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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 1 (Romaunt of the Rose, Minor Poems)
THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 1 (Romaunt of the Rose, Minor Poems) [1899]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols.
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THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.
FRAGMENT A.
G. = Glasgow MS.; Th. = Thynne’s ed. (1532).
1-44. Lost inG.; fromTh.
-
- MANY men seyn that in sweveninges[ ]
- Ther nis but fables and lesinges;
- But men may seen,
- Which hardely ne been,
- But afterward ben .[ ]5
- This may I drawe to [ ]
- An authour, that hight Macrobes,
- That halt not dremes false ne lees,[ ]
- But undoth us the avisioun
- That whylom mette king Cipioun.10
-
- And who-so sayth, or weneth it be
- A Iape, or [a] nycetee
- To wene that dremes after ,
- Let who-so liste a fool me .
- For this trowe I, and say for me,15
- That dremes signifiaunce be
- Of good and harme to many wightes,
- That dremen in her slepe a-nightes
- Ful many thinges covertly,
- That fallen after al openly.20
-
- Within my twenty yere of age,
The Dream.
- Whan that Love taketh his corage[ ]
- Of yonge I sone
- To bedde, as I was wont to done,[ ]
- And fast I sleep; and in ,25
- Me mette a swevening,
- That me wonders ;[ ]
- But in that sweven is never a
- That it nis ,
- Right as this wol us .30
- this wol I ryme aright,
- To make your hertes gaye and light;
- For Love it prayeth, and also
- Commaundeth me that it be so
- And if any aske me,35
- Whether that it be he or she,
- this book which is here
- Shal , that I rede you here;[ ]
- It is the of the Rose,
- In which al the of love I close.40
-
- The mater fair is of to make;
- God in gree that she it take
- For whom that it begonnen is!
- And that is she that hath, y-wis,[ ]
-
- So mochel prys; and ther-to she45
- So worthy is biloved ,
- That she wel of prys and right,
- Be cleped Rose of every wight.
-
- That it was May me tho,[ ]
- It is fyve yere or more ago;50
- That it was May, thus dremed me,
- In tyme of love and Iolitee,
- That al thing ginneth waxen gay,
- For ther is neither busk nor hay
- In May, that it nil shrouded ,55
- And it with newe leves .[ ]
- These wodes eek recoveren grene,
- That drye in winter been to sene;
- And the wexeth withalle,[ ]
- For swote dewes that on it falle,60
- And [al] the pore estat [ ]
- In which that winter it ,
- And than bicometh the ground so proud
- That it wol have a newe shroud,
- And maketh so queynt his robe and fayr65
- That it hewes an hundred payr
- Of gras and floures, inde and pers,[ ]
- And many hewes ful dyvers:
- That is the robe I mene, y-wis,
-
- Through which the ground to preisen is.70
-
- The briddes, that han left hir song,
- Whyl they han suffred cold strong
- In wedres , and derk to ,[ ]
- Ben in May, for the sonne ,
- So glade, that they shewe in singing,75
- That in hir is swich lyking,
- That they mote singen and be light.
- Than doth the nightingale hir might
- To make noyse, and singen blythe.
- Than is blisful, many sythe,80
- The chelaundre and papingay.[ ]
- Than folk entenden ay
- For to ben gay and amorous,
- The tyme is than so .
- Hard is that loveth nought85
- In May, whan al this mirth is wrought;
- Whan he may on these braunches here
- The smale briddes singen clere
- Hir swete song pitous;
- And in this sesoun delytous,90
- Whan love alle thing,
- Me thoughte a-night, in my sleping,
- Right in my bed, ful redily,
- That it was by the morowe erly,
- And up I roos, and gan me clothe;95
- Anoon I myn hondes bothe;
- A sylvre forth I drogh
- Out of an queynt y-nogh,[ ]
- And gan this nedle threde anon;
- For out of toun me list to gon100
- The of briddes for to here,
- That thise busshes singen clere.
- And in the sesoun that leef is,
- With a threde basting my slevis,
- Aloon I wente in my playing,105
- The smale foules song harkning;
- peyned hem ful many a payre
- To singe on bowes blosmed fayre.
- and gay, ful of gladnesse,
- Toward a river me dresse,110
- That I renne by;
- For fairer playing non saugh I
- Than playen me by that ,
- For from an hille that stood ther ,[ ]
- Cam doun the steem ful stif and bold.115
- Cleer was the water, and as cold
-
- As any welle is, sooth to seyne;
- And somdel lasse it was than Seine,[ ]
- But it was straighter wel away.
- And never saugh I, er that day,120
- The water so wel lyked me;
- And wonder glad was I to see
- That lusty place, and that ;
- And with that water that ran so cleer
- My face I wissh. Tho saugh I wel125
- The everydel
- With gravel, ful of stones shene.
- The medewe softe, swote, and grene,
- Beet right on the water-syde.[ ]
- Ful cleer was than the morow-tyde,130
- And ful attempre, out of drede.[ ]
- Tho gan I the mede,
- Dounward ay in my pleying,
- The river-syde costeying.
-
- And whan I had a whyle goon,135
- I saugh a Gardin right anoon,
The Garden.
- Ful long and brood, and everydel
- it was, and walled wel,
- With walles enbatailled,
- Portrayed without, and wel entailled140
- With many riche portraitures;
- And bothe
- Gan I biholde bisily.
- And I wol telle you, redily,
- Of thilke images the semblaunce,145
- As fer as I remembraunce.
-
- saugh I Hate stonde,[ ]
Hate.
- That for hir wrathe, ire, and onde,
- Semed to been a ,[ ]
- An angry wight, a chideresse;150
- And ful of gyle, and fel corage,
- By semblaunt was that ilke image.
- And she was no-thing wel arrayed,
- But lyk a womman afrayed;
- foule was hir visage,155
- And grenning for dispitous rage;
- Hir nose snorted up for tene.
- Ful hidous was she for to sene,
- Ful foul and rusty was she, this.
- Hir heed was, y-wis,160
- Ful grimly with a greet towayle.
-
- An image of another entayle,
Felonye.
- A lift half, was hir by;
- Hir name above hir heed saugh I,
- And she was called .165
-
- Another image, that
Vilanye.
- was, saugh I and fond
- Upon the on hir right hond.
- Vilanye was lyk somdel
- That other image; and, trusteth wel,170
- She semed a wikked creature.
- By countenaunce, in portrayture,
- She semed be ful despitous,
- And eek ful proud and .
- Wel coude he peynte, I undertake,175
- That coude make.
- Ful foul and cherlish semed she,
- And eek vilaynous for to be,
- And litel coude of norture,
- To worshipe any creature.180
-
- And next was peynted Coveityse,
Coveityse.
- That eggeth folk, in many gyse,
- To take and yeve right nought ageyn,
- And up to .
- And that is that for usure185
- Leneth to many a creature
- The lasse for the more winning,
- So is her brenning.
- And that is , penyes fele,
- That techeth for to robbe and stele190
- These theves, and these smale harlotes;
- And that is routhe, for by hir throtes
- Ful many oon hangeth at the laste.
- She maketh folk compasse and caste
- To taken other folkes thing,195
- Through robberie, or .[ ]
- And that is she that maketh trechoures;[ ]
- And she maketh false pledoures,
- That with hir termes and hir domes
- Doon maydens, children, and eek gromes200
- Hir heritage to forgo.
- Ful croked were hir hondes two;
- For Coveityse is ever
- To grypen other folkes .
- Coveityse, for hir winning,205
- Ful leef hath other mennes thing.[ ]
-
- Another image set saugh I[ ]
Avarice.
- Next Coveityse by,
- And she was cleped Avaricce.
- Ful foul in peynting was that vice;210
- Ful sad and caytif was she eek,
- And al-so grene as leek.
- So yvel hewed was hir colour,
- Hir have lived in langour.
- She was lyk thing for hungre deed,215
- That ladde hir lyf only by breed
- Kneden with eisel strong and egre;
- And therto she was lene and megre.
- And she was clad ful ,
- Al in an old torn ,[ ]220
- As she were al with dogges torn;
- And bothe bihinde and eek biforn
- Clouted was she beggarly.
- A heng hir by,
- Upon a perche, weyke and smalle;[ ]225
- A burnet cote heng therwithalle,[ ]
- Furred with no menivere,
- But with a furre rough of here,
- Of lambe-skinnes hevy and blake;
- It was ful old, I undertake.230
- For Avarice to clothe hir wel
- Ne hasteth hir, never a del;
- For certeynly it were hir loth
- To weren ofte that cloth;
- And if it were forwered, she235
- Wolde have ful greet necessitee
- Of clothing, er she boughte hir newe,
- Al were it bad of wolle and hewe.
- This Avarice in hir
- A purs, that heng by a bande;[ ]240
- And that she hidde and bond so ,
- Men must abyde wonder
- Out of that purs er ther come ought,
- For that ne cometh not in hir thought;
- It was not, certein, hir 245
- That fro that purs a peny .
-
- And by that image, nygh y-nough,[ ]
Envye.
- Was Envye, that never lough,
- Nor never wel in
- But-if she outher saugh or 250
- Som greet mischaunce, or greet disese.
- No-thing may so moch hir plese
- As mischef and misaventure;
- Or whan she seeth discomfiture
- Upon any worthy man ,255
- Than lyketh hir wel withalle.
- She is ful glad in hir corage,
- If she see any greet linage
- Be brought to nought in wyse.
- And if a man in honour ryse,260
- Or by his witte, ,
- Of that hath she gret hevinesse;
- For, trusteth wel, she goth nigh wood
- Whan any happeth good.
- Envye is of swich crueltee,265
- That feith ne holdeth she
- To freend ne felawe, bad or good.
- Ne she hath kin noon of hir blood,
- That she nis ful hir enemy;
- She nolde, I dar seyn hardely,270
- Hir owne ferde wel.
- And sore abyeth she everydel
- Hir malice, and hir :[ ]
- For she is in so greet turment
- And such [wo], whan folk doth good,275
- That nigh she for pure wood;[ ]
- Hir herte kerveth and
- That god the wel awreketh.
- Envye, y-wis, shal never lette
- Som blame upon the folk to sette.280
- I trowe that if Envye, y-wis,
- Knewe the man that is
- On this syde or biyond the see,
- Yit somwhat lakken him wolde she.
- And if he were so hende and wys,285
- That she ne mighte al abate his prys,
- Yit wolde she blame his worthinesse,
- Or by hir wordes make it lesse.
- I saugh Envye, in that peynting,
- Hadde a wonderful loking;290
- For she ne loked but ,
- Or , al baggingly.
- And she hadde a foul usage;
- She mighte loke in no visage
- Of man or womman forth-right pleyn,295
- But shette oon yë for ;
- So for envye brenned she
- Whan she mighte any man ,
- That , or worthy were, or wys,
- Or elles stood in folkes prys.300
-
- Sorowe was peynted next Envye
Sorowe.
- Upon that walle of masonrye.
- But wel was in hir colour
- That she hadde lived in langour;
- Hir semed the Iaunyce.305
- Nought half so pale was Avaryce,
- Nor no-thing lyk, of lenesse;
- For sorowe, thought, and greet distresse,
- That she hadde suffred day and night
- Made hir ful , and no-thing bright,310
- Ful fade, pale, and megre also.[ ]
- Was never wight yit half so wo
- As that hir semed for to be,
- Nor so fulfilled of ire as she.
- I trowe that no wight mighte hir plese,315
- Nor do that thing that mighte hir ese;
- Nor she ne wolde hir sorowe slake,
- Nor comfort noon unto hir take;
- So depe was hir wo bigonnen,
- And eek hir herte in angre ronnen,320
- A sorowful thing wel semed she.
- Nor she hadde no-thing slowe be
- For to forcracchen al hir face,
- And for to in many place
- Hir clothes, and for to tere hir swire,325
- As she that was fulfilled of ire;
- And al to-torn lay eek hir here
- Aboute hir shuldres, here and there,
- As she that hadde it al to-rent
- For angre and for maltalent.330
- And eek I telle you certeynly
- How that she weep ful tenderly.
-
333-380. Lost inG.; fromTh.
- In world nis wight so hard of herte
- That seen hir sorowes smerte,
- That nolde have had of hir pitee,335
- So wo-bigoon a thing was she.
- She al to-dasshte hir-self for wo,
- And smoot togider her handes two.
- To sorwe was she ful ententyf,
- That woful caityf;340
- Hir litel of pleying,
- Or of clipping or kissing;
- For who-so sorweful is in herte
- Him not to pleye ne sterte,
- Nor for to daunsen, ne to singe,345
- Ne may his herte in temper bringe
- To make Ioye on even or morowe;
- For Ioye is unto sorowe.
-
- Elde was peynted after this,
Elde.
- That shorter was a foot, ywis,350
- Than she was wont in her yonghede.
- Unnethe hir-self she fede;
- So feble and eek so old was she
- That faded was al hir beautee.
- Ful salowe was waxen hir colour,355
- Hir heed was, whyt as flour.
- Y-wis, gret qualm ne were it noon,
- Ne sinne, although hir lyf were gon.
- Al woxen was hir body unwelde,
- And drye, and dwyned al for elde.[ ]360
- A foul forwelked thing was she[ ]
- That whylom round and softe had be.
- Hir eres shoken fast withalle,
- As from her heed they wolde falle.
- Hir face frounced and forpyned,365
- And bothe hir hondes lorn, fordwyned.
- So old she was that she ne
- A foot, but it were by potente.[ ]
-
- The Tyme, that passeth night and day,[ ]
Time.
- And travayleth ay,370
- And steleth from us so prively,
- That to us seemeth sikerly
- That it in oon point dwelleth ever,
- And certes, it ne resteth never,
- But goth so faste, and passeth ay,375
- That ther nis man that thinke may
- What tyme that now present is:
- Asketh at these clerkes this;
- For men thinke it redily,
- Three tymes been y-passed by.[ ]380
-
- The tyme, that may not soiourne,
- But goth, and may retourne,
- As water that doun renneth ay,
- But never drope retourne may;
- Ther may no-thing as tyme endure,385
- Metal, nor erthely creature;
- For alle thing it and shal:[ ]
- The tyme eek, that chaungeth ,
- And doth waxe and fostred be,
- And thing distroyeth he:390
- The tyme, that eldeth our auncessours
- And eldeth kinges and emperours,
- And that us alle shal overcomen
- Er that deeth us shal have nomen:
- The tyme, that hath al in welde395
- To elden folk, had maad hir elde[ ]
- So inly, that, to my witing,
- She helpe hir-self no-thing,
- But turned ageyn unto childhede;
- She had no-thing hir-self to lede,400
- Ne ne hir holde[ ]
- More than a child of two yeer olde.
- But natheles, I trowe that she
- Was sumtyme, and fresh to see,
- Whan she was in hir rightful age:405
- But she was past al that passage
- And was a doted thing bicomen.
- A furred on had she nomen;
- Wel had she clad hir-self and warm,
- For cold mighte elles doon hir harm.410
- These olde folk have alwey colde,
- Hir kinde is swiche, whan they ben olde.
-
- Another thing was doon ther write,[ ]
Pope-holy.
- That semede lyk an ipocrite,
- And it was cleped Pope-holy.[ ]415
- That ilke is she that prively
- Ne spareth never a wikked dede,
- Whan men of hir taken non hede;
- And maketh hir outward precious,
- With pale visage and pitous,420
- And semeth a creature;
- But ther nis no misaventure
- That she ne thenketh in hir corage.
- Ful lyk to hir was that image,
- That maked was lyk hir semblaunce.425
- She was ful simple of countenaunce,
- And she was clothed and eek shod,
- As she were, for the love of god,
- Yolden to religioun,[ ]
- Swich semed hir devocioun.430
- A sauter held she faste in honde,
- And bisily she gan to fonde
- To make many a feynt prayere
- To god, and to his seyntes dere.
- she was gay, , ne Iolyf,435
- But semed ful ententyf
- To gode werkes, and to faire,
- And therto she had on an haire.[ ]
- Ne certes, she was fat no-thing,
- But semed wery for fasting;440
- Of colour pale and deed was she.
- From hir the gate werned be[ ]
- Of paradys, that blisful place;
- For swich folk maketh lene hir ,
- As Crist seith in his evangyle,[ ]445
- To gete prys in toun a whyle;
- And for a litel glorie veine
- They lesen god and his reine.
-
- And alderlast of everichoon,
Povert.
- Was peynted Povert al aloon,450
- That not a peny hadde in wolde,
- Al-though she hir clothes solde,
- And though she shulde anhonged be;
- For naked as a worm was she.[ ]
- And if the stormy were,455
- For colde she shulde have there.
- She nadde on but a streit old sak,
- And many a clout on it ther stak;
- This was hir cote and hir mantel,
- No more was there, never a del,460
- To clothe her with; I undertake,
- Gret leyser she to quake.
- And she was put, that I of talke,
- Fer fro these other, up in an halke;[ ]
- There lurked and there coured she,465
- For thing, wher-so it be,
- Is shamfast, and ay.
- Acursed may wel be that day,
- That povre man conceyved is;
- For god wot, al to selde, y-wis,470
- Is any man wel ,
- Or wel arayed or ,
- Or wel biloved, in swich wyse
- In honour that he may aryse.
-
- Alle these thinges, wel avysed,475
- As I have you er this devysed,
- With gold and asure over alle
- Depeynted upon the walle.
- was the wal, and high somdel;
- Enclosed, and wel,480
- In stede of hegge, was that gardin;
- Com never shepherde therin.[ ]
- Into that gardyn, wel ,
- Who-so that me coude have brought,
- By , or elles by degree,485
- It wolde wel have lyked me.
- For swich solace, swich Ioye, and play,
- I trowe that never man ne say,
- As that place delitous.
- The gardin was not daungerous[ ]490
- To herberwe briddes many oon.
- So riche a was never noon
- Of briddes songe, and braunches grene.
- were briddes mo, I wene,
- Than been in alle the rewme of Fraunce.495
- Ful blisful was the accordaunce
- Of swete and pitous songe they made,
- For al this world it glade.
- And I my-self so mery ferde,
- Whan I hir blisful songes herde,500
- That for an pound nolde I,—[ ]
- If that the passage openly
- Hadde unto me free—
- That I nolde entren for to see
- Thassemblee, god [it and were!]—[ ]505
- Of briddes, whiche therinne ,
- Daunces of love, and mery notes.
-
- Whan I thus herde foules singe,
- I fel faste in a ,510
- By which art, or by what engyn
- I mighte come that gardyn;
- But way I couthe finde noon
- Into that gardin for to goon.
- Ne nought wiste I if that ther were515
- Eyther hole or place ,[ ]
- By which I have entree;
- Ne ther was noon to teche me;
- For I was al aloon, y-wis,
- wo and of this.[ ]520
- Til atte laste bithoughte I me,
- That by no weye ne mighte it be;
- That ther nas laddre or wey to passe,
- Or hole, into so fair a place.
-
- Tho gan I go a ful gret pas525
- Envyroning even in compas
- The closing of the square wal,
- Til that I fond a wiket smal
- So shet, that I ne mighte in goon,
- And other entree was ther noon.530
-
- Upon this dore I gan to smyte,
The Door.
- That was fetys and so lyte;
- For other wey coude I not seke.
- Ful long I shoof, and knokked eke,
- And stood ful long and [ ]535
- If that I herde wight coming;
- Til that dore of thilke entree
- A mayden curteys opened me.
Ydelnesse.
- Hir heer was as yelowe of hewe
- As basin scoured newe.540
- Hir flesh tendre as is a chike,
- With browes, smothe and slike;
- And by mesure large were
- The opening of hir yën clere.
- Hir nose of good proporcioun,545
- Hir yën greye faucoun,
- With swete breeth and wel savoured.
- Hir face whyt and wel coloured,
- With litel mouth, and round to see;
- A clove chin eek hadde she.550
- Hir nekke was of good fasoun
- In lengthe and gretnesse, by resoun,
- Withoute bleyne, scabbe, or royne.
- Fro Ierusalem unto Burgoyne
- Ther nis a fairer nekke, y-wis,555
- To fele how smothe and softe it is.
- Hir throte, al-so whyt of hewe
- As snow on braunche newe.
- Of body ful wel wrought was she
- Men not, in no cuntree,560
- A fairer body for to seke.
- And of fyn orfrays had she eke[ ]
- A chapelet: so semly oon
-
- Ne wered never mayde upon; . . . .
- And faire above that chapelet565
- A rose gerland had she set.
- She hadde a gay mirour,
- And with a riche gold [ ]
- Hir heed was tressed ;
- Hir sleves sewed .570
- And for to kepe hir hondes faire
- Of gloves whyte she hadde a paire.
- And she hadde on a cote of grene
- Of cloth of Gaunt; withouten wene,[ ]
- Wel semed by hir apparayle575
- She was not wont to greet travayle.
- For whan she kempt was fetisly,
- And wel arayed and richely,
- Thanne had she doon al hir Iournee;[ ]
- For mery and wel bigoon was she.580
- She ladde a lusty lyf in May,
- She hadde no thought, by night ne day,
- Of no-thing,
LE ROMAN DE LA ROSE.
-
- Maintes gens dient que en songes
- N’a se fables non et mençonges;
- Mais l’en puet tiex songes songier
- Qui ne sunt mie mençongier;
- Ains sunt après bien apparant,
- Si en puis bien trere à garant
- Ung acteur qui ot non Macrobes,
- Qui ne tint pas songes à lobes;
- Ainçois escrist la vision
- Qui avint au roi Cipion.10
- Quiconques cuide ne qui die
- Que soit folor ou musardie
- De croire que songes aviengne,
- Qui ce voldra, pour fol m’en tiengne;
- Car endroit moi ai-je fiance
- Que songe soit senefiance
- Des biens as gens et des anuiz,
- Car li plusors songent de nuitz
- Maintes choses couvertement
- Que l’en voit puis apertement.20
-
- Où vintiesme an de mon aage,
- Où point qu’Amors prend le paage
- Des jones gens, couchiez estoie
- Une nuit, si cum je souloie,
- Et me dormoie moult forment,
- Si vi ung songe en mon dormant,
- Qui moult fut biax, et moult me plot,
- Mès onques riens où songe n’ot
- Qui avenu trestout ne soit,
- Si cum li songes recontoit.30
- Or veil cel songe rimaier,
- Por vos cuers plus fere esgaier,
- Qu’ Amors le me prie et commande;
- Et se nus ne nule demande
- Comment ge voil que cilz Romman
- Soit apelez, que ge commanz:
- Ce est li Rommanz de la Rose,
- Où l’art d’Amors est tote enclose.
- La matire en est bone et noeve:
- Or doint Diez qu’en gré le reçoeve
- Cele por qui ge l’ai empris.41
- C’est cele qui tant a de pris,
- Et tant est digne d’estre amée,
- Qu’el doit estre Rose clamée.
-
- Avis m’iere qu’il estoit mains,
- Il a jà bien cincq ans, au mains,
- En Mai estoie, ce songoie,[ ]
- El tems amoreus plain de joie,
- El tens où tote riens s’esgaie,
- Que l’en ne voit boisson ne haie50
- Qui en Mai parer ne se voille,
- Et covrir de novele foille;
- Li bois recovrent lor verdure,
- Qui sunt sec tant cum yver dure,
- La terre méisme s’orgoille
- Por la rousée qui la moille,
- Et oblie la poverté
- Où ele a tot l’yver esté.
- Lors devient la terre si gobe,
- Qu’ele volt avoir novele robe;60
- Si scet si cointe robe faire,
- Que de colors i a cent paire,
- D’erbes, de flors indes et perses,
- Et de maintes colors diverses.
- C’est la robe que ge devise,
- Por quoi la terre miex se prise.
-
- Li oisel, qui se sunt téu
- Tant cum il ont le froit éu,
- Et le tens divers et frarin,
- Sunt en Mai, por le tens serin,70
- Si lié qu’il monstrent en chantant
- Qu’en lor cuer a de joie tant,
- Qu’il lor estuet chanter par force.
- Li rossignos lores s’efforce
- De chanter et de faire noise;
- Lors s’esvertue, et lors s’envoise
- Li papegaus et la kalandre:
- Lors estuet jones gens entendre
- A estre gais et amoreus
- Por le tens bel et doucereus.80
- Moult a dur cuer qui en Mai n’aime,
- Quant il ot chanter sus la raime
- As oisiaus les dous chans piteus.
- En iceli tens déliteus,
- Que tote riens d’amer s’effroie,
- Sonjai une nuit que j’estoie,
- Ce m’iert avis en mon dormant,
- Qu’il estoit matin durement;
- De mon lit tantost me levai,
- Chauçai moi et mes mains lavai.90
- Lors trais une aguille d’argent
- D’un aguiller mignot et gent,
- Si pris l’aguille à enfiler.
- Hors de vile oi talent d’aler,
- Por oïr des oisiaus les sons
- Qui chantoient par ces boissons.
- En icele saison novele,
- Cousant mes manches à videle,
- M’en alai tot seus esbatant,
- Et les oiselés escoutant,100
- Qui de chanter moult s’engoissoient
- Par ces vergiers qui florissoient.
- Jolis, gais et plains de léesce,
- Vers une riviere m’adresce.
- Que j’oi près d’ilecques bruire;
- Car ne me soi aillors déduire
- Plus bel que sus cele riviere.
- D’ung tertre qui près d’iluec iere
- Descendoit l’iaue grant et roide,
- Clere, bruiant, et aussi froide110
- Comme puiz, ou comme fontaine,
- Et estoit poi mendre de Saine,
- Mès qu’ele iere plus espanduë.
- Onques mès n’avoie véuë
- Cele iaue qui si bien coroit:
- Moult m’abelissoit et séoit
- A regarder le leu plaisant.
- De l’iaue clere et reluisant
- Mon vis rafreschi et lavé.
- Si vi tot covert et pavé120
- Le fons de l’iaue de gravele;
- La praérie grant et bele
- Très au pié de l’iaue batoit.
- Clere et serie et bele estoit
- La matinée et atrempeé;
- Lors m’en alai parmi la prée
- Contre val l’iaue esbanoiant,
- Tot le rivage costoiant.
-
- Quant j’oi ung poi avant alé,
- Si vi ung vergier grant et lé,130
- Tot clos d’ung haut mur bataillié,
- Portrait defors et entaillié
- A maintes riches escritures.
- Les ymages et les paintures
- Ai moult volentiers remiré:
- Si vous conteré et diré
- De ces ymages la semblance,
- Si cum moi vient à remembrance.
-
- Haïne.
- Ens où milieu je vi Haïne
- Qui de corrous et d’ataïne140
- Sembloit bien estre moverresse,
- Et correceuse et tencerresse,
- Et plaine de grant cuvertage
- Estoit par semblant cele ymage.
- Si n’estoit pas bien atornée,
- Ains sembloit estre forcenée,
- Rechignie avoit et froncié
- Le vis, et le nés secorcié.
- Par grant hideur fu soutilliée,
- Et si estoit entortillée150
- Hideusement d’une toaille.
-
- Felonnie.
- Une autre ymage d’autel taille
- A senestre vi delez lui;
- Son non desus sa teste lui;
- Apellée estoit Felonnie.
-
- Vilennie.
- Une ymage qui Vilonie
- Avoit non, revi devers destre,
- Qui estoit auques d’autel estre
- Cum ces deus et d’autel féture;
- Bien sembloit male créature,160
- Et despiteuse et orguilleuse,
- Et mesdisant et ramponeuse.
- Moult sot bien paindre et bien portraire
- Cil qui tiex ymages sot faire:
- Car bien sembloit chose vilaine,
- De dolor et de despít plaine;
- Et fame qui petit séust
- D’honorer ceus qu’ele déust.
-
- Couvoitise.
- Après fu painte Coveitise:
- C’est cele qui les gens atise170
- De prendre et de noient donner,
- Et les grans avoirs aüner.
- C’est cele qui fait à usure
- Prester mains por la grant ardure
- D’avoir conquerre et assembler.
- C’est cele qui semont d’embler
- Les larrons et les ribaudiaus;
- Si est grans pechiés et grans diaus
- Qu’en la fin en estuet mains pendre.
- C’est cele qui fait l’autrui prendre,
- Rober, tolir et bareter,181
- Et bescochier et mesconter;
- C’est cele qui les trichéors
- Fait tous et les faus pledéors,
- Qui maintes fois par lor faveles
- Ont as valés et as puceles
- Lor droites herites toluës.
- Recorbillies et croçües
- Avoit les mains icele ymage;
- Ce fu drois: car toz jors esrage190
- Coveitise de l’autrui prendre.
- Coveitise ne set entendre
- A riens qu’à l’autrui acrochier;
- Coveitise à l’autrui trop chier.
-
- Avarice.
- Une autre ymage y ot assise
- Coste à coste de Coveitise,
- Avarice estoit apelée:
- Lede estoit et sale et foulée
- Cele ymage, et megre et chetive,
- Et aussi vert cum une cive.200
- Tant par estoit descolorée
- Qu’el sembloit estre enlangorée;
- Chose sembloit morte de fain,
- Qui ne vesquit fors que de pain
- Petri à lessu fort et aigre;
- Et avec ce qu’ele iere maigre,
- Iert-ele povrement vestuë,
- Cote avoit viés et desrumpuë,
- Comme s’el fust as chiens remese;
- Povre iert moult la cote et esrese,210
- Et plaine de viés palestiaus.
- Delez li pendoit ung mantiaus
- A une perche moult greslete,
- Et une cote de brunete;
- Où mantiau n’ot pas penne vaire,
- Mes moult viés et de povre afaire,
- D’agniaus noirs velus et pesans.
- Bien avoit la robe vingt ans;
- Mès Avarice du vestir
- Se sot moult à tart aatir:220
- Car sachiés que moult li pesast
- Se cele robe point usast;
- Car s’el fust usée et mauvese,
- Avarice éust grant mesese
- De noeve robe et grant disete,
- Avant qu’ele éust autre fete.
- Avarice en sa main tenoit
- Une borse qu’el reponnoit,
- Et la nooit si durement,
- Que demorast moult longuement230
- Ainçois qu’el en péust riens traire,
- Mès el n’avoit de ce que faire.
- El n’aloit pas à ce béant
- Que de la borse ostat néant.
-
- Envie.
- Après refu portrete Envie,
- Qui ne rist oncques en sa vie,
- N’oncques de riens ne s’esjoï,
- S’ele ne vit, ou s’el n’oï
- Aucun grant domage retrere.
- Nule riens ne li puet tant plere240
- Cum mefet et mesaventure;
- Quant el voit grant desconfiture
- Sor aucun prodomme chéoir,
- Ice li plest moult à véoir.
- Ele est trop lie en son corage
- Quant el voit aucun grant lignage
- Decheoir et aler à honte;
- Et quant aucuns à honor monte
- Par son sens ou par sa proéce,
- C’est la chose qui plus la bléce.250
- Car sachiés que moult la convient
- Estre irée quant biens avient.
- Envie est de tel cruauté,
- Qu’ele ne porte léauté
- A compaignon, ne à compaigne;
- N’ele n’a parent, tant li tiengne,
- A cui el ne soit anemie:
- Car certes el ne vorroit mie
- Que biens venist, neis à son pere.
- Mès bien sachiés qu’ele compere260
- Sa malice trop ledement:
- Car ele est en si grant torment,
- Et a tel duel quant gens bien font,
- Par ung petit qu’ele ne font.
- Ses felons cuers l’art et detrenche,
- Qui de li Diex et la gent venche.
- Envie ne fine nule hore
- D’aucun blasme as gens metre sore;
- Je cuit que s’ele cognoissoit
- Tot le plus prodome qui soit270
- Ne deçà mer, ne delà mer,
- Si le vorroit-ele blasmer;
- Et s’il iere si bien apris
- Qu’el ne péust de tot son pris
- Rien abatre ne deprisier,
- Si vorroit-ele apetisier
- Sa proéce au mains, et s’onor
- Par parole faire menor.
-
- Lors vi qu’Envie en la painture
- Avoit trop lede esgardéure;280
- Ele ne regardast noient
- Fors de travers en borgnoiant;
- Ele avoit ung mauvès usage,
- Qu’ele ne pooit où visage
- Regarder reins de plain en plaing,
- Ains clooit ung oel par desdaing,
- Qu’ele fondoit d’ire et ardoit,
- Quant aucuns qu’ele regardoit,
- Estoit ou preus, ou biaus, ou gens,
- Ou amés, ou loés de gens.290
-
- Tristesse.
- Delez Envie auques près iere
- Tristece painte en la maisiere;
- Mès bien paroit à sa color
- Qu’ele avoit au cuer grant dolor,
- Et sembloit avoir la jaunice.
- Si n’i feïst riens Avarice
- Ne de paleur, ne de mégrece,
- Car li soucis et la destrece,
- Et la pesance et les ennuis
- Qu’el soffroit de jors et de nuis,300
- L’avoient moult fete jaunir,
- Et megre et pale devenir.
- Oncques mès nus en tel martire
- Ne fu, ne n’ot ausinc grant ire
- Cum il sembloit que ele éust:
- Je cuit que nus ne li séust
- Faire riens qui li péust plaire:
- N’el ne se vosist pas retraire,
- Ne réconforter à nul fuer-
- Du duel qu’ele avoit à son cuer.310
- Trop avoit son cuer correcié,
- Et son duel parfont commencié.
- Moult sembloit bien qu’el fust dolente,
- Qu’ele n’avoit mie esté lente
- D’esgratiner tote sa chiere;
- N’ele n’avoit pas sa robe chiere,
- Ains l’ot en mains leus descirée
- Cum cele qui moult iert irée.
- Si cheveul tuit destrecié furent,
- Et espandu par son col jurent,320
- Que les avoit trestous desrous
- De maltalent et de corrous.
- Et sachiés bien veritelment
- Qu’ele ploroit profondément:
- Nus, tant fust durs, ne la véist,
- A cui grant pitié n’en préist,
- Qu’el se desrompoit et batoit,
- Et ses poins ensemble hurtoit.
- Moult iert à duel fere ententive
- La dolereuse, la chetive;330
- Il ne li tenoit d’envoisier,
- Ne d’acoler, ne de baisier:
- Car cil qui a le cuer dolent,
- Sachiés de voir, il n’a talent
- De dancier, ne de karoler,
- Ne nus ne se porroit moller
- Qui duel éust, à joie faire,
- Car duel et joie sont contraire.
-
- Vieillesse.
- Après fu Viellece portraite,
- Qui estoit bien ung pié retraite340
- De tele cum el soloit estre;
- A paine se pooit-el pestre,
- Tant estoit vielle et radotée.
- Bien estoit si biauté gastée,
- Et moult ert lede devenuë.
- Toute sa teste estoit chenuë,
- Et blanche cum s’el fust florie.
- Ce ne fut mie grant morie
- S’ele morust, ne grans pechiés,
- Car tous ses cors estoit sechiés350
- De viellece et anoiantis:
- Moult estoit jà ses vis fletris,
- Qui jadis fut soef et plains;
- Mès or est tous de fronces plains,
- Les oreilles avoit mossues,
- Et trestotes les dents perdues,
- Si qu’ele n’en avoit neis une.
- Tant par estoit de grant viellune,
- Qu’el n’alast mie la montance
- De quatre toises sans potance.360
-
- Li tens qui s’en va nuit et jor,
- Sans repos prendre et sans sejor,
- Et qui de nous se part et emble
- Si celéement, qu’il nous semble
- Qu’il s’arreste adés en ung point,
- Et il ne s’i arreste point,
- Ains ne fine de trepasser,
- Que nus ne puet néis penser
- Quex tens ce est qui est présens;
- Sel’ demandés as clers lisans,370
- Ainçois que l’en l’éust pensé,
- Seroit-il jà trois tens passé.
- Li tens qui ne puet sejourner,
- Ains vait tous jors sans retorner,
- Cum l’iaue qui s’avale toute,
- N’il n’en retorne arriere goute:
- Li tens vers qui noient ne dure,
- Ne fer ne chose tant soit dure,
- Car il gaste tout et menjue;
- Li tens qui tote chose mue,380
- Qui tout fait croistre et tout norist,
- Et qui tout use et tout porrist;
- Li tens qui enviellist nos peres,
- Et viellist roys et emperieres,
- Et qui tous nous enviellira,
- Ou mort nous desavancera:
- Li tens qui toute a la baillie
- Des gens viellir, l’avoit viellie
- Si durement, qu’au mien cuidier
- El ne se pooit mès aidier,390
- Ains retornoit jà en enfance,
- Car certes el n’avoit poissance,
- Ce cuit-je, ne force, ne sens
- Ne plus c’un enfés de deus ans.
- Ne porquant, au mien escient,
- Ele avoit esté sage et gent,
- Quant ele iert en son droit aage;
- Mais ge cuit qu’el n’iere mès sage,
- Ains iert trestote rassotée.
- Si ot d’une chape forrée400
- Moult bien, si cum je me recors,
- Abrié et vestu son corps:
- Bien fu vestue et chaudement,
- Car el éust froit autrement.
- Les vielles gens ont tost froidure;
- Bien savés que c’est lor nature.
-
- Papelardie.
- Une ymage ot emprès escrite,
- Qui sembloit bien estre ypocrite;
- Papelardie ert apelée.
- C’est cele qui en recelée,410
- Quant nus ne s’en puet prendre garde,
- De nul mal faire ne se tarde.
- El fait dehors le marmiteus,
- Si a le vis simple et piteus,
- Et semble sainte créature;
- Mais sous ciel n’a male aventure
- Qu’ele ne pense en son corage.
- Moult la ressembloit bien l’ymage
- Qui faite fu à sa semblance,
- Qu’el fu de simple contenance;420
- Et si fu chaucie et vestue
- Tout ainsinc cum fame rendue.
- En sa main ung sautier tenoit,
- Et sachiés que moult se penoit
- De faire à Dieu prieres faintes,
- Et d’appeler et sains et saintes.
- El ne fu gaie, ne jolive,
- Ains fu par semblant ententive
- Du tout à bonnes ovres faire;
- Et si avoit vestu la haire.430
- Et sachiés que n’iere pas grasse,
- De jeuner sembloit estre lasse,
- S’avoit la color pale et morte.
- A li et as siens ert la porte
- Dévéée de Paradis;
- Car icel gent si font lor vis
- Amegrir, ce dit l’Evangile,
- Por avoir loz parmi la ville,
- Et por un poi de gloire vaine
- Qui lor toldra Dieu et son raine.440
-
- Povreté.
- Portraite fu au darrenier
- Povreté, qui ung seul denier
- N’éust pas, s’el se déust pendre,
- Tant séust bien sa robe vendre;
- Qu’ele iere nuë comme vers:
- Se li tens fust ung poi divers,
- Je cuit qu’ele acorast de froit,
- Qu’el n’avoit c’ung vié sac estroit
- Tout plain de mavès palestiaus;
- Ce iert sa robe et ses mantiaus.450
- El n’avoit plus que afubler,
- Grant loisir avoit de trembler.
- Des autres fu un poi loignet;
- Cum chien honteus en ung coignet
- Se cropoit et s’atapissoit,
- Car povre chose, où qu’ele soit,
- Est adès boutée et despite.
- L’eure soit ore la maudite,
- Que povres homs fu concéus!
- Qu’il ne sera jà bien péus,460
- Ne bien vestus, ne bien chauciés,
- Néis amés, ne essauciés.
-
- Ces ymages bien avisé,
- Qui, si comme j’ai devisé,
- Furent à or et à asur
- De toutes pars paintes où mur.
- Haut fu li mur et tous quarrés,
- Si en fu bien clos et barrés,
- En leu de haies, uns vergiers,
- Où onc n’avoit entré bergiers.470
- Cis vergiers en trop bel leu sist:
- Qui dedens mener me vousist
- Ou par échiele ou par degré,
- Je l’en séusse moult bon gré;
- Car tel joie ne tel déduit
- Ne vit nus hons, si cum ge cuit,
- Cum il avoit en ce vergier:
- Car li leus d’oisiaus herbergier
- N’estoit ne dangereux ne chiches.
- Onc mès ne fu nus leus si riches480
- D’arbres, ne d’oisillons chantans:
- Qu’il i avoit d’oisiaus trois tans
- Qu’en tout le remanant de France.
- Moult estoit bele l’acordance
- De lor piteus chant à oïr:
- Tous li mons s’en dust esjoïr.
- Je endroit moi m’en esjoï
- Si durement, quant les oï,
- Que n’en préisse pas cent livres,
- Se li passages fust delivres,490
- Que ge n’entrasse ens et véisse
- L’assemblée (que Diex garisse!)
- Des oisiaus qui léens estoient,
- Qui envoisiement chantoient
- Les dances d’amors et les notes
- Plesans, cortoises et mignotes.
-
- Quant j’oï les oisiaus chanter,
- Forment me pris à dementer
- Par quel art ne par quel engin
- Je porroie entrer où jardin;500
- Mès ge ne poi onques trouver
- Leu par où g’i péusse entrer.
- Et sachiés que ge ne savoie
- S’il i avoït partuis ne voie,
- Ne leu par où l’en i entrast,
- Ne hons nés qui le me monstrast
- N’iert illec, que g’iere tot seus,
- Moult destroit et moult angoisseus;
- Tant qu’au darrenier me sovint
- C’oncques à nul jor ce n’avint510
- Qu’en si biau vergier n’éust huis,
- Ou eschiele ou aucun partuis.
-
- Lors m’en alai grant aléure
- Açaignant la compasséure
- Et la cloison du mur quarré,
- Tant que ung guichet bien barré
- Trovai petitet et estroit;
- Par autre leu l’en n’i entroit.
- A l’uis commençai à ferir,
- Autre entrée n’i soi querir.520
-
- Assez i feri et boutai,
- Et par maintes fois escoutai
- Se j’orroie venir nulle arme.
- Le guichet, qui estoit de charme,
- M’ovrit une noble pucele
- Qui moult estoit et gente et bele.
- Cheveus ot blons cum uns bacins,
- La char plus tendre qu’uns pocins,
- Front reluisant, sorcis votis.
- Son entr’oil ne fu pas petis,530
- Ains iert assez grans par mesure;
- Le nés ot bien fait à droiture,
- Les yex ot plus vairs c’uns faucons,
- Por faire envie à ces bricons.
- Douce alene ot et savorée,
- La face blanche et colorée,
- La bouche petite et grocete,
- S’ot où menton une fossete.
- Le col fu de bonne moison,
- Gros assez et lons par raison,540
- Si n’i ot bube ne malen.
- N’avoit jusqu’en Jherusalen
- Fame qui plus biau col portast,
- Polis iert et soef au tast.
- La gorgete ot autresi blanche
- Cum est la noif desus la branche
- Quant il a freschement negié.
- Le cors ot bien fait et dougié,
- L’en ne séust en nule terre
- Nul plus bel cors de fame querre.550
- D’orfrois ot un chapel mignot;
- Onques nule pucele n’ot
- Plus cointe ne plus desguisié,
- Ne l’aroie adroit devisié
- En trestous les jors de ma vie.
- Robe avoit moult bien entaillie;
- Ung chapel de roses tout frais
- Ot dessus le chapel d’orfrais:
- En sa main tint ung miroër,
- Si ot d’ung riche treçoër560
- Son chief trecié moult richement,
- Bien et bel et estroitement
- Ot ambdeus cousues ses manches;
- Et porgarder que ses mains blanches
- Ne halaissent, ot uns blans gans.
- Cote ot d’ung riche vert de gans,
- Cousue à lignel tout entour.
- Il paroit bien à son atour
- Qu’ele iere poi embesoignie.
- Quant ele s’iere bien pignie,570
- Et bien parée et atornée,
- Ele avoit faite sa jornée.
- Moult avoit bon tems et bon May,
- Qu’el n’avoït soussi ne esmay
- De nule riens, fors solement
- De soi atorner noblement.
-
- Quant ainsinc m’ot l’uis deffermé
- La pucele au cors acesmé,
- Je l’en merciai doucement,
- Et si li demandai comment580
- Ele avoit non, et qui ele iere.
- Ele ne fu pas envers moi fiere,
- Ne de respondre desdaigneuse:
- ‘Je me fais apeler Oiseuse,’
- Dist-ele, ‘à tous mes congnoissans;
- Si sui riche fame et poissans.
- S’ai d’une chose moult bon tens,
- Car à nule riens je ne pens
- Qu’à moi joer et solacier,
- Et mon chief pignier et trecier:590
- Quant sui pignée et atornée,
- Adonc est fete ma jornée.
- Privée sui moult et acointe
- De Déduit le mignot, le cointe;
- C’est cil cui est cest biax jardins,
- Qui de la terre as Sarradins
- Fist çà ces arbres aporter,
- Qu’il fist par ce vergier planter.
- Quant li arbres furent créu,
- Le mur que vous avez véu,600
- Fist lors Deduit tout entor faire,
- Et si fist au dehors portraire
- Les ymages qui i sunt paintes,
- Que ne sunt mignotes ne cointes;
- Ains sunt dolereuses et tristes,
- Si cum vous orendroit véistes.
-
- Maintes fois por esbanoier
- Se vient en cest leu umbroier
- Déduit et les gens qui le sivent,
- Qui en joie et en solas vivent.610
- Encores est léens, sans doute,
- Déduit orendroit qui escoute
- A chanter gais rossignolés,
- Mauvis et autres oiselés.
- Il s’esbat iluec et solace
- O ses gens, car plus bele place
- Ne plus biau leu por soi joer
- Ne porroit-il mie trover;
- Les plus beles gens, ce sachiés,
- Que vous jamès nul leu truissiés,620
- Si sunt li compaignon Déduit
- Qu’il maine avec li et conduit.’
-
- Quant Oiseuse m’ot ce conté,
- Et j’oi moult bien tout escouté,
- Je li dis lores: ‘Dame Oiseuse,
- Jà de ce ne soyés douteuse,
- Puis que Déduit li biaus, li gens
- Est orendroit avec ses gens
- En cest vergier, ceste assemblée
- Ne m’iert pas, se je puis, emblée,630
- Que ne la voie encore ennuit;
- Véoir la m’estuet, car ge cuit
- Que bele est cele compaignie,
- Et cortoise et bien enseignie.’
- Lors m’en entrai, ne dis puis mot,
- Par l’uis que Oiseuse overt m’ot,
- Où vergier; et quant je fui ens
- Je fui liés et baus et joiens.
- Et sachiés que je cuidai estre
- Por voir en Paradis terrestre,640
- Tant estoit li leu delitables,
- Qu’il sembloit estre esperitables:
- Car si cum il m’iert lors avis,
- Ne féist en nul Paradis
- Si bon estre, cum il faisoit
- Où vergier qui tant me plaisoit.
- D’oisiaus chantans avoit assés
- Par tout le vergier amassés;
- En ung leu avoit rossigniaus,
- En l’autre gais et estorniaus;650
- Si r’avoit aillors grans escoles
- De roietiaus et torteroles,
- De chardonnereaus, d’arondeles,
- D’aloes et de lardereles;
- Calendres i ot amassées
- En ung autre leu, qui lassées
- De chanter furent à envis:
- Melles y avoit et mauvis
- Qui baoient à sormonter
- Ces autres oisiaus par chanter.660
- Il r’avoit aillors papegaus,
- Et mains oisiaus qui par ces gaus
- Et par ces bois où il habitent,
- En lor biau chanter se délitent.
- Trop parfesoient bel servise
- Cil oisel que je vous devise;
- Il chantoient ung chant itel
- Cum s’il fussent esperitel.
- De voir sachiés, quant les oï,
- Moult durement m’en esjoï:670
- Que mès si douce mélodie
- Ne fu d’omme mortel oïe.
- Tant estoit cil chans dous et biaus,
- Qu’il ne sombloit pas chans d’oisiaus,
- Ains le péust l’en aesmer
- A chant de seraines de mer,
- Qui par lor vois, qu’eles ont saines
- Et series, ont non seraines.
-
- A chanter furent ententis
- Li oisillon qui aprenti680
- Ne furent pas ne non sachant;
- Et sachiés quant j’oï lor chant,
- Et je vi le leu verdaier,
- Je me pris moult à esgaier;
- Que n’avoie encor esté onques
- Si jolif cum je fui adonques;
- Por la grant délitableté
- Fui plains de grant jolieté.
- Et lores soi-je bien et vi
- Que Oiseuse m’ot bien servi,690
- Qui m’avoit en tel déduit mis:
- Bien déusse estre ses amis,
- Quant ele m’avoit deffermé
- Le guichet du vergier ramé.
-
- Dès ore si cum je sauré,
- Vous conterai comment j’ovré.
- Primes de quoi Déduit servoit,
- Et quel compaignie il avoit
- Sans longue fable vous veil dire,
- Et du vergier tretout à tire700
- La façon vous redirai puis.
- Tout ensemble dire ne puis,
- Mès tout vous conteré par ordre,
- Que l’en n’i sache que remordre.
-
- Grant servise et dous et plaisant
- Aloient cil oisel faisant;
- Lais d’amors et sonnés cortois
- Chantoit chascun en son patois,
- Li uns en haut, li autre en bas;
- De lor chant n’estoit mie gas.710
- La douçor et la mélodie
- Me mist où cuer grant reverdie;
- Mès quant j’oi escouté ung poi
- Les oisiaus, tenir ne me poi
- Que dant Déduit véoir n’alasse;
- Car à savoir moult desirasse
- Son contenement et son estre.
-
- Lors m’en alai tout droit à destre,
- Par une petitete sente
- Plaine de fenoil et de mente;720
- Mès auques près trové Déduit,
- Car maintenant en ung réduit
- M’en entré où Déduit estoit.
- Déduit ilueques s’esbatoit;
- S’avoit si bele gent o soi,
- Que quant je les vi, je ne soi
- Dont si tres beles gens pooient
- Estre venu; car il sembloient
- Tout por voir anges empennés,
- Si beles gens ne vit homs nés.730
-
- Ceste gent dont je vous parole,
- S’estoient pris à la carole,
- Et une dame lor chantoit,
- Qui Léesce apelée estoit:
- Bien sot chanter et plesamment,
- Ne nule plus avenaument,
- Ne plus bel ses refrains ne fist,
- A chanter merveilles li sist;
- Qu’ele avoit la vois clere et saine;
- Et si n’estoit mie vilaine;740
- Ains se savoit bien desbrisier,
- Ferir du pié et renvoisier.
- Ele estoit adès coustumiere
- De chanter en tous leus premiere:
- Car chanter estoit li mestiers
- Qu’ele faisoit plus volentiers.
-
- Lors véissiés carole aler,
- Et gens mignotement baler,
- Et faire mainte bele tresche,
- Et maint biau tor sor l’erbe fresche.750
- Là véissiés fléutéors,
- Menesterez et jougléors;
- Si chantent li uns rotruenges,
- Li autres notes Loherenges,
- Por ce qu’en set en Loheregne
- Plus cointes notes qu’en nul regne.
- Assez i ot tableterresses
- Ilec entor, et tymberresses
- Qui moult savoient bien joer,
- Et ne finoient de ruer760
- Le tymbre en haut, si recuilloient
- Sor ung doi, c’onques n’i failloient.
- Deus damoiseles moult mignotes,
- Qui estoient en pures cotes,
- Et trecies à une tresce,
- Faisoient Déduit par noblesce
- Enmi la karole baler;
- Mès de ce ne fait à parler
- Comme el baloient cointement.
- L’une venoit tout belement770
- Contre l’autre; et quant el estoient
- Près à près, si s’entregetoient
- Les bouches, qu’il vous fust avis
- Que s’entrebaisassent où vis:
- Bien se savoient desbrisier.
- Ne vous en sai que devisier;
- Mès à nul jor ne me quéisse
- Remuer, tant que ge véisse
- Ceste gent ainsine efforcier
- De caroler et de dancier.780
-
- La karole tout en estant
- Regardai iluec jusqu’à tant
- C’une dame bien enseignie
- Me tresvit: ce fu Cortoisie
- La vaillant et la debonnaire,
- Que Diex deffende de contraire.
- Cortoisie lors m’apela:
- ‘Biaus amis, que faites-vous là?’
- Fait Cortoisie, ‘ça venez,
- Et avecque nous vous prenez790
- A la karole, s’il vous plest.’
- Sans demorance et sans arrest
- A la karole me sui pris,
- Si n’en fui pas trop entrepris,
- Et sachiés que moult m’agréa
- Quant Cortoisie m’en pria,
- Et me dist que je karolasse;
- Car de karoler, se j’osasse,
- Estoie envieus et sorpris.
- A regarder lores me pris800
- Les cors, les façons et les chieres,
- Les semblances et les manieres
- Des gens qui ilec karoloient:
- Si vous dirai quex il estoient.
-
- Déduit fu biaus et lons et drois,
- Jamés en terre ne venrois
- Où vous truissiés nul plus bel homme:
- La face avoit cum une pomme,
- Vermoille et blanche tout entour,
- Cointes fu et de bel atour.810
- Les yex ot vairs, la bouche gente,
- Et le nez fait par grant entente;
- Cheveus ot blons, recercelés,
- Par espaules fu auques lés,
- Et gresles parmi la ceinture:
- Il resembloit une painture,
- Tant ere biaus et acesmés,
- Et de tous membres bien formés.
- Remuans fu, et preus, et vistes,
- Plus legier homme ne véistes;820
- Si n’avoit barbe, ne grenon,
- Se petiz peus folages non,
- Car il ert jones damoisiaus.
- D’un samit portret à oysiaus,
- Qui ere tout à or batus,
- Fu ses cors richement vestus.
- Moult iert sa robe desguisée,
- Et fu moult riche et encisée,
- Et décopée par cointise;
- Chauciés refu par grant mestrise830
- D’uns solers décopés à las;
- Par druerie et par solas
- Li ot s’amie fet chapel
- De roses qui moult li sist bel.
-
- Savés-vous qui estoit s’amie?
- Léesce qui nel’ haoit mie,
- L’envoisie, la bien chantans,
- Qui dès lors qu’el n’ot que sept ans
- De s’amor li donna l’otroi;
- Déduit la tint parmi le doi840
- A la karole, et ele lui,
- Bien s’entr’amoient ambedui:
- Car il iert biaus, et ele bele,
- Bien resembloit rose novele
- De sa color. S’ot la char tendre,
- Qu’en la li péust toute fendre
- A une petitete ronce.
- Le front ot blanc, poli, sans fronce,
- Les sorcis bruns et enarchiés,
- Les yex gros et si envoisiés,850
- Qu’il rioient tousjors avant
- Que la bouchete par convant.
- Je ne vous sai du nés que dire,
- L’en nel’ féist pas miex de cire.
- Ele ot la bouche petitete,
- Et por baisier son ami, preste;
- Le chief ot blons et reluisant.
- Que vous iroie-je disant?
- Bele fu et bien atornée;
- D’ung fil d’or ere galonnée,860
- S’ot ung chapel d’orfrois tout nuef;
- Je qu’en oi véu vint et nuef,
- A nul jor mès véu n’avoie
- Chapel si bien ouvré de soie.
- D’un samit qui ert tous dorés
- Fu ses cors richement parés,
- De quoi son ami avoit robe,
- Si en estoit assés plus gobe.
-
- A li se tint de l’autre part
- Li Diex d’Amors, cil qui départ870
- Amoretes à sa devise.
- C’est cil qui les amans justise,
- Et qui abat l’orguel des gens,
- Et si fait des seignors sergens,
- Et des dames refait bajesses,
- Quant il les trove trop engresses.
-
- Li Diex d’Amors, de la façon,
- Ne resembloit mie garçon:
- De beaulté fist moult à prisier,
- Mes de sa robe devisier880
- Criens durement qu’encombré soie.
- Il n’avoit pas robe de soie,
- Ains avoit robe de floretes,
- Fete par fines amoretes
- A losenges, à escuciaus,
- A oiselés, à lionciaus,
- Et à bestes et à liépars;
- Fu la robe de toutes pars
- Portraite, et ovrée de flors
- Par diverseté de colors.890
- Flors i avoit de maintes guises
- Qui furent par grant sens assises;
- Nulle flor en esté ne nest
- Qui n’i soit, neis flor de genest,
- Ne violete, ne parvanche,
- Ne fleur inde, jaune ne blanche;
- Si ot par leus entremeslées
- Foilles de roses grans et lées.
- Il ot où chief ung chapelet
- De roses; mès rossignolet900
- Qui entor son chief voletoient,
- Les foilles jus en abatoient:
- Car il iert tout covers d’oisiaus,
- De papegaus, de rossignaus,
- De calandres et de mesanges;
- Il sembloit que ce fust uns anges
- Qui fust tantost venus du ciau.
-
- Amors avoit ung jovenciau
- Qu’il faisoit estre iluec delés;
- Douz-Regard estoit apelés.910
- Ici bachelers regardoit
- Les caroles, et si gardoit
- Au Diex d’Amors deux ars turquois.
- Li uns des ars si fu d’un bois
- Dont li fruit iert mal savorés;
- Tous plains de nouz et bocerés
- Fu li ars dessous et dessore,
- Et si estoit plus noirs que mores.
- Li autres ars fu d’un plançon
- Longuet et de gente façon;920
- Si fu bien fait et bien dolés,
- Et si fu moult bien pipelés.
- Dames i ot de tous sens pointes,
- Et valés envoisiés et cointes.
- Ices deux ars tint Dous-Regars
- Qui ne sembloit mie estre gars,
- Avec dix des floiches son mestre.
- Il en tint cinq en sa main destre;
- Mès moult orent ices cinq floiches
- Les penons bien fais, et les coiches:930
- Si furent toutes à or pointes,
- Fors et tranchans orent les pointes,
- Et aguës por bien percier,
- Et si n’i ot fer ne acier;
- Onc n’i ot riens qui d’or ne fust,
- Fors que les penons et le fust:
- Car el furent encarrelées
- De sajetes d’or barbelées.
-
- La meillore et la plus isnele
- De ces floiches, et la plus bele,940
- Et cele où li meillor penon
- Furent entés, Biautes ot non.
- Une d’eles qui le mains blece,
- Ot non, ce m’est avis, Simplece.
- Une autre en i ot apelée
- Franchise; cele iert empenée
- De Valor et de Cortoisie.
- La quarte avoit non Compaignie:
- En cele ot moult pesant sajete.
- Ele n’iert pas d’aler loing preste;950
- Mès qui de près en vosist traire,
- Il en péust assez mal faire.
- La quinte avoit non Biau-Semblant,
- Ce fut toute la mains grévant.
- Ne porquant el fait moult grant plaie;
- Mès cis atent bonne menaie,
- Qui de cele floiche est plaiés,
- Ses maus en est mielx emplaiés;
- Car il puet tost santé atendre,
- S’en doit estre sa dolor mendre.960
-
- Cinq floiches i ot d’autre guise,
- Qui furent ledes à devise:
- Li fust estoient et li fer
- Plus noirs que déables d’enfer.
- La premiere avoit non Orguex,
- L’autre qui ne valoit pas miex,
- Fu apelée Vilenie;
- Icele fu de felonie
- Toute tainte et envenimée.
- La tierce fu Honte clamée,970
- Et la quarte Desesperance:
- Novel-Penser fu sans doutance
- Apelée la darreniere.
-
- Ces cinq floiches d’une maniere
- Furent, et moult bien resem blables;
- Moult par lor estoit convenables
- Li uns des arcs qui fu hideus,
- Et plains de neus, et eschardeus;
- Il devoit bien tiex floiches traire,
- Car el erent force et contraire980
- As autres cinq floiches sans doute.
- Mès ne diré pas ore toute
- Lor forces, ne lor poestés.
- Bien vous sera la verités
- Contée, et la sénefiance
- Nel’metré mie en obliance;
- Ains vous dirai que tout ce monte,
- Ainçois que je fine mon conte.
-
- Or revendrai à ma parole:
- Des nobles gens de la karole990
- M’estuet dire les contenances,
- Et les façons et les semblances.
- Li Diex d’Amors se fu bien pris
- A une dame de haut pris,
- Et delez lui iert ajoustés:
- Icele dame ot non Biautés,
- Ainsinc cum une des cinq fleches.
- En li ot maintes bonnes teches:
- El ne fu oscure, ne brune,
- Ains fu clere comme la lune,1000
- Envers qui les autres estoiles
- Resemblent petites chandoiles.
- Tendre ot la char comme rousée,
- Simple fu cum une espousée,
- Et blanche comme flor de lis;
- Si ot le vis cler et alis,
- Et fu greslete et alignie;
- Ne fu fardée ne guignie:
- Car el n’avoit mie mestier
- De soi tifer ne d’afetier.1010
- Les cheveus ot blons et si lons
- Qu’il li batoient as talons;
- Nez ot bien fait, et yelx et bouche.
- Moult grant douçor au cuer me touche,
- Si m’aïst Diex, quant il me membre
- De la façon de chascun membre
- Qu’il n’ot si bele fame où monde.
- Briément el fu jonete et blonde,
- Sade, plaisant, aperte et cointe,
- Grassete et grele, gente et jointe.1020
-
- Près de Biauté se tint Richece,
- Une dame de grant hautece,
- De grant pris et de grant affaire.
- Qui à li ne as siens meffaire
- Osast riens par fais, ou par dis,
- Il fust moult fiers et moult hardis;
- Qu’ele puet moult nuire et aidier.
- Ce n’est mie ne d’ui ne d’ier
- Que riches gens ont grant poissance
- De faire ou aïde, ou grévance.1030
- Tuit li greignor et li menor
- Portoient à Richece honor:
- Tuit baoient à li servir,
- Por l’amor de li deservir;
- Chascuns sa dame la clamoit,
- Car tous li mondes la cremoit;
- Tous li mons iert en son dangier.
- En sa cort ot maint losengier,
- Maint traïtor, maint envieus:
- Ce sunt cil qui sunt curieus1040
- De desprisier et de blasmer
- Tous ceus qui font miex à amer.
- Par devant, por eus losengier,
- Loent les gens li losengier;
- Tout le monde par parole oignent,
- Mès lor losenges les gens poignent
- Par derriere dusques as os,
- Qu’il abaissent des bons les los,
- Et desloent les aloés,
- Et si loent les desloés,1050
- Maint prodommes ont encusés,
- Et de lor honnor reculés
- Li losengier par lor losenges;
- Car il font ceus des cors estranges
- Qui déussent estre privés:
- Mal puissent-il estre arivés
- Icil losengier plain d’envie!
- Car nus prodons n’aime lor vie.
-
- Richece ot une porpre robe,
- Ice ne tenés mie à lobe,1060
- Que je vous di bien et afiche
- Qu’il n’ot si bele, ne si riche
- Où monde, ne si envoisie.
- La porpre fu toute orfroisie;
- Si ot portraites à orfrois
- Estoires de dus et de rois.
- Si estoit au col bien orlée
- D’une bende d’or néélée
- Moult richement, sachiés sans faille.
- Si i avoit tretout à taille1070
- De riches pierres grant plenté
- Qui moult rendoient grant clarté.
-
- Richece ot ung moult riche ceint
- Par desus cele porpre ceint;
- La boucle d’une pierre fu
- Qui ot grant force et grant vertu:
- Car cis qui sor soi la portoit,
- Nes uns venins ne redotoit:
- Nus nel pooit envenimer,
- Moult faisoit la pierre à aimer.1080
- Ele vausist à ung prodomme
- Miex que trestous li ors de Romme.
- D’une pierre fu li mordens,
- Qui garissoit du mal des dens;
- Et si avoit ung tel éur,
- Que cis pooit estre asséur
- Tretous les jors de sa véue,
- Qui à géun l’avoit véue.
- Li clou furent d’or esmeré,
- Qui erent el tissu doré;1090
- Si estoient gros et pesant,
- En chascun ot bien ung besant.
-
- Richece ot sus ses treces sores
- Ung cercle d’or; onques encores
- Ne fu si biaus véus, ce cuit,
- Car il fu tout d’or fin recuit;
- Mès cis seroit bons devisierres
- Qui vous sauroit toutes les pierres,
- Qui i estoient, devisier,
- Car l’en ne porroit pas prisier1100
- L’avoir que les pierres valoient,
- Qui en l’or assises estoient.
- Rubis i ot, saphirs, jagonces,
- Esmeraudes plus de dix onces.
- Mais devant ot, par grant mestrise,
- Une escharboucle où cercle assise,
- Et la pierre si clere estoit,
- Que maintenant qu’il anuitoit,
- L’en s’en véist bien au besoing
- Conduire d’une liue loing.1110
- Tel clarté de la pierre yssoit,
- Que Richece en resplendissoit
- Durement le vis et la face,
- Et entor li toute la place.
-
- Richece tint parmi la main
- Ung valet de grant biauté plain,
- Qui fu ses amis veritiez.
- C’est uns hons qui en biaus ostiez
- Maintenir moult se délitoit.
- Cis se chauçoit bien et vestoit,1120
- Si avoit les chevaus de pris;
- Cis cuidast bien estre repris
- Ou de murtre, ou de larrecin,
- S’en s’estable éust ung roucin.
- Por ce amoit-il moult l’acointance
- De Richece et la bien-voillance,
- Qu’il avoit tous jors en porpens
- De demener les grans despens,
- Et el les pooit bien soffrir,
- Et tous ses despens maintenir;1130
- El li donnoit autant deniers
- Cum s’el les puisast en greniers.
-
- Après refu Largece assise,
- Qui fu bien duite et bien aprise
- De faire honor, et de despendre:
- El fu du linage Alexandre;
- Si n’avoit-el joie de rien
- Cum quant el pooit dire, ‘tien.’
- Neis Avarice la chétive
- N’ert pas si à prendre ententive1140
- Cum Largece ere de donner;
- Et Diex li fesoit foisonner
- Ses biens si qu’ele ne savoit
- Tant donner, cum el plus avoit.
- Moult a Largece pris et los;
- Ele a les sages et les fos
- Outréement à son bandon,
- Car ele savoit fere biau don;
- S’ainsinc fust qu’aucuns la haïst,
- Si cuit-ge que de ceus féist1150
- Ses amis par son biau servise;
- Et por ce ot-ele à devise
- L’amor des povres et des riches.
- Moult est fos haus homs qui est chiches!
- Haus homs ne puet avoir nul vice,
- Qui tant li griet cum avarice:
- Car hons avers ne puet conquerre
- Ne seignorie ne grant terre;
- Car il n’a pas d’amis plenté,
- Dont il face sa volenté.1160
- Mès qui amis vodra avoir
- Si n’ait mie chier son avoir,
- Ains par biaus dons amis acquiere:
- Car tout en autretel maniere
- Cum la pierre de l’aïment
- Trait à soi le fer soutilment,
- Ainsinc atrait les cuers des gens
- Li ors qu’en donne et li argens.
-
- Largece ot robe toute fresche
- D’une porpre Sarrazinesche;1170
- S’ot le vis bel et bien formé;
- Mès el ot son col deffermé,
- Qu’el avoit iluec en présent
- A une dame fet présent,
- N’avoit gueres, de son fermal,
- Et ce ne li séoit pas mal,
- Que sa cheveçaille iert overte,
- Et sa gorge si descoverte,
- Que parmi outre la chemise
- Li blanchoioit sa char alise.1180
- Largece la vaillant, la sage,
- Tint ung chevalier du linage
- Au bon roy Artus de Bretaigne;
- Ce fu cil qui porta l’enseigne
- De Valor et le gonfanon.
- Encor est-il de tel renom,
- Que l’en conte de li les contes
- Et devant rois et devant contes.
- Cil chevalier novelement
- Fu venus d’ung tornoiement,1190
- Où il ot faite por s’amie
- Mainte jouste et mainte envaïe,
- Et percié maint escu bouclé,
- Maint hiaume i avoit desserclé,
- Et maint chevalier abatu,
- Et pris par force et par vertu.
-
- Après tous ceus se tint Franchise,
- Qui ne fu ne brune ne bise,
- Ains ere blanche comme nois;
- Et si n’ot pas nés d’Orlenois,1200
- Ainçois l’avoit lonc et traitis,
- Iex vairs rians, sorcis votis:
- S’ot les chevous et blons, et lons,
- Et fu simple comme uns coulons.
- Le cuer ot dous et debonnaire:
- Ele n’osast dire ne faire
- A nuli riens qu’el ne déust;
- Et s’ele ung homme cognéust
- Qui fust destrois por s’amitié,
- Tantost éust de li pitié,1210
- Qu’ele ot le cuer si pitéable,
- Et si dous et si amiable,
- Que se nus por li mal traisist,
- S’el ne li aidast, el crainsist
- Qu’el féïst trop grant vilonnie.
- Vestue ot une sorquanie,
- Qui ne fu mie de borras:
- N’ot si bele jusqu’à Arras;
- Car el fu si coillie et jointe,
- Qu’il n’i ot une seule pointe1220
- Qui à son droit ne fust assise.
- Moult fu bien vestue Franchise;
- Car nule robe n’est si bele
- Que sorquanie à damoisele.
- Fame est plus cointe et plus mignote
- En sorquanie que en cote:
- La sorquanie qui fu blanche,
- Senefioit que douce et franche
- Estoit cele qui la vestoit.
- Uns bachelers jones s’estoit1230
- Pris à Franchise lez à lez,
- Ne soi comment ert apelé,
- Mès biaus estoit, se il fust ores
- Fiex au seignor de Gundesores.
-
- Après se tenoit Courtoisie,
- Qui moult estoit de tous prisie,
- Si n’ere orguilleuse ne fole.
- C’est cele qui à la karole
- La soe merci m’apela
- Ains que nule, quant je vins là.1240
- El ne fu ne nice, n’umbrage,
- Mès sages auques sans outrage,
- De biaus respons et de biaus dis,
- Onc nus ne fu par li laidis,
- Ne ne porta nului rancune.
- El fu clere comme la lune
- Est avers les autres estoiles
- Qui ne resemblent que chandoiles.
- Faitisse estoit et avenant,
- Je ne sai fame plus plaisant.1250
- Ele ere entoutes cors bien digne
- D’estre emperieris, ou roïne.
-
- A li se tint uns chevaliers
- Acointables et biaus parliers,
- Qui sot bien faire honor as gens.
- Li chevaliers fu biaus et gens,
- Et as armes bien acesmés,
- Et de s’amie bien amés.
-
- La bele Oiseuse vint après,
- Qui se tint de moi assés près.1260
- De cele vous ai dit sans faille
- Toute la façon et la taille;
- Jà plus ne vous en iert conté,
- Car c’est cele qui la bonté
- Me fist si grant qu’ele m’ovri
- Le guichet del vergier flori.
-
- Après se tint mien esciant,
- Jonesce, au vis cler et luisant,
- Qui n’avoit encores passés,
- Si cum je cuit, douze ans d’assés.1270
- Nicete fu, si ne pensoit
- Nul mal, ne nul engin qui soit;
- Mès moult iert envoisie et gaie,
- Car jone chose ne s’esmaie
- Fors de joer, bien le savés.
- Ses amis iert de li privés
- En tel guise, qu’il la besoit
- Toutes les fois que li plesoit,
- Voians tous ceus de la karole:
- Car qui d’aus deus tenist parole,1280
- Il n’en fussent jà vergondeus,
- Ains les véissiés entre aus deus
- Baisier comme deus columbiaus.
- Le valés fu jones et biaus,
- Si estoit bien d’autel aage
- Cum s’amie, et d’autel corage.
-
- Ainsi karoloient ilecques,
- Ceste gens, et autres avecques,
- Qui estoient de lor mesnies,
- Franches gens et bien enseignies,1290
- Et gens de bel afetement
- Estoient tuit communément.
-
- Quant j’oi véues les semblances
- De ceus qui menoient les dances,
- J’oi lors talent que le vergier
- Alasse véoir et cerchier,
- Et remirer ces biaus moriers,
- Ces pins, ces codres, ces loriers.
- Les karoles jà remanoient,
- Car tuit li plusors s’en aloient1300
- O lor amies umbroier
- Sous ces arbres por dosnoier.
-
- Diex, cum menoient bonne vie!
- Fox est qui n’a de tel envie;
- Qui autel vie avoir porroit,
- De mieudre bien se sofferroit,
- Qu’il n’est nul greignor paradis
- Qu’avoir amie à son devis.
-
- D’ilecques me parti atant,
- Si m’en alai seus esbatant1310
- Par le vergier de çà en là;
- Et li Diex d’Amors apela
- Tretout maintenant Dous-Regart:
- N’a or plus cure qu’il li gart
- Son arc: donques sans plus atendre
- L’arc li a commandé à tendre,
- Et cis gaires n’i atendi,
- Tout maintenant l’arc li tendi,
- Si li bailla et cinq sajetes
- Fors et poissans, d’aler loing prestes.1320
- Li Diex d’Amors tantost de loing
- Me prist à suivir, l’arc où poing.
- Or me gart Diex de mortel plaie!
- Se il fait tant que à moi traie,
- Il me grevera moult forment.
- Je qui de ce ne soi noient,
- Vois par la vergier à délivre,
- Et cil pensa bien de moi sivre;
- Mès en nul leu ne m’arresté,
- Devant que j’oi par tout esté.1330
-
- Li vergiers par compasséure
- Si fu de droite quarréure,
- S’ot de lonc autant cum de large;
- Nus arbres qui soit qui fruit charge,
- Se n’est aucuns arbres hideus,
- Dont il n’i ait ou ung, ou deus
- Où vergier, ou plus, s’il avient.
- Pomiers i ot, bien m’en sovient,
- Qui chargoient pomes grenades,
- C’est uns fruis moult bons à malades;1340
- De noiers i ot grant foison,
- Qui chargoient en la saison
- Itel fruit cum sunt nois mugades,
- Qui ne sunt ameres, ne fades;
- Alemandiers y ot planté,
- Et si ot où v
FRAGMENT B.
-
- Whan I had smelled the savour swote,
- No wille hadde I fro thens yit go,
- But somdel neer it wente I tho,
- To take it; but myn hond, for drede,
- Ne dorste I to the rose bede,1710
- For sharpe, of many maneres,
- Netles, thornes, and hoked breres;
- muche they distourbled me,[ ]
- For sore I dradde to harmed be.
-
- The God of Love, with bowe bent,1715
- That al day set hadde his talent
- To pursuen and to spyen me,
- Was stonding by a fige-tree.
- And whan he sawe how that I
- Had chosen so ententifly1720
- The , more unto my pay[ ]
- Than any other that I say,
- He took an arowe ful sharply whet,
- And in his bowe whan it was set,
- He streight up to his ere drough1725
- The stronge bowe, that was so tough,
- And at me so wonder smerte,
- That through unto myn herte
- The takel smoot, and depe it wente.
- And ther-with-al such cold me hente,1730
- That, under clothes warme and softe,
- that day I have chevered ofte.
-
- Whan I was hurt thus in stounde,
- I fel doun plat unto the grounde.
- Myn herte failed and feynted ay,1735
- And long tyme a-swone I .
- But whan I com out of swoning,
- And hadde wit, and my feling,
- I was al maat, and wende ful wel
- Of blood have loren a ful gret del.1740
- But certes, the arowe that in me stood
- Of me ne drew no drope of blood,
- For-why I found my wounde al .
- Than took I with myn hondis tweye
- The arowe, and ful fast out it plight,1745
- And in the pulling sore I sight.
- So at the last the shaft of tree
- I drough out, with the fethers three.
- But the hoked heed, y-wis,
- The Beautee callid is,1750
- Gan so depe in myn herte passe,
- That I it mighte nought arace;
- But in myn herte stille it stood,
- Al bledde I not a drope of blood.
- I was bothe anguissous and trouble1755
- For the peril that I saw double;
- I niste what to seye or ,
-
- Ne gete a leche my woundis to;
- For neithir thurgh gras ne rote,
- Ne hadde I help of hope ne bote.1760
- But to the ever-mo
- Myn herte drew; for al my wo,
- My thought was in non other thing.
- For hadde it been in my keping,
- It wolde have brought my lyf agayn.1765
- For , I dar wel seyn,
- The sight only, and the savour,
- Alegged muche of my langour.
-
- Than gan I for to drawe me
- Toward the botoun fair to see;1770
- And Love hadde gete him, in throwe,
- Another arowe into his bowe,
- And for to shete gan him dresse;
- The arowis name was Simplesse.
- And whan that Love gan nyghe me nere,1775
- He drow it up, withouten were,[ ]
- And shet at me with al his might,
- So that this arowe anon-right
- Thourghout eigh, as it was founde,
- Into myn herte hath maad a wounde.1780
- Thanne I anoon dide al my crafte
- For to drawen out the shafte,
- And ther-with-al I sighed eft.
- But in myn herte the heed was left,
- Which ay encresid my desyre,1785
- Unto the drawe nere;
- And ever, mo that me was wo,
- The more desyr hadde I to go
- Unto the roser, where that grew
- The fresshe botoun so bright of hewe.1790
- Betir me have leten be;
- But it bihoved nedes me
- To don right as myn herte bad.
- For ever the body must be lad
- Aftir the herte; in wele and wo,1795
- Of force togidre they must go.
- But never this archer wolde
- To shete at me with alle his ,
- And for to make me to him mete.
-
- The thridde arowe he gan to shete,1800
- Whan best his tyme he mighte espye,
- The which was named Curtesye;
- Into myn herte it dide avale.
- A-swone I fel, bothe deed and pale;
- Long tyme I lay, and stired nought,1805
- Til I abraid out my thought.
- And faste than I avysed me
- To out the shafte of tree;
- But ever the heed was left bihinde
- For ought I couthe pulle or winde.1810
- So sore it whan I was hit,
- That by no craft I might it flit;
- But anguissous and ful of thought,
- I such wo, my wounde ay wrought,
- That somoned me alway to go1815
- Toward the rose, that plesed me so;
- But I ne durste in no manere,
- Bicause the archer was so nere.
- For evermore gladly, as I rede,
- Brent child of fyr hath muche drede.[ ]1820
- And, certis yit, for al my peyne,
- Though that I sigh yit arwis reyne,
- And grounde quarels sharpe of stele,
- Ne for no payne that I might fele,
- Yit might I not my-silf withholde1825
- The faire roser to biholde;
- For Love me yaf sich hardement
- For to fulfille his comaundement.
- Upon my feet I roos up than
- Feble, as a forwoundid man;1830
- And forth to gon [my] might I sette,
- And for the archer nolde I lette.
- Toward the roser fast I drow;
- But thornes sharpe mo than y-now
- Ther were, and also thistels thikke,1835
- And breres, brimme for to prikke,
- That I ne mighte gete grace
- The rowe thornes for to passe,
- To sene the roses fresshe of hewe.
- I must abide, though it me rewe,1840
- The hegge aboute so thikke was,
- That closid the roses in compas.
-
- But o thing lyked me right wele;
- I was so nygh, I mighte fele
- Of the the swote odour,1845
- And also see the fresshe colour;
- And that right gretly lyked me,
- That I so neer it see.
- Sich Ioye anoon therof hadde I,
- That I forgat my malady.1850
- To [it] hadde I sich delyt,
- Of sorwe and angre I was al quit,
- And of my woundes that I had ;[ ]
- For no-thing lyken me might
- Than dwellen by the roser ay,1855
- And never to passe away.
-
- But whan a whyle I had be ,
- The God of Love, which al to-shar
- Myn herte with his arwis kene,
- him to yeve me woundis grene.1860
- He shet at me ful hastily
- An arwe named Company,
- The takel is ful able
- To make these ladies merciable.
- Than I anoon gan chaungen hewe1865
- For grevaunce of my wounde newe,
- That I agayn fel in swoning,
- And sighed sore in compleyning.
- Sore I compleyned that my sore
- On me gan greven more and more.1870
- I had non hope of allegeaunce;[ ]
- So nigh I drow to desperaunce,
- I rought of ne of lyf,
- that love wolde me dryf.
- If me a martir wolde he make,1875
- I might his power nought forsake.
- And whyl for anger thus I wook,
- The God of Love an arowe took;
- Ful sharp it was and pugnaunt,
- And it was callid Fair-Semblaunt,1880
- The which in no wys wol consente,
- That any lover him repente
- To serve his love with herte and alle,
- For any peril that may bifalle.
- But though this arwe was kene grounde1885
- As any rasour that is founde,
- To cutte and kerve, at the poynt,
- The God of Love it hadde anoynt
- With a precious oynement,
- Somdel to yeve aleggement1890
- Upon the woundes that he had
- Through the body in my herte ,
- To helpe hir sores, and to cure,
- And that they may the bet endure.
- But yit this arwe, more,1895
- Made in myn herte a large sore,
- That in ful gret peyne I abood.
- But ay the oynement wente abrood;
- Throughout my woundes large and wyde
- It spredde aboute in every syde;1900
- Through whos vertu and whos might
- Myn herte Ioyful was and light.
- I had ben deed and al to-shent
- But for the precious oynement.
- The shaft I drow out of the arwe,1905
- Roking for wo right wondir narwe;[ ]
- But the heed, which made me smerte,
- Lefte bihinde in myn herte
- With other foure, I dar wel say,[ ]
- That never wol be take away;1910
- But the oynement halp me wele.
- And yit sich sorwe dide I fele,
-
- That al-day I chaunged hewe,
- Of my woundes fresshe and newe,
- As men might see in my visage.1915
- The arwis were so fulle of rage,
- So variaunt of diversitee,
- That men in everich mighte see
- Bothe gret anoy and eek swetnesse,
- And Ioye meynt with bittirnesse.1920
- Now were they esy, now were they wood,
- In I felte bothe harm and good;
- Now sore without aleggement,
- Now with oynement;
- It here, and there,1925
- Thus ese and anger togider were.
-
- The God of Love deliverly
- Com lepand to me hastily,
- And seide to me, in gret ,
- ‘Yeld thee, for thou may not escape!1930
- May no defence availe thee here;
- Therfore I rede mak no daungere.
- If thou wolt yelde thee ,
- Thou shalt rather have mercy.
- He is a fool in sikernesse,1935
- That with daunger or stoutnesse
- Rebellith ther that he shulde plese;
- In such folye is litel ese.
- Be meek, wher thou must nedis bowe;
- To stryve ageyn is nought thy prowe.1940
- Come at ones, and have y-do,
- For I wol that it be so.
- Than yeld thee here debonairly.’
- And I answerid ful humbly,
- ‘Gladly, sir; at your bidding,1945
- I wol me yelde in thing.
- To your servyse I wol me take;
- For god defende that I shulde make
- Ageyn your bidding resistence;
- I wol not doon so gret offence;1950
- For if I dide, it were no skile.
- Ye may do with me what ye wile,
- Save or spille, and also sloo;
- Fro you in no wyse may I go.
- My lyf, my deth, is in your honde,1955
- I may not laste out of your bonde.
- Pleyn at your list I yelde me,
- Hoping in herte, that sumtyme ye
- Comfort and ese shulle me sende;
- Or ellis shortly, this is the ende,1960
- Withouten helthe I moot ay dure,
- Bu -if ye take me to your cure.[ ]
- Comfort or helthe how shuld I have,
- Sith ye me hurte, but ye me save?
- The helthe of moot be founde1965
- Wher-as they token firste hir wounde.
- And if ye list of me to make
- Your prisoner, I wol it take
- Of herte and wil, fully at gree.
- Hoolly and pleyn I yelde me,1970
- feyning or feyntyse,
- To be governed by your empryse.
- Of you I here so much prys,
- I wol ben hool at your devys
- For to fulfille your lyking1975
- And repente for no-thing,
- Hoping to have yit in som tyde
- Mercy, of that [that] I abyde.’
- And with that covenaunt yeld I me,
- Anoon doun kneling upon my knee,1980
- Profering for to kisse his feet;
- But for no-thing he wolde lete,
- And seide, ‘I love thee bothe and preyse,
- that thyn answer doth me ese,
- For thou answerid so curteisly.1985
- For now I wot wel uttirly,
- That thou art gentil, by thy speche.
- For though a man fer wolde seche,
- He shulde not finden, in certeyn,
- No sich answer of no vileyn;1990
- For sich a word ne mighte nought
- Isse out of a vilayns thought.
- Thou shalt not lesen of thy speche,
- For thy helping wol I eche,
- And eek encresen that I may.1995
- But first I wol that thou obay
- Fully, for thyn avauntage,
- Anon to do me here homage.
- And kisse thou shalt my mouth,[ ]
- Which to no vilayn was never couth2000
- For to aproche it, ne for to touche;
- For sauf cherlis I ne vouche[ ]
- That they shulle never neigh it nere.
- For curteys, and of fair manere,
- Wel taught, and ful of gentilnesse2005
- He ben, that shal me ,
- And also of ful high fraunchyse,
- That shal atteyne to that empryse.
-
- And first of o thing warne I thee,
- That peyne and gret adversitee2010
- He mot endure, and eek travaile,
- That shal me serve, faile.
- But ther-ageyns, thee to comforte,
- And with thy servise to desporte,
- Thou mayst ful glad and Ioyful be2015
- So good a maister to have as me,
- And lord of so high renoun.[ ]
- I bere of Love the ,
- Of Curtesye the banere;
- For I am of the silf manere,2020
- Gentil, curteys, meek and free;
- That who ever ententif be
- Me to honoure, doute, and serve,
- And also that he him observe
- Fro trespas and fro vilanye,2025
- And him governe in curtesye
- With wil and with entencioun;
- For whan he first in my prisoun
- Is caught, than muste he uttirly,
- Fro ful bisily,2030
- Caste him gentil for to be,
- If he desyre helpe of me.’
-
- Anoon more delay,
- Withouten daunger or affray,
- I bicom his man anoon,2035
- And gave him thankes many a oon,
- And kneled doun with hondis Ioynt,[ ]
- And made it in my port ful ;
- The Ioye wente to myn herte rote.
- Whan I had kissed his mouth so swote,2040
- I had sich mirthe and sich lyking,
- It cured me of languisshing.
- He askid of me than hostages:—
- ‘I have,’ he seide, ‘ fele homages[ ]
- Of oon and other, where I have been2045
- ofte, withouten wene.[ ]
- These felouns, fulle of falsitee,
- Have many sythes bigyled me,
- And falshede hir lust acheved,
- Wherof I repente and am agreved.2050
- And I hem gete in my daungere,[ ]
- Hir falshed shulle they bye ful dere.
- But for I love thee, I seye thee pleyn,
- I wol of thee be more certeyn;
- For thee so sore I wol now binde,2055
- That thou away ne shalt not winde
- For to denyen the covenaunt,
- Or doon that is not avenaunt.
- That thou were fals it were gret reuthe,
- Sith thou semest so ful of treuthe.’2060
-
- ‘Sire, if thee list to undirstande,
- I merveile thee asking this demande.
- For-why or wherfore shulde ye[ ]
- Ostages or borwis aske of me,
- Or any other sikirnesse,2065
- Sith ye , in sothfastnesse,
- That ye have me so,
- And hool myn herte me fro,
- That it wol do for me no-thing
- But-if it be at your bidding?2070
- Myn herte is yours, and myn right nought,
- As it bihoveth, in dede and thought,
- Redy in alle to worche your wille,
- Whether so turne to good or ille.
- So sore it lustith you to plese,2075
- No man therof may you .[ ]
- Ye have theron set sich Iustise,
- That it is werreyd in many wise.
- And if ye doute it nolde obeye,
- Ye may therof do make a keye,2080
- And holde it with you for ostage.’
- ‘Now certis, this is noon outrage,’
- Quoth Love, ‘and fully I accord;
- For of the body he is ful lord
- That hath the herte in his ;2085
- Outrage it were to asken more.’
-
- Than of his he drough[ ]
- A litel keye, fetys y-nough,
- Which was of gold polisshed clere,
- And seide to me, ‘With this keye here2090
- Thyn herte to me now wol I shette;
- For al my Iowellis loke and knette[ ]
- I binde under this litel keye,
- That no wight may carye aweye;
- This keye is ful of gret poeste.’2095
- With which anoon he touchid me
- Undir the syde ful softely,
- That he myn herte sodeynly
- Without anoy had spered,[ ]
- That yit right nought it hath me dered.2100
- Whan he had doon his wil al-out,
- And I had put him out of dout,
- ‘Sire,’ I seide, ‘I have right gret wille
- Your lust and plesaunce to fulfille.
- Loke ye my servise take gree,2105
- By thilke feith ye owe to me.
- I seye nought for recreaundyse,
- For I nought doute of your servyse.
- the servaunt traveileth in vayne,
- That for to serven doth his payne2110
- Unto that lord, which in no wyse
- Can him no thank for his servyse.’
-
- Love seide, ‘Dismaye thee nought,
- Sin thou for sucour hast me sought,
- In thank thy servise wol I take,2115
- And high of I wol thee make,
- If wikkidnesse ne hindre thee;
- But, as I hope, it shal nought be.
- To worship no wight by aventure
- May come, but-if he peyne endure.2120
- Abyde and suffre thy distresse;
- That hurtith now, it shal be lesse;
- I wot my-silf what may thee save,
- What medicyne thou woldist have.
- And if thy trouthe to me thou kepe,2125
- I shal unto thyn helping eke,
- To cure thy woundes and make hem clene,
- Wher-so they be olde or grene;
- Thou shalt be holpen, at wordisfewe.
- For certeynly thou shalt wel shewe2130
- Wher that thou servest with good wille,
- For to and fulfille
- My comaundementis, day and night,
- Whiche I to lovers yeve of right.’
-
- ‘Ah, sire, for goddis love,’ seide I,2135
- ‘Er ye passe hens, ententifly
- Your comaundementis to me ye say,
- And I shal kepe hem, if I may;
- For hem to kepen is al my thought.
- And if so be I wot hem nought,2140
- Than may I unwitingly.[ ]
- Wherfore I pray you ,
- With al myn herte, me to lere,
- That I trespasse in no manere.’
-
- The god of love than chargid me2145
- Anoon, as ye shal here and see,
- Word by word, by right empryse,
- So as the Romance shal devyse.
-
- The maister lesith his tyme to lere,
- the disciple wol not here.2150
- It is but veyn on him to swinke,
- That on his lerning wol not thinke.
- Who-so lust love, let him entende,
- For now the Romance .[ ]
- Now is good to here, in fay,2155
- If any be that can it say,
- And poynte it as the resoun is
- Set; for other-gate, y-wis,
- It shal nought wel in alle thing
- Be brought to good undirstonding:2160
- For a reder that poyntith ille[ ]
- A good sentence may ofte spille.
- The book is good at the ending,
- Maad of newe and lusty thing;
- For who-so wol the ending here,2165
- The crafte of love he shal now lere,
- If that wol so long abyde,
- Til I this Romance may unhyde,
- And undo the signifiaunce
- Of this dreme into Romaunce.[ ]2170
- The sothfastnesse that now is hid,
- Without coverture shal be kid,
- Whan I undon have this dreming,
- Wherin no word is of lesing.
-
- ‘Vilany, at the biginning,2175
- I wol,’ Love, ‘over alle thing,
- Thou leve, if thou wolt [not] be
- Fals, and trespasse me.
- I curse and blame generally
- Alle hem that loven vilany;2180
- For vilany makith vilayn,
- And by his dedis a cherle is seyn.
- Thise vilayns arn pitee,
- Frendshipe, love, and al bounte.
- I nil my servyse2185
- Hem that ben vilayns of empryse.
-
- ‘But undirstonde in thyn entent,
- That this is not myn entendement,
- To clepe no wight in no ages
- Only gentil for his linages.[ ]2190
- But who-so is vertuous,
- And in his port nought outrageous,
- Whan sich oon thou seest thee biforn,
- Though he be not gentil born,
- Thou mayst wel seyn, this is soth,2195
- That he is gentil, bicause he doth
- As longeth to a gentilman;
- Of hem non other deme I can.
- For certeynly, withouten drede,
- A cherl is demed by his dede,2200
- Of hye or lowe, as ye may see,
- Or of what kinrede that he be.
- Ne say nought, for noon yvel wille,[ ]
- Thing that is to holden stille;
- It is no worship to misseye.2205
- Thou mayst ensample take of Keye,[ ]
- That was somtyme, for misseying,
- Hated bothe of olde and ;
- As fer as Gaweyn, the worthy,
- Was preysed for his curtesy,2210
- Keye was hated, for he was fel,
- Of word dispitous and cruel.
- Wherfore be wyse and aqueyntable,
- Goodly of word, and resonable
- Bothe to lesse and eek to .2215
- And whan thou comest ther men ar,
- Loke that thou have in custom ay
- First to salue , if thou may:
- And if it falle, that of hem
- Salue thee first, be not ,2220
- But quyte him curteisly anoon
- Without abiding, er they goon.
-
- ‘For no-thing eek thy tunge applye
- To speke wordis of .
- To vilayn speche in no degree2225
- Lat never thy lippe unbounden be.
- For I nought holde him, in good feith,
- Curteys, that foule wordis seith.
- And alle wimmen serve and preyse,
- And to thy power hir honour reyse.2230
- And if that any missayere
- Dispyse wimmen, that thou mayst here,
- Blame him, and bidde him holde him stille.
- And thy might and al thy wille
- Wimmen and ladies for to plese,2235
- And to do thing that may hem ese,
- That they ever speke good of thee,
- For so thou mayst best preysed be.
-
- ‘Loke fro pryde thou kepe thee wele;
- For thou mayst bothe perceyve and fele,2240
- That pryde is bothe foly and sinne;
- And he that pryde hath, him withinne,
- Ne may his herte, in no wyse,
- Meken ne souplen to servyse.
- For pryde is founde, in every part,2245
- Contrarie unto Loves art.
- And he that loveth
- Shulde him contene Iolily,
- pryde in sondry wyse,
- And him disgysen in queyntyse.2250
- For queynt array, drede,
- Is no-thing proud, who takith hede;
- For fresh array, as men may see,
- pryde may ofte be.
-
- ‘Mayntene thy-silf aftir thy rent,2255
- Of robe and eek of garnement;
- For many sythe fair clothing
- A man amendith in mich thing.
- And loke alwey that they be shape,
- What garnement that thou shalt make.2260
- Of him that can beste do,
- With al that perteyneth therto.
- Poyntis and sleves be wel sittand,
- Right and the hand.
- Of shoon and botes, newe and faire,2265
- Loke at the leest thou have a paire;
- And that they sitte so fetisly,
- That these may uttirly
- Merveyle, sith that they sitte so pleyn,
- How they come on or of ageyn.2270
- Were gloves, with [ ]
- Of silk; and alwey with good chere
- Thou yeve, if thou have richesse;
- And if thou have nought, spend the lesse.
- Alwey be mery, if thou may,2275
- But waste not thy good alway.
- Have hat of floures fresh as May,
- Chapelet of roses of ;[ ]
- For sich array ne but lyte.[ ]
- Thyn hondis wasshe, thy teeth make whyte,[ ]2280
- And let no filthe upon thee be.
- Thy nailes blak if thou mayst see,
- Voide it awey deliverly,
- And kembe thyn heed right Iolily.
- not thy visage in no wyse,[ ]2285
- For that of love is not thempryse;
- For love doth haten, as I finde,
- A beaute that cometh not of kinde.
- Alwey in herte I rede thee
- Glad and mery for to be,2290
- And be as Ioyful as thou can;
- Love hath no Ioye of sorowful man.
- That yvel is ful of curtesye
- That in his maladye;[ ]
- For ever of love the siknesse2295
- Is meynd with swete and bitternesse.[ ]
- The sore of love is merveilous;
- For now the lover [is] Ioyous,
- Now can he pleyne, now can he grone,
- Now can he singen, now maken mone.2300
- To-day he pleyneth for hevinesse,[ ]
- To-morowe he pleyeth for .
- The lyf of love is ful contrarie,
- Which stoundemele can ofte varie.
- But if thou canst mirthis make,2305
- That men in gree wole gladly take,
- Do it goodly, I comaunde thee;
- For men sholde, wher-so-ever they be,
- Do thing that hem sitting is,[ ]
- For therof cometh good loos and pris.2310
- Wher-of that thou be vertuous,
- Ne be not straunge ne daungerous.
- For if that thou good rider be,
- Prike gladly, that men may se.
- In armes also if thou conne,2315
- Pursue, thou a name hast wonne.
- And if thy voice be fair and clere,
- Thou shalt maken gret daungere[ ]
- Whan to singe they goodly preye;
- It is thy worship for to obeye.2320
- Also to you it longith ay
- To harpe and giterne, daunce and play;
- For if he can wel foote and daunce,
- It may him greetly do avaunce.
- Among eek, for thy lady sake,2325
- Songes and complayntes that thou make;
- For that wol [hem] in hir herte,[ ]
- Whan they reden of thy smerte.
- Loke that no man for scarce thee holde,
- For that may greve thee manyfolde.2330
- Resoun wol that a lover be
- In his yiftes more large and free
- Than cherles that been not of loving.
- For who ther-of can any thing,
- He shal be leef ay for to yeve,2335
- In lore who so wolde leve;[ ]
- For he that, through a sodeyn sight,
- Or for a kissing, anon-right
- Yaf hool his herte in wille and thought,
- And to him-silf kepith right nought,2340
- Aftir , good resoun,[ ]
- He yeve his good in abandoun.
-
- ‘Now wol I shortly here reherce,
- Of that I have seid in verse,
- Al the sentence by and by,2345
- In wordis fewe compendiously,
- That thou the mayst on hem thinke,
- Whether-so it be thou wake or winke;
- For [that] the wordis litel greve
- A man to kepe, whanne it is breve.2350
-
- ‘Who-so with Love wol goon or ryde
- He mot be curteys, and void of pryde,
- Mery and fulle of Iolite,
- And of largesse alosed be.[ ]
-
- ‘First I Ioyne thee, in penaunce,2355
- That ever, withoute repentaunce,
- Thou set thy thought in thy loving,
- To laste withoute repenting;
- And thenke upon thy mirthis swete,
- That shal folowe aftir whan ye mete.2360
-
- ‘And for thou trewe to love shalt be,
- I wol, and comaunde thee,
- That in oo place thou sette, al hool,
- Thyn herte, withouten halfen dool,
- For trecherie, sikernesse;[ ]2365
- For I lovede never doublenesse.
- To many his herte that wol ,
- Everiche shal have but litel .
- But of him drede I me right nought,
- That in oo place settith his thought.2370
- Therefore in oo place it ,
- And lat it never thennes .
- For if thou yevest it in lening,
- I holde it but a wrecchid thing:
- Therefore yeve it hool and quyte,2375
- And thou shalt have the more merite.
- If it be lent, than aftir soon,
- The bountee and the thank is doon;
- But, in love, free yeven thing
- Requyrith a gret guerdoning.2380
- Yeve it in yift al quit fully,
- And make thy yift debonairly;
- For men that yift holde more dere
- That yeven with gladsome chere.
- That yift nought to preisen is2385
- That man yeveth, maugre his.[ ]
- Whan thou hast yeven thyn herte, as I
- Have seid thee here openly,
- Than aventures shulle thee falle,
- Which harde and hevy been withalle.2390
- For ofte whan thou bithenkist thee
- Of thy loving, wher-so thou be,
- Fro folk thou must depart in hy,
- That noon perceyve thy malady,
-
2395-2442. Not inG.; fromTh.
- But hyde thyn harm thou must alone,2395
- And go forth sole, and make thy mone.
- Thou shalt no whyl be in oo stat,
- But whylom cold and whylom hat;
- Now reed as rose, now yelowe and fade.
- Such sorowe, I trowe, thou never hade;2400
- Cotidien, ne quarteyne,
- It is nat so ful of peyne.
- For ofte tymes it shal
- In love, among thy peynes ,
- That thou thy-self, al ,2405
- Foryeten shalt so utterly,
- That many tymes thou shalt be
- Stille as an image of tree,
- Dom as a stoon, without stering
- Of foot or hond, without speking.2410
- Than, sone after al thy peyne,
- To memorie shalt thou come ageyn,
- man abasshed wondre sore,
- And after sighen more and more.
- For wit thou wel, withouten wene,2415
- In swich astat ful oft have been
- That have the yvel of love assayd,
- Wher-through thou art so dismayd.
-
- ‘After, a thought shal take thee so,
- That thy love is to fer thee fro:2420
- Thou shalt say, “God, what may this be,
- That I ne may my lady see?
- Myne herte aloon is to her go,
- And I abyde al sole in wo,
- Departed fro myn owne thought,2425
- And with myne eyen see right nought.
-
- ‘ “Alas, myn eyen I ne may,
- My careful herte to convay!
- Myn hertes gyde but they be,
- I praise no-thing what ever they see.2430
- Shul they abyde thanne? nay;
- But without delay
- That myn herte desyreth so.
- For certeynly, but-if they go,
- A fool my-self I may wel holde,2435
- Whan I ne see what myn herte wolde.
- Wherfore I wol gon her to ,
- Or esed shal I never ,
- But I have som tokening.”
- Then gost thou forth without dwelling;2440
- But ofte thou faylest of thy desyre,
- Er thou mayst come hir any nere,
-
- And wastest in vayn thy passage.
- Than fallest thou in a newe rage;
- For want of sight thou ginnest morne,2445
- And homward pensif retorne.
- In greet mischeef than shalt thou be,
- For than agayn shal come to thee
- Sighes and pleyntes, with newe wo,
- That no icching prikketh so.2450
- Who wot it nought, he may go lere
- Of hem that byen love so dere.
-
- ‘No-thing thyn herte appesen may,
- That oft thou goon and assay,
- If thou mayst seen, by aventure,2455
- Thy lyves joy, thyn hertis cure;[ ]
- So that, by grace if thou might
- Atteyne of hir to have a sight,
- Than shalt thou doon non other dede
- But with that sight thyn eyen fede.2460
- That faire fresh whan thou mayst see,
- Thyn herte shal so ravisshed be,
- That never thou woldest, thy thankis, lete,[ ]
- Ne remove, for to see that swete.
- The more thou seest in sothfastnesse,2465
- The more thou coveytest that swetnesse;
- The more thyn herte brenneth in fyr,
- The more thyn herte&
[Here, at l. 4070 of the French text, ends the work of G. de Lorris; and begins the work of Jean de Meun.]
-
- Allas, in wanhope?—nay, pardee!
- For I wol never dispeired be.
- If Hope me faile, than am I4435
- Ungracious and unworthy;
- In Hope I wol comforted be,
- For Love, whan he bitaught hir me,
- Seide, that Hope, wher-so I go,
- Shulde ay be to my wo.4440
-
- But what and she my bete,
- And be to me curteis and swete?
- She is in no-thing ful certeyn.
- Lovers she put in ful gret peyn,
- And makith hem with wo to dele.4445
- Hir fair biheest disceyveth fele,
- For she wol bihote, sikirly,
- And failen aftir .
- A! that is a ful noyous thing!
- For many a lover, in loving,4450
- Hangeth upon hir, and trusteth fast,
- Whiche lese hir at the last.
- Of thing to comen she woot right nought;
- Therfore, if it be wysly sought,
- Hir counseille, foly is to take.4455
- For many tymes, whan she wol make
- A ful good silogisme, I drede
- That aftirward ther shal in dede
- Folwe an evel conclusioun;
- This me in confusioun.4460
- For many tymes I have it seen,
- That many have bigyled been,
- For trust that they have set in Hope,
- Which fel hem aftirward a-slope.[ ]
-
- But , gladly she wolde,4465
- That he, that wol him with hir holde,
- Hadde alle tymes purpos clere,
- Withoute deceyte, or any were.
- That she desireth sikirly;
- Whan I hir blamed, I did foly.4470
- But what avayleth hir good wille,
- Whan she may staunche my stounde ille?[ ]
- That helpith litel, that she may do,
- Outake biheest unto my wo.
- And heeste certeyn, in no wyse,4475
- Withoute yift, is not to .
-
- Whan heest and deed varie,
- They doon a gret contrarie.
- Thus am I possed up and doun
- With dool, thought, and confusioun;4480
- Of my disese ther is no noumbre.
- Daunger and Shame me encumbre,
- also, and Ielousye,
- And Wikked-Tunge, ful of envye,
- Of whiche the sharpe and cruel ire4485
- Ful oft me in gret martire.
- They han my Ioye fully let,
- Sith Bialacoil they have bishet
- Fro me in prisoun wikkidly,
- Whom I love so entirely,4490
- That it wol my bane be,
- But I the may him see.
- And yit moreover, wurst of alle,
- Ther is set to kepe, foule hir bifalle!
- A rimpled vekke, ronne in age,4495
- Frowning and yelowe in hir visage,
- Which in awayte lyth day and night,
- That noon of hem may have a sight.
- Now moot my sorwe enforced be;[ ]
- Ful soth it is, that Love yaf me4500
- Three wonder yiftes of his grace,
- Which I have lorn now in this place,
- Sith they ne may, withoute drede
- Helpen but litel, who taketh hede.
- For here availeth no Swete-Thought,4505
- And Swete-Speche helpith right nought.
- The thridde was called Swete-Loking,
- That now is lorn, without lesing.
- yiftes were fair, but not forthy
- They helpe me but ,[ ]4510
- But Bialacoil loosed be,
- To gon at large and to be free.
- For him my lyf lyth al in ,
- But-if he come the rather .
- Allas! I trowe it wol not been!4515
- For how shuld I evermore him seen?
- He may not out, and that is wrong,
- Bicause the tour is so strong.
- How shulde he out? by whos prowesse,
- Out of so strong a forteresse?4520
- By me, certeyn, it nil be do;
- God woot, I have no wit therto!
- But wel I woot I was in rage,
- Whan I to Love dide homage.
- Who was in cause, in sothfastnesse,[ ]4525
- But hir-silf, dame Idelnesse,
- Which me conveyed, thurgh fair prayere,
- To entre into that fair ?
- She was to blame me to leve,
- The which now doth me sore greve.4530
- A foolis word is nought to trowe,
- Ne worth an appel for to lowe;[ ]
- Men shulde him snibbe bittirly,
- At pryme temps of his foly.
- I was a fool, and she me leved,4535
- Thurgh whom I am right nought releved.
- accomplisshed al my wil,
- That now me greveth wondir il.
- Resoun me seide what shulde falle.
- A fool my-silf I may wel calle,4540
- That love I had not leyde,
- And trowed that dame Resoun seyde.
- Resoun had bothe skile and right,
- Whan she me blamed, with al hir might,
- To medle of love, that hath me shent;4545
- But certeyn now I wol repent.
-
- ‘And shulde I repent? Nay, parde!
- A fals traitour than shulde I be.
- The develles wolde me take,[ ]
- If I my wolde forsake,4550
- Or Bialacoil falsly bitraye.
- Shulde I at mischeef hate him? nay,
- Sith he now, for his curtesye,
- Is in prisoun of Ielousye.
- Curtesye certeyn dide he me,4555
- So , it may not yolden be,[ ]
- Whan he the hay passen me ,
- To kisse the rose, faire and swete;
- Shulde I therfore cunne him maugree?[ ]
- Nay, certeynly, it shal not be;4560
- For Love shal never, ,
- Here of me, thurgh word or wil,
- Offence or complaynt, more or lesse,
- Neither of Hope nor Idilnesse;
- For certis, it were wrong that I4565
- Hated hem for hir curtesye.
- Ther is not ellis, but suffre and ,
- And waken whan I shulde winke;[ ]
- Abyde in hope, til Love, thurgh chaunce,
- Sende me socour or allegeaunce,4570
- Expectant ay til I may mete
- To geten mercy of that swete.
-
- ‘Whylom I thinke how Love to me
- Seyde he wolde atte gree[ ]
- My servise, if unpacience4575
- Caused me to doon offence.
- He seyde, “In thank I shal it take,
- And high maister eek thee make,
- If wikkednesse ne reve it thee;
- But sone, I trowe, that shal not be.”4580
- These were his wordis by and by;
- It semed he loved me trewly.
- Now is ther not but serve him wele,
- If that I his thank to fele.
- My good, myn harm, lyth hool in me;4585
- In Love may no defaute be;
- For trewe Love failid never man.
- Sothly, the faute mot nedis than
- (As God forbede!) be founde in me,
- And how it cometh, I can not see.4590
- Now lat it goon as it may go;
- Whether Love wol socoure me or slo,
- He may do hool on me his wil.
- I am so sore bounde him til,
- From his servyse I may not fleen;4595
- For lyf and deth, withouten wene,
- Is in his hand; I may not chese;
- He may me do bothe winne and lese.
- And sith so sore he doth me greve,
- Yit, if my lust he wolde acheve4600
- To Bialacoil goodly to be,
- I yeve no force what felle on me.
- For though I dye, as I mot nede,
- I praye Love, of his goodlihede,
- To Bialacoil do gentilnesse,4605
- For whom I live in such distresse,
- That I mote deyen for penaunce.
- But first, withoute repentaunce,
- I wol me confesse in good entent,
- And make in haste my testament,4610
- As lovers doon that felen smerte:—
- To Bialacoil leve I myn herte
- Al hool, withoute departing,
- doublenesse of repenting.’
- Coment Raisoun vient a L’amant.
-
-
- Thus as I made my passage4615
- In compleynt, and in cruel rage,
- And I wher to finde a leche[ ]
- That couthe unto myn helping eche,
- Sodeynly agayn comen doun
- Out of hir tour I saugh Resoun,4620
- Discrete and , and ful plesaunt,
- And of hir porte ful avenaunt.
- The wey she took to me,
- Which stood in greet perplexite,
- That was posshed in everyside,4625
- That I nist where I might abyde,
- Til she, demurely sad of chere,
- Seide to me as she nere:—
-
- ‘Myn owne freend, art thou yit greved?
- How is this quarel yit acheved4630
- Of Loves syde? Anoon me telle;
- Hast thou not yit of love thy fille?
- Art thou not wery of thy servyse
- That thee hath in sich wyse?[ ]
- What Ioye hast thou in thy loving?4635
- Is it swete or bitter thing?
- Canst thou yit chese, lat me see,
- What best thy socour be?
-
- ‘Thou servest a ful noble lord,
- That maketh thee thral for thy reward,4640
- Which ay renewith thy turment,
- With foly so he hath thee blent.
- Thou felle in mischeef thilke day,
- Whan thou didest, the sothe to say,
- Obeysaunce and eek homage;4645
- Thou wroughtest no-thing as the sage.[ ]
- Whan thou bicam his man,
- Thou didist a gret foly than;
- Thou wistest not what fel therto,
- With what lord thou haddist to do.4650
- If thou haddist him wel knowe,
- Thou haddist nought be brought so lowe;
- For if thou wistest what it were,
- Thou noldist serve him half a yeer,
- Not a weke, nor half a day,4655
- Ne yit an hour withoute delay,
- Ne never [han] paramours,
- His lordship is so ful of shoures.
- Knowest him ought?’
L’Amaunt.
‘Ye, dame, parde!’
Raisoun.
‘Nay, nay.’
4659 (ends at parde); misnumbered 4660 inM.Th. Ye; G. Yhe.
L’Amaunt.
‘Yes, I.’
4660. Th. Yes; G. Yhis.
Raisoun.
‘Wherof, lat see?’4660
L’Amaunt.
‘Of that he seyde I shulde be
Glad to have sich lord as he,
And maister of sich seignory.’
Raisoun.
‘Knowist him no more?’
L’Amaunt.
- ‘Nay, certis, I,
- Save that he yaf me rewles there,4665
- And wente his wey, I niste where,
-
4667. misnumbered 4670 inM.
- And I abood bounde in balaunce.’
Raisoun.- ‘Lo, there a noble conisaunce![ ]
- But I wil that thou knowe him now
- Ginning and ende, sith that thou4670
- Art so anguisshous and mate,
- Disfigured out of ;
- Ther may no wrecche have more of wo,
- Ne caitif noon enduren so.
- It were to every man sitting4675
- Of his lord have knowleching.
- For if thou knewe him, out of dout,
- Lightly thou shulde escapen out
- Of the prisoun that marreth thee.’
L’Amaunt.- ‘ , dame! sith my lord is he,4680
- And I his man, maad with myn honde,[ ]
- I wolde right fayn undirstonde
- To of what kinde he be,
- If wolde enforme me.’
Raisoun.
-
- ‘I wolde,’ seid Resoun, ‘thee lere,4685
- Sith thou to lerne hast sich desire,
- And shewe thee, withouten fable,
- A thing that is not demonstrable.
- Thou shalt science,[ ]
- And knowe, experience,4690
- The thing that may not knowen be,
- Ne wist ne shewid in no degree.
- Thou mayst the sothe of it not witen,
- Though in thee it were writen.
- Thou shalt not knowe therof more4695
- Whyle thou art reuled by his lore;
- But unto him that love wol flee,[ ]
- The knotte may unclosed be,
- Which hath to thee, as it is founde,
- So long be and not unbounde.4700
- Now sette wel thyn entencioun,
- To here of love discripcioun.
-
- ‘Love, it is an hateful pees,
- A free acquitaunce, without relees,
- , full of falshede,[ ]
- A sikernesse, al set in drede;4706
- In herte is a dispeiring hope,
- And fulle of hope, it is wanhope;
- Wyse woodnesse, and resoun,
- A swete , in to droune,4710
- An hevy birthen, light to bere,
- A wikked wawe awey to .[ ]
- It is perilous,[ ]
- Disagreable and gracious.
- It is discordaunce that can accorde,4715
- And accordaunce to discorde.
- It is cunning withoute science,
- Wisdom withoute sapience,
- Wit withoute discrecioun,
- Havoir, withoute possessioun.[ ]4720
- It is hele and hool ,
- A drowned [in] dronkenesse,[ ]
- An ful of maladye,
- And charitee ful of envye,
- An ful of habundaunce,4725
- And a gredy suffisaunce;
- Delyt right ful of hevinesse,
- And ful of gladnesse;[ ]
- Bitter swetnesse and swete errour,
- Right evel savoured good savour;4730
- that pardoun hath withinne,
- And pardoun spotted without sinne;[ ]
- A peyne also it is, Ioyous,
- And felonye right pitous;
- Also pley that selde is stable,4735
- And stedefast [stat], right mevable;
- A strengthe, weyked to stonde upright,
- And feblenesse, ful of might;
- Wit unavysed, sage folye,
- And Ioye ful of turmentrye;4740
- A laughter it is, weping ay,
- Rest, that traveyleth night and day;
- Also a swete helle it is,
- And a sorowful Paradys;
- A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun,4745
- And, ful of froste, somer sesoun;
- Pryme temps, ful of frostes whyte,[ ]
- And May, devoide of al delyte,
- With seer braunches, blossoms ungrene;
- And newe fruyt, fillid with winter tene.4750
- It is a slowe, may not forbere[ ]
- Ragges, ribaned with gold, to were;
- For al-so wel wol love be set
- Under ragges as riche rochet;
- And eek as wel amourettes[ ]4755
- In mourning blak, as bright burnettes.
- For noon is of so mochel prys,
- Ne no man founden so wys,
- Ne noon so high is of parage,
- Ne no man founde of wit so sage,4760
- No man so hardy ne so wight,
- Ne no man of so might,
- Noon so fulfilled of bounte,
- he with love may daunted be.[ ]
- Al the world holdith this way;4765
- Love makith alle to goon miswey,
- But it be they of yvel lyf,
- Whom Genius cursith, man and wyf,[ ]
- That wrongly werke ageyn nature.
- Noon suche I love, ne have no cure4770
- Of suche as Loves servaunts ,
- And wol not by my counsel fleen.
- For I ne preyse that loving,
- Wher-thurgh man, at the laste ending,
- Shal calle hem wrecchis fulle of wo,4775
- Love greveth hem and shendith so.
- But if thou wolt wel Love eschewe.
- For to escape out of his mewe,
- And make al hool thy sorwe to slake,
- No bettir counsel mayst thou take,4780
- Than thinke to fleen wel, y-wis;
- May nought helpe elles; for wite thou this:—
- If thou flee it, it shal flee thee;
- Folowe it, and folowen shal it thee.’
L’Amaunt.
-
- Whan I hadde herd al Resoun seyn,4785
- Which hadde spilt hir speche in veyn:
- ‘Dame,’ seyde I, ‘I dar wel sey
- Of this avaunt me wel I may
- That from your scole so deviaunt
- I am, that never the more avaunt[ ]4790
- Right nought am I, thurgh your doctryne;
- I dulle under your disciplyne;
- I wot no more than wist ,[ ]
- To me so contrarie and so fer
- Is every thing that ye me lere;4795
- And yit I can it .[ ]
- Myn herte foryetith therof right nought,
- It is so writen in my thought;
- And depe it is so tendir
- That al by herte I can it rendre,4800
- And rede it over comunely;
- But to my-silf am I.
-
- ‘But sith ye love discreven so,
- And and preise it, bothe two,
- Defyneth it into this letter,4805
- That I may thenke on it the better;
- For I herde never ,
- And wilfully I wolde it lere.’
Raisoun.
-
- ‘If love be serched wel and sought,
- It is a sykenesse of the thought4810
- Annexed and tweyne,
- [Which] male and female, oo cheyne,
- So byndith, they twinne,
- Whether so therof they lese or winne.
- The roote springith, thurgh hoot brenning,4815
- Into disordinat desiring
- For to kissen and enbrace,
- And at her lust them to solace.
- Of other thing love recchith nought,
- But setteth hir herte and al hir thought4820
- More for delectacioun
- Than any procreacioun
- Of other fruyt by ;
- Which love to god is not plesing;
- For of hir body fruyt to get4825
- They yeve no force, they are so set
- Upon delyt, to pley in-fere.
- And somme have also this manere,
- To feynen hem for love seke;
- Sich love I preise not a leke.4830
- For paramours they do but feyne;[ ]
- To love truly they disdeyne.
- They falsen ladies traitoursly,
- And hem othes utterly,
- With many a lesing, and many a fable,4835
- And al they finden deceyvable.
- And, whan they geten,
- The hoote ernes they al foryeten.
- Wimmen, the harm byen ful sore;
- But men this thenken evermore,4840
- That lasse harm is, so mote I thee,
- Disceyve them, than disceyved be;
- And namely, wher they ne may
- Finde non other mene wey.
- For I wot wel, in sothfastnesse,4845
- That doth now his bisynesse
- With any womman for to dele,
- For any lust that he may fele,
- But-if it be for engendrure,
- He doth trespasse, I you ensure.4850
- For he shulde setten al his wil
- To geten a likly thing him til,
- And to sustene[n], if he might,
- And kepe forth, by kindes right,
- His owne lyknesse and semblable,4855
-
- For bicause al is corumpable,
- And faile shulde successioun,
- Ne were generacioun
- Our sectis strene for to save.[ ]
- Whan fader or moder arn in grave,4860
- Hir children shulde, whan they ben deede,
- Ful diligent ben, in hir steede,
- To use that werke on such a wyse,
- That oon may thurgh another ryse.
- Therfore Kinde therin delyt,4865
- For men therin shulde hem delyte,
- And of that dede be not erke,
- But ofte sythes haunt that werke.
- For noon wolde drawe therof a draught
- Ne were delyt, which hath him caught.4870
- This hadde sotil dame Nature;
- For noon goth right, I thee ensure,
- Ne hath entent hool ne ;
- For hir desir is for delyt,
- The which fortened and eke[ ]4875
- The pley of love for-ofte seke,
- And thralle hem-silf, they be so nyce,
- Unto the prince of every .
- For of ech sinne it is the rote,
- Unlefulle lust, though it be sote,4880
- And of al yvel the racyne,
- As can determyne,[ ]
- Which in his tyme was ful sage,
- In a boke he made of Age,
- Wher that more he preyseth Elde,4885
- Though he be croked and unwelde,
- And more of commendacioun,
- Than Youthe in his discripcioun.
- For Youthe bothe man and wyf
- In al perel of soule and lyf;4890
- And is, but men have grace,
- The [tyme] of youthe for to pace,
- Withoute any deth or distresse,
- It is so ful of wildenesse;
- So ofte it doth shame or damage4895
- To him or to his linage.
- It ledith man now up, now doun,
- In mochel dissolucioun,
- And makith him love yvel company,
- And lede his lyf disrewlily,4900
- And halt him payed with noon estate.[ ]
- Within him-silf is such debate,
- He chaungith purpos and entent,
- And into som covent,[ ]
- To liven aftir her empryse,4905
- And lesith fredom and fraunchyse,
- That Nature in him hadde set,
- The which ageyn he may not get,
- If he there make his mansioun
- For to abyde professioun.[ ]4910
- Though for a tyme his herte absente,
- It may not fayle, he shal repente,
- And eke abyde thilke day
- To leve his abit, and goon his way,
- And lesith his worship and his name,4915
- And dar not come ageyn for shame;
- But al his lyf he doth so mourne,
- Bicause he dar not hoom retourne.
- Fredom of kinde so lost hath he
- That never may recured be,4920
- god him graunte grace
- That he may, er he hennes pace,
- Conteyne undir obedience[ ]
- Thurgh the vertu of pacience.
- For Youthe set man in al folye,4925
- In unthrift and ribaudye,
- In leccherye, and in outrage,
- So ofte it chaungith of corage.
- Youthe ginneth ofte sich bargeyn,
- That may not ende withouten peyn.4930
- In gret perel is set ,
- Delyt so doth his bridil lede.
- Delyt hangith, drede thee nought,
- Bothe mannis body and his thought,
- Only thurgh ,4935
- That to don yvel is ,
- And of nought elles taketh hede
- But only folkes for to lede
- Into disporte and wildenesse,4939
- So is froward from sadnesse.
-
- ‘But Elde drawith hem therfro;
- Who wot it nought, he may wel go
- [Demand] hem that now arn olde,[ ]
- That whylom Youthe hadde in holde,
- Which yit of tendir age,4945
- How it hem brought in many a rage,
- And many a foly therin wrought.
- But now that Elde hath thurgh-sought,
- They repente hem of her folye,
- That Youthe hem putte in ,4950
- In perel and in wo,
- And made hem ofte amis to do,
- And suen yvel companye,
- Riot and .
-
- ‘But Elde ageyn restreyne4955
- From foly, and refreyne,
- And set men, by hir ordinaunce,
- In good reule and in governaunce.
- But yvel she spendith hir servyse,
- For no man wol hir love, ;4960
- She is hated, this wot I wele.
- Hir acqueyntaunce wolde no man fele,
- Ne han of Elde companye,
- Men hate to be of hir alye.
- For no man wolde bicomen olde,4965
- Ne dye, whan he is yong and bolde.
- And Elde merveilith right gretly,
- Whan they remembre hem inwardly
- Of many a perelous empryse,
- Whiche that they wrought in sondry wyse,4970
- How ever they might, withoute blame,
- Escape awey withoute shame,
- In youthe, withoute[n] damage
- Or repreef of her linage,
- Losse of membre, sheding of blode,4975
- Perel of deth, or losse of good.
-
- ‘Wost thou nought where Youthe abit,
- That men so preisen in her wit?
- With Delyt she halt soiour,
- For bothe they dwellen in oo tour.4980
- As longe as Youthe is in sesoun,
- They dwellen in oon mansioun.
- Delyt of Youthe wol have servyse
- To do what so he wol devyse;
- And Youthe is redy evermore4985
- For to obey, for smerte of sore,
- Unto Delyt, and him to yive
- Hir servise, whyl that she may live.
-
- ‘Where Elde abit, I wol thee telle
- Shortly, and no whyle dwelle,4990
- For thider bihoveth thee to go.
- If Deth in youthe thee not slo,
- Of this journey thou maist not faile.
- With hir Labour and Travaile
- Logged been, with Sorwe and Wo,4995
- That never out of hir go.
- Peyne and Distresse, Syknesse and Ire,
- And Malencoly, that angry sire,
- Ben of hir paleys senatours;
- Groning and Grucching, hir ,5000
- The day and night, hir to turment,
- With cruel Deth they hir present,
- And tellen hir, erliche and late,
- That armed at hir gate.
- Than bringe they to hir remembraunce5005
- The foly dedis of hir infaunce,
- Which causen hir to mourne in wo
- That Youthe hath hir bigiled so,
- Which sodeynly awey is hasted.
- She the tyme that she hath wasted,5010
- Compleyning of the preterit,
- And the present, that not abit,
- And of hir olde vanitee,
- That, but aforn hir she may see[ ]
- In the future som socour,5015
- To leggen hir of hir dolour,
- To graunt hir tyme of repentaunce,
- For hir sinnes to do penaunce,
- And at the laste so hir governe
- To winne the Ioy that is eterne,5020
- Fro which go backward Youthe made,
- In vanitee to droune and wade.
- For present tyme abidith nought,
- It is more swift than any thought;
- So litel whyle it doth endure5025
- That ther nis compte ne mesure.
-
- ‘But how that ever the game go,
- Who and mirth also[ ]
- Of love, be it he or she,
- High or lowe, who it be,5030
- In fruyt they shulde hem delyte;
- Her part they may not elles quyte,
- To save hem-silf in honestee.
- And yit ful many oon I see
- Of wimmen, sothly for to seyne,5035
- That desire and wolde fayne
- The pley of love, they be so wilde,
- And not coveite to go with childe.
- And if with child they be perchaunce,
- They wole it holde a gret mischaunce;5040
- But what-som-ever wo they fele,
- They wol not pleyne, but concele;
- But-if it be any fool or nyce,
- In whom that shame hath no Iustyce.
- For to delyt echon they drawe,5045
- That haunte this werk, bothe high and lawe,
- Save sich that ar[e]n worth right nought,[ ]
- That for money wol be bought.
- Such love I preise in no wyse,
- Whan it is for coveitise.5050
- I preise no womman, though be wood,[ ]
- That yeveth hir-silf for any good.
- For litel shulde a man telle
- Of hir, that wol hir body selle,
- Be she mayde, be she wyf,5055
- That quik wol selle hir, by hir lyf.
- How faire chere that ever she make,
- He is a wrecche, I undirtake,
- That such one, for swete or sour,
- Though she him calle hir paramour,5060
- And laugheth on him, and makith him feeste.
- For certeynly no beeste
- To be loved is not worthy,
- Or bere the name of .[ ]
- Noon shulde hir please, but he were wood,5065
- That wol dispoile him of his good.
- Yit nevertheles, I wol not sey
- she, for solace and for pley,
- May a Iewel or other thing
- Take of her loves free yeving;5070
- But that she aske it in no wyse,
- For drede of shame of coveityse.
- And she of hirs may him, certeyn,
- Withoute sclaundre, yeven ageyn,
- And ioyne her hertes togidre so5075
- In love, and take and yeve also.
- Trowe not that I wolde hem twinne,
- Whan in her love ther is no sinne;
- I wol that they togedre go,
- And doon al that they han ado,[ ]5080
- As curteis shulde and debonaire,
- And in her love beren hem faire,
- Withoute vyce, bothe he and she;
- So that alwey, in honestee,5084
- Fro foly love kepe hem clere[ ]
- That brenneth hertis with his fere;
- And that her love, in any wyse,
- Be devoid of coveityse.
- Good love shulde engendrid be
- Of trewe herte, iust, and secree,5090
- And not of such as sette her thought
- To have her lust, and ellis nought,
- So are they caught in Loves lace,
- Truly, for bodily solace.
- Fleshly delyt is so present5095
- With thee, that sette al thyn entent,
- Withoute more (what shulde I glose?)
- For to gete and have the Rose;
- Which makith so mate and wood
- That thou desirest noon other good.5100
- But thou art not an inche the nerre,
- Eut ever abydest in sorwe and werre,
- As in thy face it is sene;
- It makith thee bothe pale and lene;
- Thy might, thy vertu goth away.
- A sory gest, in goode fay,5106
- Thou in thyn inne,[ ]
- The God of Love whan thou let inne!
- Wherfore I rede, thou shette him out,
- Or he shal greve thee, out of doute;5110
- For to thy it wol turne,
- If he nomore with thee soiourne.
- In gret mischeef and sorwe sonken
- Ben hertis, that of love arn dronken,
- As thou peraventure knowen shal,5115
- Whan thou hast lost tyme al,
- And spent in ydilnesse,
- In waste, and woful lustinesse;
- If thou maist live the tyme to see
- Of love for to delivered be,5120
- Thy tyme thou shalt biwepe sore
- The whiche never thou maist restore.
- (For tyme lost, as men may see,[ ]
- For no-thing may be).[ ]
- And if thou scape yit, atte laste,
- Fro Love, that hath thee so faste5126
- Knit and bounden in his lace,
- Certeyn, I holde it but a grace.
- For many oon, as it is seyn,
- Have lost, and spent also in veyn,5130
- In his servyse, withoute socour,
- Body and soule, good, and tresour,
- Wit, and strengthe, and eek richesse,
- Of which they hadde never redresse.’
-
- Thus taught and preched hath Resoun,5135
- But Love spilte hir sermoun,
- That was so imped in my thought,[ ]
- That hir doctrine I sette at nought.
- And yit ne seide she never a dele,
- That I ne understode it wele,5140
- Word by word, the mater al.
- But unto Love I was so thral,
- Which callith over-al his pray,
- He chasith so my thought ,
- And holdith myn herte undir his sele,5145
- As trust and trew as any stele;
- So that no devocioun
- Ne hadde I in the sermoun
- Of dame Resoun, ne of hir rede;
- It toke no soiour in myn hede.5150
- For alle yede out at oon ere
- That in that other she dide lere;
- Fully on me she lost hir lore,
- Hir speche me greved wondir sore.
-
- unto hir for ire I seide,
- For anger, as I dide abraide:5156
- ‘Dame, and is it your wille algate,
- That I not love, but that I hate
- Alle men, as ye me teche?
- For if I do aftir your speche,5160
- Sith that ye seyn love is not good,
- Than must I nedis with mood,[ ]
- If I it leve, in hatrede ay
- Liven, and voide love away
- From me, a sinful wrecche,5165
- Hated of all that tecche.
- I may not go noon other gate,
- For must I love or hate.
- And if I hate men of-newe
- More than love, it wol me rewe,5170
- As by your preching semeth me,
- For Love no-thing ne preisith thee.
- Ye yeve good counseil, sikirly,
- That prechith me al-day, that I
- Shulde not Loves lore alowe;5175
- He were a fool, wolde you not trowe![ ]
- In speche also ye han me taught
- Another love, that knowen is naught,
- Which I have herd you not repreve,
- To love ech other; by your leve,5180
- If ye wolde diffyne it me,
- I wolde gladly here, to see,
- At the leest, if I may lere
- Of sondry loves the manere.’
Raison.
-
- ‘Certis, freend, a fool art thou5185
- Whan that thou no-thing wolt allowe[ ]
- That I for thy profit say.
- Yit wol I sey thee more, in fay;
- For I am redy, at the leste,
- To accomplisshe thy requeste,5190
- But I not wher it wol avayle;[ ]
- In veyne, perauntre, I shal travayle.
- Love ther is in sondry wyse,
- As I shal thee here devyse.
- For som love leful is and good;5195
- I mene not that which makith thee wood,
- And bringith thee in many a fit,
- And ravisshith fro thee al thy wit,
- It is so merveilous and queynt;
- With such love be no more aqueynt.5200
Rubric.Both Aunsete (for Amistie).
- Comment Raisoun diffinist Amistie.
-
- ‘Love of Frendshipe also ther is,
- Which makith no man doon amis,
- Of wille knit bitwixe two,
- That wol not breke for wele ne wo;
- Which long is lykly to contune,5205
- Whan wille and goodis ben in comune;
- Grounded by goddis ordinaunce,
- Hool, withoute discordaunce;
- With hem holding comuntee
- Of al her goode in charitee,5210
- That ther be noon excepcioun
- Thurgh chaunging of entencioun;
- That ech helpe other at hir neede,
- And wysly hele bothe word and dede;
- Trewe of mening, devoid of slouthe,5215
- For wit is nought withoute trouthe;
- So that the ton dar al his thought
- Seyn to his freend, and spare nought,
- As to him-silf, without dreding
- To be discovered by wreying.5220
- For glad is that coniunccioun,
- Whan ther is noon suspecioun
- , whom they wolde prove[ ]
- That trew and parfit weren in love.
- For no man may be amiable,5225
- But-if he be so ferme and stable,
- That fortune chaunge him not, ne blinde,
- But that his freend alwey him finde,
- Bothe pore and riche, in .
- For if his freend, thurgh any gate,5230
- Wol compleyne of his povertee,
- He shulde not byde so long, til he
- Of his helping him requere;
- For good deed, done thurgh prayere,
- Is sold, and bought to dere, y-wis,5235
- To hert that of gret valour is.
- For hert fulfilled of gentilnesse
- Can yvel demene his distresse.
- And man that worthy is of name
- To asken often hath gret shame.
- A good man brenneth in his thought5241
- For shame, whan he axeth ought.
- He hath gret thought, and dredith ay
- For his disese, whan he shal pray
- His freend, lest that he warned be,5245
- Til that he preve his stabiltee.
- But whan that he hath founden oon
- That trusty is and trew as stone,
- And assayed him at al,
- And found him stedefast as a wal,5250
- And of his freendship be certeyne,
- He shal him shewe bothe Ioye and peyne,
- And al that dar thinke or sey,
- Withoute shame, as he wel may.
- For how shulde he ashamed be5255
- Of sich oon as I tolde thee?
- For whan he woot his secree thought,
- The thridde shal knowe ther-of right nought;
- For tweyn nombre is bet than three
- In every counsel and secree.5260
- Repreve he never a del,
- Who that biset his wordis wel;
- For every wys man, out of drede,
- Can kepe his tunge til he see nede;
- And fooles can not holde hir tunge;5265
- A fooles belle is sone runge.[ ]
- Yit shal a trewe freend do more
- To helpe his felowe of his sore,
- And socoure him, whan he hath nede,5269
- In al that he may doon in dede;
- And gladder that he him plesith
- Than his felowe that he esith.
- And if he do not his requeste,
- He shal as mochel him moleste[ ]
- As his felow, for that he5275
- May not fulfille his voluntee
- fully as he hath .
- If bothe the hertis Love hath fered,[ ]
- Joy and wo they shul depart,
- And take evenly ech his part.5280
- Half his anoy he shal have ay,
- And comfort what that he may;
- And of blisse parte shal he,
- If love wol departed be.
-
- ‘And whilom of this [ ]5285
- Spak in a ditee;[ ]
- shulde maken his request
- Unto his freend, that is honest;
- And he goodly shulde it fulfille,
- But it the more were out of skile,5290
- And otherwise not graunt therto,
- Except only in two:[ ]
- If men his freend to deth wolde dryve,
- Lat him be bisy to save his lyve.
- Also if men wolen him assayle,5295
- Of his wurship to make him faile,
- And hindren him of his renoun,
- Lat him, with ful entencioun,
- His dever doon in ech degree
- That his freend ne shamed be,5300
- In this two with his might,
- Taking no kepe to skile nor right,
- As ferre as love may him excuse;
- This no man to refuse.”
- This love that I have told to thee5305
- Is no-thing contrarie to me;
- This wol I that thou folowe wel,
- And leve the tother everydel.
- This love to vertu al attendith,
- The tothir fooles blent and shendith.5310
-
- ‘Another love also there is,
- That is contrarie unto this,
- Which desyre is so constreyned
- That is but wille feyned;5314
- Awey fro trouthe it doth so varie,
- That to good love it is contrarie;
- For it maymeth, in many wyse,
- Syke hertis with coveityse;
- Al in winning and in profyt
- Sich love settith his delyt.5320
- This love so hangeth in balaunce
- That, if it lese his hope, perchaunce,
- Of lucre, that he is set upon,
- It wol faile, and quenche anon;
- For no man may be ,5325
- Ne in his living vertuous,
- he love more, in mood,
- Men for hem-silf than for hir good.
- For love that profit doth abyde
- Is fals, and not in no tyde.[ ]5330
- love cometh of dame Fortune,
- That litel whyle wol contune;
- For it shal chaungen wonder sone,
- And take eclips right as the mone,
- Whan is from us [y]-let5335
- Thurgh erthe, that bitwixe is set
- The sonne and hir, as it may falle,
- Be it in party, or in alle;
- The shadowe maketh her bemis merke,5339
- And hir hornes to shewe derke,
- That part where she hath lost hir lyght[ ]
- Of Phebus fully, and the sight;
- Til, whan the shadowe is overpast,
- She is enlumined ageyn as faste,
- brightnesse of the sonne bemes5345
- That yeveth to hir ageyn hir lemes.
- That love is right of sich nature;
- Now is fair, and now obscure,
- Now bright, now clipsy of manere,
- And whylom dim, and whylom clere.5350
- As sone as Poverte ginneth take,
- With mantel and wedis blake
- hidith of Love the light awey,[ ]
- That into night it turneth day;
- It may not see Richesse shyne5355
- Til the shadowes fyne.
- For, whan Richesse shyneth bright,
- Love recovereth ageyn his light;
- And whan it failith, he wol flit,
- And as she it.5360
-
- ‘Of this love, here what I sey:—
- The riche men are loved ay,
- And namely tho that sparand bene,
- That wol not wasshe hir hertes clene
- Of the filthe, nor of the vyce5365
- Of gredy brenning avaryce.
- The riche man ful is, y-wis,
- That weneth that he loved is.
- If that his herte it undirstood,
- It is not he, it is his good;5370
- He may wel witen in his thought,
- His good is loved, and he right nought.
- For if he be a nigard eke,
- Men wole not sette by him a leke,
- But haten him; this is the .5375
- Lo, what profit catel doth!
- Of every man that may him see,
- It geteth him nought but enmitee.
- But he amende of that vyce,
- And knowe him-silf, he is not wys.5380
-
- ‘Certis, he shulde ay freendly be,
- To gete him love also ben free,
- Or ellis he is not wyse ne sage
- No more than is a gote ramage.[ ]
- That he not loveth, his dede proveth,5385
- Whan he his richesse so wel loveth,
- That he wol hyde it ay and spare,
- His pore freendis seen forfare;
- To purpose,
- Til for drede his close,5390
- And til a wikked deth him take;
- Him hadde lever asondre shake,
- And late asondre ryve,
- Than leve his richesse in his lyve.
- He thenkith parte it with no man;5395
- Certayn, no love is in him than,
- How shulde love within him be,
- Whan in his herte is no pite?
- That he trespasseth, wel I ,
- For ech man knowith his ;5400
- For wel him oughte be reproved
- That loveth nought, ne is not loved.
-
- ‘But we arn to Fortune comen,
- And our sermoun of hir nomen,
- A wondir wil I telle thee now,5405
- Thou herdist never sich oon, I trow.
- I not wher thou me leven shal,
- Though sothfastnesse it be al,
- As it is writen, and is sooth,5409
- That unto men more profit doth
- The froward Fortune and contraire,
- Than the swote and debonaire:
- And if thee thinke it is doutable,
- It is thurgh argument provable.
- For the debonaire and softe5415
- Falsith and bigylith ofte;
- For liche a moder she can cherishe
- And milken as doth a norys;
- And of hir goode to deles,
- And yeveth part of her Ioweles,5420
- With grete richesse and dignitee;
- And hem she hoteth stabilitee
- In a state that is not stable,
- But chaunging ay and variable;
- And fedith with ,5425
- And worldly blisse noncerteyne.
- Whan she settith on hir whele,
- Than wene they to be right wele,
- And in so stable state withalle,
- That never they wene for to falle.5430
- And whan they set so be,
- They wene to have in certeintee
- Of hertly frendis gret noumbre,
- That no-thing mighte her stat encombre;
- They truste hem so on every syde,5435
- Wening with hem they wolde abyde
- In every perel and mischaunce,
- Withoute chaunge or variaunce,
- Bothe of catel and of good;5439
- And also for to spende hir blood
- And alle hir membris for to spille,
- Only to fulfille hir wille.
- They maken it hole in many wyse,[ ]
- And hoten hem hir ful servyse,
- How sore that it do hem smerte,5445
- Into hir naked sherte!
- Herte and al, so hole they yeve,
- For the tyme that they may live,
- So that, with her flaterye,
- They maken foolis glorifye5450
- Of hir wordis speking,
- And han a reioysing,[ ]
- And trowe hem as the Evangyle;
- And it is al falsheed and gyle,
- As they shal see,5455
- Whan they arn falle in povertee,
- And been of good and catel bare;
- Than shulde they seen who freendis ware.
- For of an hundred, certeynly,
- Nor of a thousand ful scarsly,5460
- Ne shal they fynde unnethis oon,
- Whan povertee is comen upon.
- For Fortune that I of telle,
- With men whan hir lust to dwelle,
- Makith to lese hir conisaunce,5465
- And nourishith hem in ignoraunce.
-
- ‘But froward Fortune and perverse,
- Whan high estatis she doth reverse,
- And maketh hem to tumble doun
- hir whele, sodeyn tourn,[ ]5470
- And from hir richesse doth hem flee,
- And plongeth hem in povertee,
- As a stepmoder envyous,
- And leyeth a plastre dolorous
- Unto her hertis, wounded egre,5475
- Which is not tempred with vinegre,
- But with poverte and indigence,
- For to ,
- That she is Fortune verely
- In whom no man shulde affy,5480
- Nor in hir yeftis have fiaunce,
- She is so ful of variaunce.
- Thus can she maken high and lowe,
- Whan they from richesse ar[e]n throwe,[ ]
- Fully to knowen, were,5485
- Freend of , and freend of chere;[ ]
- And which in love weren trew and stable,
- And whiche also weren variable,
- After Fortune, hir ,
- In poverte, outher in richesse;5490
- ,[ ]
- Unhappe bereveth it in dede;
- For Infortune not oon
- Of freendis, whan Fortune is goon;
- I mene tho freendis that wol flee5495
- Anoon as entreth povertee.
- And yit they wol not leve hem so,
- But in ech place where they go
- They calle hem “wrecche,” scorne and blame,
- And of hir mishappe hem diffame,5500
- And, namely, siche as in richesse
- Pretendith most of stablenesse,
- Whan that sawe him set on-lofte,
- And weren of him socoured ofte,
- And most in al hir nede:5505
- But now they take no maner hede,
- But seyn, in voice of flaterye,[ ]
- That now apperith hir folye,
- Over-al where-so they fare,
- And singe, “Go, farewel .”[ ]5510
- Alle suche freendis I beshrewe,
- For of trewe ther be to fewe;
- But sothfast freendis, what so bityde,[ ]
- In every fortune wolen abyde;
- They han hir hertis in suche noblesse5515
- That they nil love for no richesse;
- Nor, for that Fortune may hem sende,
- They wolen hem socoure and defende;
- And chaunge for softe ne for sore,
- For who is freend, loveth evermore.5520
- Though men drawe swerd his freend to slo,
- He may not hewe hir love a-two.
- But, in case that I shal sey,[ ]
- For pride and ire lese it he may,
- And for reprove by nycetee,5525
- And discovering of privitee,
- With tonge wounding, as feloun,
- Thurgh venemous detraccioun.
- Frend in this case wol gon his way,
- For no-thing greve him more ne may;5530
- And for nought ellis wol he flee,
- If that he love in stabilitee.
- And certeyn, he is wel bigoon
- Among a thousand that fyndith oon.
- For ther may be no richesse,5535
- Ageyns frendship, of worthinesse;
- For it ne may so high atteigne
- As may the valoure, sooth to seyne,[ ]
- Of him that loveth trew and wel;
- Frendship is more than is catel.5540
- For freend in court ay better is[ ]
- Than peny in purs, certis;
- And Fortune, mishapping,
- Whan upon men she is ,
- Thurgh misturning of hir chaunce,5545
- And hem oute of balaunce,
- She makith, thurgh hir adversitee,
- Men ful cleerly for to see
- Him that is freend in existence
- From him that is by apparence.5550
- For Infortune makith anoon
- To knowe thy freendis fro thy foon,
- By experience, right as it is;
- The which is more to preyse, y-wis,
- Than miche richesse and tresour;5555
- For more profit and valour
- Poverte, and such adversitee,
- Bifore than doth prosperitee;
- For the toon yeveth conisaunce,
- And the tother ignoraunce.5560
-
- ‘And thus in poverte is in dede
- Trouthe declared fro falsehede;
- For feynte frendis it wol declare,
- And trewe also, what wey they fare.
- For whan he was in his richesse,5565
- These freendis, ful of doublenesse,
- Offrid him in many wyse
- Hert and body, and servyse.
- What wolde he than ha to ha bought[ ]
- To knowen openly her thought,5570
- That he now hath so clerly seen?
- The lasse bigyled he sholde have been
- And he hadde than perceyved it,
- But richesse nold not late him wit.
- Wel more avauntage doth him than,5575
- Sith that it makith him a wys man,
- The greet mischeef that he ,
- Than doth richesse that him deceyveth.
- Richesse riche ne makith nought
- Him that on tresour set his thought;5580
- For richesse stont in suffisaunce
- And no-thing in habundaunce;
- For suffisaunce al-only
- Makith men to live richely.
- For he that hath miches tweyne,[ ]5585
- Ne value in his demeigne,
- Liveth more at ese, and more is riche,
- Than doth he that is chiche,
- And in his bern hath, soth to seyn,
- An hundred of whete greyn,[ ]5590
- Though he be chapman or marchaunt,
- And have of golde many besaunt.
- For in the geting he hath such wo,
- And in the keping drede also,
- And set evermore his bisynesse5595
- For to encrese, and not to lesse,
- For to and multiply.
- And though on hepis lye him by,[ ]
- Yit never shal make his richesse
- Asseth unto his gredinesse.[ ]5600
- But the povre that recchith nought,
- Save of his lyflode, in his thought,
- Which that he getith with his travaile,
- He dredith nought that it shal faile,
- Though he have lytel worldis good,5605
- Mete and drinke, and esy food,
- Upon his travel and living,
- And also suffisaunt clothing.
- Or if in syknesse that he falle,
- And lothe mete and drink withalle,5610
- Though he have , his mete to by,
- He shal bithinke him ,
- To putte him out of al daunger.
- That he of mete hath no mister;
- Or that he may with litel eke5615
- Be founden, whyl that he is seke;
- Or that men shul him in hast,
- To live, til his syknesse be past,
- To somme maysondewe bisyde;[ ]
- He cast nought what shal him bityde.5620
- He thenkith nought that ever he shal
- Into any syknesse falle.
-
- ‘And though it falle, as it may be,
- That al betyme spare shal he
- As mochel as shal to him suffyce,5625
- Whyl he is syke in any wyse,
- He doth , for that he wol be
- Content with his povertee
- Withoute nede of any man.
- So miche in litel have he can,5630
- He is apayed with his fortune;
- And for he nil be importune
- Unto no , ne ,
- Nor of hir goodes coveitous;
- Therfore he spareth, it may wel been,5635
- His pore estat for to sustene.
-
- ‘Or if him lust not for to spare,
- But suffrith forth, as nought ne ware,
- Atte last it hapneth, as it may,
- Right unto his day,5640
- And the world as it wolde be;
- For ever in herte thenkith he,
- The soner that deeth him slo,
- To paradys the soner go
- He shal, there for to live in blisse,5645
- Where that he shal no good misse.
- Thider he hopith god shal him sende
- Aftir his wrecchid lyves ende.
- himsilf reherses,[ ]
- In a book that the Golden Verses5650
- Is clepid, for the nobilitee
- Of the honourable ditee:—
- “Than, whan thou gost thy body fro,
- Free in the eir thou shalt up go,
- And leven al humanitee,5655
- And purely live in deitee.”—
- He is a fool, withouten were,
- That trowith have his countre here.
- “In erthe is not our countree,”
- That may these clerkis seyn and see5660
- In of Consolacioun,[ ]
- Where it is maked mencioun
- Of our countree pleyn at the eye,
- By teching of philosophye,
- Where lewid men might lere wit,5665
- Who-so that wolde translaten it.
- If he be sich that can wel live
- Aftir his may him yive,[ ]
- And not desyreth more to have,
- That may fro povertee him save:5670
- A wys man seide, as we may seen,
- Is no man wrecched, but he it wene,
- Be he king, knight, or ribaud.[ ]
- And many a ribaud is mery and baud,
- That , and berith, bothe day and night,5675
- Many a burthen of gret might,
- The whiche doth him lasse offense,
- For he suffrith in pacience.
- They laugh and daunce, trippe and singe,
- And ley not up for her living,5680
- But in the tavern al dispendith
- The winning that god hem sendith.
- Than goth he, for to bere,[ ]
- With as good chere as he dide ere;
- To swinke and traveile he not ,5685
- For for to robben he ;
- But right anoon, aftir his swinke,
- He goth to tavern for to drinke.
- Alle these ar riche in abundaunce,
- That can thus have suffisaunce5690
- Wel more than can an usurere,
- As god wel knowith, withoute were.
- For an usurer, so god me see,
- Shal never for richesse riche bee,
- But evermore pore and indigent,5695
- Scarce, and gredy in his entent.
-
- ‘For soth it is, whom it displese,
- Ther may no marchaunt live at ese,
- His herte in sich a is set,[ ]
- That it quik brenneth to get,[ ]5700
- Ne never ;
- Though he have gold in gerners yeten,[ ]
- For to be nedy he dredith sore.
- Wherfore to geten more and more
- He set his herte and his desire;5705
- So hote he brennith in the fire
- Of coveitise, that makith him wood
- To purchase other mennes good.
- He undirfongith a gret peyne,
- That undirtakith to drinke up Seyne;[ ]5710
- For the more he drinkith, ay
- The more he leveth, the soth to say.
- thurst of fals geting,
- That last ever in coveiting,
- And the anguisshe and distresse5715
- With the fire of gredinesse.
- She fighteth with him ay, and stryveth,
- That his herte asondre ryveth;
- Such gredinesse him assaylith,
- That whan he most hath, most he faylith.5720
-
- Phisiciens and advocates
- Gon right by the same yates;
- They selle hir science for winning,
- And haunte hir crafte for greet geting.
- Hir winning is of such swetnesse,5725
- That if a man falle in sikenesse,
- They are ful glad, for encrese;
- For by hir wille, withoute lees,
- Everiche man shulde be seke,
- And though they dye, they set not a leke.5730
- After, whan they the gold have take,
- Ful litel care for hem they make.
- They wolde that fourty were seke at onis,
- , two hundred, in flesh and bonis,
- And yit two thousand, as I gesse,5735
- For to encresen her richesse.
- They wol not worchen, in no wyse,
- But for lucre and coveityse;
- For fysyk ginneth first by fy,[ ]
- The also sothely;5740
- And sithen it goth fro ;
- To truste on hem, is foly;
- For they nil, in no maner gree,
- Do right nought for charitee.
-
- ‘Eke in the same secte are set5745
- Alle tho that prechen for to get
- Worshipes, honour, and richesse.
- Her hertis arn in greet distresse,
- That folk live not holily.[ ]
- But aboven al, specialy,5750
- Sich as prechen veynglorie,
- And toward god have no memorie,
- But forth as ypocrites trace,
- And to her soules deth purchace,
- And outward holynesse,5755
- Though they be fulle of cursidnesse.
- Not liche to the apostles twelve,
- They deceyve other and hem-selve;
- Bigyled is the gyler than.[ ]
- For preching of a cursed man,5760
- Though to other may profyte,
- availeth not a myte;
- For good predicacioun
- Cometh of evel entencioun.
- To him not vailith his preching,5765
- Al helpe he other with his teching;
- For where they good ensaumple take,
- There is he with veynglorie shake.
-
- ‘But lat us leven these prechoures,
- And speke of hem that in her toures5770
- Hepe up her gold, and shette,
- And sore theron her herte sette.
- They neither love god, ne drede;
- They kepe more than it is nede,
- And in her bagges sore it binde,5775
- Out of the sonne, and of the winde;
- They putte up more than nede ware,
- Whan they seen pore folk forfare,
- For hunger dye, and for cold quake;
- God can wel vengeaunce therof take.5780
- gret mischeves hem assailith,
- And thus in gadring ay travaylith;
- With peyne they winne richesse;
- And drede hem holdith in distresse,
- To kepe that they gadre faste;5785
- With sorwe they leve it at the laste;
- With sorwe they bothe dye and live,
- That to richesse her hertis yive,
- And defaute of love it is,
- As it shewith ful wel, y-wis.5790
- For if gredy, the sothe to seyn,
- Loveden, and were loved ageyn,
- And love regned over-alle,
- Such wikkidnesse ne shulde falle;
- But he shulde yeve that most good had5795
- To hem that weren in nede bistad,
- And live withoute fals usure,
- For charitee ful clene and pure.
- If they hem yeve to goodnesse,[ ]
- Defending hem from ydelnesse,5800
- In al this world than pore noon
- We shulde finde, I trowe, not oon.
- But chaunged is this world unstable;
- For love is over-al vendable.
- We see that no man loveth now5805
- But for winning and for prow;
- And love is thralled in servage
- Whan it is sold for avauntage;
- Yit wommen wol hir bodies selle;
- Suche soules goth to the devel of helle.’[ ]5810
[Here ends l. 5170 of the F. text. A great gap follows. The next line answers to l. 10717 of the same.]
FRAGMENT C.
-
- Whan Love had told hem his entente,[ ]
- The baronage to councel wente;
- In many sentences they fille,
- And dyversly they seide hir :
- But aftir discord they accorded,5815
- And hir accord to Love recorded.
- ‘Sir,’ seiden they, ‘we been at oon,
- By even accord of everichoon,
- Out-take Richesse al-only,5819
- That hath ful hauteynly,
- she the castel assaile,
- Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile,
- With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf,
- For man that speketh or bereth the lyf,[ ]
- And blameth your empryse, y-wis,5825
- And from our hoost departed is,
- (At wey, as in this plyte,)
- So hath she this man in dispyte;
- For she seith he ne loved hir never,
- And therfor she wol hate him ever.5830
- For he wol gadre no ,
- He hath hir wrath for evermore.
- He agilte hir never in other caas,
- Lo, here al hoolly his trespas!
- She seith wel, that this other day5835
- He hir leve to goon the way
- That is clepid To-moche-Yeving,[ ]
- And spak ful faire in his praying;
- But whan he prayde hir, pore was he,
- Therfore she warned him the entree.5840
- Ne yit is he not thriven so
- That he hath geten a peny or two,
- That quitly is his owne in hold.
- Thus hath Richesse us alle told;
- And whan Richesse us this recorded,5845
- Withouten hir we been accorded.
-
- ‘And we finde in our accordaunce,
- That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce,
- With alle the folk of hir bataile,
- Shulle at the hinder gate assayle,5850
- That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping,
- With his Normans, fulle of Iangling.
- And with hem Curtesie and Largesse,
- That shulle shewe hir hardinesse
- To the olde wyf that so harde[ ]5855
- Fair-Welcoming within her warde.
- Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge[ ]
- Fonde Shame adoun to bringe;
- With al hir , erly and late,
- They shulle assailen gate.5860
- Drede shal Hardinesse
- Assayle, and also Sikernesse,
- With al the folk of hir leding,
- That never wist what was fleing.
-
- ‘Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee,5865
- With Daunger ful of crueltee.
- Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel;
- Doun shal the castel every del,
- If everiche do his ,
- So that Venus be ,5870
- Your modir, ful of ,
- That can y-nough of such usage;
- Withouten hir may no wight spede
- This werk, neither for word ne dede.
- Therfore is good ye for hir sende,5875
- For thurgh hir may this werk amende.’
Amour.
-
- ‘Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse,
- That is my lady, and my maistresse,
- Nis not al at my willing,
- Ne doth not al my desyring.5880
- Yit can she som-tyme doon labour,
- Whan that hir lust, in my socour,
- for to acheve,
- But now I thenke hir not to greve.
- My modir is she, and of childhede5885
- I bothe worshipe hir, and drede;
- For who that dredith sire ne dame
- Shal it abye in body or name.
- And, natheles, yit cunne we
- Sende aftir hir, if nede be;5890
- And were she nigh, she comen wolde,
- I trowe that no-thing might hir holde.
-
- ‘My modir is of greet prowesse;
- She hath tan many a ,[ ]
- That cost hath many a pound er this,5895
- Ther I nas not present, y-wis;
- And yit men seide it was my dede;
- But I come never in that stede;
- Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee,
- toures withoute me.5900
- For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse,
- It may ben cleped but marchandise.
-
- ‘Go bye a courser, blak or whyte,
- And pay therfor; than art thou quyte.
- The marchaunt oweth thee right nought,5905
- Ne thou him, whan thou it bought.
- I wol not selling clepe yeving,
- For selling axeth no guerdoning;
- Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte,
- That oon goth from that other al quyte.5910
- But this selling is not semblable;
- For, whan his hors is in the stable,
- He may it selle ageyn, pardee,
- And winne on it, such hap may be;
- Al may the man not lese, y-wis,5915
- For at the leest the skin is his.
- Or elles, if it so bityde
- That he wol kepe his hors to ryde,
- Yit is he lord ay of his hors.
- But chaffare is wel wors,5920
- There Venus entremeteth nought;
- For who-so such chaffare hath bought,
- He shal not worchen so wysly,
- That he ne shal lese al outerly
- Bothe his and his chaffare;5925
- But the seller of the ware
- The prys and profit have shal.
- Certeyn, the byer shal lese al;
- For he ne can so dere it bye
- To have lordship and ful maistrye,5930
- Ne have power to make letting[ ]
- Neither for yift ne for preching,
- That of his chaffare, maugre his,
- Another shal have as moche, y-wis,
- If he wol yeve as moche as he,5935
- Of what contrey so that he be;
- Or for right nought, so happe may,
- If he can flater hir to hir pay.
- Ben than suche wyse?
- No, but fooles in every wyse,5940
- Whan they bye such thing wilfully,
- Ther-as they lese her good .
- But natheles, this dar I saye,
- My modir is not wont to paye,
- For she is neither so fool ne nyce,5945
- To entremete hir of sich .
- But wel, he shal al,
- That repente of his bargeyn shal,
- Whan Poverte put him in distresse,
- Al were he scoler to Richesse,5950
- That is for me in gret yerning,
- Whan she assenteth to my willing.
-
- ‘But, my modir seint Venus,[ ]
- And by hir fader Saturnus,
- That hir engendrid by his lyf,5955
- But not upon his weddid wyf!
- Yit wol I more unto you swere,
- To make this thing the ;
- Now by that feith, and that
- owe to alle my brethren free,5960
- Of which ther nis wight under heven
- That can her fadris names neven,[ ]
- So dyvers and so many ther be
- That with my modir have be privee!
- Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse,5965
- The pole of helle to my witnesse,[ ]
- Now drinke I not this yeer clarree,
- If that I lye, or forsworn be!
- (For of the goddes the usage is,
- That who-so him forswereth amis,5970
- Shal that yeer drinke no clarree).
- Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee;
- If I forswere me, than am I lorn,
- But I wol never be forsworn.
- Sith Richesse hath me failed here,5975
- She shal abye that trespas ,
- At wey, but hir arme
- With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme.[ ]
- For certes, sith she loveth not me,
- Fro tyme that she may see5980
- The castel and the tour to-shake,
- In sory tyme she shal awake.
- If I may a riche man,
- I shal so pulle him, if I can,[ ]
- That he shal, in a fewe stoundes,5985
- Lese alle his markes and his poundes.
- I shal him make his pens outslinge,
- they in his gerner springe;[ ]
- Our maydens shal eek plukke him so,
- That him shal neden fetheres mo,5990
- And make him selle his lond to spende,
- But he the bet cunne him defende.
-
- ‘Pore men han maad hir lord of me;
- Although they not so mighty be,
- That they may fede me in delyt,5995
- I wol not have hem in despyt.
- No good man hateth , as I gesse,
- For chinche and feloun is Richesse,
- That so can chase hem and dispyse,
- And hem defoule in sondry wyse.6000
- They loven ful bet, so god me spede,
- Than doth the riche, chinchy ,[ ]
- And been, in good feith, more stable
- And trewer, and more serviable;
- And therfore it suffysith me6005
- Hir herte, and hir leautee.[ ]
- They han on me set al hir thought,
- And therfore I forgete hem nought.
- I hem bringe in greet noblesse,[ ]
- If that I were god of Richesse,6010
- As I am god of Love, sothly,
- Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I.
- Therfore I must his socour be,
- That peyneth him to serven me;
- For if he deyde for love of this,6015
- Than semeth in me no love ther is.’
-
- ‘Sir,’ seide they, ‘sooth is, every del,[ ]
- That ye reherce, and we wot wel
- Thilk oth to holde is resonable;
- For it is good and covenable,6020
- That ye on riche men han sworn.
- For, sir, this wot we wel biforn;
- If riche men doon you homage,
- That is as fooles doon outrage;[ ]
- But ye not be,[ ]6025
- Ne therfore to drinke clarree,[ ]
- Or piment maked fresh and newe.[ ]
- Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe,
- If that they falle into hir laas,
- That they for wo mowe seyn “Allas!”6030
- Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be,
- That they shal quyte your oth al free.
- Ne seketh never other vicaire,[ ]
- For they shal speke with hem so faire
- That ye shal holde you payed ful wel,6035
- Though ye you medle never a del.
- Lat ladies with hir thinges,[ ]
- They shal hem telle so fele tydinges,
- And moeve hem eke so many requestis
- By flatery, that not honest is,6040
- And therto yeve such thankinges,
- What with kissing, and with talkinges,
- That certes, if they trowed be,
- Shal never leve hem lond ne fee[ ]
- That it nil as the moeble fare,6045
- Of which they first delivered are.
- Now may ye telle us al your wille,
- And we your shal fulfille.
-
- ‘But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede
- Of you, sir, medle him of this dede,6050
- For he seith that ye been his fo;
- He not, if ye wol worche him wo.
- Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire,
- That ye forgive him now your ire,
- And that he may dwelle, as your man,6055
- With Abstinence, his dere lemman;
- our accord and our wil now.’[ ]
-
- ‘Parfay,’ seide Love, ‘I graunte it yow;
- I wol wel holde him for my man;
- Now lat him come:’ and he forth ran.6060
- ‘Fals-Semblant,’ quod Love, ‘in this wyse
- I take thee here to my servyse,
- That thou our freendis helpe ,
- And hem neithir night ne day,
- But do thy might hem to releve,6065
- And eek our enemies that thou greve.
- Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee,[ ]
- My king of harlotes shalt thou be;
- We wol that thou have such honour.
- Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour,6070
- And eek a theef; sith thou were born,
- A thousand tyme thou art forsworn.
- But, , in our hering,
- To putte our folk out of douting,
- I bid thee teche hem, wostow how?6075
- By somme general signe now,
- In what place thou shalt founden be,
- If that men had mister of thee;[ ]
- And how men shal thee best espye,
- For thee to knowe is greet maistrye;6080
- Tel in what place is thyn haunting.’
F. Sem.
-
- ‘Sir, I have fele dyvers woning,
- That I kepe not rehersed be,[ ]
- So that ye wolde respyten me.
- For if that I telle you the sothe,6085
- I may have harm and shame bothe.
- If that my felowes wisten it,
- My tales shulden me be quit;
- For certeyn, they wolde hate me,
- If ever I knewe hir cruelte;6090
- For they wolde over-al holde hem stille
- Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille;
- Suche tales kepen they not here.
- I might eftsone bye it ful dere,
- If I seide of hem any thing,6095
- That ought displeseth to hir hering.
- For what word that hem prikke or byteth,
- In that word noon of hem delyteth,
- Al were it gospel, the evangyle,
- That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle,6100
- For they are cruel and hauteyn.
- And this thing wot I wel, certeyn,
- If I speke ought to peire hir loos,[ ]
- Your court shal not so wel be cloos,
- That they ne shal wite it atte last.6105
- Of good men am I nought agast,
- For they wol taken on hem nothing,
- Whan that they knowe al my mening;
- But he that wol it on him take,
- He wol himself suspecious make,6110
- That he his lyf let covertly,[ ]
- In Gyle and in Ipocrisy,
- That me engendred and yaf fostring.’
-
- ‘They made a ful good engendring,’
- Quod Love, ‘for who-so soothly telle,6115
- They engendred the devel of helle!
-
- ‘But nedely, how-so-ever it be,’
- Quod Love, ‘I wol and charge thee,
- To telle anoon thy woning-places,
- Hering ech wight that in this place is;[ ]6120
- And what lyf that thou livest also,
- Hyde it no lenger now; wherto?
- Thou most discover al thy wurching,
- How thou servest, and of what thing,
- Though that thou shuldest for thy soth-sawe6125
- Ben al to-beten and to-drawe;
- And yit art thou not wont, pardee.
- But natheles, though thou beten be,
- Thou shalt not be the first, that so
- Hath for soth-sawe suffred wo.’
F. Sem.
-
- ‘Sir, sith that it may lyken you,6131
- Though that I shulde be slayn right now,
- I shal don your comaundement,
- For therto have I gret talent.’6134
-
- Withouten wordes mo, right than,
- Fals-Semblant his sermon bigan,
- And seide hem thus in audience:—
- ‘Barouns, tak hede of my sentence!
- That wight that list to have knowing6139
- Of Fals-Semblant, ful of flatering,
- He must in worldly folk him seke,
- And, certes, in the cloistres eke;
- I wone no-where but in hem ;
- But not lyk even, sooth to ;
- Shortly, I wol herberwe me6145
- There I hope best to hulstred be;[ ]
- And certeynly, sikerest hyding
- Is undirneth humblest clothing.
-
- ‘Religious folk ben ful covert;[ ]
- Seculer folk ben more appert.6150
- But natheles, I wol not blame
- Religious folk, ne hem diffame,
- In what habit that ever they go:
- Religioun humble, and trewe also,
- Wol I not blame, ne dispyse,6155
- But I nil love it, in no wyse.
- I mene of fals religious,
- That stoute ben, and malicious;
- That wolen in an abit go,6159
- And setten not hir herte therto.
-
- ‘Religious folk ben al pitous;
- Thou shalt not seen oon dispitous.
- They loven no pryde, ne no stryf,
- But humbly they wol lede hir lyf;
- With folk wol I never be.
- And if I dwelle, I feyne me6166
- I may wel in her abit go;
- But me were lever my nekke atwo,
- Than a purpose that I take,[ ]
- What covenaunt that ever I make.6170
- I dwelle with hem that proude be,
- And fulle of wyles and ;
- That worship of this world coveyten,
- And grete cunne espleyten;
- And goon and gadren greet pitaunces,6175
- And purchace hem the acqueyntaunces
- Of men that mighty lyf may leden;
- And feyne hem pore, and hem-self feden
- With gode morcels delicious,
- And drinken good wyn precious,6180
- And preche us povert and distresse,
- And fisshen hem-self greet richesse
- With wyly nettis that they :
- It wol come foul out at the laste.
- They ben fro clene religioun went;6185
- They make the world an argument[ ]
- That a foul conclusioun.
- “I have a robe of religioun,
- Than am I al religious:”
- This argument is al roignous;6190
- It is not worth a croked brere;
- Habit ne ne frere,[ ]
- But clene lyf and devocioun
- Maketh gode men of religioun.
- , ther can noon answere,6195
- How high that ever his heed he shere
- With whetted never so kene,
- That Gyle in braunches cut thrittene;[ ]
- Ther can no wight distincte it so,
- That he dar sey a word therto.6200
-
- ‘But what herberwe that ever I take,
- Or what semblant that ever I make,
- I mene but gyle, and folowe that;
- For right no mo than Gibbe our cat[ ]
- ,[ ]6205
- Ne entende I but to ;
- Ne no wight may, by my clothing,
- Wite with what folk is my dwelling;
- Ne by my wordis yet, pardee,
- So softe and so plesaunt they be.6210
- Bihold the dedis that I do;
- But thou be blind, thou oughtest so;
- For, varie hir wordis fro hir dede,
- They thenke on gyle, drede,
- What maner clothing that they were,6215
- Or what estat that ever they bere,
- Lered or lewd, lord or lady,
- Knight, squier, burgeis, or bayly.’
-
- Right thus whyl Fals-Semblant sermoneth,
- Eftsones Love him aresoneth,[ ]6220
- And brak his tale in the speking
- As though he had him told lesing;
- And seide: ‘What, devel, is that I here?[ ]
- What folk hast thou us nempned here?
- May men finde religioun6225
- In worldly habitacioun?’
F. Sem.
-
- ‘ , sir; it foloweth not that they
- Shulde lede a wikked lyf, parfey,
- Ne not therfore her soules lese,
- That hem to worldly clothes chese;6230
- For, certis, it were gret pitee.
- Men may in seculer clothes see
- Florisshen holy religioun.
- Ful many a seynt in feeld and toun,
- With many a virgin glorious,6235
- Devout, and ful religious,
- Had deyed, that clothe ay beren,
- Yit seyntes never-the-les they weren.
- I coude reken you many a ten;
- , wel nigh these holy wimmen,6240
- That men in chirchis herie and seke,
- Bothe maydens, and these wyves eke,
- That baren a fair child here,
- Wered alwey clothis seculere,
- And in the same they,6245
- That seyntes weren, and been alwey.
- The thousand maydens dere,[ ]
- That beren in heven hir ciergis clere,
- Of which men rede in chirche, and singe,
- Were take in seculer clothing,6250
- Whan they resseyved martirdom,
- And wonnen heven unto her hoom.
- Good makith the thought;
- The clothing yeveth ne reveth nought.
- The thought and the worching,6255
- That maketh flowring,[ ]
- Ther lyth the good religioun
- Aftir the right entencioun.
-
- ‘Who-so a wethers skin,
- And wrapped a gredy wolf therin,[ ]6260
- For he shulde go with lambis whyte,
- Wenest thou not he wolde hem byte?
- ! never-the-las, as he were wood,
- He wolde hem wery, and drinke the blood;[ ]
- And wel the rather hem disceyve,6265
- For, sith they coude not perceyve
- His treget and his crueltee,[ ]
- They wolde him folowe, al wolde he flee.
-
- ‘If ther be wolves of sich hewe
- Amonges these apostlis newe,6270
- Thou, holy chirche, thou mayst be !
- Sith that thy citee is assayled
- Thourgh knightis of thyn owne table,6273
- God wot thy lordship is doutable!
- If they enforce it to winne,
- That shulde defende it fro withinne,
- Who might defence ayens hem make?
- stroke it mot be take
- Of trepeget or mangonel;[ ]
- Without displaying of pensel.[ ]6280
- And if god nil don it socour,
- But lat [hem] renne in this colour,
- Thou moost thyn heestis laten be.
- Than is ther nought, but yelde thee,
- Or yeve hem tribute, ,6285
- And holde it of hem to have pees:
- But gretter harm bityde thee,
- That they al maister of it be.
- Wel conne they scorne thee withal;
- By day stuffen they the wal,[ ]6290
- And al the night they mynen there.
- Nay, thou elleswhere
- Thyn impes, if thou wolt fruyt have;
- Abyd not there thy-self to save.
-
- ‘But now pees! here I turne ageyn;6295
- I wol no more of this thing ,
- If I may passen me herby;
- I mighte maken you wery.
- But I wol heten you alway
- To helpe your freendis what I may,6300
- So they wollen my company;
- For they be shent al-outerly
- But-if so falle, that I be
- Oft with hem, and they with me.
- And eek my lemman mot they serve,[ ]6305
- Or they shul not my love deserve.
- Forsothe, I am a fals traitour;
- God iugged me for a theef trichour;
- Forsworn I am, but wel nygh non
- Wot of my gyle, til it be don.6310
-
- ‘Thourgh me hath many oon deth resseyved,
- That my treget never aperceyved;
- And yit resseyveth, and shal resseyve,
- That my falsnesse aperceyve:
- But who-so doth, if he wys be,6315
- Him is right good be of me.
-
6317, 8. Words supplied by Kaluza.
- But so sligh is the [deceyving[ ]
- That to hard is the] aperceyving.
- For Protheus, that coude him chaunge
- In every shap, hoomly and straunge,6320
- Coude never sich gyle ne tresoun
- As I; for I com never in toun
- Ther-as I knowen be,
- Though men me bothe might here and see.
- Ful wel I can my clothis chaunge,6325
- Take oon, and make another straunge.
- Now am I knight, now chasteleyn;
- Now prelat, and now chapeleyn;
- Now prest, now clerk, and now forstere;6329
- Now am I maister, now scolere;
- Now monk, now chanoun, now baily;
- What-ever mister man am I.[ ]
- Now am I prince, now am I page,
- And can by herte every langage.
- Som-tyme am I hoor and old;6335
- Now am I yong, stout, and bold;
- Now am I Robert, now Robyn;[ ]
- Now frere Menour, now Iacobyn;[ ]
- And with me folweth my loteby,[ ]
- To don me solas and company,6340
- That hight dame ,[ ]
- In many a queynt array .
- Right as it cometh to hir lyking,
- I fulfille al hir desiring.
- Somtyme a wommans cloth take I;[ ]6345
- Now am mayde, now lady.
- Somtyme I am religious;
- Now lyk an anker in an hous.
- Somtyme am I prioresse,
- And now a nonne, and now abbesse;6350
- And go thurgh alle regiouns,
- Seking alle religiouns.[ ]
- But to what ordre that I am sworn,
- I take the strawe, and the corn;[ ]
- To folk I enhabite,[ ]6355
- I axe no-more but hir .
- What wol ye more? in every wyse,
- Right as me list, I me disgyse.
- Wel can I me under weed;[ ]
- Unlyk is my word to my deed.6360
- make in my trappis falle,
- Thurgh my pryvileges, alle
- That ben in Cristendom alyve.
- I may assoile, and I may shryve,
- That no prelat may lette me,[ ]6365
- Al folk, wher-ever they founde be:
- I noot no prelat may don so,
- But it the pope be, and no mo,
- That made thilk establisshing.
- Now is not this a propre thing?6370
- But, were my sleightis aperceyved,
- [Ne shulde I been ]
- As I was wont; and wostow why?
- For I dide hem a tregetry;[ ]
- But therof yeve litel tale,6375
- I have the silver and the male;
- So have I preched and eek ,
- So have take, so have [me] ,
- Thurgh hir foly, husbond and wyf,[ ]
- That I lede right a Ioly lyf,6380
- Thurgh simplesse of the prelacye;
- They know not al my tregetrye.
-
- ‘But for as moche as man and wyf
- Shuld shewe hir paroche-prest hir lyf
- Ones a yeer, as seith the book,[ ]6385
- Er wight his housel took,
- Than have I pryvilegis large,
- That may of thing discharge;
- For he may seye right thus, pardee:—
- “Sir Preest, in shrift I telle it thee,[ ]6390
- That he, to whom that I am shriven,
- Hath me assoiled, and me
- soothly, for my sinne,
- Which that I fond me gilty inne;
- Ne I ne have never entencioun6395
- To make double confessioun,
- Ne reherce eft my shrift to thee;
- O shrift is y-nough to me.[ ]
- This oughte thee suffyce wel,
- Ne be not rebel never-a-del;6400
- For certis, though thou haddest it sworn,
- I wot no prest ne prelat born
- That may to shrift eft me constreyne.
- And if they don, I wol me pleyne;
- For I wot where to pleyne wel.6405
- Thou shalt not streyne me a del,
- Ne enforce me, ne me trouble,
- To make my confessioun double.
- Ne I have none affeccioun
- To have double absolucioun.6410
- The firste is right y-nough to me;
- This latter assoiling quyte I thee.
- I am unbounde; what mayst thou finde
- More of my sinnes me to unbinde?
- For he, that might hath in his hond,6415
- Of alle my sinnes me unbond.
- And if thou wolt me thus constreyne,
- That me mot nedis on thee pleyne,[ ]
- There shal no Iugge imperial,
- Ne bisshop, ne official,6420
- Don Iugement on me; for I
- Shal gon and pleyne me openly
- Unto my shrift-fadir newe,[ ]
- (That hight not Frere Wolf untrewe!)[ ]
- And he shal him for me,[ ]6425
- For I trowe he can thee.
- But, lord! he wolde be wrooth withalle,
- If men him wolde Frere Wolf calle!
- For he wolde have no pacience,
- But don al cruel vengeaunce!6430
- He wolde his might don at the leest,
- no-thing spare for goddis heest.
- And, god so wis be my socour,
- But thou yeve me my Saviour[ ]
- At Ester, whan it lyketh me,6435
- Withoute presing more on thee,
- I wol forth, and to him goon,
- And he shal housel me anoon,
- For I am out of thy grucching;
- I kepe not dele with thee nothing.”6440
- Thus may he shryve him, that forsaketh
- His paroche-prest, and to me taketh.
- And if the prest wol him refuse,
- I am ful redy him to accuse,
- And him punisshe and hampre so,6445
- That he his chirche shal forgo.
- ‘But who-so hath in his feling
- The consequence of such shryving,
- Shal seen that prest may never have might[ ]
- To knowe the conscience a-right6450
- Of him that is under his cure.
- And ageyns holy scripture,[ ]
- That biddeth every honeste
- Have verry knowing of his .[ ]
- But pore folk that goon by strete,6455
- That have no gold, ne sommes grete,
- Hem wolde I lete to her prelates,
- Or lete hir prestis knowe hir states,
- For to me right nought yeve they.’
Amour.
-
- ‘And why is it?’
-
6460. Both it is; F.Porquoi.
F. Sem.
-
- ‘For they ne may.6460
- They ben so bare, I take no keep;
- But I wol have the sheep;—
- Lat parish prestis have the lene,
- I yeve not of hir harm a bene![ ]
- And if that prelats it,6465
- That oughten be in hir wit,
- To lese her fatte bestes so,
- I shal yeve hem a stroke or two,
- That they shal lesen with force,[ ]
- , bothe hir mytre and hir croce.6470
- Thus Iape I hem, and have do longe,
- My priveleges been so stronge.’
-
- Fals-Semblant wolde have stinted here,
- But Love ne made him no such chere
- That he was wery of his sawe;6475
- But for to make him glad and fawe,
- He seide:—‘Tel on more specialy,
- How that thou servest untrewly.
- Tel forth, and shame thee never a del;
- For as thyn abit shewith wel,6480
- Thou an holy heremyte.’
F. Sem.
Amour.- ‘Thou gost and prechest povertee?’
F. Sem.- ‘ , sir; but richesse hath poustee.’
Amour.- ‘Thou prechest abstinence also?’6485
F. Sem.
-
- ‘Sir, I wol fillen, so mote I go,
- My paunche of mete and wyne,
- As shulde a maister of divyne;
- For how that I me pover feyne,
- Yit alle pore folk I disdeyne.6490
-
- ‘I love bet [ ]
- Ten , of the king of Fraunce,
- Than of man of mylde mode,
- Though that his soule be also gode.
- For whan I see beggers quaking,6495
- Naked on al stinking,
- For hungre crye, and eek for care,
- I entremete not of hir fare.
- They been so pore, and ful of pyne,
- They might not ones yeve me ,[ ]6500
- For they have no-thing but hir lyf;
- What shulde he yeve that likketh his knyf?
- It is but foly to entremete,
- To seke in houndes nest fat mete.
- Let bere hem to the spitel anoon,6505
- But, for me, comfort gete they noon.
- But a riche sike usurere
- Wolde I visyte and drawe nere;
- Him wol I comforte and rehete,
- For I hope of his gold to gete.6510
- And if that wikked deth him have,
- I wol go with him to his grave.
- And if ther reprove me,
- Why that I lete the pore be,
- Wostow how I ascape?6515
- I sey, and him ful rape,
- That riche men han more tecches
- Of sinne, than han pore wrecches,
- And han of counseil more mister;
- And therfore I wol drawe hem ner.6520
- But as gret hurt, it may so be,
- soule in right gret poverte,
- As soul in gret richesse, forsothe,
- Al-be-it that they hurten bothe.
- For richesse and mendicitees6525
- Ben cleped two extremitees;
- The mene is cleped suffisaunce,
- Ther lyth of vertu the aboundaunce.
- For Salamon, ful wel I woot,
- In his Parables us wroot,6530
- As it is knowe many a wight,
- In his chapitre right:[ ]
- “God, thou me kepe, for thy poustee,
- Fro richesse and mendicitee;
- For if a riche man him dresse6535
- To thenke to on [his] richesse,
- His herte on that so fer is set,
- That he his creatour foryet;
- And him, that wol ay greve,
- How shulde I by his word him leve?6540
- Unnethe that he nis a micher,[ ]
- Forsworn, or elles lyer.”
- Thus seith sawes;
- Ne we finde writen in no lawes,
- And namely in our Cristen lay—6545
- (Who seith “ ,” I dar sey “nay”)—
- That Crist, ne his apostlis dere,
- Whyl that they walkede in erthe here,
- Were never seen her bred begging,
- For they beggen for nothing.6550
-
- And right thus were men wont to teche;
- And in this wyse wolde it preche
- The maistres of divinitee
- Somtyme in Paris the citee.
-
- ‘And if men wolde ther-geyn appose6555
- The naked text, and lete the glose,[ ]
- It sone assoiled be;
- For men may wel the sothe see,
- That, parde, they mighte axe a thing
- Pleynly forth, without begging.6560
- For they weren goddis herdis dere,
- And cure of soules hadden here,
- They nolde no-thing begge hir fode;
- For aftir Crist was don on rode,
- With [hir] propre hondis wrought,6565
- And with travel, and elles nought,
- They wonnen al hir sustenaunce,
- And liveden forth in hir penaunce,
- And the remenaunt awey
- To other pore alwey.6570
- They neither bilden tour ne halle,[ ]
- But in houses smale withalle.
- A mighty man, that can and may,
- Shulde with his honde and body alway
- Winne him his food in laboring,6575
- If he ne have rent or sich a thing,
- Although he be religious,
- And god to serven curious.
- Thus mote he don, or do trespas,
- But-if it be in certeyn cas,6580
- I can reherce, if mister be,
- Right wel, whan the tyme I see.
-
- ‘Seke the book of Seynt Austin,
- Be it in paper or perchemin,[ ]
- There-as he writ of these worchinges,[ ]6585
- Thou shalt seen that non excusinges
- A parfit man ne shulde seke
- By wordis, ne by dedis eke,
- Although he be religious,
- And god to serven curious,6590
- That he ne shal, so mote I go,
- With propre hondis and body also,
- Gete his food in laboring,
- If he ne have propretee of thing.
- Yit shulde he selle al his substaunce,6595
- And with his swink have sustenaunce,
- If he be parfit in bountee.
- Thus han tho bookes me:
- For he that wol gon ydilly,
- And useth it ay 6600
- haunten other mennes table,
- He is a trechour, ful of fable;
- Ne he ne may, by gode resoun,
- Excuse him by his orisoun.
- For men bihoveth, in som gyse,6605
- [leven] goddes servyse
- To gon and purchasen her nede.
- Men mote eten, that is no drede,
- And slepe, and eek do other thing;
- So longe may they leve praying.6610
- So may they eek hir prayer blinne,
- While that they werke, hir mete to winne.
- Seynt Austin wol therto accorde,
- In thilke book that I recorde.
- Justinian eek, that made lawes,[ ]6615
- Hath thus forboden, by dawes,
- “No man, up peyne to be deed,
- Mighty of body, to begge his breed,
- If he may swinke, it for to gete;
- Men shulde him rather mayme or bete,6620
- Or doon of him apert Iustice,
- Than suffren him in such malice.”
- They don not wel, so mote I go,
- That taken such almesse so,
- But if they have som privelege,6625
- That of the peyne hem wol allege.
- But how that is, can I not see,
- But-if the prince disseyved be;
- Ne I ne wene not, sikerly,
- That they may have it rightfully.6630
- But I wol not determyne
- Of princes power, ne defyne,
- Ne by my word comprende, y-wis,
- If it so fer may strecche in this.
- I wol not entremete a del;6635
- But I trowe that the book seith wel,[ ]
- Who that taketh almesses, that be
- Dewe to folk that men may see
- Lame, feble, wery, and bare,
- Pore, or in such maner care,6640
- (That conne winne hem nevermo,
- For they have no power therto),
- He eteth his owne dampning,
- But-if he lye, that made al thing.
- And if ye such a truaunt finde,[ ]6645
- Chastise him wel, if ye be kinde.
- But they wolde hate you, percas,
- And, if ye fillen in hir laas,
- They wolde eftsones do you scathe,
- If that they , late or rathe;6650
- For they be not ful pacient,
- That han the world thus foule blent.
- And witeth wel, that god bad[ ]
- The good man selle al that he had,
- And folowe him, and to pore it ,6655
- He wolde not therfore that he live
- To serven him in mendience,
- For it was never his sentence;
- But he bad wirken whan that nede is,
- And folwe him in goode dedis.6660
- Seynt Poule, that loved al holy chirche,
- He bade thapostles for to wirche,
- And winnen hir lyflode in that wyse,
- And hem defended truaundyse,
- And seide, “Wirketh with your honden;”[ ]6665
- Thus shulde the thing be undirstonden.
- He nolde, y-wis, hem begging,
- Ne sellen gospel, ne preching,
- Lest they berafte, with hir asking,
- Folk of hir catel or of hir thing.6670
- For in this world is many a man
- That yeveth his good, for he ne can
- Werne it for shame, or elles he
- Wolde of the asker delivered be;
- And, for he him encombreth so,6675
- He yeveth him good to late him go:
- But it can him no-thing profyte,
- They lese the yift and the meryte.
- The folk, that Poule to preched,
- Profred him ofte, whan he hem teched,6680
- Som of hir good in charite;
- But right no-thing took he;[ ]
- But of his hondwerk wolde he gete
- Clothes to him, and his mete.’
Amour.- ‘Tel me than how a man may liven,6685
- That al his good to pore hath yiven,
- And wol but only bidde his bedis,
- And never with laboure his nedis:
- May he do so?’
F. Sem.
Amour.
F. Sem.
-
- ‘Sir, I wol gladly telle yow:—6690
- Seynt Austin seith, a man may be[ ]
- In houses that han propretee,
- As templers and hospitelers,[ ]
- And as these chanouns regulers,[ ]
- Or whyte monkes, or these blake—[ ]6695
- (I wole no mo ensamplis make)—
- And take thereof his sustening,
- For therinne lyth no begging;
- But not, y-wis,
- Austin gabbeth not of this.6700
- And yit ful many a monk laboureth,
- That god in holy chirche honoureth;
- For whan hir swinking is agoon,
- They rede and singe in chirche anoon.
-
- ‘And for ther hath ben greet discord,6705
- As many a wight may bere record,
- Upon the estate of ,
- I wol shortly, in your presence,
- Telle how a man may begge at nede,
- That hath not wherwith him to fede,6710
- Maugre his felones Iangelinges,
- For sothfastnesse wol non hidinges;
- And yit, percas, I may abey,[ ]
- That I to yow sothly thus sey.
-
- ‘Lo, here the caas especial:6715
- If a man be so bestial
- That he of no craft hath science,
- And nought desyreth ignorence,
- Than may he go a-begging yerne,
- Til he som maner craft can lerne,6720
- Thurgh which, truaunding,
- He may in trouthe have his living.
- Or if he may don no labour,
- For elde, or syknesse, or langour,
- Or for his tendre age also,6725
- Than may he yit a-begging go.
-
- ‘Or if he have, peraventure,
- Thurgh usage of his ,
- Lived over deliciously,
- Than oughten good folk comunly6730
- Han of his mischeef som pitee,
- And suffren him also, that he
- May gon aboute and begge his breed,
- That he be not for hungur deed.
- Or if he have of craft cunning,6735
- And strengthe also, and desiring
- To wirken, as he what,
- But he finde neither this ne that,
- Than may he begge, til that he
- Have geten his necessitee.6740
-
- ‘Or if his winning be so lyte,
- That his labour wol not acquyte
- Sufficiantly al his living,
- Yit may he go his breed begging;
- Fro dore to dore he may go trace,6745
- Til he the remenaunt may purchace.
- Or if a man wolde undirtake
- empryse for to make,
- In the rescous of our lay,[ ]
- And it defenden as he may,6750
- Be it with armes or lettrure,
- Or other covenable cure,
- If it be so e pore be,
- Than may he begge, til that he
- May finde in trouthe for to swinke,6755
- And gete him , mete, and drinke.
- Swinke he with hondis corporel,
- And not with hondis espirituel.
-
- ‘In al caas, and in semblables,
- If that ther ben mo resonables,6760
- He may begge, as I telle you here,
- And elles nought, in no manere;
- As William Seynt Amour wolde preche,[ ]
- And ofte wolde dispute and teche
- Of this matere alle openly6765
- At Paris ful ,
- And al-so god my soule blesse,
- As he had, in this stedfastnesse,
- The accord of the universitee,
- And of the puple, as semeth me.6770
-
- ‘No good man oughte it to refuse,
- Ne oughte him therof to excuse,
- Be wrooth or blythe who-so be;
- For I wol speke, and telle it thee,
- Al shulde I dye, and be put doun,6775
- As was seynt Poul, in derk prisoun;
- Or be exiled in this caas
- With wrong, as maister William was,
- That my moder Ypocrisye
- Banisshed for hir greet envye.6780
-
- ‘My moder flemed him, Seynt Amour:
- noble dide such labour[ ]
- To susteyne ever the loyaltee,
- That he to moche me.
- He made a book, and leet it wryte,6785
-
6786. SoTh.; G. Of thyngis that he beste myghte (in late hand).
- Wherin his lyf he dide al wryte,
- And wolde ich reneyed begging,[ ]
- And lived by my traveyling,
- If I ne had rent ne other good.
- What? wened he that I were wood?6790
- For labour might me never plese,
- I have more to been at ese;
- And have wel lever, sooth to sey,
- Bifore the puple patre and prey,
- And wrye me in my foxerye6795
- Under a cope of papelardye.’[ ]
-
- Quod Love, ‘What devel is I here?
- What wordis tellest thou me here?’
F. Sem.
Amour.- ‘Falsnesse, that apert is;
- Than dredist thou not god?’
F. Sem.
-
- ‘No, certis:6800
- For selde in greet thing shal he spede
- In this world, that god wol drede.
- For folk that hem to vertu ,
- And truly on her owne liven,
- And hem in goodnesse ay contene,6805
- On hem is litel thrift ;
- Such folk drinken gret misese;
- That lyf may me never plese.
- But see what gold han usurers,
- And silver eek in [hir] garners,[ ]6810
- Taylagiers, and these monyours,[ ]
- Bailifs, bedels, provost, countours;
- These liven wel nygh by ravyne;
- The smale puple hem mote enclyne,[ ]
- And they as wolves wol hem eten.6815
- Upon the pore folk they geten
- Ful moche of that they spende or kepe;
- Nis none of hem that he nil strepe,
- And him-self wel atte fulle;[ ]
- scalding they hem pulle.[ ]6820
- The stronge the feble overgoth;
- But I, that were my simple cloth,
- Robbe bothe robbed and ,
- And gyle gyled and gylours.[ ]
- By my treget, I gadre and threste6825
- The greet tresour into my cheste,
- That lyth with me so bounde
- Myn paleys do I founde,
- And my delytes I fulfille
- With wyne at feestes at my wille,6830
- And tables fulle of entremees;[ ]
- I wol no lyf, but ese and pees,
- And winne gold to spende also.
- For whan the bagge is go,[ ]
- It cometh right with my Iapes.6835
- Make I not wel tumble myn apes?
- To winne is alwey myn entent;
- My purchas is better than my rent;[ ]
- For though I shulde beten be,
- Over-al I entremete me;6840
- me may no wight dure.
- I walke soules for to cure.
- Of al the worlde cure have I
- In brede and lengthe;
- I wol bothe preche and eek counceilen;6845
- With hondis wille I not traveilen,
- For of the pope I have the bulle;
- I ne holde not my wittes dulle.
- I wol not stinten, in my lyve,6849
- These for to shryve,
- Or kyngis, dukis, lordis grete;
- But pore folk al quyte I lete.
- I love no such shryving, pardee,
- But it for other cause be.
- I rekke not of pore men,6855
- Hir astate is not worth an hen.
- Where fyndest thou a swinker of labour
- Have me unto his confessour?
- But emperesses, and duchesses,
- Thise quenes, and eek countesses,6860
- Thise abbesses, and eek Bigyns,[ ]
- These ladyes palasyns,[ ]
- These Ioly knightes, and baillyves,
- Thise nonnes, and thise burgeis wyves,
- That riche been, and eek plesing,6865
- And thise maidens welfaring,
- Wher-so they clad or naked be,
- Uncounceiled goth ther noon fro me.
- And, for her soules savetee,
- At lord and lady, and hir meynee,6870
- I axe, whan they hem to me shryve,
- The propretee of al hir lyve,
- And make hem trowe, bothe meest and leest,
- Hir paroch-prest nis but a beest
- Ayens me and my company,[ ]6875
- That shrewis been as greet as I;
- For whiche I wol not hyde in hold
- No privetee that me is told,
- That I by word or signe, y-wis,
- make hem knowe what it is,6880
- And they wolen also tellen me;
- They hele fro me no privitee.
- And for to make yow hem perceyven,
- That usen folk thus to disceyven,
- I wol you seyn, withouten drede,6885
- What men may in the gospel rede
- Of Seynt Mathew, the gospelere,[ ]
- That seith, as I shal you sey here.
-
- ‘Upon the chaire of Moyses—
- Thus is it glosed, :6890
- That is the olde testament,
- For therby is the chaire ment—
- Sitte Scribes and Pharisen;—
- That is to seyn, the cursid men
- Whiche that we ypocritis calle—6895
- Doth that they preche, I rede you alle,
- But doth not as they don a del,
- That been not wery to seye wel,
- But to do wel, no wille have they;
- And they wolde binde on folk alwey,6900
- That ben to begyled able,
- that ben importable;
- On folkes shuldres thinges they couchen
- That they nil with her fingres touchen.’
Amour.- ‘And why wol they not touche it?’
F. Sem.
-
- ‘Why?6905
- For hem ne list not, sikirly;
- For sadde burdens that men taken
- Make folkes shuldres aken.
- And if they do ought that good be,
- That is for folk it shulde see:6910
- Her burdens larger maken they,[ ]
- And make hir hemmes wyde alwey,[ ]
- And loven setes at the table,
- The firste and most honourable;
- And for to han the first chaieris6915
- In synagoges, to hem ful dere is;
- And willen that folk hem loute and grete,
- Whan that they passen thurgh the strete,
- And wolen be cleped “Maister” also.
- But they ne shulde not willen so;6920
- The gospel is ther-ageyns, I gesse:
- That sheweth wel hir wikkidnesse.
-
- ‘Another custom use we:—
- Of hem that wol ayens us be,
- We hate deedly everichoon,6925
- And we wol werrey hem, as oon.
- Him that oon hatith, hate we alle,
- And coniecte how to doon him falle.
- And if we seen him winne honour,
- Richesse or preys, thurgh his valour,6930
- Provende, rent, or dignitee,
- Ful fast, y-wis, compassen we
- By what ladder he is clomben so;
- And for to maken him doun to go,
- With traisoun we wole him defame,6935
- And doon him lese his name.
- Thus from his ladder we him take,
- And thus his freendis foes we make;
- But word ne shal he noon,
- Til alle his freendis been his foon.6940
- For if we dide it openly,
- We might have blame redily;
- For hadde he wist of our malyce,
- He hadde him kept, but he were nyce.
-
- ‘Another is this, that, if so falle6945
- That ther be oon among us alle
- That doth a good turn, out of drede,
- We seyn it is our alder dede.[ ]
- , sikerly, though he it feyned,
- Or that him list, or that him deyned6950
- A man thurgh him avaunced be;
- Therof alle be we,[ ]
- And tellen folk, wher-so we go,
- That man thurgh us is sprongen so.
- And for to have of men preysing,6955
- We purchace, thurgh our flatering,
- Of riche men, of gret poustee,
- Lettres, to witnesse our bountee;
- So that man weneth, that may us see,
- That alle vertu in us be.6960
- And alwey pore we us feyne;
- But how so that we begge or pleyne,
- We ben the folk, without lesing,
- That al thing have without having.[ ]
- Thus be we dred of the puple, y-wis.6965
- And gladly my purpos is this:—
- I dele with no wight, but he
- Have gold and tresour gret plentee;
- Hir acqueyntaunce wel love I;
- This is moche my desyr, shortly.6970
- I entremete me of brocages,[ ]
- I make pees and mariages,
- I am gladly executour,
- And many ;
- I am somtyme messager;6975
- That falleth not to my mister.[ ]
- And many tymes I make enquestes;
- For me that office not honest is;
- To dele with other mennes thing,
- That is to me a gret lyking.6980
- And if that ye have ought to do
- In place that I repeire to,
- I shal it speden thurgh my wit,
- As sone as ye have told me it.
- So that ye serve me to pay,6985
- My servyse shal be your alway.
- But who-so wol chastyse me,
- Anoon my love lost hath he;
- For I love no man in no gyse,
- That wol me repreve or chastyse;6990
- But I wolde al folk undirtake,
- And of no wight no teching take;
- For I, that other folk chastye,
- Wol not be taught fro my folye.
-
- ‘I love noon hermitage more;6995
- Alle desertes, and holtes hore,
- And wodes everichoon,
- I lete hem to the Baptist Iohan.
- I quethe him quyte, and him relesse
- Of Egipt al the wildirnesse;[ ]7000
- To fer were alle my mansiouns
- Fro citees and goode tounes.
- My paleis and myn hous make I
- There men may renne in openly,
- And sey that I the world forsake.7005
- But al amidde I bilde and make
- My hous, and swimme and pley therinne
- Bet than a fish doth with his finne.
-
- ‘Of Antecristes men am I,
- Of whiche that Crist seith openly,7010
- They have abit of holinesse,
-
7012. After this line, both inTh.andG., come ll. 7109-7158.
- And liven in such wikkednesse.
- Outward, lambren semen we,
- Fulle of goodnesse and of pitee,
- And inward we, withouten fable,7015
- Ben gredy wolves ravisable.[ ]
- We enviroune bothe londe and see;[ ]
- With al the world we;[ ]
- We wol ordeyne of thing,
- Of folkes good, and her living.7020
-
- ‘If ther be castel or citee
- Wherin that any be,[ ]
- Although that they of Milayne were,
- For ther-of ben they blamed there:
- Or if a wight, out of mesure,7025
- Wolde lene his gold, and take usure,
- For that he is so coveitous:
- Or if he be to leccherous,
- Or haunte simonye;[ ]
- Or provost, ful of trecherye,7030
- Or prelat, living Iolily,
- Or prest that halt his quene him by;
- Or olde hores hostilers,
- Or other bawdes or bordillers,
- Or elles blamed of vyce,7035
- Of whiche men shulden doon Iustyce:
- By alle the seyntes that pray,
- But they defende with lamprey,[ ]
- With luce, with elis, with samons,
- With tendre gees, and with capons,7040
- With tartes, or with fat,
- With deynte flawnes, brode and flat,
- With caleweys, or with pullaille,[ ]
- With coninges, or with fyn vitaille,[ ]
- That we, undir our clothes wyde,7045
- Maken thurgh our golet glyde:
- Or but wol do come in haste
- Roo-venisoun, in paste:
- Whether so that he loure or groine,[ ]
- He shal have of a corde a loigne,[ ]7050
- With whiche men shal him binde and lede,
- To brenne him for his sinful dede,
- That men shulle here him crye and rore
- A myle-wey aboute, and more.
- Or elles he shal in prisoun dye,7055
- But-if he wol frendship bye,
- Or smerten that that he hath do,[ ]
- More than his gilt amounteth to.
- But, and he couthe thurgh his
- Do maken up a tour of ,7060
- Nought roughte I whether of stone or tree,
- Or erthe, or turves though it be,
- Though it were of no stone,[ ]
- Wrought with squyre and scantilone,
- So that the tour were stuffed wel7065
- With alle richesse temporel;
- And thanne, that he wolde updresse
- Engyns, bothe more and lesse,
- To caste at us, by every syde—
- To bere his name wyde—7070
- Such I shal yow nevene,[ ]
- Barelles of wyne, by sixe or sevene,
- Or gold in sakkes gret plente,
- He shulde sone delivered be.
- And if he noon sich pitaunces,7075
- Late him study in equipolences,[ ]
- And lete lyes and fallaces,
- If that he wolde deserve our graces;
- Or we shal bere him such witnesse
- Of sinne, and of his wrecchidnesse,7080
- And doon his loos so wyde renne,
- That al quik we shulde him brenne,
- Or elles yeve him suche penaunce,
- That is wel wors than the pitaunce.
-
- ‘For thou shalt never, for nothing,7085
- Con knowen aright by her clothing
- The traitours fulle of trecherye,[ ]
- But thou her werkis can aspye.
- And ne hadde the good keping be[ ]
- Whylom of the universitee,7090
- That kepeth the key of Cristendome,
- , alle and some.[ ]
- Suche been the stinking prophetis;[ ]
- Nis non of hem, that good prophete is;
- For they, thurgh wikked entencioun,7095
- The yeer of the incarnacioun
- A thousand and two hundred yeer,
- Fyve and fifty, ferther ne ner,
- Broughten a book, with sory grace,
- To yeven ensample in comune place,7100
- That seide thus, though it were fable:—
- “This is the Gospel Perdurable,[ ]
- That fro the Holy Goost is sent.”
- Wel were it worth to ben .
- Entitled was in such manere7105
- This book, of which I telle here.
- Ther nas no wight in al Parys,
- Biforn Our Lady, at parvys,[ ]
- That [he] ,
- .7110
- Ther might he see, by greet tresoun,
- Ful many fals comparisoun:—
- “As moche as, thurgh his might,[ ]
- Be it of hete, or of light,
- The sunne sourmounteth the mone,7115
- That troubler is, and chaungeth sone,[ ]
- And the note-kernel the shelle—
- (I scorne nat that I yow telle)—
- Right so, withouten gyle,
- Sourmounteth this noble Evangyle7120
- The word of any evangelist.”
- And to her title they token Christ;
- And comparisoun,
- Of which I make no mencioun,
- Might men in that finde,7125
- Who-so coude of hem have minde.
-
- ‘The universitee, tho was aslepe,
- Gan for to braide, and taken kepe;
- And at the noys the heed up-caste,
- Ne never sithen slepte it faste,7130
- But up it sterte, and armes took
- Ayens this fals horrible book,
- Al redy bateil to make,
- And to the Iuge the book to take.
- But they that broughten the book there7135
- Hente it anoon awey, for fere;
- They nolde shewe it more a del,
- But thenne it kepte, and kepen wil,
- Til such a tyme that they may see
- That they so stronge woxen be,7140
- That no wight may hem wel withstonde;
- For by that book they durst not stonde.
- they gonne it for to bere,
- For they ne not answere
- By exposicioun glose7145
- To that that clerkis wole appose
- Ayens the cursednesse, y-wis,
- That in that writen is.
- Now wot I not, ne I can not see
- What maner ende that there shal be7150
- Of al this that they hyde;
- But yit algate they shal abyde[ ]
- Til that they may it bet defende;
- This trowe I best, wol be hir ende.
-
- ‘Thus Antecrist abyden we,7155
- For we ben alle of his meynee;
- And what man that wol not be so,
- Right sone he shal his lyf forgo.
-
7159. Both vpon. Before this lineG.andTh.wrongly insert ll. 7013-7110, 7209-7304. 7164. Th. booke; G. book.
- We wol a puple on him areyse,
- And thurgh our gyle doon him seise,7160
- And him on sharpe speris ryve,
- Or other-weyes bringe him fro lyve,
- But-if that he wol folowe, y-wis,
- That in our boke writen is.
- Thus wol our book signifye,7165
- That whyl Peter hath maistrye,
- May never Iohan shewe wel his might.
-
- ‘Now have I you declared right
- The mening of the bark and rinde
- That makith the entenciouns blinde.7170
- But now at erst I wol biginne
- To expowne you the pith withinne:—
-
7173, 4. Supplied by conjecture;F.Par Pierre voil le Pape entendre.
- [And first, by Peter, as I wene,[ ]
- The Pope himself we wolden mene,]
- And the seculers comprehende,7175
- That Cristes lawe wol defende,
- And shulde it kepen and mayntenen
- hem that al sustenen,[ ]
- And falsly to the puple techen.
- Iohan bitokeneth hem prechen,7180
- That ther nis lawe covenable
- But thilke Gospel Perdurable,
- That fro the Holy Gost was sent
- To turne folk that been miswent.
- The strengthe of Iohan they undirstonde7185
- The grace in which, they seye, they stonde,
- That doth the sinful folk converte,
- And hem to Iesus Crist reverte.
-
- ‘Ful many another
- May men in that see,7190
- That ben comaunded, douteles,
- Ayens the lawe of Rome expres;
- And alle with Antecrist they holden,
- As men may in the book biholden.
- And than comaunden they to sleen7195
- Alle tho that with been;
- But they shal nevere have that might,[ ]
- And, god toforn, for stryf to fight,
- That they ne shal y-nough [men] finde
- That lawe shal have in minde,7200
- And ever holde, and so mayntene,
- That at the last it shal be sene
- That they shal alle come therto,
- For ought that they can speke or do.
- And lawe shal not stonde,7205
- That they by Iohan have undirstonde;
- But, maugre hem, it shal adoun,
- And been brought to confusioun.
-
7209. See note to l. 7159.
- But I wol stinte of this matere,
- For it is wonder long to here;7210
- But hadde that ilke book endured,
- Of better estate I were ensured;
- And freendis have I yit, pardee,
- That han me set in greet degree.
-
- ‘Of all this world is emperour7215
- Gyle my fader, the trechour,
- And my moder is,[ ]
- Maugre the Holy Gost, y-wis.
- Our mighty linage and our route
- Regneth in every regne aboute;7220
- And wel is we be,
- For al this world governe we,
- And can the folk so wel disceyve,
- That noon our gyle can perceyve;
- And though they doon, they dar not saye;7225
- The sothe dar no wight biwreye.
- But he in Cristis wrath him ledeth,[ ]
- That more than Crist my bretheren dredeth.
- He nis no ful good champioun,
- That dredith such similacioun;7230
- Nor that for peyne wole refusen
- Us to correcten and accusen.
- He wol not entremete by right,
- Ne have god in his ,
- And therfore god shal him punyce;7235
- But me ne of no vyce,
- Sithen men us loven comunably,
- And holden us for so worthy,
- That we may folk repreve echoon,
- And we nil have repref of noon.7240
- Whom shulden folk worshipen so
- But us, that stinten never mo
- To patren whyl that folk see,[ ]
- Though it not so bihinde be?
-
- ‘And where is more wood folye,7245
- Than to enhaunce chivalrye,
- And love noble men and gay,
- That Ioly clothis weren alway?
- If they be sich folk as they semen,
- So clene, as men her clothis demen,7250
- And that her wordis folowe her dede,
- It is gret pite, out of drede,
- For they wol be noon ypocritis!
- Of , me thinketh gret spite is;
- I can not love on no syde.7255
- But Beggers with these hodes wyde,[ ]
- With and pale faces lene,
- And clothis not ful clene,
- But fretted ful of tatarwagges,[ ]
- And shoes, knopped with dagges,[ ]7260
- That frouncen lyke a quaile-pype,[ ]
- Or botes as a gype;[ ]
- To such folk as I you
- Shuld princes and these lordes wyse
- Take alle her londes and her thinges,[ ]7265
- Bothe werre and pees, in governinges;
- To such folk shulde a prince him yive,
- That wolde his lyf in honour live.
- And if they be not as they seme,
- That serven thus the world to queme,7270
- There wolde I dwelle, to disceyve
- folk, for they shal not perceyve.
-
- ‘But I ne speke in no such wyse,
- That men shulde humble abit dispyse,
- So that no pryde ther-under be.7275
- No man shulde hate, as thinketh me,
- The pore man in sich clothing.
- But god ne preiseth him no-thing,
- That seith he hath the world forsake,
- And hath to worldly glorie him take,7280
- And wol of siche delyces use;
- Who may that Begger wel excuse?[ ]
- That papelard, that him yeldeth so,[ ]
- And wol to worldly ese go,
- And seith that he the world hath left,7285
- And gredily it grypeth eft,
- He is the hound, shame is to seyn,
- That to his casting goth ageyn.[ ]
-
- ‘But unto you dar I not lye:
- But mighte I felen or aspye,7290
- That ye perceyved it no-thing,
- Ye have a stark lesing
- Right in your hond thus, to biginne,
- I nolde it lette for no sinne.’
-
- The god lough at the wonder tho,7295
- And every wight gan laughe also,
- And seide:—‘Lo here a man aright
- For to be trusty to every wight!’
-
- ‘Fals Semblant,’ quod Love, ‘sey to me,
- Sith I thus have avaunced thee,7300
- That in my court is thy dwelling,
- And of ribaudes shalt be my king,[ ]
- Wolt thou wel holden my ?’
F. Sem.- ‘Ye, sir, from forewardis;
- Hadde never your fader herebiforn7305
- Servaunt so trewe, sith he was born.’
Amour.
F. Sem.
-
- ‘Sir, put you in that aventure;
- For though ye borowes take of me,
- The sikerer shal ye never be7310
- For ostages, ne sikirnesse,
- Or chartres, for to bere witnesse.
- I take your-self to record here,
- That men ne may, in no manere,
- Teren the wolf out of his hyde,7315
- Til he be , bak and syde,[ ]
- Though men him bete and ;
- What? wene ye that I wole bigyle?
- For I am clothed mekely,
- Ther-under is al my trechery;7320
- Myn herte chaungeth never the mo
- For noon abit, in which I go.
- Though I have chere of simplenesse,
- I am not weary of shrewednesse.[ ]
- lemman, Streyned-Abstinence,[ ]7325
- Hath mister of my purveaunce;
- She hadde ful longe ago be deed,
- Nere my councel and my reed;
- Lete hir allone, and you and me.’
-
- And Love answerde, ‘I truste thee7330
- borowe, for I wol noon.’
- And Fals-Semblant, the theef, anoon,
- Right in that ilke same place,
- That hadde of tresoun al his face
- Right blak withinne, and whyt withoute,7335
- him, gan on his knees loute.
-
- Than was ther nought, but ‘Every man
- Now to assaut, that sailen can,’
- Quod Love, ‘and that ful hardily.’
- Than armed they hem communly7340
- Of sich armour as to hem fel.
- Whan they were armed, fers and fel,
- They wente hem forth, alle in a route,
- And set the castel al aboute;
- They wil nought away, for no drede,7345
- Til it so be that they ben dede,
- Or til they have the castel take.
- And foure batels they gan make,[ ]
- And parted hem in foure anoon,
- And toke her way, and forth they goon,7350
- The foure gates for to assaile,
- Of whiche the kepers wol not faile;
- For they ben neither syke ne dede,
- But hardy folk, and stronge in dede.
-
- Now wole I seyn the 7355
- Of Fals-Semblant, and Abstinaunce,
- That ben to Wikkid-Tonge went.
- But first they her parlement,
- Whether it to done were
- To maken hem be knowen there,7360
- Or elles walken forth disgysed.
- But at the they devysed,
- That they wold goon in tapinage,[ ]
- As it were in a pilgrimage,
- Lyk good and holy folk unfeyned.7365
- And Dame Abstinence-Streyned
- Took on a robe of camelyne,[ ]
- And gan hir as a .
- A large coverchief of threde
- She wrapped al aboute hir hede,7370
- But she forgat not hir ;
- A peire of bedis eek she bere[ ]
- Upon a lace, al of whyt threde,
- On which that she hir bedes bede;[ ]
- But she ne boughte hem never a del,7375
- For they were geven her, I wot wel,
- God wot, of a ful holy frere,
- That seide he was hir fader dere,
- To whom she hadde ofter went
- Than frere of his covent.7380
- And he visyted hir also,
- And many a sermoun seide hir to;
- He nolde lette, for man on lyve,
- That he ne wolde hir ofte shryve.
-
7385-7576. FromTh.; lost inG.
- And with so gret devocion7385
- They her confession,
- That they had ofte, for the nones,
- Two hedes in one hood at ones.[ ]
-
- Of fair I her thee,
- But pale of face somtyme was she;7390
- That false traitouresse untrewe
- Was lyk that salowe hors of hewe,[ ]
- That in the Apocalips is shewed,
- That signifyeth folk beshrewed,
- That been al ful of trecherye,7395
- And pale, thurgh hypocrisye;
- For on that hors no colour is,
- But only deed and pale, y-wis.
- Of suche a colour enlangoured
- Was Abstinence, y-wis, coloured;7400
- Of her estat she her repented,
- As her visage represented.
-
- She had a burdoun al of Thefte,[ ]
- That Gyle had yeve her of his yefte;
- And a scrippe of Fainte Distresse,7405
- That ful was of elengenesse,[ ]
- And forth she walked sobrely:
- And False-Semblant saynt, ie vous die,[ ]
- , as it were for such mistere,
- Don on the cope of a frere,7410
- With chere simple, and ful pitous;
- His looking was not disdeinous,
- Ne proud, but meke and ful pesible.
- About his nekke he bar a bible,
- And squierly forth gan he gon;7415
- And, for to reste his limmes upon,
- He had of Treson a potente;
- As he were feble, his way he wente.
- But in his sleve he gan to thringe
- A rasour sharp, and wel bytinge,
- That was forged in a forge,7421
- Which that men clepen Coupegorge.[ ]
-
- So longe forth hir way they nomen,
- Til they to Wicked-Tonge comen,
- That at his gate was sitting,7425
- And saw folk in the way passing.
- The pilgrimes saw he faste by,
- That beren hem ful mekely,
- And they with him mette.
- Dame Abstinence first him grette,7430
- And sith him False-Semblant salued,
- And he hem; but he not ,
- For he ne dredde hem not a-del.
- For when he saw hir faces wel,
- Alway in herte him so,7435
- He shulde knowe hem bothe two;
- For wel he knew Dame Abstinaunce[ ]
- But he ne knew not Constreynaunce.
- He knew nat that she was constrayned,
- Ne of her theves lyfe feyned,7440
- But wende she com of wil al free;
- But she com in another degree;
- And if of good wil she began,
- That wil was failed her than.
-
- And Fals-Semblant had he seyn als,7445
- But he knew nat that he was fals.
- Yet fals was he, but his falsnesse
- Ne coude he not espye, nor gesse;
- For semblant was so slye wrought,
- That falsnesse he ne espyed nought.7450
- But haddest thou knowen him beforn,
- Thou woldest on a boke have sworn,
- Whan thou him saugh in thilke aray
- That he, that whylom was so gay,
- And of the daunce Ioly Robin,[ ]7455
- Was tho become a Iacobin.[ ]
- But sothely, what so men him calle,
- Prechours been good men alle;
- Hir order wickedly they beren,[ ]
- Suche minstrelles if they weren.7460
- So been Augustins and Cordileres,[ ]
- And Carmes, and eek Sakked Freres,
- And freres, shodde and bare,
- (Though some of hem ben and square)
- Ful holy men, as I hem deme;7465
- Everich of hem wolde good man seme.
- But shalt thou never of apparence[ ]
- Seen conclude good consequence
- In none argument, y-wis,
- If existence al failed is.7470
- For men may finde alway
- The consequence to ,
- Who-so that subteltee
- The double sentence for to see.
-
- Whan the pilgrymes commen were7475
- To Wicked-Tonge, that dwelled there,
- Hir harneis nigh hem was algate;
- By Wicked-Tonge adoun they sate,
- That bad hem ner him for to come,
- And of tydinges telle him some,7480
- And sayde hem:—‘What cas maketh yow
- To come into this place now?’
- ‘Sir,’ seyde Strained-Abstinaunce,
- ‘We, for to drye our penaunce,
- With hertes pitous and devoute,7485
- Are commen, as pilgrimes gon aboute;
- Wel nigh on fote alway we go;
- Ful been our heles two;
- And thus bothe we ben sent
- Thurghout this world that is miswent,7490
- To yeve ensample, and preche also.
- To fisshen sinful men we go,[ ]
- For other fisshing ne fisshe we.
- And, sir, for that charitee,
- As we be wont, we crave,7495
- Your lyf to amende; Crist it save!
- And, so it shulde you nat displese,
- We wolden, if it were your ese,
- A short sermoun unto you seyn.’
- And Wikked-Tonge answerde ageyn,7500
- ‘The hous,’ quod he, ‘such as ye see,
- Shal nat be warned you for me,
- Sey what you list, and I wol here.’
- ‘Graunt mercy, swete dere!’
- Quod alderfirst Dame Abstinence,7505
- And thus began she hir sentence:
Const. Abstinence.
-
- ‘Sir, the first vertue, certeyn,
- The gretest, and most sovereyn
- That may be founde in any man,
- For having, or for wit he can,7510
- That is, his tonge to refreyne;
- Therto ought every wight him peyne.
- For it is better be
- Than for to speken harm, pardee!
- And he that herkeneth it gladly,7515
- He is no good man, sikerly.
- And, sir, aboven al other sinne,
- In that art thou most gilty inne.
- Thou spake a Iape not long ago,
- (And, sir, that was right yvel do)[ ]7520
- Of a yong man that here repaired,
- And never yet this place apaired.
- Thou seydest he awaited nothing
- But to disceyve Fair-Welcoming.
- Ye seyde nothing sooth of that;7525
- But, sir, ye lye; I tell you plat;
- He ne cometh no more, ne goth, pardee!
- I trow ye shal him never see.
- Fair-Welcoming in prison is,
- That ofte hath pleyed with you, er this,7530
- The fairest games that he coude,
- Withoute filthe, or loude;
- Now dar [he] nat solace.
- Ye han also the man do chace,[ ]
- That he dar neither come ne go.7535
- What meveth you to hate him so
- But properly your wikked thought,
- That many a fals lesing hath thought?[ ]
- That meveth your foole eloquence,
- That iangleth ever in audience,7540
- And on the folk areyseth blame,
- And doth hem dishonour and shame,
- For thing that may have no preving,
- But lyklinesse, and contriving.
- For I dar seyn, that Reson demeth,7545
- It is not al thing that semeth,
- And it is sinne to controve
- Thing that is to reprove;
- This wot ye wel; and, sir, therefore
- Ye arn to blame the more.7550
- And, nathelesse, he rekketh lyte;
- He yeveth nat now thereof a myte;
- For if he , parfay,
- He wolde come and gon al day;
- He coude him-selfe nat abstene.7555
- Now cometh he nat, and that is sene,
- For he ne taketh of it no cure,
- But-if it be through aventure,
- And lasse than other folk, algate.
- And thou watchest at the gate,7560
- With spere in thyne arest alway;
- There muse, musard, al the day.[ ]
- Thou wakest night and day for thought;
- Y-wis, thy traveyl is for nought.
- And Ielousye, withouten faile,7565
- Shal never quyte thee thy travaile.
- And scathe is, that Fair-Welcoming,
- any trespassing,
- Shal wrongfully in prison be,
- Ther wepeth and languissheth he.7570
- And though thou never yet, y-wis,
- Agiltest man no more but this,
- (Take not a-greef) it were worthy[ ]
- To putte thee out of this baily,
- And afterward in prison lye,7575
- And fettre thee til that thou dye;
-
- For thou shalt for this sinne dwelle[ ]
- Right in the devils ers of helle,
- But-if that thou repente thee.’
-
- ‘Ma fay, thou lyest falsly!’ quod he.7580
- ‘What? welcome with mischaunce now![ ]
- Have I therfore you
- To seye me shame, and eek reprove?
- With sory happe, to your bihove,
- Am I to-day your !7585
- Go, herber you elleswhere than here,
- That han a lyer called me!
- Two tregetours art thou and he,[ ]
- That in myn hous do me this shame,
- And for my ye me blame.7590
- Is this the sermoun that ye make?
- To alle the develles I me take,
- Or elles, god, thou me confounde!
- But er men diden this castel founde,
- It passeth not ten dayes or twelve,7595
- But it was told right to my-selve,
- And as they seide, right so tolde I,
- He kiste the Rose privily!
- Thus seide I now, and have seid yore;
- I not he dide more.7600
- Why shulde men sey me such a thing,
- If it hadde been gabbing?
- Right so seide I, and wol seye yit;
- I trowe, I lyed not of it;
- And with my bemes I wol blowe[ ]7605
- To alle neighboris a-rowe,
- How he hath bothe comen and gon.’
-
- Tho spak Fals-Semblant right anon,
- ‘Al is not gospel, out of doute,
- That men seyn in the toune a-boute;7610
- Ley no deef ere to my speaking;
- I swere yow, sir, it is gabbing!
- I trowe ye wot wel certeynly,
- That no man loveth him tenderly
- That seith him harm, if he wot it,7615
- Al be he never so pore of wit.
- And sooth is also sikerly,
- (This knowe ye, sir, as wel as I),
- That lovers gladly wol visyten
- The places ther hir loves habyten.7620
- This man you loveth and eek honoureth;
- This man to serve you laboureth;
- And clepeth you his freend so dere,
- And this man maketh you good chere,
- And every-wher that you meteth,7625
- He you , and he you greteth.
- He preseth not so ofte, that ye
- Ought of his come be;[ ]
- Ther presen other folk on yow
- Ful ofter than he doth now.7630
- And if his herte him streyned so
- Unto the Rose for to go,
- Ye shulde him seen so ofte nede,[ ]
- That ye shulde take him with the dede.
- He coude his coming not forbere,7635
- Though ye him thrilled with a spere;
- It not thanne as it is now.
- But trusteth wel, I swere it yow,
- That it is clene out of his thought.
- Sir, certes, he ne thenketh it nought;7640
- No more ne doth Fair-Welcoming,
- That sore abyeth al this thing.
- And if they were of oon assent,
- Ful sone were the Rose hent;
- The maugre youres wolde be.[ ]7645
- And sir, of o thing herkeneth me:—
- Sith ye this man, that loveth yow,
- Han seid such harm and shame now,
- Witeth wel, if he gessed it,
- Ye may wel demen in your wit,7650
- He nolde no-thing love you so,
- Ne callen you his freend also,
- But night and day he wake,
- The castel to destroye and take,
- If it were sooth as ye devyse;7655
- Or som man in som maner wyse
- Might it warne him everydel,
- Or by him-self perceyven wel;
- For sith he might not come and gon
- As he was whylom wont to don,7660
- He might it sone wite and see;
- But now al other-wyse he.
- Than have , sir, al-outerly
- Deserved helle, and Iolyly[ ]
- The deth of helle douteles,[ ]7665
- That thrallen folk so .’
-
- Fals-Semblant proveth so this thing
- That he can noon answering,
- And seeth alwey such apparaunce,
- That nygh he fel in repentaunce,7670
- And seide him:—‘Sir, it may wel be.
- Semblant, a good man semen ye;
- And, Abstinence, ful wyse ye seme;
- Of o talent you bothe I deme.
- What counceil wole ye to me yeven?’7675
F. Sem.
- ‘Right here anoon thou shalt be shriven,
- And sey thy sinne withoute more;
- Of this shalt thou sore;
- For I am preest, and have poustee
- To shryve folk of most dignitee[ ]7680
- That been, as wyde as world may dure.
- Of al this world I have the cure,[ ]
- And that had never yit persoun,
- No vicarie of no maner toun.
- And, god wot, I have of thee7685
- A thousand more pitee
- Than hath thy preest parochial,
- Though he thy freend be special.
- I have avauntage, in o wyse,
- That your prelates ben not so wyse7690
- Ne half so lettred as am I.
- I am licenced boldely
- ,[ ]
-
- to confessen, out of drede.[ ]
- If ye wol you now confesse,7695
- And leve your sinnes more and lesse,
- Without , knele doun anon,
- And you shal have absolucion.’7698
Explicit.
- ‘Si sauras tantost, sans science,
- Et congnoistras, sans congnoissance.’
- ‘Ainsinc Amors a eus parole,
- Qui bien reçurent sa parole.
- Quant il ot sa raison fenie,
- Conseilla soi la baronnie.’
- ‘Non tonsura facit monachum, nec horrida uestis,
- Sed uirtus animi, perpetuusque rigor’; &c.
- Alex. de Neckam (Michel).
- ‘Par Pierre voil le Pape entendre,
- Et les clers seculiers comprendre
- Qui la loi Iesu-Crist tendront,’ &c.
- ‘Se vous volés ci confessier,
- Et ce pechié sans plus lessier
- Sans faire en jamés mencion,
- Vous auréz m’asolucion.’
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