The Complete Works of John Gower, Vol. 2

[Love rules the World.]

P. i. 41

i. Naturatus amor nature legibus orbem

Subdit, et vnanimes concitat esse feras:

Huius enim mundi Princeps amor esse videtur,

Cuius eget diues, pauper et omnis ope.

Sunt in agone pares amor et fortuna, que cecas

Plebis ad insidias vertit vterque rotas.

Est amor egra salus, vexata quies, pius error,

Bellica pax, vulnus dulce, suaue malum.

I may noght strecche up to the hevene213

Min hand, ne setten al in evene

This world, which evere is in balance:

It stant noght in my sufficance

So grete thinges to compasse,

Bot I mot lete it overpasse

And treten upon othre thinges.

Forthi the Stile of my writinges214

Postquam in Prologo tractatum hactenus existit, qualiter hodierne condicionis diuisio caritatis dileccionem superauit, intendit216 auctor ad presens suum libellum, cuius nomen Confessio Amantis nuncupatur, componere de illo amore, a quo non solum humanum genus, sed eciam cuncta animancia naturaliter subiciuntur. Et quia non nulli amantes ultra quam expedit desiderii passionibus crebro217 stimulantur, materia libri per totum super hiis specialius diffunditur.218

Fro this day forth I thenke change

And speke of thing is noght so strange,215 10

P. i. 42

Which every kinde hath upon honde,

And wherupon the world mot stonde,

And hath don sithen it began,

And schal whil ther is any man;

And that is love, of which I mene

To trete, as after schal be sene.

In which ther can noman him reule,

For loves lawe is out of reule,

That of tomoche or of tolite

Welnyh is every man to wyte, 20

And natheles ther is noman

In al this world so wys, that can

Of love tempre the mesure,

Bot as it falth in aventure:

For wit ne strengthe may noght helpe,

And he which elles wolde him yelpe

Is rathest throwen under fote,

Ther can no wiht therof do bote.

For yet was nevere such covine,

That couthe ordeine a medicine 30

To thing which god in lawe of kinde

Hath set, for ther may noman finde

The rihte salve of such a Sor.

It hath and schal ben everemor

That love is maister wher he wile,

Ther can no lif make other skile;

For wher as evere him lest to sette,219

Ther is no myht which him may lette.

Bot what schal fallen ate laste,

The sothe can no wisdom caste, 40

P. i. 43

Bot as it falleth upon chance;

For if ther evere was balance

Which of fortune stant governed,

I may wel lieve as I am lerned

That love hath that balance on honde,

Which wol no reson understonde.

For love is blind and may noght se,

Forthi may no certeinete

Be set upon his jugement,

Bot as the whiel aboute went220 50

He yifth his graces undeserved,221

And fro that man which hath him served

Fulofte he takth aweye his fees,

As he that pleieth ate Dees,222

And therupon what schal befalle

He not, til that the chance falle,

Wher he schal lese or he schal winne.

[Example of the Author.]

Hic quasi in persona aliorum, quos amor alligat, fingens se auctor esse Amantem, varias eorum passiones variis huius libri distinccionibus per singula scribere proponit.

And thus fulofte men beginne,

That if thei wisten what it mente,

Thei wolde change al here entente. 60

And forto proven it is so,

I am miselven on of tho,

Which to this Scole am underfonge.

For it is siththe go noght longe,

As forto speke of this matiere,

I may you telle, if ye woll hiere,

A wonder hap which me befell,

That was to me bothe hard and fell,

Touchende of love and his fortune,

The which me liketh to comune 70

P. i. 44

And pleinly forto telle it oute.

To hem that ben lovers aboute

Fro point to point I wol declare

And wryten of my woful care,

Mi wofull day, my wofull chance,

That men mowe take remembrance223

Of that thei schall hierafter rede:

For in good feith this wolde I rede,

That every man ensample take

Of wisdom which him is betake,224 80

And that he wot of good aprise

To teche it forth, for such emprise

Is forto preise; and therfore I

Woll wryte and schewe al openly

How love and I togedre mette,

Wherof the world ensample fette

Mai after this, whan I am go,

Of thilke unsely jolif wo,

Whos reule stant out of the weie,

Nou glad and nou gladnesse aweie, 90

And yet it may noght be withstonde

For oght that men may understonde.

[His woful case.]

ii. Non ego Sampsonis vires, non Herculis arma

Vinco, sum sed vt hii victus amore pari.

Vt discant alii, docet experiencia facti,

Rebus in ambiguis que sit habenda via.

Deuius ordo ducis temptata pericla sequentem225

Instruit a tergo, ne simul ille cadat.

Me quibus ergo Venus, casus, laqueauit amantem,226

Orbis in exemplum scribere tendo palam.

Upon the point that is befalle

Of love, in which that I am falle,

P. i. 45

I thenke telle my matiere:

Now herkne, who that wol it hiere,

Of my fortune how that it ferde.

Hic declarat materiam, dicens qualiter Cupido quodam ignito iaculo sui cordis memoriam graui vlcere perforauit, quod Venus percipiens ipsum, vt dicit, quasi in mortis articulo spasmatum, ad confitendum se Genio sacerdoti super amoris causa sic semiuiuum specialiter commendauit.

This enderday, as I forthferde

To walke, as I yow telle may,—

And that was in the Monthe of Maii, 100

Whan every brid hath chose his make

And thenkth his merthes forto make227

Of love that he hath achieved;

Bot so was I nothing relieved,

For I was further fro my love

Than Erthe is fro the hevene above,

As forto speke of eny sped:228

So wiste I me non other red,

Bot as it were a man forfare229

Unto the wode I gan to fare,230 110

Noght forto singe with the briddes,

For whanne I was the wode amiddes,

I fond a swote grene pleine,

And ther I gan my wo compleigne

Wisshinge and wepinge al myn one,

For other merthes made I none.231

So hard me was that ilke throwe,

That ofte sithes overthrowe

To grounde I was withoute breth;

And evere I wisshide after deth,232 120

Whanne I out of my peine awok,

[His complaint to Cupid and Venus.]

And caste up many a pitous lok

Unto the hevene, and seide thus:

‘O thou Cupide, O thou Venus,

P. i. 46

Thou god of love and thou goddesse,

Wher is pite? wher is meknesse?

Now doth me pleinly live or dye,

For certes such a maladie

As I now have and longe have hadd,

It myhte make a wisman madd,233 130

If that it scholde longe endure.

O Venus, queene of loves cure,

Thou lif, thou lust, thou mannes hele,

Behold my cause and my querele,

And yif me som part of thi grace,

So that I may finde in this place

If thou be gracious or non.’

And with that word I sawh anon

The kyng of love and qweene bothe;

Bot he that kyng with yhen wrothe 140

His chiere aweiward fro me caste,

And forth he passede ate laste.

[The Fiery Dart.]

Bot natheles er he forth wente

A firy Dart me thoghte he hente

And threw it thurgh myn herte rote:

In him fond I non other bote,

For lenger list him noght to duelle.

[Venus Queen of Love.]

Bot sche that is the Source and Welle

Of wel or wo, that schal betide

To hem that loven, at that tide 150

Abod, bot forto tellen hiere

Sche cast on me no goodly chiere:

Thus natheles to me sche seide,

‘What art thou, Sone?’ and I abreide

P. i. 47

Riht as a man doth out of slep,

And therof tok sche riht good kep

And bad me nothing ben adrad:

Bot for al that I was noght glad,

For I ne sawh no cause why.

And eft scheo asketh, what was I:234 160

I seide, ‘A Caitif that lith hiere:235

What wolde ye, my Ladi diere?236

Schal I ben hol or elles dye?’237

Sche seide, ‘Tell thi maladie:238

What is thi Sor of which thou pleignest?239

Ne hyd it noght, for if thou feignest,

I can do the no medicine.’

‘Ma dame, I am a man of thyne,

That in thi Court have longe served,

And aske that I have deserved, 170

Som wele after my longe wo.’

And sche began to loure tho,

And seide, ‘Ther is manye of yow

Faitours, and so may be that thow

Art riht such on, and be feintise

Seist that thou hast me do servise.’

And natheles sche wiste wel,

Mi world stod on an other whiel

Withouten eny faiterie:

Bot algate of my maladie 180

Sche bad me telle and seie hir trowthe.

‘Ma dame, if ye wolde have rowthe,’

Quod I, ‘than wolde I telle yow.’240

‘Sey forth,’ quod sche, ‘and tell me how;

P. i. 48

Schew me thi seknesse everydiel.’

‘Ma dame, that can I do wel,

Be so my lif therto wol laste.’

With that hir lok on me sche caste,

And seide: ‘In aunter if thou live,

Mi will is ferst that thou be schrive; 190

And natheles how that it is

I wot miself, bot for al this

[Genius, the Priest of Love.]

Unto my prest, which comth anon,

I woll thou telle it on and on,

Bothe all thi thoght and al thi werk.

O Genius myn oghne Clerk,

Com forth and hier this mannes schrifte,’

Quod Venus tho; and I uplifte

Min hefd with that, and gan beholde

The selve Prest, which as sche wolde241 200

Was redy there and sette him doun

To hiere my confessioun.

iii. Confessus Genio si sit medicina salutis

Experiar morbis, quos tulit ipsa Venus.

Lesa quidem ferro medicantur membra saluti,

Raro tamen medicum vulnus amoris habet.

[The Lover’s Shrift.]

This worthi Prest, this holy man

To me spekende thus began,

And seide: ‘Benedicite,

Mi Sone, of the felicite

Of love and ek of all the wo

Thou schalt thee schrive of bothe tuo.242

Hic dicit qualiter Genio pro Confessore sedenti prouolutus Amans ad confitendum se flexis genibus incuruatur, supplicans tamen, vt ad sui sensus informacionem confessor ille in dicendis opponere sibi benignius dignaretur.

What thou er this for loves sake

Hast felt, let nothing be forsake, 210

P. i. 49

Tell pleinliche as it is befalle.’

And with that word I gan doun falle

On knees, and with devocioun243

And with full gret contricioun

I seide thanne: ‘Dominus,

Min holi fader Genius,

So as thou hast experience

Of love, for whos reverence

Thou schalt me schriven at this time,

I prai the let me noght mistime 220

Mi schrifte, for I am destourbed

In al myn herte, and so contourbed,

That I ne may my wittes gete,

So schal I moche thing foryete:244

Bot if thou wolt my schrifte oppose

Fro point to point, thanne I suppose,

Ther schal nothing be left behinde.245

Bot now my wittes ben so blinde,

That I ne can miselven teche.’

Tho he began anon to preche, 230

And with his wordes debonaire

He seide tome softe and faire:246

‘Thi schrifte to oppose and hiere,

Sermo Genii sacerdotis247 super confessione ad Amantem.

My Sone, I am assigned hiere

Be Venus the godesse above,

Whos Prest I am touchende of love.

Bot natheles for certein skile

I mot algate and nedes wile

Noght only make my spekynges

Of love, bot of othre thinges, 240

P. i. 50

That touchen to the cause of vice.

For that belongeth to thoffice

Of Prest, whos ordre that I bere,

So that I wol nothing forbere,

That I the vices on and on

Ne schal thee schewen everychon;

Wherof thou myht take evidence

To reule with thi conscience.

Bot of conclusion final

Conclude I wol in special 250

For love, whos servant I am,

And why the cause is that I cam.

So thenke I to don bothe tuo,

Ferst that myn ordre longeth to,

The vices forto telle arewe,

Bot next above alle othre schewe

Of love I wol the propretes,

How that thei stonde be degrees

After the disposicioun

Of Venus, whos condicioun 260

I moste folwe, as I am holde.

For I with love am al withholde,

So that the lasse I am to wyte,

Thogh I ne conne bot a lyte248

Of othre thinges that ben wise:

I am noght tawht in such a wise;249

For it is noght my comun us

To speke of vices and vertus,

Bot al of love and of his lore,

For Venus bokes of nomore 270

P. i. 51

Me techen nowther text ne glose.

Bot for als moche as I suppose

It sit a prest to be wel thewed,

And schame it is if he be lewed,

Of my Presthode after the forme

I wol thi schrifte so enforme,

That ate leste thou schalt hiere250

The vices, and to thi matiere251

Of love I schal hem so remene,

That thou schalt knowe what thei mene. 280

For what a man schal axe or sein252

Touchende of schrifte, it mot be plein,

It nedeth noght to make it queinte,

For trowthe hise wordes wol noght peinte:

That I wole axe of the forthi,

My Sone, it schal be so pleinly,

That thou schalt knowe and understonde

The pointz of schrifte how that thei stonde.’253

[The Five Senses.]

iv. Visus et auditus fragilis sunt ostia mentis,

Que viciosa manus claudere nulla potest.

Est ibi larga via, graditur qua cordis ad antrum

Hostis, et ingrediens fossa talenta rapit.

Hec michi confessor Genius primordia profert,

Dum sit in extremis vita remorsa malis.

Nunc tamen vt poterit semiviua loquela fateri,

Verba per os timide conscia mentis agam.

Betwen the lif and deth I herde

This Prestes tale er I answerde, 290

And thanne I preide him forto seie

His will, and I it wolde obeie

After the forme of his apprise.254

Hic incipit confessio Amantis, cui de duobus precipue quinque sensuum, hoc est de visu et auditu, confessor pre ceteris opponit.

Tho spak he tome in such a wise,255

P. i. 52

And bad me that I scholde schrive256

As touchende of my wittes fyve,

And schape that thei were amended

Of that I hadde hem misdispended.257

For tho be proprely the gates,

Thurgh whiche as to the herte algates 300

Comth alle thing unto the feire,

Which may the mannes Soule empeire.

And now this matiere is broght inne,

Mi Sone, I thenke ferst beginne

To wite how that thin yhe hath stonde,

[Seeing.]

The which is, as I understonde,

The moste principal of alle,

Thurgh whom that peril mai befalle.

And forto speke in loves kinde,

Ful manye suche a man mai finde,258 310

Whiche evere caste aboute here yhe,

To loke if that thei myhte aspie

Fulofte thing which hem ne toucheth,

Bot only that here herte soucheth

In hindringe of an other wiht;

And thus ful many a worthi knyht

And many a lusti lady bothe

Have be fulofte sythe wrothe.259

So that an yhe is as a thief

To love, and doth ful gret meschief; 320

And also for his oghne part

Fulofte thilke firy Dart

Of love, which that evere brenneth,

Thurgh him into the herte renneth:

P. i. 53

And thus a mannes yhe ferst

Himselve grieveth alther werst,

And many a time that he knoweth

Unto his oghne harm it groweth.

Mi Sone, herkne now forthi

A tale, to be war therby 330

Thin yhe forto kepe and warde,

So that it passe noght his warde.

[Tale of Acteon.]

Hic narrat Confessor exemplum260 de visu ab illicitis preseruando, dicens qualiter Acteon Cadmi Regis Thebarum nepos, dum in quadam Foresta venacionis causa spaciaretur,262m accidit vt ipse quendam fontem nemorosa arborum pulcritudine circumuentum superueniens, vidit ibi Dianam cum suis Nimphis nudam in flumine balneantem; quam diligencius intuens oculos suos a muliebri nuditate nullatenus auertere volebat. Vnde indignata Diana ipsum in cerui figuram transformauit; quem canes proprii apprehendentes mortiferis dentibus penitus dilaniarunt.

Ovide telleth in his bok

Ensample touchende of mislok,

And seith hou whilom ther was on,261

A worthi lord, which Acteon

Was hote, and he was cousin nyh

To him that Thebes ferst on hyh

Up sette, which king Cadme hyhte.262

This Acteon, as he wel myhte, 340

Above alle othre caste his chiere,

And used it fro yer to yere,

With Houndes and with grete Hornes

Among the wodes and the thornes

To make his hunting and his chace:

Where him best thoghte in every place

To finde gamen in his weie,

Ther rod he forto hunte and pleie.

So him befell upon a tide263

On his hunting as he cam ride, 350

In a Forest al one he was:

He syh upon the grene gras

The faire freisshe floures springe,264

He herde among the leves singe

P. i. 54

The Throstle with the nyhtingale:265

Thus er he wiste into a Dale

He cam, wher was a litel plein,266

All round aboute wel besein

With buisshes grene and Cedres hyhe;

And ther withinne he caste his yhe. 360

Amidd the plein he syh a welle,

So fair ther myhte noman telle,

In which Diana naked stod

To bathe and pleie hire in the flod

With many a Nimphe, which hire serveth.267

Bot he his yhe awey ne swerveth

Fro hire, which was naked al,

And sche was wonder wroth withal,268

And him, as sche which was godesse,

Forschop anon, and the liknesse269 370

Sche made him taken of an Hert,270

Which was tofore hise houndes stert,

That ronne besiliche aboute

With many an horn and many a route,271

That maden mochel noise and cry:

And ate laste unhappely

This Hert his oghne houndes slowhe272

And him for vengance al todrowhe.

Confessor.

Lo now, my Sone, what it is

A man to caste his yhe amis, 380

Which Acteon hath dere aboght;

Be war forthi and do it noght.

For ofte, who that hiede toke,

Betre is to winke than to loke.

P. i. 55

And forto proven it is so,

Ovide the Poete also

A tale which to this matiere

Acordeth seith, as thou schalt hiere.273

[Tale of Medusa.]

Hic ponit aliud exemplum de eodem, vbi dicit quod quidam princeps nomine Phorceus tres progenuit filias, Gorgones a vulgo nuncupatas, que uno partu exorte deformitatem Monstrorum serpentinam obtinuerunt; quibus, cum in etatem peruenerant, talis destinata fuerat natura, quod quicumque in eas aspiceret in lapidem subito mutabatur. Et sic quam plures incaute respicientes visis illis perierunt. Set Perseus miles clipeo Palladis gladioque Mercurii munitus eas extra montem Athlantis cohabitantes animo audaci absque sui periculo interfecit.

In Metamor it telleth thus,

How that a lord which Phorceüs 390

Was hote, hadde dowhtres thre.274

Bot upon here nativite

Such was the constellacion,

That out of mannes nacion

Fro kynde thei be so miswent,

That to the liknesse of Serpent

Thei were bore, and so that on275

Of hem was cleped Stellibon,

That other soster Suriale,

The thridde, as telleth in the tale, 400

Medusa hihte, and natheles

Of comun name Gorgones

In every contre ther aboute,

As Monstres whiche that men doute,

Men clepen hem; and bot on yhe

Among hem thre in pourpartie

Thei hadde, of which thei myhte se,

Now hath it this, now hath it sche;

After that cause and nede it ladde,

Be throwes ech of hem it hadde. 410

A wonder thing yet more amis

Ther was, wherof I telle al this:

What man on hem his chiere caste

And hem behield, he was als faste

P. i. 56

Out of a man into a Ston

Forschape, and thus ful manyon

Deceived were, of that thei wolde

Misloke, wher that thei ne scholde.

Bot Perseüs that worthi knyht,

Whom Pallas of hir grete myht 420

Halp, and tok him a Schield therto,

And ek the god Mercurie also

Lente him a swerd, he, as it fell,276

Beyende Athlans the hihe hell

These Monstres soghte, and there he fond277

Diverse men of thilke lond

Thurgh sihte of hem mistorned were,

Stondende as Stones hiere and there.

Bot he, which wisdom and prouesse

Hadde of the god and the godesse,278 430

The Schield of Pallas gan enbrace,

With which he covereth sauf his face,

Mercuries Swerd and out he drowh,

And so he bar him that he slowh

These dredful Monstres alle thre.

Confessor.

Lo now, my Sone, avise the,

That thou thi sihte noght misuse:

Cast noght thin yhe upon Meduse,

That thou be torned into Ston:

For so wys man was nevere non, 440

Bot if he wel his yhe kepe279

And take of fol delit no kepe,

That he with lust nys ofte nome,

Thurgh strengthe of love and overcome.

P. i. 57

Of mislokynge how it hath ferd,

As I have told, now hast thou herd,

My goode Sone, and tak good hiede.280

[Hearing.]

And overthis yet I thee rede

That thou be war of thin heringe,

Which to the Herte the tidinge 450

Of many a vanite hath broght,

To tarie with a mannes thoght.

And natheles good is to hiere

Such thing wherof a man may lere281

That to vertu is acordant,

And toward al the remenant

Good is to torne his Ere fro;

For elles, bot a man do so,

Him may fulofte mysbefalle.

I rede ensample amonges alle, 460

Wherof to kepe wel an Ere

It oghte pute a man in fere.