*Out of his flessh a man to live505
In carne preter carnem viuere pocius vita angelica quam humana est.506
Gregoire hath this ensample yive,
And seith it schal rather be told
Lich to an Angel manyfold,507
P. ii. 342
Than to the lif of mannes kinde.
Ther is no reson forto finde,6400*
Bot only thurgh the grace above,
In flessh withoute flesshly love
A man to live chaste hiere:
And natheles a man mai hiere
Of suche that have ben er this,
And yit ther ben; bot for it is
A vertu which is sielde wonne,
Now I this matiere have begonne,
I thenke tellen overmore,
Which is, mi Sone, for thi lore,6410*
If that the list to taken hiede.
x.508Vt Rosa de spinis spineto preualet orta,
Et lilii flores cespite plura valent,
Sic sibi virginitas carnis sponsalia vincit,
Eternos fetus que sine labe parit.
To trete upon the maidenhiede,
Milicia est vita hominis super terram.509
The bok seith that a mannes lif
Upon knyhthode in werre and strif510
Is sett among hise enemys:
The frele fleissh, whos nature is
Ai redy forto sporne and falle,
The ferste foman is of alle;
For thilke werre is redi ai,
It werreth nyht, it werreth dai,6420*
So that a man hath nevere reste.
Forthi is thilke knyht the beste,
Thurgh myht and grace of goddes sonde
Which that bataille mai withstonde:
Wherof yit duelleth the memoire
Of hem that whilom the victoire
Of thilke dedly werre hadden;511
The hih prouesse which thei ladden,
P. ii. 343
Wherof the Soule stod amended,512
Upon this erthe is yit commended.5136430*
Hic loquitur qualiter Valentinianus Imperator, cum ipse octogenarius plures prouincias Romano Imperio belliger subiugasset, dixit se super omnia magis gaudere de eo quod contra514 sue carnis concupiscenciam victoriam optinuisset; nam et ipse virgo omnibus diebus vite sue castissimus515 permansit.
An Emperour be olde daies
Ther was, and he at alle assaies
A worthi knyht was of his hond,
Ther was non such in al the lond;
Bot yit for al his vasselage
He stod unwedded al his age,516
And in Cronique as it is told,
He was an hundred wynter old.
Bot whan men wolde etc. (as 6405 ff.)

Bot whan men wolde his dedes peise
And his knyhthode of Armes preise,
Of that he dede with his hondes,
Whan he the kinges and the londes517
To his subjeccion put under,518
Of al that pris hath he no wonder, 6410
For he it sette of non acompte,
And seide al that may noght amonte
Ayeins o point which he hath nome,
That he his fleissh hath overcome:
P. ii. 344
He was a virgine, as he seide;
On that bataille his pris he leide. (6450*)
[Virginity.]
Lo nou, my Sone, avise thee.
Amans.
Yee, fader, al this wel mai be,519
Bot if alle othre dede so,
The world of men were sone go: 6420
And in the lawe a man mai finde,
Hou god to man be weie of kinde
Hath set the world to multeplie;
And who that wol him justefie,
It is ynouh to do the lawe.
And natheles youre goode sawe
Is good to kepe, who so may,
I wol noght therayein seie nay.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, take it as I seie;520
If maidenhod be take aweie 6430
Withoute lawes ordinance,
It mai noght failen of vengance.
And if thou wolt the sothe wite,
Behold a tale which is write,
Hou that the King Agamenon,
Whan he the Cite of Lesbon
Hath wonne, a Maiden ther he fond,
Which was the faireste of the Lond
In thilke time that men wiste.
He tok of hire what him liste 6440
Of thing which was most precious,
Wherof that sche was dangerous.
This faire Maiden cleped is
Criseide, douhter of Crisis,521
P. ii. 345
Which was that time in special
Of thilke temple principal,
Wher Phebus hadde his sacrifice,
So was it wel the more vice.
Agamenon was thanne in weie
To Troieward, and tok aweie 6450
This Maiden, which he with him ladde,
So grete a lust in hire he hadde.522
Bot Phebus, which hath gret desdeign
Of that his Maiden was forlein,
Anon as he to Troie cam,
Vengance upon this dede he nam
And sende a comun pestilence.
Thei soghten thanne here evidence
And maden calculation,
To knowe in what condicion 6460
This deth cam in so sodeinly;523
And ate laste redyly
The cause and ek the man thei founde:524
And forth withal the same stounde
Agamenon opposed was,525
Which hath beknowen al the cas(6500*)
Of the folie which he wroghte.
And therupon mercy thei soghte
Toward the god in sondri wise
With preiere and with sacrifise, 6470
The Maide and hom ayein thei sende,526
And yive hire good ynouh to spende527
For evere whil sche scholde live:
And thus the Senne was foryive
P. ii. 346
And al the pestilence cessed.
Confessor.
Lo, what it is to ben encressed
Of love which is evele wonne.
It were betre noght begonne
Than take a thing withoute leve,
Which thou most after nedes leve, 6480
And yit have malgre forth withal.
Forthi to robben overal
In loves cause if thou beginne,
I not what ese thou schalt winne.
Mi Sone, be wel war of this,
For thus of Robberie it is.528
Amans.
Mi fader, youre ensamplerie
In loves cause of Robberie
I have it riht wel understonde.
Bot overthis, hou so it stonde, 6490
Yit wolde I wite of youre aprise
What thing is more of Covoitise.
[Stealth and Michery.]
xi. Insidiando latens tempus rimatur et horam529
Fur, quibus occulto tempore furta parat.530
Sic amor insidiis vacat, vt sub tegmine ludos531
Prendere furtiuos nocte fauente queat.
With Covoitise yit I finde
A Servant of the same kinde,
Hic tractat super illa Cupiditatis specie, que secretum latrocinium dicitur, cuius natura custode532 rerum nesciente ea que cupit tam per diem quam per noctem absque strepitu clanculo furatur.
Which Stelthe is hote, and Mecherie
With him is evere in compainie.
Of whom if I schal telle soth,
He stalketh as a Pocok doth,
And takth his preie so covert,
That noman wot it in apert. 6500
P. ii. 347
For whan he wot the lord from home,533
Than wol he stalke aboute and rome;
And what thing he fint in his weie,
Whan that he seth the men aweie,
He stelth it and goth forth withal,
That therof noman knowe schal.
And ek fulofte he goth a nyht
Withoute Mone or sterreliht,
And with his craft the dore unpiketh,
And takth therinne what him liketh: 6510
And if the dore be so schet,
That he be of his entre let,
He wole in ate wyndou crepe,
And whil the lord is faste aslepe,
He stelth what thing as him best list,
And goth his weie er it be wist.(6550*)
Fulofte also be lyhte of day
Yit wole he stele and make assay;534
Under the cote his hond he put,
Til he the mannes Purs have cut, 6520
And rifleth that he fint therinne.
And thus he auntreth him to winne,
And berth an horn and noght ne bloweth,
For noman of his conseil knoweth;
What he mai gete of his Michinge,
It is al bile under the winge.
And as an hound that goth to folde
And hath ther taken what he wolde,
His mouth upon the gras he wypeth,
And so with feigned chiere him slypeth, 6530
P. ii. 348
That what as evere of schep he strangle,
Ther is noman therof schal jangle,
As forto knowen who it dede;535
Riht so doth Stelthe in every stede,
Where as him list his preie take.
He can so wel his cause make
And so wel feigne and so wel glose,
That ther ne schal noman suppose,
Bot that he were an innocent,
And thus a mannes yhe he blent: 6540
So that this craft I mai remene
Withouten help of eny mene.
[Stealth of Lovers.]
Ther be lovers of that degre,
Which al here lust in privete,
As who seith, geten al be Stelthe,
And ofte atteignen to gret welthe
As for the time that it lasteth.536
For love awaiteth evere and casteth
Hou he mai stele and cacche his preie,
Whan he therto mai finde a weie: 6550
For be it nyht or be it day,
He takth his part, whan that he may,
And if he mai nomore do,
Yit wol he stele a cuss or tuo.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, what seist thou therto?
Tell if thou dedest evere so.
Mi fader, hou?
Mi Sone, thus,—
If thou hast stolen eny cuss
Or other thing which therto longeth,
For noman suche thieves hongeth: 6560
P. ii. 349
Tell on forthi and sei the trouthe.
Confessio Amantis.
Mi fader, nay, and that is routhe,
For be mi will I am a thief;
Bot sche that is to me most lief,
Yit dorste I nevere in privete
Noght ones take hire be the kne,(6600*)
To stele of hire or this or that,
And if I dorste, I wot wel what:
And natheles, bot if I lie,
Be Stelthe ne be Robberie 6570
Of love, which fell in mi thoght,
To hire dede I nevere noght.
Bot as men sein, wher herte is failed,
Ther schal no castell ben assailed;
Bot thogh I hadde hertes ten,
And were als strong as alle men,
If I be noght myn oghne man
And dar noght usen that I can,
I mai miselve noght recovere.
Thogh I be nevere man so povere, 6580
I bere an herte and hire it is,
So that me faileth wit in this,
Hou that I scholde of myn acord
The servant lede ayein the lord:
For if mi fot wolde awher go,537
Or that min hand wolde elles do,
Whan that myn herte is therayein,
The remenant is al in vein.
And thus me lacketh alle wele,
And yit ne dar I nothing stele 6590
P. ii. 350
Of thing which longeth unto love:
And ek it is so hyh above,
I mai noght wel therto areche,
Bot if so be at time of speche,
Ful selde if thanne I stele may
A word or tuo and go my way.
Betwen hire hih astat and me538
Comparison ther mai non be,
So that I fiele and wel I wot,
Al is to hevy and to hot 6600
To sette on hond withoute leve:
And thus I mot algate leve
To stele that I mai noght take,
And in this wise I mot forsake
To ben a thief ayein mi wille
Of thing which I mai noght fulfille.
For that Serpent which nevere slepte
The flees of gold so wel ne kepte
In Colchos, as the tale is told,
That mi ladi a thousendfold 6610
Nys betre yemed and bewaked,
Wher sche be clothed or be naked.
To kepe hir bodi nyht and day,
Sche hath a wardein redi ay,
Which is so wonderful a wyht,
That him ne mai no mannes myht(6650*)
With swerd ne with no wepne daunte,539
Ne with no sleihte of charme enchaunte,
Wherof he mihte be mad tame,
And Danger is his rihte name; 6620
P. ii. 351
Which under lock and under keie,
That noman mai it stele aweie,
Hath al the Tresor underfonge
That unto love mai belonge.
The leste lokinge of hire yhe
Mai noght be stole, if he it syhe;
And who so gruccheth for so lyte,
He wolde sone sette a wyte
On him that wolde stele more.
And that me grieveth wonder sore, 6630
For this proverbe is evere newe,
That stronge lokes maken trewe
Of hem that wolden stele and pyke:540
For so wel can ther noman slyke541
Be him ne be non other mene,
To whom Danger wol yive or lene
Of that tresor he hath to kepe.
So thogh I wolde stalke and crepe,
And wayte on eve and ek on morwe,
Of Danger schal I nothing borwe, 6640
And stele I wot wel may I noght:542
And thus I am riht wel bethoght,
Whil Danger stant in his office,
Of Stelthe, which ye clepe a vice,
I schal be gultif neveremo.
Therfore I wolde he were ago
So fer that I nevere of him herde,
Hou so that afterward it ferde:
For thanne I mihte yit per cas
Of love make som pourchas 6650
P. ii. 352
Be Stelthe or be som other weie,
That nou fro me stant fer aweie.
Bot, fader, as ye tolde above,543
Hou Stelthe goth a nyht for love,
I mai noght wel that point forsake,
That ofte times I ne wake
On nyhtes, whan that othre slepe;
Bot hou, I prei you taketh kepe.
Whan I am loged in such wise544
That I be nyhte mai arise, 6660
At som wyndowe and loken oute
And se the housinge al aboute,
So that I mai the chambre knowe
In which mi ladi, as I trowe,
Lyth in hir bed and slepeth softe,
Thanne is myn herte a thief fulofte:(6700*)
For there I stonde to beholde545
The longe nyhtes that ben colde,
And thenke on hire that lyth there.
And thanne I wisshe that I were 6670
Als wys as was Nectanabus
Or elles as was Protheüs,
That couthen bothe of nigromaunce
In what liknesse, in what semblaunce,
Riht as hem liste, hemself transforme:
For if I were of such a forme,
I seie thanne I wolde fle
Into the chambre forto se546
If eny grace wolde falle,
So that I mihte under the palle 6680
P. ii. 353
Som thing of love pyke and stele.
And thus I thenke thoghtes fele,
And thogh therof nothing be soth,
Yit ese as for a time it doth:
Bot ate laste whanne I finde
That I am falle into my mynde,
And se that I have stonde longe
And have no profit underfonge,
Than stalke I to mi bedd withinne.
And this is al that evere I winne 6690
Of love, whanne I walke on nyht:
Mi will is good, bot of mi myht
Me lacketh bothe and of mi grace;
For what so that mi thoght embrace,547
Yit have I noght the betre ferd.
Mi fader, lo, nou have ye herd
What I be Stelthe of love have do,548
And hou mi will hath be therto:
If I be worthi to penance
I put it on your ordinance.549 6700
Confessor.
Mi Sone, of Stelthe I the behiete,
Thogh it be for a time swete,
At ende it doth bot litel good,
As be ensample hou that it stod
Whilom, I mai thee telle nou.
Amans.
I preie you, fader, sei me hou.550
Confessor.
Mi Sone, of him which goth be daie
Be weie of Stelthe to assaie,
In loves cause and takth his preie,
Ovide seide as I schal seie, 6710
P. ii. 354
And in his Methamor he tolde
A tale, which is good to holde.
[Tale of Leucothoe.]
The Poete upon this matiere
Of Stelthe wrot in this manere.
Venus, which hath this lawe in honde551
Hic in amoris causa super isto Latrocinio quod de die552 contigit ponit exemplum. Et narrat quod, cum Leuchotoe Orchami filia in cameris sub arta matris custodia virgo preseruabatur, Phebus eius pulcritudinem concupiscens, in conclave domus clara luce subintrans, virginis pudiciciam matre nescia553 deflorauit: vnde ipsa inpregnata iratus pater filiam suam ad sepeliendum viuam effodit; ex cuius tumulo florem, quem554 Solsequium vocant, dicunt tunc555 consequenter primitus accreuisse.
Of thing which mai noght be withstonde,(6750*)
As sche which the tresor to warde
Of love hath withinne hir warde,
Phebum to love hath so constreigned,556
That he withoute reste is peined 6720
With al his herte to coveite
A Maiden, which was warded streyte
Withinne chambre and kept so clos,
That selden was whan sche desclos
Goth with hir moder forto pleie.
Leuchotoe, so as men seie,
This Maiden hihte, and Orchamus
Hir fader was; and befell thus.
This doughter, that was kept so deere,
And hadde be fro yer to yeere 6730
Under hir moder discipline
A clene Maide and a Virgine,
Upon the whos nativite
Of comelihiede and of beaute
Nature hath set al that sche may,
That lich unto the fresshe Maii,
Which othre monthes of the yeer
Surmonteth, so withoute pier
Was of this Maiden the feture.
Wherof Phebus out of mesure 6740
P. ii. 355
Hire loveth, and on every syde
Awaiteth, if so mai betyde,557
That he thurgh eny sleihte myhte
Hire lusti maidenhod unrihte,
The which were al his worldes welthe.
And thus lurkende upon his stelthe558
In his await so longe he lai,
Til it befell upon a dai,
That he thurghout hir chambre wall
Cam in al sodeinliche, and stall 6750
That thing which was to him so lief.559
Bot wo the while, he was a thief!
For Venus, which was enemie
Of thilke loves micherie,
Discovereth al the pleine cas
To Clymene, which thanne was560
Toward Phebus his concubine.
And sche to lette the covine
Of thilke love, dedli wroth
To pleigne upon this Maide goth, 6760
And tolde hire fader hou it stod;
Wherof for sorwe welnyh wod
Unto hire moder thus he saide:
‘Lo, what it is to kepe a Maide!
To Phebus dar I nothing speke,
Bot upon hire I schal be wreke,561(6800*)
So that these Maidens after this
Mow take ensample, what it is562
To soffre her maidenhed be stole,563
Wherof that sche the deth schal thole.’ 6770
P. ii. 356
And bad with that do make a pet,564
Wherinne he hath his douhter set,
As he that wol no pite have,
So that sche was al quik begrave
And deide anon in his presence.
Bot Phebus, for the reverence
Of that sche hadde be his love,
Hath wroght thurgh his pouer above,
That sche sprong up out of the molde
Into a flour was named golde, 6780
Which stant governed of the Sonne.
And thus whan love is evele wonne,
Fulofte it comth to repentaile.
Amans.
Mi fader, that is no mervaile,
Whan that the conseil is bewreid.
Bot ofte time love hath pleid
And stole many a prive game,
Which nevere yit cam into blame,
Whan that the thinges weren hidde.
Bot in youre tale, as it betidde, 6790
Venus discoverede al the cas,
And ek also brod dai it was,
Whan Phebus such a Stelthe wroghte,
Wherof the Maide in blame he broghte,
That afterward sche was so lore.565
Bot for ye seiden nou tofore
Hou stelthe of love goth be nyhte,
And doth hise thinges out of syhte,
Therof me liste also to hiere
A tale lich to the matiere, 6800
P. ii. 357
Wherof I miyhte ensample take.
Confessor.
Mi goode Sone, and for thi sake,566
So as it fell be daies olde,567
And so as the Poete it tolde,
Upon the nyhtes micherie
Nou herkne a tale of Poesie.
[Tale of Hercules and Faunus.]
The myhtieste of alle men
Whan Hercules with Eolen,
Hic ponit exemplum super eodem quod de nocte contigit. Et narrat qualiter Hercules cum Eole in quadam spelunca nobili, Thophis dicta, sub monte Thymolo, vbi silua Bachi est, hospicio pernoctarunt. Et cum ipsi variis lectis seperatim568 iacentes dormierunt, contigit lectum Herculis vestimentis Eole lectumque Eole pelle leonis, qua Hercules induebatur, operiri. Super quo Faunus a silua descendens speluncam subintrauit, temptans si forte cum Eole sue concupiscencie voluptatem569 nesciente Hercule furari posset. Et cum ad lectum Herculis muliebri palpata veste ex casu peruenisset, putans Eolen fuisse, cubiculum nudo corpore ingreditur; quem senciens Hercules manibus apprehensum ipsum ad terram ita fortiter allisit, ut impotens sui corporis effectus usque mane ibidem requieuit, vbi Saba cum Nimphis siluestribus superueniens ipsum sic illusum deridebat.
Which was the love of his corage,
Togedre upon a Pelrinage 6810
Towardes Rome scholden go,570
It fell hem be the weie so,
That thei upon a dai a Cave
Withinne a roche founden have,
Which was real and glorious
And of Entaile curious,(6850*)
Be name and Thophis it was hote.
The Sonne schon tho wonder hote,
As it was in the Somer tyde;
This Hercules, which be his syde 6820
Hath Eolen his love there,571
Whan thei at thilke cave were,
He seide it thoghte him for the beste
That sche hire for the hete reste
Al thilke day and thilke nyht;
And sche, that was a lusti wyht,
It liketh hire al that he seide:
And thus thei duelle there and pleide
The longe dai. And so befell,
This Cave was under the hell 6830
P. ii. 358
Of Tymolus, which was begrowe
With vines, and at thilke throwe
Faunus with Saba the goddesse,
Be whom the large wildernesse
In thilke time stod governed,
Weere in a place, as I am lerned,572
Nyh by, which Bachus wode hihte.
This Faunus tok a gret insihte
Of Eolen, that was so nyh;573
For whan that he hire beaute syh, 6840
Out of his wit he was assoted,
And in his herte it hath so noted,
That he forsok the Nimphes alle,
And seide he wolde, hou so it falle,
Assaie an other forto winne;
So that his hertes thoght withinne574
He sette and caste hou that he myhte
Of love pyke awey be nyhte575
That he be daie in other wise
To stele mihte noght suffise: 6850
And therupon his time he waiteth.
Nou tak good hiede hou love afaiteth
Him which withal is overcome.
Faire Eolen, whan sche was come
With Hercules into the Cave,
Sche seide him that sche wolde have576
Hise clothes of and hires bothe,577
That ech of hem scholde other clothe.578
And al was do riht as sche bad,
He hath hire in hise clothes clad 6860
P. ii. 359
And caste on hire his gulion,
Which of the Skyn of a Leoun
Was mad, as he upon the weie
It slouh, and overthis to pleie
Sche tok his grete Mace also
And knet it at hir gerdil tho.(6900*)
So was sche lich the man arraied,579
And Hercules thanne hath assaied
To clothen him in hire array:
And thus thei jape forth the dai, 6870
Til that her Souper redy were.
And whan thei hadden souped there,
Thei schopen hem to gon to reste;
And as it thoghte hem for the beste,
Thei bede, as for that ilke nyht,
Tuo sondri beddes to be dyht,
For thei togedre ligge nolde,
Be cause that thei offre wolde
Upon the morwe here sacrifice.
The servantz deden here office 6880
And sondri beddes made anon,
Wherin that thei to reste gon
Ech be himself in sondri place.580
Faire Eole hath set the Mace
Beside hire beddes hed above,
And with the clothes of hire love
Sche helede al hire bed aboute;
And he, which hadde of nothing doute,
Hire wympel wond aboute his cheke,
Hire kertell and hire mantel eke 6890
P. ii. 360
Abrod upon his bed he spredde.
And thus thei slepen bothe abedde;
And what of travail, what of wyn,
The servantz lich to drunke Swyn
Begunne forto route faste.581
This Faunus, which his Stelthe caste,
Was thanne come to the Cave,
And fond thei weren alle save
Withoute noise, and in he wente.
The derke nyht his sihte blente, 6900
And yit it happeth him to go
Where Eolen abedde tho
Was leid al one for to slepe;
Bot for he wolde take kepe
Whos bed it was, he made assai,
And of the Leoun, where it lay,
The Cote he fond, and ek he fieleth
The Mace, and thanne his herte kieleth,
That there dorste he noght abyde,
Bot stalketh upon every side 6910
And soghte aboute with his hond,
That other bedd til that he fond,
Wher lai bewympled a visage.
Tho was he glad in his corage,
For he hir kertell fond also
And ek hir mantell bothe tuo(6950*)
Bespred upon the bed alofte.
He made him naked thanne, and softe
Into the bedd unwar he crepte,
Wher Hercules that time slepte, 6920
P. ii. 361
And wende wel it were sche;
And thus in stede of Eole
Anon he profreth him to love.
But he, which felte a man above,
This Hercules, him threw to grounde582
So sore, that thei have him founde
Liggende there upon the morwe;
And tho was noght a litel sorwe,
That Faunus of himselve made,
Bot elles thei were alle glade 6930
And lowhen him to scorne aboute:
Saba with Nimphis al a route583
Cam doun to loke hou that he ferde,584
And whan that thei the sothe herde,
He was bejaped overal.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, be thou war withal
To seche suche mecheries,
Bot if thou have the betre aspies,
In aunter if the so betyde
As Faunus dede thilke tyde, 6940
Wherof thou miht be schamed so.
Amans.
Min holi fader, certes no.
Bot if I hadde riht good leve,
Such mecherie I thenke leve:
Mi feinte herte wol noght serve;
For malgre wolde I noght deserve
In thilke place wher I love.
Bot for ye tolden hier above
Of Covoitise and his pilage,
If ther be more of that lignage, 6950
P. ii. 362
Which toucheth to mi schrifte, I preie
That ye therof me wolde seie,
So that I mai the vice eschuie.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, if I be order suie585
The vices, as thei stonde arowe,586
Of Covoitise thou schalt knowe
Ther is yit on, which is the laste;
In whom ther mai no vertu laste,
For he with god himself debateth,
Wherof that al the hevene him hateth. 6960
[Sacrilege.]
xii. Sacrilegus tantum furto loca sacra prophanat;
Vt sibi sunt agri, sic domus alma dei.
Nec locus est, in quo non temptat amans quod amatur,
Et que posse nequit carpere, velle capit.
Hic tractat super vltima Cupiditatis specie, que Sacrilegium dicta est, cuius furtum ea que altissimo sanctificantur bona depredans ecclesie tantum spoliis insidiatur.
The hihe god, which alle goode
Pourveied hath for mannes fode
Of clothes and of mete and drinke,
Bad Adam that he scholde swinke
To geten him his sustienance;
And ek he sette an ordinance(7000*)
Upon the lawe of Moïses,587
That though a man be haveles,
Yit schal he noght be thefte stele.
Bot nou adaies ther ben fele, 6970
That wol no labour undertake,
Bot what thei mai be Stelthe take
Thei holde it sikerliche wonne.
And thus the lawe is overronne,
Which god hath set, and namely
With hem that so untrewely
The goodes robbe of holi cherche.
P. ii. 363
The thefte which thei thanne werche
Be name is cleped Sacrilegge,
Ayein the whom I thenke alegge.* 6980
Of his condicion to telle,
Which rifleth bothe bok and belle,
588*Upon the pointz as we ben taught589
Stant sacrilege, and elles nought.
The firste point is for to seye,
Whan that a thief schal stele aweye
The holy thing from holy place.
The secounde is, if he pourchace7020*
By wey of thefte unholy thing,
Which he upon his knowleching
Fro holy place aweie took.
The thridde point, as seith the book,
Is such as, wher as evere it be,590
In woode, in feld or in Cite,
Schal no man stele by no wise
That halwed is to the servise
Of god which alle thinges wot.
But ther is nouther cold ne hot,7030*
Which he for god or man wol spare,
So that the body may wel fare;
And that he may the world aschape,
The hevene him thenkth is but a jape:591
And thus, the sothe for to telle,
He rifleth bothe book and belle,592
So forth with al, etc. (as 6983 ff.)

So forth with al the remenant
To goddes hous appourtenant,
Wher that he scholde bidde his bede,
He doth his thefte in holi stede,
P. ii. 364
And takth what thing he fint therinne:
For whan he seth that he mai winne,
He wondeth for no cursednesse,
That he ne brekth the holinesse 6990
And doth to god no reverence;
For he hath lost his conscience,
That though the Prest therfore curse,
He seith he fareth noght the wurse.593
And forto speke it otherwise,
What man that lasseth the franchise(7050*)
And takth of holi cherche his preie,
I not what bedes he schal preie.
Whan he fro god, which hath yive al,
The Pourpartie in special, 7000
Which unto Crist himself is due,594
Benymth, he mai noght wel eschue
The peine comende afterward;
For he hath mad his foreward
With Sacrilegge forto duelle,
Which hath his heritage in helle.
And if we rede of tholde lawe,595
I finde write, in thilke dawe596
Of Princes hou ther weren thre597
Coupable sore in this degre.598 7010
That on of hem was cleped thus,
The proude king Antiochus;
That other Nabuzardan hihte,
Which of his crualte behyhte
The temple to destruie and waste,
And so he dede in alle haste;
P. ii. 365
The thridde, which was after schamed,
Was Nabugodonosor named,
And he Jerusalem putte under,
Of Sacrilegge and many a wonder 7020
There in the holi temple he wroghte,
Which Baltazar his heir aboghte,599
Whan Mane, Techel, Phares write
Was on the wal, as thou miht wite,
So as the bible it hath declared.600
Bot for al that it is noght spared
Yit nou aday, that men ne pile,
And maken argument and skile
To Sacrilegge as it belongeth,
For what man that ther after longeth, 7030
He takth non hiede what he doth.*
And riht so, forto telle soth,
601*And if a man schal telle soth,
Of guile and of soubtilite
Is non so slyh in his degre
To feigne a thing for his beyete,
As is this vice of which I trete.7090*
He can so priveliche pyke,
He can so wel hise wordes slyke
To putte awey suspecioun,
That in his excusacioun,
Ther schal noman defalte finde.
And thus fulofte men be blinde,
That stonden of his word deceived,
Er his queintise be perceived.
P. ii. 366
Bot natheles yit otherwhile,
For al his sleyhte and al his guile,6027100*
Of that he wolde his werk forsake,
He is atteint and overtake;
Wherof thou schalt a tale rede,
In Rome as it befell in dede.603
[Tale of Lucius and the Statue.]
Er Rome cam to the creance
Of Cristes feith, it fell per chance,
Hic loquitur de illis qui laruata consciencia Sacrilegium sibi licere fingunt. Et narrat quod, cum quidam Lucius clericus famosus et Imperatori notus deum suum Apollinem in templo Rome de anulo suo, pallio et barba aurea spoliasset, ipse tandem apprehensus et coram Imperatore accusatus taliter se excusando ait: ‘Anulum a deo recepi, quia ipse digito protenso ex sua largitate anulum hunc graciose michi optulit; pallium ex lamine aureo constructum tuli, quia aurum maxime ponderosum et frigidum naturaliter consistit, vnde nec in estate propter pondus nec in yeme propter frigus ad dei vestes vtile fuit; barbam ab eo605 deposui, quia ipsum patri suo assimilare volui,606 nam et Apollo, qui ante ipsum in templo607 stetit, absque barba iuvenis apparuit. Et sic ea que gessi non ex furto set honestate608 processisse manifeste declaraui.’
Cesar, which tho was Emperour,
Him liste forto don honour
Unto the temple Apollinis,
And made an ymage upon this,7110*
The which was cleped Apollo.
Was non so riche in Rome tho;
Of plate of gold a berd he hadde,
The which his brest al overspradde;
Of gold also withoute faile
His mantell was of large entaile,
Beset with perrie al aboute,
Forthriht he strawhte his finger oute,
Upon the which he hadde a ryng,
To sen it was a riche thing,7120*
A fin Carbuncle for the nones,604
Most precious of alle Stones.
And fell that time in Rome thus:
Ther was a clerk, on Lucius,
A Courteour, a famous man,
Of every witt somwhat he can,
Outake that him lacketh reule
His oghne astat to guide and reule;
P. ii. 367
How so it stod of his spekinge,
He was noght wys in his doinge.7130*
Bot every riot ate laste
Mot nedes falle and mai noght laste:
After the meede of his decerte,
So fell this clerk into poverte
And wiste noght how forto ryse;
Wherof in many a sondri wyse
He caste his wittes hier and ther,
He loketh nyh, he loketh fer,
Til on a time that he com
Into the temple, and hiede he nom6097140*
Wher that the god Apollo stod.
He sih the richesse and the good,
And thoghte he wolde be som weie
The tresor pyke and stele aweie;
And therupon so slyhly wroghte,
That his pourpos aboute he broghte,
And wente awey unaparceived.
Thus hath the man his god deceived,610
His ryng, his mantell and his beerd,
As he which nothing was a feerd,6117150*
Al prively with him he bar:
And whan the wardeins weren war
Of that here god despuiled was,
Hem thoghte it was a wonder cas,
How that a man for eny wele
Durste in so holy place stele,612
And namely so gret a thing.613
This tale cam unto the king,
P. ii. 368
And was thurgh spoken overal:
Bot forto knowe in special7160*
What maner man hath do the dede,
Thei soghten help upon the nede
And maden calculacioun,
Wherof be demonstracioun
The man was founde with the good.
In juggement and whan he stood,
The king hath axed of him thus:
‘Sey, thou unsely Lucius,
Whi hast thou do this sacrilegge?’
‘Mi lord, if I the cause allegge,’7170*
Quod he ayein, ‘me thenketh this,
That I have do nothing amis.
Thre pointz ther ben whiche I have do,
Wherof the ferste point stant so,
That I the ryng have take aweie.
As unto that this wole I seie:614
Whan I the god behield aboute,
I sih how he his hond strawhte oute
And profred me the ryng to yive;
And I, which wolde gladly live7180*
Out of poverte of his largesse,615
It underfing, so that I gesse,
As therof I am noght to wyte.616
And overmore I wol me quite,
Of gold that I the mantell tok:
Gold in his kinde, as seith the bok,
Is hevy bothe and cold also;
And for that it was hevy so,
P. ii. 369
Me thoghte it was no garnement
Unto the god convenient,7190*
To clothen him the somer tide;
I thoghte upon that other side
How gold is cold, and such a cloth
Be resoun oghte to be loth
In wynter time for the chele.
And thus thenkende thoghtes fele,
As I myn yhe aboute caste,
His large beerd thanne ate laste
I syh, and thoghte anon therfore
How that his fader him before,7200*
Which stod upon the same place,
Was beerdles with a yongly face:
And in such wise as ye have herd
I tok awey the Sones berd,617
For that his fader hadde non,
To make hem liche, and hier upon
I axe forto ben excused.’
Lo thus, wher Sacrilegge is used,
A man can feigne his conscience;
And riht upon such evidence7210*
In loves cause, &c. (as 7033 ff.)