_Est vbi non posse, velle salute caret._
_Non estatis opus gelidis hirsuta capillis,_
_Cum calor abcessit, equiperabit hiems;_
_Sicut habet Mayus non dat natura Decembri,_
_Nec poterit compar floribus esse lutum;_
_Sic neque decrepita senium iuvenile voluptas_
_Floret in obsequium, quod Venus ipsa petit._[1720]
_Conveniens igitur foret, vt quos cana senectus_
_Attigit, vlterius corpora casta colant._ (10)
Venus, which stant withoute lawe
In noncertein, bot as men drawe
[Sidenote: Hic in exemplum contra quoscunque viros
inveteratos amoris concupiscenciam affectantes loquitur
Venus, huiusque Amantis Confessi supplicacionem quasi
deridens, ipsum pro eo quod senex et debilis est, multis
exhortacionibus insufficientem redarguit.[1721]]
Of Rageman upon the chance,
Sche leith no peis in the balance, 2380
Bot as hir lyketh forto weie;
The trewe man fulofte aweie
Sche put, which hath hir grace bede,
And set an untrewe in his stede.
Lo, thus blindly the world sche diemeth
In loves cause, as tome siemeth:[1722]
I not what othre men wol sein,[1723]
Bot I algate am so besein,
And stonde as on amonges alle
Which am out of hir grace falle: 2390
It nedeth take no witnesse,
For sche which seid is the goddesse,
To whether part of love it wende,
Hath sett me for a final ende
The point wherto that I schal holde.
For whan sche hath me wel beholde,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 356=]
Halvynge of scorn, sche seide thus:
‘Thou wost wel that I am Venus,
Which al only my lustes seche;
And wel I wot, thogh thou beseche 2400
Mi love, lustes ben ther none,
Whiche I mai take in thi persone;
For loves lust and lockes hore[1724]
In chambre acorden neveremore,
And thogh thou feigne a yong corage,
It scheweth wel be the visage
That olde grisel is no fole:
There ben fulmanye yeres stole
With thee and with suche othre mo,[1725]
That outward feignen youthe so 2410
And ben withinne of pore assay.
Min herte wolde and I ne may
Is noght beloved nou adayes;
Er thou make eny suche assaies
To love, and faile upon the fet,
Betre is to make a beau retret;
For thogh thou myhtest love atteigne,
Yit were it bot an ydel peine,
Whan that thou art noght sufficant
To holde love his covenant. 2420
Forthi tak hom thin herte ayein,
That thou travaile noght in vein,
Wherof my Court may be deceived.
I wot and have it wel conceived,
Hou that thi will is good ynowh;
Bot mor behoveth to the plowh,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 357=]
Wherof the lacketh, as I trowe:
So sitte it wel that thou beknowe[1726]
Thi fieble astat, er thou beginne
Thing wher thou miht non ende winne. 2430
What bargain scholde a man assaie,
Whan that him lacketh forto paie?
Mi Sone, if thou be wel bethoght,[1727]
This toucheth thee; foryet it noght:
The thing is torned into was;
That which was whilom grene gras,[1728]
Is welked hey at time now.[1729]
Forthi mi conseil is that thou
Remembre wel hou thou art old.’
[Sidenote: [THE COMPANIES OF LOVERS.]]
Whan Venus hath hir tale told, 2440
And I bethoght was al aboute,[1730]
[Sidenote: Qualiter super derisoria Veneris exhortacione
contristatus Amans, quasi mortuus in terram corruit, vbi,
vt sibi videbatur, Cupidinem cum innumera multitudine nuper
Amantum variis turmis assistencium conspiciebat.]
Tho wiste I wel withoute doute,[1731]
That ther was no recoverir;
And as a man the blase of fyr
With water quencheth, so ferd I;[1732]
A cold me cawhte sodeinly,[1733]
For sorwe that myn herte made
Mi dedly face pale and fade
Becam, and swoune I fell to grounde.
And as I lay the same stounde, 2450
Ne fully quik ne fully ded,
Me thoghte I sih tofor myn hed
Cupide with his bowe bent,
And lich unto a Parlement,
Which were ordeigned for the nones,
With him cam al the world at ones
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 358=]
Of gentil folk that whilom were
Lovers, I sih hem alle there
Forth with Cupide in sondri routes.
Min yhe and as I caste aboutes, 2460
To knowe among hem who was who,
I sih wher lusty Youthe tho,[1734]
As he which was a Capitein,
Tofore alle othre upon the plein
Stod with his route wel begon,
Here hevedes kempt, and therupon
Garlandes noght of o colour,
Some of the lef, some of the flour,
And some of grete Perles were;
The newe guise of Beawme there, 2470
With sondri thinges wel devised,
I sih, wherof thei ben queintised.
It was al lust that thei with ferde,
Ther was no song that I ne herde,
Which unto love was touchende;
Of Pan and al that was likende[1735]
As in Pipinge of melodie
Was herd in thilke compaignie
So lowde, that on every side
It thoghte as al the hevene cride 2480
In such acord and such a soun
Of bombard and of clarion
With Cornemuse and Schallemele,
That it was half a mannes hele
So glad a noise forto hiere.
And as me thoghte, in this manere
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 359=]
Al freissh I syh hem springe and dance,
And do to love her entendance
After the lust of youthes heste.
Ther was ynowh of joie and feste, 2490
For evere among thei laghe and pleie,
And putten care out of the weie,
That he with hem ne sat ne stod.
And overthis I understod,
So as myn Ere it myhte areche,
The moste matiere of her speche
Was al of knyhthod and of Armes,[1736]
And what it is to ligge in armes
With love, whanne it is achieved.
[Sidenote: De nominibus illorum nuper Amantum, qui tunc
Amanti spasmato, aliqui iuuenes, aliqui senes, apparuerunt.
Senes autem precipue tam erga deum quam deam amoris pro
sanitate Amantis recuperanda multiplicatis precibus
misericorditer instabant.]
Ther was Tristram, which was believed 2500
With bele Ysolde, and Lancelot
Stod with Gunnore, and Galahot
With his ladi, and as me thoghte,
I syh wher Jason with him broghte
His love, which that Creusa hihte,
And Hercules, which mochel myhte,
Was ther berende his grete Mace,
And most of alle in thilke place
He peyneth him to make chiere
With Eolen, which was him diere. 2510
Theseüs, thogh he were untrewe
To love, as alle wommen knewe,
Yit was he there natheles
With Phedra, whom to love he ches:
Of Grece ek ther was Thelamon,
Which fro the king Lamenedon
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 360=]
At Troie his doghter refte aweie,
Eseonen, as for his preie,
Which take was whan Jason cam
Fro Colchos, and the Cite nam 2520
In vengance of the ferste hate;
That made hem after to debate,
Whan Priamus the newe toun
Hath mad. And in avisioun
Me thoghte that I sih also
Ector forth with his brethren tuo;
Himself stod with Pantaselee,
And next to him I myhte se,
Wher Paris stod with faire Eleine,
Which was his joie sovereine; 2530
And Troilus stod with Criseide,
Bot evere among, althogh he pleide,
Be semblant he was hevy chiered,
For Diomede, as him was liered,
Cleymeth to ben his parconner.
And thus full many a bacheler,
A thousend mo than I can sein,
With Yowthe I sih ther wel besein
Forth with here loves glade and blithe.
And some I sih whiche ofte sithe 2540
Compleignen hem in other wise;
Among the whiche I syh Narcise
And Piramus, that sory were.[1737]
The worthy Grek also was there,
Achilles, which for love deide:
Agamenon ek, as men seide,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 361=]
And Menelay the king also
I syh, with many an other mo,
Which hadden be fortuned sore
In loves cause.
And overmore 2550
Of wommen in the same cas,
With hem I sih wher Dido was,
Forsake which was with Enee;
And Phillis ek I myhte see,
Whom Demephon deceived hadde;
And Adriagne hir sorwe ladde,
For Theseüs hir Soster tok
And hire unkindely forsok.
I sih ther ek among the press
Compleignende upon Hercules 2560
His ferste love Deyanire,
Which sette him afterward afyre:
Medea was there ek and pleigneth
Upon Jason, for that he feigneth,
Withoute cause and tok a newe;
Sche seide, ‘Fy on alle untrewe!’
I sih there ek Deÿdamie,
Which hadde lost the compaignie
Of Achilles, whan Diomede
To Troie him fette upon the nede. 2570
Among these othre upon the grene
I syh also the wofull queene
Cleopatras, which in a Cave[1738]
With Serpentz hath hirself begrave
Alquik, and so sche was totore,[1739]
For sorwe of that sche hadde lore
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 362=]
Antonye, which hir love hath be:
And forth with hire I sih Tisbee,
Which on the scharpe swerdes point
For love deide in sory point; 2580
And as myn Ere it myhte knowe,
She seide, ‘Wo worthe alle slowe!’
The pleignte of Progne and Philomene
Ther herde I what it wolde mene,
How Tereüs of his untrouthe
Undede hem bothe, and that was routhe;
And next to hem I sih Canace,
Which for Machaire hir fader grace
Hath lost, and deide in wofull plit.
And as I sih in my spirit, 2590
Me thoghte amonges othre thus
The doghter of king Priamus,
Polixena, whom Pirrus slowh,
Was there and made sorwe ynowh,
As sche which deide gulteles
For love, and yit was loveles.
And forto take the desport,
I sih there some of other port,[1740]
And that was Circes and Calipse,
That cowthen do the Mone eclipse, 2600
Of men and change the liknesses,
Of Artmagique Sorceresses;
Thei hielde in honde manyon,
To love wher thei wolde or non.
Bot above alle that ther were
Of wommen I sih foure there,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 363=]
Whos name I herde most comended:
Be hem the Court stod al amended;
For wher thei comen in presence,
Men deden hem the reverence, 2610
As thogh they hadden be goddesses,
Of al this world or Emperesses.
And as me thoghte, an Ere I leide,
And herde hou that these othre seide,
‘Lo, these ben the foure wyves,
Whos feith was proeved in her lyves:
For in essample of alle goode
With Mariage so thei stode,
That fame, which no gret thing hydeth,
Yit in Cronique of hem abydeth.’ 2620
Penolope that on was hote,
Whom many a knyht hath loved hote,
Whil that hire lord Ulixes lay[1741]
Full many a yer and many a day
Upon the grete Siege of Troie:
Bot sche, which hath no worldes joie
Bot only of hire housebonde,
Whil that hir lord was out of londe,
So wel hath kept hir wommanhiede,
That al the world therof tok hiede, 2630
And nameliche of hem in Grece.
That other womman was Lucrece,
Wif to the Romain Collatin;
And sche constreigned of Tarquin
To thing which was ayein hir wille,
Sche wolde noght hirselven stille,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 364=]
Bot deide only for drede of schame
In keping of hire goode name,
As sche which was on of the beste.
The thridde wif was hote Alceste, 2640
Which whanne Ametus scholde dye
Upon his grete maladye,
Sche preide unto the goddes so,
That sche receyveth al the wo
And deide hirself to yive him lif:
Lo, if this were a noble wif.[1742]
The ferthe wif which I ther sih,
I herde of hem that were nyh
Hou sche was cleped Alcione,
Which to Seyix hir lord al one[1743] 2650
And to nomo hir body kepte;
And whan sche sih him dreynt, sche lepte
Into the wawes where he swam,[1744]
And there a Sefoul sche becam,
And with hire wenges him bespradde
For love which to him sche hadde.[1745]
Lo, these foure were tho
Whiche I sih, as me thoghte tho,
Among the grete compaignie
Which Love hadde forto guye: 2660
Bot Youthe, which in special
Of Loves Court was Mareschal,
So besy was upon his lay,
That he non hiede where I lay[1746]
Hath take. And thanne, as I behield,
Me thoghte I sih upon the field,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 365=]
Where Elde cam a softe pas
Toward Venus, ther as sche was.
With him gret compaignie he ladde,
Bot noght so manye as Youthe hadde:[1747] 2670
The moste part were of gret Age,
And that was sene in the visage,[1748]
And noght forthi, so as thei myhte,
Thei made hem yongly to the sihte:
Bot yit herde I no pipe there[1749]
To make noise in mannes Ere,[1750]
Bot the Musette I myhte knowe,
For olde men which souneth lowe,[1751]
With Harpe and Lute and with Citole.
The hovedance and the Carole, 2680
In such a wise as love hath bede,
A softe pas thei dance and trede;
And with the wommen otherwhile
With sobre chier among thei smyle,
For laghtre was ther non on hyh.
And natheles full wel I syh
That thei the more queinte it made
For love, in whom thei weren glade.
And there me thoghte I myhte se
The king David with Bersabee, 2690
And Salomon was noght withoute;
Passende an hundred on a route
Of wyves and of Concubines,
Juesses bothe and Sarazines,[1752]
To him I sih alle entendant:
I not if he was sufficant,[1753]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 366=]
Bot natheles for al his wit
He was attached with that writ
Which love with his hond enseleth,
Fro whom non erthly man appeleth. 2700
And overthis, as for a wonder,[1754]
With his leon which he put under,[1755]
With Dalida Sampson I knew,
Whos love his strengthe al overthrew.
I syh there Aristotle also,
Whom that the queene of Grece so[1756]
Hath bridled, that in thilke time
Sche made him such a Silogime,
That he foryat al his logique;
Ther was non art of his Practique, 2710
Thurgh which it mihte ben excluded
That he ne was fully concluded
To love, and dede his obeissance.
And ek Virgile of aqueintance
I sih, wher he the Maiden preide,
Which was the doghter, as men seide,
Of themperour whilom of Rome;
Sortes and Plato with him come,
So dede Ovide the Poete.
I thoghte thanne how love is swete, 2720
Which hath so wise men reclamed,
And was miself the lasse aschamed,
Or forto lese or forto winne
In the meschief that I was inne:
And thus I lay in hope of grace.
And whan thei comen to the place
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 367=]
Wher Venus stod and I was falle,
These olde men, with o vois alle
To Venus preiden for my sake.
And sche, that myhte noght forsake 2730
So gret a clamour as was there,
Let Pite come into hire Ere;
And forth withal unto Cupide
Sche preith that he upon his side
Me wolde thurgh his grace sende
Som confort, that I myhte amende,
Upon the cas which is befalle.
And thus for me thei preiden alle
Of hem that weren olde aboute,
And ek some of the yonge route, 2740
Of gentilesse and pure trouthe
I herde hem telle it was gret routhe,
That I withouten help so ferde.
And thus me thoghte I lay and herde.
Cupido, which may hurte and hele
In loves cause, as for myn hele
[Sidenote: [CUPID AND THE LOVER.]]
Upon the point which him was preid
Cam with Venus, wher I was leid
[Sidenote: Hic tractat qualiter Cupido Amantis senectute
confracti viscera perscrutans, ignita sue concupiscencie
tela ab eo penitus extraxit, quem Venus postea absque
calore percipiens, vacuum reliquit: et sic tandem prouisa
Senectus, racionem inuocans, hominem interiorem per prius
amore infatuatum mentis sanitati plenius restaurauit.]
Swounende upon the grene gras.
And, as me thoghte, anon ther was 2750
On every side so gret presse,
That every lif began to presse,
I wot noght wel hou many score,
Suche as I spak of now tofore,
Lovers, that comen to beholde,
Bot most of hem that weren olde:
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 368=]
Thei stoden there at thilke tyde,
To se what ende schal betyde
Upon the cure of my sotie.
Tho myhte I hiere gret partie 2760
Spekende, and ech his oghne avis
Hath told, on that, an other this:
Bot among alle this I herde,
Thei weren wo that I so ferde,
And seiden that for no riote
An old man scholde noght assote;
For as thei tolden redely,
Ther is in him no cause why,
Bot if he wolde himself benyce;[1757]
So were he wel the more nyce. 2770
And thus desputen some of tho,
And some seiden nothing so,
Bot that the wylde loves rage
In mannes lif forberth non Age;
[Sidenote: Nota.[1758]]
Whil ther is oyle forto fyre,
The lampe is lyhtly set afyre,
And is fulhard er it be queynt,
Bot only if it be som seint,
Which god preserveth of his grace.
And thus me thoghte, in sondri place 2780
Of hem that walken up and doun
Ther was diverse opinioun:
And for a while so it laste,
Til that Cupide to the laste,
[Sidenote: [THE FIERY DART WITHDRAWN.]]
Forth with his moder full avised,
Hath determined and devised
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 369=]
Unto what point he wol descende.
And al this time I was liggende
Upon the ground tofore his yhen,
And thei that my desese syhen 2790
Supposen noght I scholde live;
Bot he, which wolde thanne yive
His grace, so as it mai be,
This blinde god which mai noght se,
Hath groped til that he me fond;
And as he pitte forth his hond[1759]
Upon my body, wher I lay,
Me thoghte a fyri Lancegay,
Which whilom thurgh myn herte he caste,
He pulleth oute, and also faste 2800
As this was do, Cupide nam
His weie, I not where he becam,
And so dede al the remenant
Which unto him was entendant,
Of hem that in Avision
I hadde a revelacion,
So as I tolde now tofore.
[Sidenote: [THE HEALING OF LOVE.]]
Bot Venus wente noght therfore,
Ne Genius, whiche thilke time[1760]
Abiden bothe faste byme. 2810
And sche which mai the hertes bynde
In loves cause and ek unbinde,
Er I out of mi trance aros,
Venus, which hield a boiste clos,
And wolde noght I scholde deie,
Tok out mor cold than eny keie
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 370=]
An oignement, and in such point
Sche hath my wounded herte enoignt,
My temples and my Reins also.[1761]
And forth withal sche tok me tho 2820
A wonder Mirour forto holde,
In which sche bad me to beholde
And taken hiede of that I syhe;
Wherinne anon myn hertes yhe
I caste, and sih my colour fade,
Myn yhen dymme and al unglade,
Mi chiekes thinne, and al my face
With Elde I myhte se deface,
So riveled and so wo besein,
That ther was nothing full ne plein, 2830
I syh also myn heres hore.
Mi will was tho to se nomore
Outwith, for ther was no plesance;[1762]
And thanne into my remembrance
I drowh myn olde daies passed,
And as reson it hath compassed,
[Sidenote: Quod status hominis Mensibus anni
equiperatur.[1763]]
I made a liknesse of miselve
Unto the sondri Monthes twelve,
Wherof the yeer in his astat
Is mad, and stant upon debat, 2840
That lich til other non acordeth.
For who the times wel recordeth,
And thanne at Marche if he beginne,
Whan that the lusti yeer comth inne,
Til Augst be passed and Septembre,
The myhty youthe he may remembre
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 371=]
In which the yeer hath his deduit
Of gras, of lef, of flour, of fruit,[1764]
Of corn and of the wyny grape.
And afterward the time is schape[1765] 2850
To frost, to Snow, to Wind, to Rein,
Til eft that Mars be come ayein:
The Wynter wol no Somer knowe,
The grene lef is overthrowe,
The clothed erthe is thanne bare,
Despuiled is the Somerfare,[1766]
That erst was hete is thanne chele.
And thus thenkende thoghtes fele,
I was out of mi swoune affraied,
Wherof I sih my wittes straied,[1767] 2860
And gan to clepe hem hom ayein.
And whan Resoun it herde sein
That loves rage was aweie,
He cam to me the rihte weie,
And hath remued the sotie
Of thilke unwise fantasie,
Wherof that I was wont to pleigne,
So that of thilke fyri peine
I was mad sobre and hol ynowh.
Venus behield me than and lowh, 2870
And axeth, as it were in game,
What love was. And I for schame
Ne wiste what I scholde ansuere;
And natheles I gan to swere
That be my trouthe I knew him noght;
So ferr it was out of mi thoght,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 372=]
Riht as it hadde nevere be.
‘Mi goode Sone,’ tho quod sche,
‘Now at this time I lieve it wel,
So goth the fortune of my whiel; 2880
Forthi mi conseil is thou leve.’
‘Ma dame,’ I seide, ‘be your leve,
Ye witen wel, and so wot I,
That I am unbehovely
Your Court fro this day forth to serve:[1768]
And for I may no thonk deserve,
And also for I am refused,
I preie you to ben excused.
And natheles as for the laste,[1769]
Whil that my wittes with me laste, 2890
Touchende mi confession
I axe an absolucion
Of Genius, er that I go.’
[Sidenote: [THE ABSOLUTION.]]
The Prest anon was redy tho,
And seide, ‘Sone, as of thi schrifte
Thou hast ful pardoun and foryifte;
Foryet it thou, and so wol I.’
[Sidenote: Amans.]
‘Min holi fader, grant mercy,’
Quod I to him, and to the queene[1770]
I fell on knes upon the grene, 2900
And tok my leve forto wende.
[Sidenote: [LEAVE-TAKING OF VENUS.]]
Bot sche, that wolde make an ende,
As therto which I was most able,
A Peire of Bedes blak as Sable
Sche tok and heng my necke aboute;
Upon the gaudes al withoute
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 373=]
Was write of gold, _Por reposer_.[1771]
‘Lo,’ thus sche seide, ‘John Gower,
Now thou art ate laste cast,
This have I for thin ese cast, 2910
That thou nomore of love sieche.
Bot my will is that thou besieche
And preie hierafter for the pes,
And that thou make a plein reles
To love, which takth litel hiede
Of olde men upon the nede,
Whan that the lustes ben aweie:
Forthi to thee nys bot o weie,
In which let reson be thi guide;
For he may sone himself misguide, 2920
That seth noght the peril tofore.
Mi Sone, be wel war therfore,
And kep the sentence of my lore
And tarie thou mi Court nomore,
Bot go ther vertu moral duelleth,[1772]
Wher ben thi bokes, as men telleth,[1773]
Whiche of long time thou hast write.
For this I do thee wel to wite,
If thou thin hele wolt pourchace,
Thou miht noght make suite and chace, 2930
Wher that the game is nought pernable;[1774]
It were a thing unresonable,
A man to be so overseie.
Forthi tak hiede of that I seie;
For in the lawe of my comune
We be noght schape to comune,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 374=]
Thiself and I, nevere after this.
Now have y seid al that ther is[1775]
Of love as for thi final ende:
*Adieu, for y mot fro the wende.’ 2940
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 375=]
And with that word al sodeinly,
Enclosid in a sterred sky,[1776]
Venus, which is the qweene of love,
Was take in to hire place above,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 376=]
More wiste y nought wher sche becam.[1777]
And thus my leve of hire y nam,[1778]
And forth with al the same tide
Hire prest, which wolde nought abide,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 377=]
Or be me lief or be me loth,
Out of my sighte forth he goth, 2950
And y was left with outen helpe.
So wiste I nought wher of to yelpe,
Bot only that y hadde lore
My time, and was sori ther fore.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 378=]
And thus bewhapid in my thought,
Whan al was turnyd in to nought,
I stod amasid for a while,
And in my self y gan to smyle
Thenkende uppon the bedis blake,
And how they weren me betake, 2960
For that y schulde bidde and preie.
And whanne y sigh non othre weie
Bot only that y was refusid,
Unto the lif which y hadde usid
I thoughte nevere torne ayein:
And in this wise, soth to seyn,
Homward a softe pas y wente,
Wher that with al myn hol entente[1779]
Uppon the point that y am schryve
I thenke bidde whil y live.[1780] 2970
[Sidenote: [THE AUTHOR PRAYS FOR THE STATE OF ENGLAND.]]
iv. _Parce precor, Criste, populus quo gaudeat iste;_
_Anglia ne triste subeat, rex summe, resiste._
_Corrige quosque status, fragiles absolue reatus;_
_Vnde deo gratus vigeat locus iste beatus._