mandement
Of him which hath him thider sent. 1820
And in the wise that he thoghte,
Upon the morwe so he wroghte;
His doghter and his Sone he nom,
And forth unto the temple he com
With a gret route in compaignie,
Hise yiftes forto sacrifie.
The citezeins tho herden seie
Of such a king that cam to preie
Unto Diane the godesse,
And left al other besinesse, 1830
Thei comen thider forto se
The king and the solempnete.
[Sidenote: Qualiter Appolinus Ephesim in templo Diane
sacrificans, vxorem suam ibidem velatam inuenit; qua secum
assumpta in Nauim, versus Tyrum regressus est.]
With worthi knyhtes environed
The king himself hath abandoned
Into the temple in good entente.
The dore is up, and he in wente,[1656]
Wher as with gret devocioun
Of holi contemplacioun
Withinne his herte he made his schrifte;
And after that a riche yifte 1840
He offreth with gret reverence,
And there in open Audience[1657]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 337=]
Of hem that stoden thanne aboute,[1658]
He tolde hem and declareth oute
His hap, such as him is befalle,
Ther was nothing foryete of alle.
His wif, as it was goddes grace,
Which was professed in the place,
As sche that was Abbesse there,
Unto his tale hath leid hire Ere: 1850
Sche knew the vois and the visage,
For pure joie as in a rage
Sche strawhte unto him al at ones,
And fell aswoune upon the stones,[1659]
Wherof the temple flor was paved.
Sche was anon with water laved,
Til sche cam to hirself ayein,
And thanne sche began to sein:
‘Ha, blessed be the hihe sonde,
That I mai se myn housebonde, 1860
That whilom he and I were on!’[1660]
The king with that knew hire anon,
And tok hire in his Arm and kiste;
And al the toun thus sone it wiste.
Tho was ther joie manyfold,
For every man this tale hath told
As for miracle, and were glade,
Bot nevere man such joie made
As doth the king, which hath his wif.
And whan men herde hou that hir lif 1870
Was saved, and be whom it was,
Thei wondren alle of such a cas:
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 338=]
Thurgh al the Lond aros the speche
Of Maister Cerymon the leche
And of the cure which he dede.
The king himself tho hath him bede,
And ek this queene forth with him,[1661]
That he the toun of Ephesim
Wol leve and go wher as thei be,
For nevere man of his degre 1880
Hath do to hem so mochel good;
And he his profit understod,
And granteth with hem forto wende.
And thus thei maden there an ende,
And token leve and gon to Schipe
With al the hole felaschipe.
[Sidenote: Qualiter Appolinus vna cum vxore et filia sua
Thyrum applicuit.]
This king, which nou hath his desir,
Seith he wol holde his cours to Tyr.
Thei hadden wynd at wille tho,
With topseilcole and forth they go,[1662] 1890
And striken nevere, til thei come
To Tyr, where as thei havene nome,[1663]
And londen hem with mochel blisse.
Tho was ther many a mowth to kisse,
Echon welcometh other hom,
Bot whan the queen to londe com,
And Thaise hir doghter be hir side,
The joie which was thilke tyde
Ther mai no mannes tunge telle:
Thei seiden alle, ‘Hier comth the welle 1900
Of alle wommannysshe grace.’
The king hath take his real place,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 339=]
The queene is into chambre go:
Ther was gret feste arraied tho;
Whan time was, thei gon to mete,
Alle olde sorwes ben foryete,
And gladen hem with joies newe:
The descoloured pale hewe
Is now become a rody cheke,
Ther was no merthe forto seke, 1910
Bot every man hath that he wolde.[1664]
[Sidenote: Qualiter Appolinus Athenagoram cum Thaise vxore
sua super Tyrum coronari fecit.[1665]]
The king, as he wel couthe and scholde,
Makth to his poeple riht good chiere;
And after sone, as thou schalt hiere,
A parlement he hath sommoned,
Wher he his doghter hath coroned
Forth with the lord of Mitelene,
That on is king, that other queene:
And thus the fadres ordinance
This lond hath set in governance,[1666] 1920
And seide thanne he wolde wende[1667]
To Tharse, forto make an ende
Of that his doghter was betraied.
Therof were alle men wel paied,[1668]
And seide hou it was forto done:
The Schipes weren redi sone,
And strong pouer with him he tok;[1669]
Up to the Sky he caste his lok,[1670]
And syh the wynd was covenable.
[Sidenote: Qualiter Appolinus a Tyro per mare versus
Tharsim iter arripiens vindictam contra Strangulionem et
Dionisiam vxorem suam pro iniuria, quam ipsi Thaisi filie
sue intulerunt, iudicialiter assecutus est.]
Thei hale up Ancher with the cable, 1930
The Seil on hih, the Stiere in honde,[1671]
And seilen, til thei come alonde
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 340=]
At Tharse nyh to the cite;
And whan thei wisten it was he,
The toun hath don him reverence.
He telleth hem the violence,
Which the tretour Strangulio
And Dionise him hadde do
Touchende his dowhter, as yee herde;[1672]
And whan thei wiste hou that it ferde,[1673] 1940
As he which pes and love soghte,
Unto the toun this he besoghte,
To don him riht in juggement.
Anon thei were bothe asent
With strengthe of men, and comen sone,
And as hem thoghte it was to done,
Atteint thei were be the lawe
And diemed forto honge and drawe,
And brent and with the wynd toblowe,
That al the world it myhte knowe: 1950
And upon this condicion
The dom in execucion
Was put anon withoute faile.
And every man hath gret mervaile,
Which herde tellen of this chance,
And thonketh goddes pourveance,
Which doth mercy forth with justice.
Slain is the moerdrer and moerdrice
Thurgh verray trowthe of rihtwisnesse,
And thurgh mercy sauf is simplesse 1960
Of hire whom mercy preserveth;
Thus hath he wel that wel deserveth.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 341=]
[Sidenote: Qualiter Artestrate Pentapolim Rege mortuo, ipsi de
regno Epistolas super hoc Appolino direxerunt: vnde Appolinus
vna cum vxore sua ibidem aduenientes ad decus imperii cum magno
gaudio coronati sunt.]
Whan al this thing is don and ended,
This king, which loved was and frended,
A lettre hath, which cam to him
Be Schipe fro Pentapolim,
Be which the lond hath to him write,[1674]
That he wolde understonde and wite
Hou in good mynde and in good pes
Ded is the king Artestrates, 1970
Wherof thei alle of on acord
Him preiden, as here liege lord,
That he the lettre wel conceive[1675]
And come his regne to receive,
Which god hath yove him and fortune;
And thus besoghte the commune
Forth with the grete lordes alle.
This king sih how it was befalle,[1676]
Fro Tharse and in prosperite
He tok his leve of that Cite 1980
And goth him into Schipe ayein:
The wynd was good, the See was plein,
Hem nedeth noght a Riff to slake,
Til thei Pentapolim have take.
The lond, which herde of that tidinge,
Was wonder glad of his cominge;
He resteth him a day or tuo
And tok his conseil to him tho,
And sette a time of Parlement,
Wher al the lond of on assent 1990
Forth with his wif hath him corouned,
Wher alle goode him was fuisouned.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 342=]
Lo, what it is to be wel grounded:[1677]
For he hath ferst his love founded
Honesteliche as forto wedde,
Honesteliche his love he spedde
And hadde children with his wif,
And as him liste he ladde his lif;
And in ensample his lif was write,[1678]
That alle lovers myhten wite 2000
How ate laste it schal be sene
Of love what thei wolden mene.
For se now on that other side,
Antiochus with al his Pride,
Which sette his love unkindely,
His ende he hadde al sodeinly,[1679]
Set ayein kinde upon vengance,
And for his lust hath his penance.
[Sidenote: Confessor ad Amantem.[1680]]
Lo thus, mi Sone, myht thou liere
What is to love in good manere, 2010
And what to love in other wise:
The mede arist of the servise;
Fortune, thogh sche be noght stable,
Yit at som time is favorable
To hem that ben of love trewe.
Bot certes it is forto rewe
To se love ayein kinde falle,
For that makth sore a man to falle,
As thou myht of tofore rede.
Forthi, my Sone, I wolde rede 2020
To lete al other love aweie,
Bot if it be thurgh such a weie
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 343=]
As love and reson wolde acorde.
For elles, if that thou descorde,
And take lust as doth a beste,
Thi love mai noght ben honeste;
For be no skile that I finde
[Sidenote: [THE LOVER REQUIRES COUNSEL.]]
Such lust is noght of loves kinde.
[Sidenote: Confessio Amantis, vnde pro finali conclusione
consilium Confessoris impetrat.]
Mi fader, hou so that it stonde,
Youre tale is herd and understonde, 2030
As thing which worthi is to hiere,
Of gret ensample and gret matiere,
Wherof, my fader, god you quyte.
Bot in this point miself aquite
I mai riht wel, that nevere yit
I was assoted in my wit,
Bot only in that worthi place
Wher alle lust and alle grace
Is set, if that danger ne were.
Bot that is al my moste fere: 2040
I not what ye fortune acompte,
Bot what thing danger mai amonte
I wot wel, for I have assaied;
For whan myn herte is best arraied
And I have al my wit thurghsoght
Of love to beseche hire oght,
For al that evere I skile may,[1681]
I am concluded with a nay:
That o sillable hath overthrowe
A thousend wordes on a rowe 2050
Of suche as I best speke can;
Thus am I bot a lewed man.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 344=]
Bot, fader, for ye ben a clerk
Of love, and this matiere is derk,
And I can evere leng the lasse,
Bot yit I mai noght let it passe,[1682]
Youre hole conseil I beseche,
That ye me be som weie teche
What is my beste, as for an ende.
Mi Sone, unto the trouthe wende 2060
Now wol I for the love of thee,
And lete alle othre truffles be.[1683]
The more that the nede is hyh,
The more it nedeth to be slyh
[Sidenote: [THE CONFESSOR REPLIES.]]
To him which hath the nede on honde.
I have wel herd and understonde,
Mi Sone, al that thou hast me seid,
[Sidenote: Hic super Amoris causa finita confessione,
Confessor Genius Amanti ea que sibi salubrius expediunt,
sano consilio finaliter iniungit.]
And ek of that thou hast me preid,
Nou at this time that I schal
As for conclusioun final 2070
Conseile upon thi nede sette:[1684]
So thenke I finaly to knette
This cause, where it is tobroke,
And make an ende of that is spoke.[1685]
For I behihte thee that yifte
Ferst whan thou come under my schrifte,
That thogh I toward Venus were,
Yit spak I suche wordes there,
That for the Presthod which I have,
Min ordre and min astat to save, 2080
I seide I wolde of myn office
To vertu more than to vice
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 345=]
Encline, and teche thee mi lore.
Forthi to speken overmore
Of love, which thee mai availe,
Tak love where it mai noght faile:[1686]
For as of this which thou art inne,
Be that thou seist it is a Sinne,
And Sinne mai no pris deserve,
Withoute pris and who schal serve, 2090
I not what profit myhte availe.
Thus folweth it, if thou travaile,
Wher thou no profit hast ne pris,
Thou art toward thiself unwis:
And sett thou myhtest lust atteigne,[1687]
Of every lust thende is a peine,
And every peine is good to fle;
So it is wonder thing to se,[1688]
Why such a thing schal be desired.
The more that a Stock is fyred, 2100
The rathere into Aisshe it torneth;
The fot which in the weie sporneth
Fulofte his heved hath overthrowe;
Thus love is blind and can noght knowe[1689]
Wher that he goth, til he be falle:
Forthi, bot if it so befalle[1690]
With good conseil that he be lad,
Him oghte forto ben adrad.
For conseil passeth alle thing
To him which thenkth to ben a king; 2110
And every man for his partie
A kingdom hath to justefie,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 346=]
That is to sein his oghne dom.
If he misreule that kingdom,
He lest himself, and that is more
Than if he loste Schip and Ore
And al the worldes good withal:
For what man that in special
Hath noght himself, he hath noght elles,
Nomor the perles than the schelles; 2120
Al is to him of o value:
Thogh he hadde at his retenue
The wyde world riht as he wolde,
Whan he his herte hath noght withholde
Toward himself, al is in vein.
And thus, my Sone, I wolde sein,
As I seide er, that thou aryse,
Er that thou falle in such a wise
That thou ne myht thiself rekevere:
For love, which that blind was evere, 2130
Makth alle his servantz blinde also.
My Sone, and if thou have be so,
Yit is it time to withdrawe,
And set thin herte under that lawe,[1691]
The which of reson is governed
And noght of will. And to be lerned,
Ensamples thou hast many on
Of now and ek of time gon,[1692]
That every lust is bot a while;
And who that wole himself beguile, 2140
He may the rathere be deceived.
Mi Sone, now thou hast conceived
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 347=]
Somwhat of that I wolde mene;
Hierafterward it schal be sene
If that thou lieve upon mi lore;
For I can do to thee nomore
Bot teche thee the rihte weie:
Now ches if thou wolt live or deie.
[Sidenote: [THE CONTROVERSY.]]
Mi fader, so as I have herd
Your tale, bot it were ansuerd, 2150
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de controuersia, que inter
Confessorem et Amantem in fine confessionis versabatur.]
I were mochel forto blame.
Mi wo to you is bot a game,
That fielen noght of that I fiele;[1693]
The fielinge of a mannes Hiele
Mai noght be likned to the Herte:
I mai noght, thogh I wolde, asterte,
And ye be fre from al the peine
Of love, wherof I me pleigne.
It is riht esi to comaunde;
The hert which fre goth on the launde 2160
Not of an Oxe what him eileth;
It falleth ofte a man merveileth
Of that he seth an other fare,
Bot if he knewe himself the fare,
And felt it as it is in soth,
He scholde don riht as he doth,
Or elles werse in his degre:
For wel I wot, and so do ye,
That love hath evere yit ben used,
So mot I nedes ben excused. 2170
Bot, fader, if ye wolde thus
Unto Cupide and to Venus
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 348=]
Be frendlich toward mi querele,
So that myn herte were in hele
Of love which is in mi briest,
I wot wel thanne a betre Prest
Was nevere mad to my behove.
Bot al the whiles that I hove[1694]
In noncertein betwen the tuo,[1695]
And not if I to wel or wo[1696] 2180
Schal torne, that is al my drede,
So that I not what is to rede.
Bot for final conclusion
I thenke a Supplicacion
With pleine wordes and expresse
Wryte unto Venus the goddesse,
The which I preie you to bere
And bringe ayein a good ansuere.
Tho was betwen mi Prest and me
Debat and gret perplexete: 2190
Mi resoun understod him wel,
And knew it was soth everydel
That he hath seid, bot noght forthi
Mi will hath nothing set therby.
For techinge of so wis a port[1697]
Is unto love of no desport;
Yit myhte nevere man beholde
Reson, wher love was withholde,
Thei be noght of o governance.
And thus we fellen in distance, 2200
Mi Prest and I, bot I spak faire,
And thurgh mi wordes debonaire
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 349=]
Thanne ate laste we acorden,[1698]
So that he seith he wol recorden
To speke and stonde upon mi syde
To Venus bothe and to Cupide;
And bad me wryte what I wolde,
And seith me trewly that he scholde
Mi lettre here unto the queene.
And I sat doun upon the grene 2210
[Sidenote: [THE SUPPLICATION.]]
Fulfilt of loves fantasie,
And with the teres of myn ÿe
In stede of enke I gan to wryte
The wordes whiche I wolde endite[1699]
Unto Cupide and to Venus,
And in mi lettre I seide thus.
The wofull peine of loves maladie,
[Sidenote: Hic tractat formam cuiusdam Supplicacionis, quam
ex parte Amantis per manus Genii Sacerdotis sui Venus sibi
porrectam acceptabat.]
Ayein the which mai no phisique availe,
Min herte hath so bewhaped with sotie,
That wher so that I reste or I travaile,[1700] 2220
I finde it evere redy to assaile
Mi resoun, which that can him noght defende:
Thus seche I help, wherof I mihte amende.
Ferst to Nature if that I me compleigne,
Ther finde I hou that every creature
Som time ayer hath love in his demeine,
So that the litel wrenne in his mesure
Hath yit of kinde a love under his cure;[1701]
And I bot on desire, of which I misse:
And thus, bot I, hath every kinde his blisse. 2230
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 350=]
The resoun of my wit it overpasseth,
Of that Nature techeth me the weie
To love, and yit no certein sche compasseth
Hou I schal spede, and thus betwen the tweie
I stonde, and not if I schal live or deie.
For thogh reson ayein my will debate,
I mai noght fle, that I ne love algate.
Upon miself is thilke tale come,
Hou whilom Pan, which is the god of kinde,
With love wrastlede and was overcome:[1702] 2240
For evere I wrastle and evere I am behinde,
That I no strengthe in al min herte finde,
Wherof that I mai stonden eny throwe;
So fer mi wit with love is overthrowe.
Whom nedeth help, he mot his helpe crave,
Or helpeles he schal his nede spille:
Pleinly thurghsoght my wittes alle I have,[1703]
Bot non of hem can helpe after mi wille;
And als so wel I mihte sitte stille,
As preie unto mi lady eny helpe: 2250
Thus wot I noght wherof miself to helpe.[1704]
Unto the grete Jove and if I bidde,
To do me grace of thilke swete tunne,
Which under keie in his celier amidde
Lith couched, that fortune is overrunne,
Bot of the bitter cuppe I have begunne,
I not hou ofte, and thus finde I no game;[1705]
For evere I axe and evere it is the same.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 351=]
I se the world stonde evere upon eschange,
Nou wyndes loude, and nou the weder softe; 2260
I mai sen ek the grete mone change,
And thing which nou is lowe is eft alofte;
The dredfull werres into pes fulofte
Thei torne; and evere is Danger in o place,
Which wol noght change his will to do me grace.
Bot upon this the grete clerc Ovide,
Of love whan he makth his remembrance,
He seith ther is the blinde god Cupide,
The which hath love under his governance,
And in his hond with many a fyri lance[1706] 2270
He woundeth ofte, ther he wol noght hele;
And that somdiel is cause of mi querele.[1707]
Ovide ek seith that love to parforne
Stant in the hond of Venus the goddesse,
Bot whan sche takth hir conseil with Satorne,
Ther is no grace, and in that time, I gesse,
Began mi love, of which myn hevynesse
Is now and evere schal, bot if I spede:
So wot I noght miself what is to rede.
Forthi to you, Cupide and Venus bothe, 2280
With al myn hertes obeissance I preie,
If ye were ate ferste time wrothe,
Whan I began to love, as I you seie,
Nou stynt, and do thilke infortune aweie,[1708]
So that Danger, which stant of retenue
With my ladi, his place mai remue.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 352=]
O thou Cupide, god of loves lawe,
That with thi Dart brennende hast set afyre
Min herte, do that wounde be withdrawe,
Or yif me Salve such as I desire: 2290
For Service in thi Court withouten hyre
To me, which evere yit have kept thin heste,
Mai nevere be to loves lawe honeste.
O thou, gentile Venus, loves queene,[1709]
Withoute gult thou dost on me thi wreche;
Thou wost my peine is evere aliche grene
For love, and yit I mai it noght areche:
This wold I for my laste word beseche,[1710]
That thou mi love aquite as I deserve,
Or elles do me pleinly forto sterve. 2300
[Sidenote: [VENUS REPLIES TO THE SUPPLICATION.]]
Whanne I this Supplicacioun
With good deliberacioun,
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur qualiter Venus, accepta Amantis
Supplicacione, indilate ad singula respondit.]
In such a wise as ye nou wite,
Hadde after min entente write
Unto Cupide and to Venus,
This Prest which hihte Genius
It tok on honde to presente,
On my message and forth he wente
To Venus, forto wite hire wille.
And I bod in the place stille, 2310
And was there bot a litel while,
Noght full the montance of a Mile,
Whan I behield and sodeinly
I sih wher Venus stod me by.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 353=]
So as I myhte, under a tre
To grounde I fell upon mi kne,
And preide hire forto do me grace:
Sche caste hire chiere upon mi face,
And as it were halvinge a game[1711]
Sche axeth me what is mi name.[1712] 2320
‘Ma dame,’ I seide, ‘John Gower.’
‘Now John,’ quod sche, ‘in my pouer
Thou most as of thi love stonde;
For I thi bille have understonde,
In which to Cupide and to me
Somdiel thou hast compleigned thee,
And somdiel to Nature also.
Bot that schal stonde among you tuo,
For therof have I noght to done;
For Nature is under the Mone 2330
Maistresse of every lives kinde,
Bot if so be that sche mai finde[1713]
Som holy man that wol withdrawe
His kindly lust ayein hir lawe;[1714]
Bot sielde whanne it falleth so,
For fewe men ther ben of tho,
Bot of these othre ynowe be,
Whiche of here oghne nycete
Ayein Nature and hire office
Deliten hem in sondri vice, 2340
Wherof that sche fulofte hath pleigned,
And ek my Court it hath desdeigned[1715]
And evere schal; for it receiveth
Non such that kinde so deceiveth.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 354=]
For al onliche of gentil love
Mi court stant alle courtz above
And takth noght into retenue
Bot thing which is to kinde due,
For elles it schal be refused.
Wherof I holde thee excused, 2350
For it is manye daies gon,
That thou amonges hem were on
Which of my court hast ben withholde;
So that the more I am beholde
Of thi desese to commune,
And to remue that fortune,
Which manye daies hath the grieved.
Bot if my conseil mai be lieved,
Thou schalt ben esed er thou go
Of thilke unsely jolif wo, 2360
Wherof thou seist thin herte is fyred:
Bot as of that thou hast desired
After the sentence of thi bille,
Thou most therof don at my wille,
And I therof me wole avise.
For be thou hol, it schal suffise:
Mi medicine is noght to sieke[1716]
For thee and for suche olde sieke,[1717]
Noght al per chance as ye it wolden,[1718]
Bot so as ye be reson scholden, 2370
Acordant unto loves kinde.[1719]
For in the plit which I thee finde,
So as mi court it hath awarded,
Thou schalt be duely rewarded;
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 355=]
And if thou woldest more crave,
It is no riht that thou it have.’