The Complete Works of John Gower, Vol. 2

[Alexander and the Pirate.]

Of him whom al this Erthe dradde,

Whan he the world so overladde

Thurgh werre, as it fortuned is,

Hic declarat per exemplum contra istos Principes seu alios quoscumque illicite guerre motores. Et narrat de quodam pirata in partibus marinis spoliatore notissimo, qui cum captus fuisset, et in iudicium coram Rege Alexandro productus et de latrocinio accusatus, dixit, ‘O Alexander, vere quia cum paucis sociis spoliorum causa naues tantum exploro, ego latrunculus vocor; tu autem, quia cum1055 infinita bellatorum multitudine vniuersam terram subiugando spoliasti, Imperator diceris. Ita quod status tuus a statu meo differt, set eodem animo condicionem parilem habemus.’ Alexander vero eius audaciam in responsione comprobans, ipsum penes se familiarem retinuit; et sic bellicosus bellatori complacuit.

King Alisandre, I rede this;

How in a Marche, where he lay,

It fell per chance upon a day

P. i. 359

A Rovere of the See was nome,

Which many a man hadde overcome 2370

And slain and take here good aweie:

This Pilour, as the bokes seie,

A famous man in sondri stede

Was of the werkes whiche he dede.

This Prisoner tofor the king

Was broght, and there upon this thing

In audience he was accused:

And he his dede hath noght excused,

Bot preith the king to don him riht,

And seith, ‘Sire, if I were of miht, 2380

I have an herte lich to thin;

For if the pouer were myn,1056

Mi will is most in special

To rifle and geten overal

The large worldes good aboute.

Bot for I lede a povere route

And am, as who seith, at meschief,

The name of Pilour and of thief

I bere; and thou, which routes grete

Miht lede and take thi beyete, 2390

And dost riht as I wolde do,

Thi name is nothing cleped so,

Bot thou art named Emperour.

Oure dedes ben of o colour

And in effect of o decerte,

Bot thi richesse and my poverte

Tho ben noght taken evene liche.

And natheles he that is riche

P. i. 360

This dai, tomorwe he mai be povere;

And in contraire also recovere 2400

A povere man to gret richesse

Men sen: forthi let rihtwisnesse1057

Be peised evene in the balance.

The king his hardi contienance

Behield, and herde hise wordes wise,

And seide unto him in this wise:1058

‘Thin ansuere I have understonde,

Wherof my will is, that thou stonde

In mi service and stille abide.’

And forth withal the same tide 2410

He hath him terme of lif withholde,

The mor and for he schal ben holde,1059

He made him kniht and yaf him lond,

Which afterward was of his hond

An orped kniht in many a stede,

And gret prouesce of armes dede,

As the Croniqes it recorden.

And in this wise thei acorden,

The whiche of o condicioun

Be set upon destruccioun: 2420

Such Capitein such retenue.

Bot forto se to what issue

The thing befalleth ate laste,

It is gret wonder that men caste

Here herte upon such wrong to winne,

Wher no beyete mai ben inne,

And doth desese on every side:

Bot whan reson is put aside

P. i. 361

And will governeth the corage,

The faucon which that fleth ramage 2430

And soeffreth nothing in the weie,

Wherof that he mai take his preie,

Is noght mor set upon ravine,

Than thilke man which his covine1060

Hath set in such a maner wise:

For al the world ne mai suffise1061

To will which is noght resonable.1062

[Wars and Death of Alexander.]

Wherof ensample concordable

Lich to this point of which I meene,

Was upon Alisandre sene, 2440

Hic secundum gesta Regis Alexandri de guerris illicitis ponit Confessor exemplum, dicens quod quamuis Alexander sua potencia tocius mundi victor sibi subiugarat1063 imperium, ipse tandem mortis victoria subiugatus cunctipotentis sentenciam euadere non potuit.

Which hadde set al his entente,

So as fortune with him wente,

That reson mihte him non governe,1064

Bot of his will he was so sterne,

That al the world he overran

And what him list he tok and wan.

In Ynde the superiour

Whan that he was ful conquerour,

And hadde his wilful pourpos wonne1065

Of al this Erthe under the Sonne, 2450

This king homward to Macedoine,

Whan that he cam to Babiloine,

And wende most in his Empire,

As he which was hol lord and Sire,

In honour forto be received,

Most sodeinliche he was deceived,

And with strong puison envenimed.

And as he hath the world mistimed

P. i. 362

Noght as he scholde with his wit,

Noght as he wolde it was aquit.1066 2460

Thus was he slain that whilom slowh,

And he which riche was ynowh

This dai, tomorwe he hadde noght:

And in such wise as he hath wroght

In destorbance of worldes pes,

His werre he fond thanne endeles,

In which for evere desconfit

He was. Lo now, for what profit

Of werre it helpeth forto ryde,

For coveitise and worldes pride 2470

To sle the worldes men aboute,

As bestes whiche gon theroute.

For every lif which reson can

Oghth wel to knowe that a man1067

Ne scholde thurgh no tirannie

Lich to these othre bestes die,1068

Til kinde wolde for him sende.

I not hou he it mihte amende,1069

Which takth awei for everemore

The lif that he mai noght restore. 2480

Confessor.

Forthi, mi Sone, in alle weie

Be wel avised, I thee preie,

Of slawhte er that thou be coupable

Withoute cause resonable.

Amans.

Mi fader, understonde it is,

That ye have seid; bot over this

[Are Crusades lawful?]

I prei you tell me nay or yee,

To passe over the grete See

P. i. 363

To werre and sle the Sarazin,

Is that the lawe?

Sone myn, 2490

Confessor.

To preche and soffre for the feith,1070

That have I herd the gospell seith;1071

Bot forto slee, that hiere I noght.

Crist with his oghne deth hath boght

Alle othre men, and made hem fre,

In tokne of parfit charite;

And after that he tawhte himselve,

Whan he was ded, these othre tuelve

Of hise Apostles wente aboute

The holi feith to prechen oute, 2500

Wherof the deth in sondri place

Thei soffre, and so god of his grace

The feith of Crist hath mad aryse:

Bot if thei wolde in other wise

Nota.1072

Be werre have broght in the creance,

It hadde yit stonde in balance.

And that mai proven in the dede;

For what man the Croniqes rede,

Fro ferst that holi cherche hath weyved

To preche, and hath the swerd received, 2510

Wherof the werres ben begonne,

A gret partie of that was wonne

To Cristes feith stant now miswent:

Godd do therof amendement,

So as he wot what is the beste.

[Guilt of Homicide.]

Bot, Sone, if thou wolt live in reste

Of conscience wel assised,

Er that thou sle, be wel avised:

P. i. 364

For man, as tellen ous the clerkes,

Hath god above alle ertheli werkes 2520

Ordeined to be principal,

And ek of Soule in special

He is mad lich to the godhiede.

So sit it wel to taken hiede

And forto loke on every side,

Er that thou falle in homicide,

Which Senne is now so general,

That it welnyh stant overal,

In holi cherche and elles where.1073

Bot al the while it stant so there, 2530

The world mot nede fare amis:

For whan the welle of pite is

Thurgh coveitise of worldes good

Defouled with schedinge of blod,

The remenant of folk aboute

Unethe stonden eny doute

To werre ech other and to slee.

So is it all noght worth a Stree,

The charite wherof we prechen,

For we do nothing as we techen: 2540

And thus the blinde conscience

Of pes hath lost thilke evidence

Which Crist upon this Erthe tawhte.

Now mai men se moerdre and manslawhte1074

Lich as it was be daies olde,

Whan men the Sennes boghte and solde.

Facilitas venie occasionem prebet delinquendi.

In Grece afore Cristes feith,

I rede, as the Cronique seith,

P. i. 365

Touchende of this matiere thus,

In thilke time hou Peleüs 2550

His oghne brother Phocus slowh;

Bot for he hadde gold ynowh

To yive, his Senne was despensed

With gold, wherof it was compensed:

Achastus, which with Venus was

Hire Priest, assoilede in that cas,1075

Al were ther no repentance.

And as the bok makth remembrance,

It telleth of Medee also;

Of that sche slowh her Sones tuo, 2560

Egeüs in the same plit

Hath mad hire of hire Senne quit.

The Sone ek of Amphioras,

Whos rihte name Almeüs was,

His Moder slowh, Eriphile;

Bot Achilo the Priest and he,

So as the bokes it recorden,

For certein Somme of gold acorden1076

That thilke horrible sinfull dede

Assoiled was. And thus for mede 2570

Of worldes good it falleth ofte

That homicide is set alofte

Hiere in this lif; bot after this1077

Ther schal be knowe how that it is

Of hem that suche thinges werche,

And hou also that holi cherche

Let suche Sennes passe quyte,

And how thei wole hemself aquite1078

P. i. 366

Of dedly werres that thei make.

For who that wolde ensample take, 2580

The lawe which is naturel

Be weie of kinde scheweth wel

That homicide in no degree,

Which werreth ayein charite,

Among the men ne scholde duelle.

For after that the bokes telle,

To seche in al this worldesriche,1079

Men schal noght finde upon his liche

A beste forto take his preie:

And sithen kinde hath such a weie, 2590

Thanne is it wonder of a man,1080

Which kynde hath and resoun can,

That he wol owther more or lasse

His kinde and resoun overpasse,

And sle that is to him semblable.

So is the man noght resonable

Ne kinde, and that is noght honeste,

Whan he is worse than a beste.

[A Strange Bird.]

Nota secundum Solinum contra homicidas de natura cuiusdam Auis faciem ad similitudinem humanam habentis, que cum de preda sua hominem juxta fluuium occiderit videritque in aqua similem sibi occisum, statim pre dolore moritur.

Among the bokes whiche I finde

Solyns spekth of a wonder kinde, 2600

And seith of fowhles ther is on,

Which hath a face of blod and bon

Lich to a man in resemblance.

And if it falle him so per chance,

As he which is a fowhl of preie,

That he a man finde in his weie,

He wol him slen, if that he mai:

Bot afterward the same dai,

P. i. 367

Whan he hath eten al his felle,

And that schal be beside a welle, 2610

In which whan he wol drinke take,

Of his visage and seth the make

That he hath slain, anon he thenketh

Of his misdede, and it forthenketh

So gretly, that for pure sorwe

He liveth noght til on the morwe.

Be this ensample it mai well suie

That man schal homicide eschuie,

For evere is merci good to take,

Bot if the lawe it hath forsake 2620

And that justice is therayein.

For ofte time I have herd sein

Amonges hem that werres hadden,

That thei som while here cause ladden1081

Be merci, whan thei mihte have slain,

Wherof that thei were after fain:

[Mercy.]

And, Sone, if that thou wolt recorde

The vertu of Misericorde,

Thou sihe nevere thilke place,

Where it was used, lacke grace. 2630

For every lawe and every kinde

The mannes wit to merci binde;

And namely the worthi knihtes,

Whan that thei stonden most uprihtes

And ben most mihti forto grieve,

Thei scholden thanne most relieve

Him whom thei mihten overthrowe,

As be ensample a man mai knowe.1082

[Tale of Telaphus and Teucer.]

P. i. 368

He mai noght failen of his mede

That hath merci: for this I rede, 2640

In a Cronique and finde thus.

Hic ponit Confessor exemplum de pietate contra homicidium in guerris habenda. Et narrat qualiter Achilles vna cum Thelapho filio suo contra Regem Mesee, qui tunc Theucer vocabatur, bellum inierunt; et cum Achilles dictum Regem in bello prostratum occidere voluisset, Thelaphus pietate motus ipsum clipeo suo cooperiens veniam pro Rege a patre postulauit: pro quo facto ipse Rex adhuc viuens Thephalum Regni sui heredem libera voluntate constituit.

Whan Achilles with Telaphus1083

His Sone toward Troie were,

It fell hem, er thei comen there,

Ayein Theucer the king of Mese

To make werre and forto sese

His lond, as thei that wolden regne

And Theucer pute out of his regne.

And thus the Marches thei assaile,

Bot Theucer yaf to hem bataille;1084 2650

Thei foghte on bothe sides faste,

Bot so it hapneth ate laste,

This worthi Grek, this Achilles,

The king among alle othre ches:

As he that was cruel and fell,

With swerd in honde on him he fell,

And smot him with a dethes wounde,

That he unhorsed fell to grounde.

Achilles upon him alyhte,

And wolde anon, as he wel mihte, 2660

Have slain him fullich in the place;

Bot Thelaphus his fader grace

For him besoghte, and for pite

Preith that he wolde lete him be,

And caste his Schield betwen hem tuo.

Achilles axeth him why so,

And Thelaphus his cause tolde,

And seith that he is mochel holde,

P. i. 369

For whilom Theucer in a stede

Gret grace and socour to him dede, 2670

And seith that he him wolde aquite,1085

And preith his fader to respite.

Achilles tho withdrowh his hond;

Bot al the pouer of the lond,

Whan that thei sihe here king thus take,

Thei fledde and han the feld forsake:

The Grecs unto the chace falle,

And for the moste part of alle

Of that contre the lordes grete

Thei toke, and wonne a gret beyete. 2680

And anon after this victoire

The king, which hadde good memoire,

Upon the grete merci thoghte,

Which Telaphus toward him wroghte,1086

And in presence of al the lond

He tok him faire be the hond,

And in this wise he gan to seie:

‘Mi Sone, I mot be double weie

Love and desire thin encress;

Ferst for thi fader Achilles 2690

Whilom ful many dai er this,

Whan that I scholde have fare amis,

Rescousse dede in mi querele

And kepte al myn astat in hele:

How so ther falle now distance

Amonges ous, yit remembrance1087

I have of merci which he dede

As thanne: and thou now in this stede

P. i. 370

Of gentilesce and of franchise

Hast do mercy the same wise. 2700

So wol I noght that eny time

Be lost of that thou hast do byme;

For hou so this fortune falle,

Yit stant mi trust aboven alle,

For the mercy which I now finde,

That thou wolt after this be kinde:

And for that such is myn espeir,

As for my Sone and for myn Eir

I thee receive, and al my lond

I yive and sese into thin hond.’ 2710

And in this wise thei acorde,

The cause was Misericorde:

The lordes dede here obeissance

To Thelaphus, and pourveance

Was mad so that he was coroned:

And thus was merci reguerdoned,

Which he to Theucer dede afore.

Confessor.

Lo, this ensample is mad therfore,

That thou miht take remembrance,

Mi Sone; and whan thou sest a chaunce, 2720

Of other mennes passioun

Tak pite and compassioun,

And let nothing to thee be lief,1088

Which to an other man is grief.

And after this if thou desire

To stonde ayein the vice of Ire,

Consaile thee with Pacience,

And tak into thi conscience

P. i. 371

Merci to be thi governour.

So schalt thou fiele no rancour, 2730

Wherof thin herte schal debate

With homicide ne with hate

For Cheste or for Malencolie:

Thou schalt be soft in compaignie

Withoute Contek or Folhaste:

For elles miht thou longe waste

Thi time, er that thou have thi wille

Of love; for the weder stille

Men preise, and blame the tempestes.

Amans.

Mi fader, I wol do youre hestes, 2740

And of this point ye have me tawht,

Toward miself the betre sawht

I thenke be, whil that I live.

Bot for als moche as I am schrive

Of Wraththe and al his circumstance,

Yif what you list to my penance,

And asketh forthere of my lif,

If otherwise I be gultif

Of eny thing that toucheth Sinne.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, er we departe atwinne, 2750

I schal behinde nothing leve.

Amans.

Mi goode fader, be your leve

Thanne axeth forth what so you list,

For I have in you such a trist,

As ye that be my Soule hele,

That ye fro me wol nothing hele,

For I schal telle you the trowthe.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, art thou coupable of Slowthe

P. i. 372

In eny point which to him longeth?

Amans.

My fader, of tho pointz me longeth 2760

To wite pleinly what thei meene,

So that I mai me schrive cleene.

Confessor.

Now herkne, I schal the pointz devise;1089

And understond wel myn aprise:1090

For schrifte stant of no value

To him that wol him noght vertue

To leve of vice the folie:

For word is wynd, bot the maistrie

Is that a man himself defende

Of thing which is noght to comende, 2770

Wherof ben fewe now aday.

And natheles, so as I may

Make unto thi memoire knowe,

The pointz of Slowthe thou schalt knowe.