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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) FRAGMENT C. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 1 (Romaunt of the Rose, Minor Poems)
FRAGMENT C. - 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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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.
THE MINOR POEMS.
- ‘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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