The Complete Works of John Gower, Vol. 3

[The Emperor Conrad.]

The rihtful Emperour Conrade

Hic narrat de iusticia nuper Conradi Imperatoris, cuius tempore alicuius reuerencia persone, aliqua seu precum interuencione quacunque vel auri redempcione, legum Statuta commutari seu redimi nullatenus potuerunt.

To kepe pes such lawe made,

That non withinne the cite

In destorbance of unite

Dorste ones moeven a matiere.

For in his time, as thou myht hiere,

What point that was for lawe set

It scholde for no gold be let,1176 2840

To what persone that it were.

And this broghte in the comun fere,

Why every man the lawe dradde,

For ther was non which favour hadde.

[The Consul Carmidotirus.]

So as these olde bokes sein,

I finde write hou a Romein,

Nota exemplum de constancia iudicis; vbi narrat de Carmidotiro Rome nuper Consule, qui cum sui statuti legem nescius offendisset, Romanique super hoc penam sibi remittere voluissent, ipse propria manu, vbi nullus alius in ipsum vindex fuit, sui criminis vindictam executus est.

Which Consul was of the Pretoire,

Whos name was Carmidotoire,

He sette a lawe for the pes,

That non, bot he be wepneles,1177 2850

Schal come into the conseil hous,

And elles as malicious

He schal ben of the lawe ded.

To that statut and to that red

Acorden alle it schal be so,

For certein cause which was tho:

Nou lest what fell therafter sone.1178

This Consul hadde forto done,1179

And was into the feldes ride;

And thei him hadden longe abide, 2860

P. iii. 182

That lordes of the conseil were,

And for him sende, and he cam there

With swerd begert, and hath foryete,1180

Til he was in the conseil sete.

Was non of hem that made speche,

Til he himself it wolde seche,

And fond out the defalte himselve;

And thanne he seide unto the tuelve,

Whiche of the Senat weren wise,

‘I have deserved the juise, 2870

In haste that it were do.’

And thei him seiden alle no;

For wel thei wiste it was no vice,

Whan he ne thoghte no malice,

Bot onliche of a litel slouthe:

And thus thei leften as for routhe

To do justice upon his gilt,

For that he scholde noght be spilt.

And whanne he sih the maner hou

Thei wolde him save, he made avou 2880

With manfull herte, and thus he seide,

That Rome scholde nevere abreide

His heires, whan he were of dawe,

That here Ancestre brak the lawe.

Forthi, er that thei weren war,

Forth with the same swerd he bar

The statut of his lawe he kepte,1181

So that al Rome his deth bewepte.(2900*)

[Example of Cambyses.]

In other place also I rede,

Wher that a jugge his oghne dede 2890

P. iii. 183

Nota quod falsi iudices mortis pena puniendi sunt. Narrat enim qualiter Cambises Rex Persarum quendam iudicem corruptum excoriari viuum fecit, eiusque pelle cathedram iudicialem operiri constituit: ita quod filius suus super patris pellem postea pro tribunali cessurus iudicii equitatem euidencius memoraretur.

Ne wol noght venge of lawe broke,

The king it hath himselven wroke.

The grete king which Cambises

Was hote, a jugge laweles

He fond, and into remembrance

He dede upon him such vengance:

Out of his skyn he was beflain

Al quyk, and in that wise slain,

So that his skyn was schape al meete,1182

And nayled on the same seete1183 2900

Wher that his Sone scholde sitte.

Avise him, if he wolde flitte

The lawe for the coveitise,

Ther sih he redi his juise.

Thus in defalte of other jugge

The king mot otherwhile jugge,

To holden up the rihte lawe.

And forto speke of tholde dawe,

To take ensample of that was tho,

I finde a tale write also, 2910

Hou that a worthi prince is holde

The lawes of his lond to holde,

Ferst for the hihe goddes sake,

And ek for that him is betake

The poeple forto guide and lede,

Which is the charge of his kinghede.

[Lycurgus and his Laws.]

In a Cronique I rede thus

Of the rihtful Ligurgius,

Hic ponit exemplum de Principibus illis, qui1184 non solum legem statuentes illam conseruant, set vt commune bonum adaugeant, propriam facultatem diminuunt. Et narrat quod, cum Ligurgius Athenarum princeps subditos suos1185 in omni prosperitatis habundancia divites et vnanimes congruis legibus stare fecisset, volens ad vtilitatem rei publice leges illas firmius obseruari, peregre proficisci se finxit; set prius iuramentum solempne a legiis suis sub hac forma exegit, quod ipsi vsque in reditum suum leges suas nullatenus infringerent: quibus iuratis peregrinacionem suam in exilium absque reditu pro perpetuo delegauit.1186

Which of Athenis Prince was,

Hou he the lawe in every cas, 2920

P. iii. 184

Wherof he scholde his poeple reule,

Hath set upon so good a reule,

In al this world that cite non

Of lawe was so wel begon

Forth with the trouthe of governance.

Ther was among hem no distance,

Bot every man hath his encress;

Ther was withoute werre pes,

Withoute envie love stod;

Richesse upon the comun good 2930

And noght upon the singuler

Ordeigned was, and the pouer

Of hem that weren in astat

Was sauf: wherof upon debat

Ther stod nothing, so that in reste

Mihte every man his herte reste.

And whan this noble rihtful king

Sih hou it ferde of al this thing,

Wherof the poeple stod in ese,

He, which for evere wolde plese 2940

The hihe god, whos thonk he soghte,

A wonder thing thanne him bethoghte,

And schop if that it myhte be,

Hou that his lawe in the cite

Mihte afterward for evere laste.

And therupon his wit he caste

What thing him were best to feigne,

That he his pourpos myhte atteigne.

A Parlement and thus he sette,

His wisdom wher that he besette 2950

P. iii. 185

In audience of grete and smale,1187

And in this wise he tolde his tale:

‘God wot, and so ye witen alle,

Hierafterward hou so it falle,

Yit into now my will hath be

To do justice and equite

In forthringe of comun profit:

Such hath ben evere my delit.

Bot of o thing I am beknowe,

The which mi will is that ye knowe: 2960

The lawe which I tok on honde,

Was altogedre of goddes sonde

And nothing of myn oghne wit;

So mot it nede endure yit,

And schal do lengere, if ye wile.

For I wol telle you the skile;

The god Mercurius and no man1188

He hath me tawht al that I can

Of suche lawes as I made,

Wherof that ye ben alle glade; 2970

It was the god and nothing I,

Which dede al this, and nou forthi

He hath comanded of his grace

That I schal come into a place

Which is forein out in an yle,

Wher I mot tarie for a while,

With him to speke, as he hath bede.1189

For as he seith, in thilke stede

He schal me suche thinges telle,

That evere, whyl the world schal duelle, 2980

P. iii. 186

Athenis schal the betre fare.

Bot ferst, er that I thider fare,

For that I wolde that mi lawe

Amonges you ne be withdrawe

Ther whyles that I schal ben oute,

Forthi to setten out of doute

Bothe you and me, this wol I preie,

That ye me wolde assure and seie(3000*)

With such an oth as I wol take,1190

That ech of you schal undertake 2990

Mi lawes forto kepe and holde.’

Thei seiden alle that thei wolde,

And therupon thei swore here oth,1191

That fro the time that he goth,

Til he to hem be come ayein,

Thei scholde hise lawes wel and plein

In every point kepe and fulfille.

Thus hath Ligurgius his wille,

And tok his leve and forth he wente.

Bot lest nou wel to what entente1192 3000

Of rihtwisnesse he dede so:

For after that he was ago,

He schop him nevere to be founde;1193

So that Athenis, which was bounde,

Nevere after scholde be relessed,1194

Ne thilke goode lawe cessed,

Which was for comun profit set.

And in this wise he hath it knet;

He, which the comun profit soghte,

The king, his oghne astat ne roghte; 3010

P. iii. 187

To do profit to the comune,

He tok of exil the fortune,

And lefte of Prince thilke office

Only for love and for justice,

Thurgh which he thoghte, if that he myhte,

For evere after his deth to rihte

The cite which was him betake.

Wherof men oghte ensample take

The goode lawes to avance

With hem which under governance1195 3020

The lawes have forto kepe;

For who that wolde take kepe

Of hem that ferst the lawes founde,

Als fer as lasteth eny bounde

Of lond, here names yit ben knowe:

And if it like thee to knowe

Some of here names hou thei stonde,

Nou herkne and thou schalt understonde.

[The First Law-givers.]

Of every bienfet the merite

The god himself it wol aquite; 3030

Hic ad eorum laudem, qui iusticie causa leges primo statuerunt, aliquorum nomina specialius commemorat.

And ek fulofte it falleth so,

The world it wole aquite also,

Bot that mai noght ben evene liche:

The god he yifth the heveneriche,

The world yifth only bot a name,

Which stant upon the goode fame

Of hem that don the goode dede.

And in this wise double mede

Resceiven thei that don wel hiere;

Wherof if that thee list to hiere1196 3040

P. iii. 188

After the fame as it is blowe,

Ther myht thou wel the sothe knowe,

Hou thilke honeste besinesse

Of hem that ferst for rihtwisnesse

Among the men the lawes made,

Mai nevere upon this erthe fade.

For evere, whil ther is a tunge,

Here name schal be rad and sunge

And holde in the Cronique write;

So that the men it scholden wite, 3050

To speke good, as thei wel oghten,

Of hem that ferst the lawes soghten

In forthringe of the worldes pes.

Unto thebreus was Moïses

The ferste, and to thegipciens

Mercurius, and to Troiens

Ferst was Neuma Pompilius,

To Athenes Ligurgius

Yaf ferst the lawe, and to Gregois

Foroneüs hath thilke vois,1197 3060

And Romulus to the Romeins.

For suche men that ben vileins

The lawe in such a wise ordeigneth,1198

That what man to the lawe pleigneth,

[Kings must keep the Laws.]

Be so the jugge stonde upriht,

He schal be served of his riht.

And so ferforth it is befalle

That lawe is come among ous alle:

God lieve it mote wel ben holde,

As every king therto is holde; 3070

P. iii. 189

For thing which is of kinges set,

With kinges oghte it noght be let.

What king of lawe takth no kepe,

Be lawe he mai no regne kepe.

Do lawe awey, what is a king?

Wher is the riht of eny thing,

If that ther be no lawe in londe?

This oghte a king wel understonde,

As he which is to lawe swore,

That if the lawe be forbore 3080

Withouten execucioun,

It makth a lond torne up so doun,

Which is unto the king a sclandre.

Forthi unto king Alisandre

The wise Philosophre bad,

That he himselve ferst be lad1199

Of lawe, and forth thanne overal

So do justice in general,1200(3100*)

That al the wyde lond aboute

The justice of his lawe doute, 3090

And thanne schal he stonde in reste.

For therto lawe is on the beste

Above alle other erthly thing,

To make a liege drede his king.

Bot hou a king schal gete him love

Toward the hihe god above,

And ek among the men in erthe,

This nexte point, which is the ferthe

Of Aristotles lore, it techeth:

Wherof who that the Scole secheth, 3100

P. iii. 190

What Policie that it is

The bok reherceth after this.

[The Fourth Point of Policy. Pity.]

x. Nil racionis habens vbi velle tirannica regna

Stringit, amor populi transiet exul ibi.1201

Set Pietas, regnum que conseruabit in euum,

Non tantum populo, set placet illa deo.

It nedeth noght that I delate

The pris which preised is algate,

Hic tractat de quarta Principum regiminis Policia, que Pietas dicta est; per quam Principes erga populum misericordes effecti misericordiam altissimi gracius1202 consequuntur.

And hath ben evere and evere schal,

Wherof to speke in special,

It is the vertu of Pite,

Thurgh which the hihe mageste

Was stered, whan his Sone alyhte,

And in pite the world to rihte 3110

Tok of the Maide fleissh and blod.

Pite was cause of thilke good,

Wherof that we ben alle save:

Wel oghte a man Pite to have

And the vertu to sette in pris,

Whan he himself which is al wys

Hath schewed why it schal be preised.

Pite may noght be conterpeised

Of tirannie with no peis;

For Pite makth a king courteis 3120

Bothe in his word and in his dede.

Nota.1203

It sit wel every liege drede

His king and to his heste obeie,

And riht so be the same weie

It sit a king to be pitous

Toward his poeple and gracious

P. iii. 191

Upon the reule of governance,

So that he worche no vengance,

Which mai be cleped crualte.

Justice which doth equite 3130

Is dredfull, for he noman spareth;

Bot in the lond wher Pite fareth

The king mai nevere faile of love,

For Pite thurgh the grace above,

So as the Philosophre affermeth,1204

His regne in good astat confermeth.*

*Thapostle James in this wise1205

Seith, what man scholde do juise,12063150*

And hath not pite forth with al,

The doom of him which demeth al

He may himself fulsore drede,

That him schal lakke upon the nede

To fynde pite, whan he wolde:

For who that pite wol biholde,—

It is a poynt of Cristes lore.

And for to loken overmore,

It is bihovely, as we fynde,

To resoun and to lawe of kynde.3160*

Cassodorus. Vbi regnat pietas, consolidatur regnum.

Cassodre in his apprise telleth,

‘The regne is sauf, wher pite duelleth.’

Tullius. Qui pietate vincitur scutum victorie merito gestabit.

And Tullius his tale avoweth,1207

And seith, ‘What king to pite boweth

And with pite stant overcome,

He hath that schield of grace nome,

P. iii. 192

Which to the kinges yifth victoire.’

Valerius narrat quod cum rex Alexander in ira sua quendam militem morti condempnasset, et ille appellauit, dixit rex, ‘In terra nullus maior me est: ad quem ergo appellas?’ Respondit miles, ‘Non a maiestate tua, set a sentencia ire tue tantum ad pietatem tuam appello.’ Et sic rex pietate motus ipsum in misericordiam benignissime suscepit.

Of Alisandre in his histoire

I rede how he a worthi knight

Of sodein wraththe and nought of right3170*

Forjugged hath, and he appeleth.

And with that word the king quereleth,

And seith, ‘Non is above me.’

‘That wot I wel my lord,’ quoth he;

‘Fro thy lordschipe appele I nought,

But fro thy wraththe in al my thought

To thy pitee stant myn appeel.

The king, which understod him wel,

Of pure pite yaf him grace.

And eek I rede in other place,3180*

Thus seide whilom etc. (as 3137 ff.)

Constantinus Imperator ait: ‘Vere se dominum esse comprobat, qui seruum pietatis se facit.’

Thus seide whilom Constantin:1208

‘What Emperour that is enclin

To Pite forto be servant,

Of al the worldes remenant 3140

He is worthi to ben a lord.’

Troianus ait, quod ipse subditos suos solite pietatis fauore magis quam austeritatis rigore regere, eorumque benevolenciam pocius quam timorem penes se attractare proponebat.1209

In olde bokes of record

This finde I write of essamplaire:1210

Troian the worthi debonaire,

Be whom that Rome stod governed,

Upon a time as he was lerned(3190*)

Of that he was to familier,

He seide unto that conseiller,1211

That forto ben an Emperour

His will was noght for vein honour, 3150

Ne yit for reddour of justice;

Bot if he myhte in his office

P. iii. 193

Hise lordes and his poeple plese,

Him thoghte it were a grettere ese

With love here hertes to him drawe,

Than with the drede of eny lawe.(3200*)

For whan a thing is do for doute,

Fulofte it comth the worse aboute;

Bot wher a king is Pietous,1212

He is the more gracious, 3160

That mochel thrift him schal betyde,

Which elles scholde torne aside.*

[Tale of the Jew and the Pagan.]

*To do pite support and grace,1213

The Philosophre upon a place

Hic in pietatis exemplum prout Aristotiles Regi Alexandro nuper rettulit, declarans scribit qualiter Iudeus pedester cum quodam pagano asinum equitante per desertum itinerando ipsum de secta et fide sua strictius interrogauit. Qui respondens ait: ‘Paganus sum et fides mea hec est, vt omnes vno animo diligam et penes vnumquemque tempore necessitatis pietatem1214 pro posse meo excerceam.’1215 Cui Iudeus: ‘Permitte me ergo, qui lassatus itinere deficio, aliquantulum equitare, et tu respectu pietatis ob meam recreacionem pedibus pro tempore1216 incedas.’ Et ita factum est, vnde postea paganus infra breue lassatus asino suo restitui1217 a Iudeo postulauit. At ille ait: ‘Nequaquam: quia fides mea est, vt illi qui sectam meam non credit, nocumentum1218 absque pietate prouocare debeo.’ Et hiis dictis asellum veloci passu coegit, et paganum a dorso illusum reliquit. Quod videns paganus in terram dolens corruit, extensisque in celum manibus summam iusticiam inuocabat. Postque a terra exurgens, cum paulisper deambulasset, respexit in quamdam vallem1219 Iudeum a leone in mortis articulo prostratum; et sic asinum suum cum gaudio resumens, pietatem magis quam austeritatem laudabilem decreuit.1220

In his writinge of daies olde

A tale of gret essample tolde3210*

Unto the king of Macedoine:

How betwen Kaire and Babeloine,1221

Whan comen is the somer heete,

It hapneth tuo men forto meete,

As thei scholde entren in a pas,

Wher that the wyldernesse was.

And as they wenten forth spekende

Under the large wodes ende,

That o man axeth of that other:

‘What man art thou, mi lieve brother?12223220*

Which is thi creance and thi feith?’

‘I am paien,’ that other seith,

‘And be the lawe which I use

I schal noght in mi feith refuse

P. iii. 194

To loven alle men aliche,

The povere bothe and ek the riche:

Whan thei ben glade I schal be glad,

And sori whan thei ben bestad;

So schal I live in unite

With every man in his degre.3230*

For riht as to miself I wolde,

Riht so toward alle othre I scholde1223

Be gracious and debonaire.

Thus have I told thee softe and faire

Mi feith, mi lawe, and mi creance;

And if thee list for aqueintance,

Now tell what maner man thou art.’

And he ansuerde upon his part:

‘I am a Jew, and be mi lawe

I schal to noman be felawe3240*

To kepe him trowthe in word ne dede,

Bot if he be withoute drede1224

A verrai Jew riht as am I:

For elles I mai trewely

Bereve him bothe lif and good.’

The paien herde and understod,

And thoghte it was a wonder lawe.

And thus upon here sondri sawe

Talkende bothe forth thei wente.

The dai was hoot, the sonne brente,3250*

The paien rod upon an asse,

And of his catell more and lasse

With him a riche trusse he ladde.

The Jew, which al untrowthe hadde,

P. iii. 195

And wente upon his feet beside,

Bethoghte him how he mihte ride;1225

And with his wordes slihe and wise

Unto the paien in this wise

He seide: ‘O, now it schal be seene

What thing it is thou woldest meene:3260*

For if thi lawe be certein

As thou hast told, I dar wel sein,

Thou wolt beholde mi destresse.

Which am so full of werinesse,

That I ne mai unethe go,1226

And let me ride a Myle or tuo,

So that I mai mi bodi ese.’

The paien wolde him noght desplese

Of that he spak, bot in pite

It list him forto knowe and se3270*

The pleignte which that other made;

And for he wolde his herte glade,

He lihte and made him nothing strange.

Thus was ther made a newe change,

The paien goth, the Jew alofte

Was sett upon his asse softe:

So gon thei forth carpende faste

Of this and that, til ate laste1227

The paien mihte go nomore,

And preide unto the Jew therfore3280*

To suffre him ride a litel while.

The Jew, which thoghte him to beguile,

Anon rod forth the grete pas,1228

And to the paien in this cas

P. iii. 196

He seide, ‘Thou hast do thi riht,

Of that thou haddest me behiht

To do socour upon mi nede;

And that acordeth to the dede,

As thou art to the lawe holde.

And in such wise as I thee tolde,3290*

I thenke also for mi partie

Upon the lawe of Juerie1229

To worche and do mi duete.

Thin asse schal go forth with me

With al thi good, which I have sesed;

And that I wot thou art desesed,

I am riht glad and noght mispaid.’

And whanne he hath these wordes said,

In alle haste he rod aweie.

This paien wot non other weie,3300*

Bot on the ground he kneleth evene,

His handes up unto the hevene,

And seide, ‘O hihe sothfastnesse,

That lovest alle rihtwisnesse,

Unto thi dom, lord, I appele;1230

Behold and deme mi querele,

With humble herte I thee beseche;

The mercy bothe and ek the wreche

I sette al in thi juggement.’

And thus upon his marrement3310*

This paien hath made his preiere:1231

And than he ros with drery chiere,1232

And goth him forth, and in his gate

He caste his yhe aboute algate,

P. iii. 197

The Jew if that he mihte se.

Bot for a time it mai noght be;

Til ate laste ayein the nyht,

So as god wolde, he wente ariht,

As he which hield the hihe weie,

And thanne he sih in a valleie3320*

Wher that the Jew liggende was,

Al blodi ded upon the gras,

Which strangled was of a leoun.

And as he lokede up and doun,

He fond his asse faste by

Forth with his harneis redely

Al hol and sound, as he it lefte,1233

Whan that the Jew it him berefte:

Wherof he thonketh god knelende.

Lo, thus a man mai knowe at ende,3330*

How the pitous pite deserveth.

For what man that to pite serveth,

As Aristotle it berth witnesse,

God schal hise foomen so represse,

That thei schul ay stonde under foote.

Pite, men sein, is thilke roote

Wherof the vertus springen alle:

What infortune that befalle

In eny lond, lacke of pite1234

Is cause of thilke adversite;3340*

And that aldai mai schewe at yhe,

Who that the world discretly syhe.1235

Good is that every man therfore

Take hiede of that is seid tofore;

P. iii. 198

For of this tale and othre ynowhe

These noble princes whilom drowhe

Here evidence and here aprise,

As men mai finde in many a wise,1236

Who that these olde bokes rede:

And thogh thei ben in erthe dede,3350*

Here goode name may noght deie

For Pite, which thei wolde obeie,

To do the dedes of mercy.

And who this tale redily

Remembre, as Aristotle it tolde,

He mai the will of god beholde

Upon the point as it was ended,

Wherof that pite stod commended,

Which is to charite felawe,

As thei that kepen bothe o lawe.12373360*