The Complete Works of John Gower, Vol. 3

In loves cause if I schal trete,

[Sacrilege of Lovers.]

Ther ben of suche smale and grete:

If thei no leisir fynden elles,

Thei wol noght wonden for the belles,

Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse;

That wol thei leten overpasse.

If that thei finde here love there,

Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere, 7040

P. ii. 370

And axe of god non other grace,

Whyl thei ben in that holi place;

Bot er thei gon som avantage

Ther wol thei have, and som pilage

Of goodli word or of beheste,

Or elles thei take ate leste

Out of hir hand or ring or glove,

So nyh the weder thei wol love,618

As who seith sche schal noght foryete,

Nou I this tokne of hire have gete: 7050

Thus halwe thei the hihe feste.

Such thefte mai no cherche areste,

For al is leveful that hem liketh,619

To whom that elles it misliketh.

And ek riht in the selve kinde

In grete Cites men mai finde

This lusti folk, that make it gay,

And waite upon the haliday:

In cherches and in Menstres eke

Thei gon the wommen forto seke, 7060

And wher that such on goth aboute,

Tofore the faireste of the route,

Wher as thei sitten alle arewe,

Ther wol he most his bodi schewe,

His croket kembd and theron set

A Nouche with a chapelet,

Or elles on of grene leves,

Which late com out of the greves,

Al for he scholde seme freissh.

And thus he loketh on the fleissh,620 7070

P. ii. 371

Riht as an hauk which hath a sihte

Upon the foul, ther he schal lihte;(7250*)

And as he were of faierie,

He scheweth him tofore here yhe

In holi place wher thei sitte,

Al forto make here hertes flitte.

His yhe nawher wole abyde,

Bot loke and prie on every syde621

On hire and hire, as him best lyketh:

And otherwhile among he syketh; 7080

Thenkth on of hem, ‘That was for me,’

And so ther thenken tuo or thre,

And yit he loveth non of alle,

Bot wher as evere his chance falle.

And natheles to seie a soth,

The cause why that he so doth

Is forto stele an herte or tuo,

Out of the cherche er that he go:

And as I seide it hier above,

Al is that Sacrilege of love; 7090

For wel mai be he stelth away

That he nevere after yelde may.

Tell me forthi, my Sone, anon,

Hast thou do Sacrilege, or non,622

As I have said in this manere?

Confessio Amantis.

Mi fader, as of this matiere

I wole you tellen redely

What I have do; bot trewely

I mai excuse min entente,

That nevere I yit to cherche wente 7100

P. ii. 372

In such manere as ye me schryve,

For no womman that is on lyve.

The cause why I have it laft

Mai be for I unto that craft

Am nothing able so to stele,

Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele.623

Bot yit wol I noght seie this,

Whan I am ther mi ladi is,

In whom lith holly mi querele,

And sche to cherche or to chapele 7110

Wol go to matins or to messe,—

That time I waite wel and gesse,

To cherche I come and there I stonde,

And thogh I take a bok on honde,

Mi contienance is on the bok,

Bot toward hire is al my lok;

And if so falle that I preie

Unto mi god, and somwhat seie

Of Paternoster or of Crede,624

Al is for that I wolde spede, 7120

So that mi bede in holi cherche

Ther mihte som miracle werche(7300*)

Mi ladi herte forto chaunge,

Which evere hath be to me so strange.625

So that al mi devocion

And al mi contemplacion

With al min herte and mi corage

Is only set on hire ymage;

And evere I waite upon the tyde.

If sche loke eny thing asyde, 7130

P. ii. 373

That I me mai of hire avise,626

Anon I am with covoitise

So smite, that me were lief

To ben in holi cherche a thief;

Bot noght to stele a vestement,

For that is nothing mi talent,

Bot I wold stele, if that I mihte,627

A glad word or a goodly syhte;

And evere mi service I profre,

And namly whan sche wol gon offre, 7140

For thanne I lede hire, if I may,

For somwhat wolde I stele away.

Whan I beclippe hire on the wast,

Yit ate leste I stele a tast,

And otherwhile ‘grant mercy’

Sche seith, and so winne I therby

A lusti touch, a good word eke,

Bot al the remenant to seke

Is fro mi pourpos wonder ferr.

So mai I seie, as I seide er, 7150

In holy cherche if that I wowe,

My conscience it wolde allowe,628

Be so that up amendement

I mihte gete assignement

Wher forto spede in other place:

Such Sacrilege I holde a grace.

And thus, mi fader, soth to seie,

In cherche riht as in the weie,

If I mihte oght of love take,

Such hansell have I noght forsake.629 7160

P. ii. 374

Bot finali I me confesse,

Ther is in me non holinesse,

whil I hire se in eny stede;630

And yit, for oght that evere I dede,

No Sacrilege of hire I tok,

Bot if it were of word or lok,631

Or elles if that I hir fredde,

Whan I toward offringe hir ledde,

Take therof what I take may,

For elles bere I noght away: 7170

For thogh I wolde oght elles have,

Alle othre thinges ben so save632(7350*)

And kept with such a privilege,

That I mai do no Sacrilege.

God wot mi wille natheles,

Thogh I mot nedes kepe pes

And malgre myn so let it passe,633

Mi will therto is noght the lasse,

If I mihte other wise aweie.

Forthi, mi fader, I you preie, 7180

Tell what you thenketh therupon,634

If I therof have gult or non.

Confessor.

Thi will, mi Sone, is forto blame,

The remenant is bot a game,

That I have herd the telle as yit.

Bot tak this lore into thi wit,

That alle thing hath time and stede,

The cherche serveth for the bede,

The chambre is of an other speche.

Bot if thou wistest of the wreche, 7190

P. ii. 375

Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght,

Thou woldest betre ben bethoght;

And for thou schalt the more amende,

A tale I wole on the despende.635

[Tale of Paris and Helen.]

To alle men, as who seith, knowe

It is, and in the world thurgh blowe,

Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum. Et narrat, pro eo quod Paris Priami Regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie insula a templo Veneris Sacrilegus abduxit, illa Troie famosissima636 obsidio per vniuersi637 orbis climata divulgata precipue causabatur.638 Ita quod huiusmodi Sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Priami omniumque suorum interitum, set eciam ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat.

Hou that of Troie Lamedon

To Hercules and to Jasoun,

Whan toward Colchos out of Grece

Be See sailende upon a piece 7200

Of lond of Troie reste preide,—

Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide:

And for thei founde him so vilein,

Whan thei come into Grece ayein,

With pouer that thei gete myhte

Towardes Troie thei hem dyhte,

And ther thei token such vengance,

Wherof stant yit the remembrance;639

For thei destruide king and al,

And leften bot the brente wal. 7210

The Grecs of Troiens many slowe

And prisoners thei toke ynowe,

Among the whiche ther was on,

The kinges doughter Lamedon,

Esiona, that faire thing,640

Which unto Thelamon the king

Be Hercules and be thassent

Of al the hole parlement

Was at his wille yove and granted.

And thus hath Grece Troie danted, 7220

P. ii. 376

And hom thei torne in such manere:

Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere(7400*)

The cause why this tale I telle,641

Upon the chances that befelle.

King Lamedon, which deide thus,

He hadde a Sone, on Priamus,

Which was noght thilke time at hom:

Bot whan he herde of this, he com,

And fond hou the Cite was falle,

Which he began anon to walle 7230

And made ther a cite newe,

That thei whiche othre londes knewe

Tho seiden, that of lym and Ston

In al the world so fair was non.

And on that o side of the toun

The king let maken Ylioun,642

That hihe Tour, that stronge place,

Which was adrad of no manace

Of quarel nor of non engin;

And thogh men wolde make a Myn, 7240

No mannes craft it mihte aproche,

For it was sett upon a roche.

The walles of the toun aboute,

Hem stod of al the world no doute,

And after the proporcion

Sex gates weren of the toun

Of such a forme, of such entaile,

That hem to se was gret mervaile:

The diches weren brode and depe,

A fewe men it mihte kepe 7250

P. ii. 377

From al the world, as semeth tho,

Bot if the goddes weren fo.

Gret presse unto that cite drouh,

So that ther was of poeple ynouh,

Of Burgeis that therinne duellen;

Ther mai no mannes tunge tellen

Hou that cite was riche of good.643

Whan al was mad and al wel stod,

King Priamus tho him bethoghte

What thei of Grece whilom wroghte, 7260

And what was of her swerd devoured,

And hou his Soster deshonoured

With Thelamon awey was lad:

And so thenkende he wax unglad,644

And sette anon a parlement,

To which the lordes were assent.

In many a wise ther was spoke,

Hou that thei mihten ben awroke,

Bot ate laste natheles

Thei seiden alle, ‘Acord and pes.’ 7270

To setten either part in reste645

It thoghte hem thanne for the beste(7450*)

With resonable amendement;

And thus was Anthenor forth sent646

To axe Esionam ayein647

And witen what thei wolden sein.

So passeth he the See be barge648

To Grece forto seie his charge,

The which he seide redely

Unto the lordes by and by: 7280

P. ii. 378

Bot where he spak in Grece aboute,

He herde noght bot wordes stoute,

And nameliche of Thelamon;

The maiden wolde he noght forgon,

He seide, for no maner thing,

And bad him gon hom to his king,

For there gat he non amende

For oght he couthe do or sende.

This Anthenor ayein goth hom

Unto his king, and whan he com, 7290

He tolde in Grece of that he herde,

And hou that Thelamon ansuerde,

And hou thei were at here above,

That thei wol nouther pes ne love,

Bot every man schal don his beste.

Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste,

The king bethoghte him al that nyht,649

And erli, whan the dai was lyht,

He tok conseil of this matiere;

And thei acorde in this manere, 7300

That he withouten eny lette

A certein time scholde sette

Of Parlement to ben avised:650

And in the wise it was devised,

Of parlement he sette a day,

And that was in the Monthe of Maii.

This Priamus hadde in his yhte

A wif, and Hecuba sche hyhte,

Be whom that time ek hadde he

Of Sones fyve, and douhtres thre 7310

P. ii. 379

Besiden hem, and thritty mo,651

And weren knyhtes alle tho,

Bot noght upon his wif begete,

Bot elles where he myhte hem gete

Of wommen whiche he hadde knowe;

Such was the world at thilke throwe:

So that he was of children riche,

As therof was noman his liche.652

Of Parlement the dai was come,

Ther ben the lordes alle and some; 7320

Tho was pronounced and pourposed,

And al the cause hem was desclosed,(7500*)

Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde.

Thei seten alle stille and herde,

And tho spak every man aboute:

Ther was alegged many a doute,

And many a proud word spoke also;653

Bot for the moste part as tho654

Thei wisten noght what was the beste,

Or forto werre or forto reste. 7330

Bot he that was withoute fere,

Hector, among the lordes there

His tale tolde in such a wise,

And seide, ‘Lordes, ye ben wise,

Ye knowen this als wel as I,

Above all othre most worthi655

Stant nou in Grece the manhode

Of worthinesse and of knihthode;

For who so wole it wel agrope,

To hem belongeth al Europe, 7340

P. ii. 380

Which is the thridde parti evene

Of al the world under the hevene;

And we be bot of folk a fewe.

So were it reson forto schewe656

The peril, er we falle thrinne:

Betre is to leve, than beginne

Thing which as mai noght ben achieved;

He is noght wys that fint him grieved,

And doth so that his grief be more;

For who that loketh al tofore 7350

And wol noght se what is behinde,

He mai fulofte hise harmes finde:

Wicke is to stryve and have the worse.

We have encheson forto corse,

This wot I wel, and forto hate

The Greks; bot er that we debate

With hem that ben of such a myht,

It is ful good that every wiht

Be of himself riht wel bethoght.

Bot as for me this seie I noght; 7360

For while that mi lif wol stonde,

If that ye taken werre on honde,

Falle it to beste or to the werste,657

I schal miselven be the ferste

To grieven hem, what evere I may.

I wol noght ones seie nay

To thing which that youre conseil demeth,

For unto me wel more it quemeth

The werre certes than the pes;

Bot this I seie natheles, 7370

P. ii. 381

As me belongeth forto seie.

Nou schape ye the beste weie.’(7550*)

Whan Hector hath seid his avis,

Next after him tho spak Paris,

Which was his brother, and alleide

What him best thoghte, and thus he seide:

‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong,

And suffre schame is more strong,

Bot we have suffred bothe tuo;

And for al that yit have we do 7380

What so we mihte to reforme

The pes, whan we in such a forme658

Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe.

And thei here grete wordes blowe

Upon her wrongful dedes eke;

And who that wole himself noght meke

To pes, and list no reson take,

Men sein reson him wol forsake:659

For in the multitude of men

Is noght the strengthe, for with ten 7390

It hath be sen in trew querele660

Ayein an hundred false dele,

And had the betre of goddes grace.

This hath befalle in many place;

And if it like unto you alle,

I wole assaie, hou so it falle,

Oure enemis if I mai grieve;

For I have cawht a gret believe

Upon a point I wol declare.

This ender day, as I gan fare661 7400

P. ii. 382

To hunte unto the grete hert,

Which was tofore myn houndes stert,

And every man went on his syde662

Him to poursuie, and I to ryde

Began the chace, and soth to seie,663

Withinne a while out of mi weie

I rod, and nyste where I was.

And slep me cauhte, and on the gras

Beside a welle I lay me doun

To slepe, and in a visioun664 7410

To me the god Mercurie cam;

Goddesses thre with him he nam,

Minerve, Venus and Juno,

And in his hond an Appel tho

He hield of gold with lettres write:

And this he dede me to wite,

Hou that thei putt hem upon me,665

That to the faireste of hem thre

Of gold that Appel scholde I yive.666

With ech of hem tho was I schrive, 7420

And echon faire me behihte;

Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte(7600*)

That Appel of mi yifte gete,

Sche wolde it neveremor foryete,

And seide hou that in Grece lond

Sche wolde bringe unto myn hond

Of al this Erthe the faireste;

So that me thoghte it for the beste,

To hire and yaf that Appel tho.

Thus hope I wel, if that I go, 7430

P. ii. 383

That sche for me wol so ordeine,

That thei matiere forto pleigne

Schul have, er that I come ayein.

Nou have ye herd that I wol sein:

Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’

And every man tho seide his,

And sundri causes thei recorde,

Bot ate laste thei acorde

That Paris schal to Grece wende,

And thus the parlement tok ende. 7440

Cassandra, whan sche herde of this,667

The which to Paris Soster is,

Anon sche gan to wepe and weile,

And seide, ‘Allas, what mai ous eile?

Fortune with hire blinde whiel

Ne wol noght lete ous stonde wel:

For this I dar wel undertake,

That if Paris his weie take,

As it is seid that he schal do,

We ben for evere thanne undo.’ 7450

This, which Cassandre thanne hihte,

In al the world as it berth sihte,

In bokes as men finde write,

Is that Sibille of whom ye wite,

That alle men yit clepen sage.

Whan that sche wiste of this viage,

Hou Paris schal to Grece fare,

No womman mihte worse fare

Ne sorwe more than sche dede;

And riht so in the same stede 7460

P. ii. 384

Ferde Helenus, which was hir brother,

Of prophecie and such an other:

And al was holde bot a jape,

So that the pourpos which was schape,

Or were hem lief or were hem loth,668

Was holde, and into Grece goth

This Paris with his retenance.

And as it fell upon his chance,

Of Grece he londeth in an yle,

And him was told the same whyle669 7470

Of folk which he began to freyne,

Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne,(7650*)

And ek of contres there aboute

Of ladis many a lusti route,

With mochel worthi poeple also.

And why thei comen theder tho,

The cause stod in such a wise,—

For worschipe and for sacrifise

That thei to Venus wolden make,

As thei tofore hadde undertake, 7480

Some of good will, some of beheste,

For thanne was hire hihe feste

Withinne a temple which was there.

Whan Paris wiste what thei were,

Anon he schop his ordinance

To gon and don his obeissance

To Venus on hire holi day,

And dede upon his beste aray.

With gret richesse he him behongeth,

As it to such a lord belongeth, 7490

P. ii. 385

He was noght armed natheles,

Bot as it were in lond of pes,

And thus he goth forth out of Schipe

And takth with him his felaschipe:

In such manere as I you seie

Unto the temple he hield his weie.

Tydinge, which goth overal

To grete and smale, forth withal

Com to the queenes Ere and tolde

Hou Paris com, and that he wolde 7500

Do sacrifise to Venus:

And whan sche herde telle thus,

She thoghte, hou that it evere be,

That sche wole him abyde and se.670

Forth comth Paris with glad visage

Into the temple on pelrinage,

Wher unto Venus the goddesse

He yifth and offreth gret richesse,

And preith hir that he preie wolde.

And thanne aside he gan beholde,671 7510

And sih wher that this ladi stod;

And he forth in his freisshe mod

Goth ther sche was and made hir chiere,

As he wel couthe in his manere,

That of his wordes such plesance

Sche tok, that al hire aqueintance,

Als ferforth as the herte lay,

He stal er that he wente away.

So goth he forth and tok his leve,

And thoghte, anon as it was eve, 7520

P. ii. 386

He wolde don his Sacrilegge,

That many a man it scholde abegge.(7700*)

Whan he to Schipe ayein was come,

To him he hath his conseil nome,

And al devised the matiere

In such a wise as thou schalt hiere.

Withinne nyht al prively

His men he warneth by and by,

That thei be redy armed sone

For certein thing which was to done: 7530

And thei anon ben redi alle,

And ech on other gan to calle,

And went hem out upon the stronde672

And tok a pourpos ther alonde

Of what thing that thei wolden do,673

Toward the temple and forth thei go.

So fell it, of devocion

Heleine in contemplacion

With many an other worthi wiht

Was in the temple and wok al nyht, 7540

To bidde and preie unto thymage674

Of Venus, as was thanne usage;

So that Paris riht as him liste

Into the temple, er thei it wiste,675

Com with his men al sodeinly,

And alle at ones sette ascry

In hem whiche in the temple were,

For tho was mochel poeple there;

Bot of defense was no bote,

So soffren thei that soffre mote. 7550

P. ii. 387

Paris unto the queene wente,

And hire in bothe hise armes hente

With him and with his felaschipe,

And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe.676

Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente,

And such a wynd fortune hem sente,

Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte;

Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhte

And gon hem forth toward the toun,

The which cam with processioun 7560

Ayein Paris to sen his preie.

And every man began to seie

To Paris and his felaschipe

Al that thei couthen of worschipe;

Was non so litel man in Troie,

That he ne made merthe and joie

Of that Paris hath wonne Heleine.

Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peine

To Helenus and to Cassaundre;

For thei it token schame and sklaundre677 7570

And lost of al the comun grace,

That Paris out of holi place(7750*)

Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif,

Wherof that he schal lese his lif

And many a worthi man therto,

And al the Cite be fordo,

Which nevere schal be mad ayein.

And so it fell, riht as thei sein,

The Sacrilege which he wroghte

Was cause why the Gregois soughte 7580

P. ii. 388

Unto the toun and it beleie,

And wolden nevere parte aweie,

Til what be sleihte and what be strengthe

Thei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe,

And brent and slayn that was withinne.

Now se, mi Sone, which a sinne

Is Sacrilege in holy stede:

Be war therfore and bidd thi bede,

And do nothing in holy cherche,

Bot that thou miht be reson werche. 7590

And ek tak hiede of Achilles,

Whan he unto his love ches

Polixena, that was also

In holi temple of Appollo,

Which was the cause why he dyde

And al his lust was leyd asyde.

And Troilus upon Criseide

Also his ferste love leide

In holi place, and hou it ferde,

As who seith, al the world it herde;678 7600

Forsake he was for Diomede,

Such was of love his laste mede.

Confessor.

Forthi, mi Sone, I wolde rede,

Be this ensample as thou myht rede,679

Sech elles, wher thou wolt, thi grace,

And war the wel in holi place

What thou to love do or speke,

In aunter if it so be wreke

As thou hast herd me told before.

[Divisions of Avarice.]

And tak good hiede also therfore 7610

P. ii. 389

Upon what forme, of Avarice680

Mor than of eny other vice,

I have divided in parties

The branches, whiche of compainies

Thurghout the world in general

Ben nou the leders overal,

Of Covoitise and of Perjure,

Of fals brocage and of Usure,

Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe,681

Which nevere drouh to felaschipe, 7620

Of Robberie and privi Stelthe,682

Which don is for the worldes welthe,(7800*)

Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge,

Which makth the conscience agregge;

Althogh it mai richesse atteigne,

It floureth, bot it schal noght greine

Unto the fruit of rihtwisnesse.

Bot who that wolde do largesse

Upon the reule as it is yive,

So myhte a man in trouthe live683 7630

Toward his god, and ek also

Toward the world, for bothe tuo

Largesse awaiteth as belongeth,

To neither part that he ne wrongeth;684

He kepth himself, he kepth his frendes,

So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes,

That he excedeth no mesure,

So wel he can himself mesure:

Wherof, mi Sone, thou schalt wite,

So as the Philosophre hath write. 7640

[Prodigality and Largess.]

P. ii. 390

xiii. Prodegus et parcus duo sunt extrema, que largus685

Est horum medius, plebis in ore bonus.

Nota hic de virtute Largitatis, que ad oppositum Auaricie inter duo extrema, videlicet Parcimoniam et Prodegalitatem, specialiter consistit.

Betwen the tuo extremites

Of vice stant the propretes

Of vertu, and to prove it so

Tak Avarice and tak also

The vice of Prodegalite;

Betwen hem Liberalite,

Which is the vertu of Largesse,

Stant and governeth his noblesse.

For tho tuo vices in discord

Stonde evere, as I finde of record; 7650

So that betwen here tuo debat

Largesse reuleth his astat.

For in such wise as Avarice,

As I tofore have told the vice,

Thurgh streit holdinge and thurgh skarsnesse

Stant in contraire to Largesse,

Riht so stant Prodegalite

Revers, bot noght in such degre.

For so as Avarice spareth,

And forto kepe his tresor careth, 7660

That other al his oghne and more

Ayein the wise mannes lore

Yifth and despendeth hiere and there,

So that him reccheth nevere where.

While he mai borwe, he wol despende,

Til ate laste he seith, ‘I wende’;

Bot that is spoken al to late,

For thanne is poverte ate gate

P. ii. 391

And takth him evene be the slieve,

For erst wol he no wisdom lieve. 7670

And riht as Avarice is Sinne,

That wolde his tresor kepe and winne,(7850*)

Riht so is Prodegalite:

Bot of Largesse in his degre,

Which evene stant betwen the tuo,

The hihe god and man also

The vertu ech of hem commendeth.

For he himselven ferst amendeth,

That overal his name spredeth,

And to alle othre, where it nedeth, 7680

He yifth his good in such a wise,

That he makth many a man arise,

Which elles scholde falle lowe.

Largesce mai noght ben unknowe;

For what lond that he regneth inne,

It mai noght faile forto winne

Thurgh his decerte love and grace,

Wher it schal faile in other place.

And thus betwen tomoche and lyte686

Largesce, which is noght to wyte, 7690

Halt evere forth the middel weie:

Bot who that torne wole aweie

Fro that to Prodegalite,

Anon he lest the proprete687

Of vertu and goth to the vice;

For in such wise as Avarice

Lest for scarsnesse his goode name,

Riht so that other is to blame,

P. ii. 392

Which thurgh his wast mesure excedeth,

For noman wot what harm that bredeth.688 7700

Bot mochel joie ther betydeth,689

Wher that largesse an herte guydeth:

For his mesure is so governed,

That he to bothe partz is lerned,

To god and to the world also,

He doth reson to bothe tuo.

The povere folk of his almesse

Relieved ben in the destresse

Of thurst, of hunger and of cold;

The yifte of him was nevere sold, 7710

Bot frely yive, and natheles

The myhti god of his encress

Rewardeth him of double grace;

The hevene he doth him to pourchace

And yifth him ek the worldes good:

And thus the Cote for the hod

Largesse takth, and yit no Sinne

He doth, hou so that evere he winne.

Lucas. Omni habenti dabitur.

What man hath hors men yive him hors,

And who non hath of him no fors, 7720

For he mai thanne on fote go;

The world hath evere stonde so.

Bot forto loken of the tweie,

A man to go the siker weie,

Beacius est dare quam accipere.690

Betre is to yive than to take:

With yifte a man mai frendes make,

P. ii. 393

Bot who that takth or gret or smal,

He takth a charge forth withal,

And stant noght fre til it be quit.

So forto deme in mannes wit, 7730

It helpeth more a man to have

His oghne good, than forto crave

Of othre men and make him bounde,

Wher elles he mai stonde unbounde.

Seneca. Si res tue tibi non sufficiant, fac vt rebus tuis sufficias.

Senec conseileth in this wise,

And seith, ‘Bot if thi good suffise

Unto the liking of thi wille,

Withdrawh thi lust and hold the stille,

And be to thi good sufficant.’

Apostolus.691 Ordinata caritas incipit a seipsa.

For that thing is appourtenant 7740

To trouthe and causeth to be fre

After the reule of charite,

Which ferst beginneth of himselve.

For if thou richest othre tuelve,

Wherof thou schalt thiself be povere,

I not what thonk thou miht recovere.

Whil that a man hath good to yive,

With grete routes he mai live

And hath his frendes overal,

And everich of him telle schal. 7750

Therwhile he hath his fulle packe,692

Thei seie, ‘A good felawe is Jacke’;

Bot whanne it faileth ate laste,

Anon his pris thei overcaste,

For thanne is ther non other lawe

Bot, ‘Jacke was a good felawe.’

P. ii. 394

Whan thei him povere and nedy se,

Thei lete him passe and farwel he;

Al that he wende of compainie

Is thanne torned to folie. 7760

[Prodigality of Lovers.]

Bot nou to speke in other kinde

Of love, a man mai suche finde,

That wher thei come in every route

Thei caste and waste her love aboute,

Til al here time is overgon,

And thanne have thei love non:693

For who that loveth overal,

It is no reson that he schal(7900*)

Of love have eny proprete.

Forthi, mi Sone, avise thee 7770

If thou of love hast be to large,

For such a man is noght to charge:

And if it so be that thou hast

Despended al thi time in wast

And set thi love in sondri place,

Though thou the substance of thi grace

Lese ate laste, it is no wonder;

For he that put himselven under,

As who seith, comun overal,

He lest the love special 7780

Of eny on, if sche be wys;

For love schal noght bere his pris

Be reson, whanne it passeth on.

So have I sen ful many on,694

That were of love wel at ese,

Whiche after felle in gret desese

P. ii. 395

Thurgh wast of love, that thei spente

In sondri places wher thei wente.

Confessor.

Riht so, mi Sone, I axe of thee

If thou with Prodegalite 7790

Hast hier and ther thi love wasted.

Amans.

Mi fader, nay; bot I have tasted

In many a place as I have go,

And yit love I nevere on of tho,

Bot forto drive forth the dai.

For lieveth wel, myn herte is ay

Withoute mo for everemore

Al upon on, for I nomore

Desire bot hire love al one:

So make I many a prive mone, 7800

For wel I fiele I have despended

Mi longe love and noght amended

Mi sped, for oght I finde yit.

If this be wast to youre wit695

Of love, and Prodegalite,

Nou, goode fader, demeth ye:

Bot of o thing I wol me schryve,

That I schal for no love thryve,

Bot if hirself me wol relieve.696

Confessor.

Mi Sone, that I mai wel lieve: 7810

And natheles me semeth so,

For oght that thou hast yit misdo

Of time which thou hast despended,

It mai with grace ben amended.

For thing which mai be worth the cost

Per chaunce is nouther wast ne lost;

P. ii. 396

For what thing stant on aventure,697

That can no worldes creature(7950*)

Telle in certein hou it schal wende,698

Til he therof mai sen an ende. 7820

So that I not as yit therfore

If thou, mi Sone, hast wonne or lore:

For ofte time, as it is sene,699

Whan Somer hath lost al his grene

And is with Wynter wast and bare,

That him is left nothing to spare,

Al is recovered in a throwe;

The colde wyndes overblowe,

And stille be the scharpe schoures,700

And soudeinliche ayein his floures 7830

The Somer hapneth and is riche:

And so per cas thi graces liche,

Mi Sone, thogh thou be nou povere

Of love, yit thou miht recovere.

Amans.

Mi fader, certes grant merci:

Ye have me tawht so redeli,

That evere whil I live schal

The betre I mai be war withal

Of thing which ye have seid er this.

Bot overmore hou that it is,701 7840

Toward mi schrifte as it belongeth,

To wite of othre pointz me longeth;

Wherof that ye me wolden teche

With al myn herte I you beseche.