The Complete Works of John Gower, Vol. 3

Cupido, which may hurte and hele

In loves cause, as for myn hele

[Cupid and the Lover.]

Upon the point which him was preid

Cam with Venus, wher I was leid

Hic tractat qualiter Cupido Amantis senectute confracti viscera perscrutans, ignita sue concupiscencie tela ab eo penitus extraxit, quem Venus postea absque calore percipiens, vacuum reliquit: et sic tandem prouisa Senectus, racionem inuocans, hominem interiorem per prius amore infatuatum mentis sanitati plenius restaurauit.

Swounende upon the grene gras.

And, as me thoghte, anon ther was 2750

On every side so gret presse,

That every lif began to presse,

I wot noght wel hou many score,

Suche as I spak of now tofore,

Lovers, that comen to beholde,

Bot most of hem that weren olde:

P. iii. 368

Thei stoden there at thilke tyde,

To se what ende schal betyde

Upon the cure of my sotie.

Tho myhte I hiere gret partie 2760

Spekende, and ech his oghne avis

Hath told, on that, an other this:

Bot among alle this I herde,

Thei weren wo that I so ferde,

And seiden that for no riote

An old man scholde noght assote;

For as thei tolden redely,

Ther is in him no cause why,

Bot if he wolde himself benyce;1757

So were he wel the more nyce. 2770

And thus desputen some of tho,

And some seiden nothing so,

Bot that the wylde loves rage

In mannes lif forberth non Age;

Nota.1758

Whil ther is oyle forto fyre,

The lampe is lyhtly set afyre,

And is fulhard er it be queynt,

Bot only if it be som seint,

Which god preserveth of his grace.

And thus me thoghte, in sondri place 2780

Of hem that walken up and doun

Ther was diverse opinioun:

And for a while so it laste,

Til that Cupide to the laste,

[The Fiery Dart withdrawn.]

Forth with his moder full avised,

Hath determined and devised

P. iii. 369

Unto what point he wol descende.

And al this time I was liggende

Upon the ground tofore his yhen,

And thei that my desese syhen 2790

Supposen noght I scholde live;

Bot he, which wolde thanne yive

His grace, so as it mai be,

This blinde god which mai noght se,

Hath groped til that he me fond;

And as he pitte forth his hond1759

Upon my body, wher I lay,

Me thoghte a fyri Lancegay,

Which whilom thurgh myn herte he caste,

He pulleth oute, and also faste 2800

As this was do, Cupide nam

His weie, I not where he becam,

And so dede al the remenant

Which unto him was entendant,

Of hem that in Avision

I hadde a revelacion,

So as I tolde now tofore.

[The Healing of Love.]

Bot Venus wente noght therfore,

Ne Genius, whiche thilke time1760

Abiden bothe faste byme. 2810

And sche which mai the hertes bynde

In loves cause and ek unbinde,

Er I out of mi trance aros,

Venus, which hield a boiste clos,

And wolde noght I scholde deie,

Tok out mor cold than eny keie

P. iii. 370

An oignement, and in such point

Sche hath my wounded herte enoignt,

My temples and my Reins also.1761

And forth withal sche tok me tho 2820

A wonder Mirour forto holde,

In which sche bad me to beholde

And taken hiede of that I syhe;

Wherinne anon myn hertes yhe

I caste, and sih my colour fade,

Myn yhen dymme and al unglade,

Mi chiekes thinne, and al my face

With Elde I myhte se deface,

So riveled and so wo besein,

That ther was nothing full ne plein, 2830

I syh also myn heres hore.

Mi will was tho to se nomore

Outwith, for ther was no plesance;1762

And thanne into my remembrance

I drowh myn olde daies passed,

And as reson it hath compassed,

Quod status hominis Mensibus anni equiperatur.1763

I made a liknesse of miselve

Unto the sondri Monthes twelve,

Wherof the yeer in his astat

Is mad, and stant upon debat, 2840

That lich til other non acordeth.

For who the times wel recordeth,

And thanne at Marche if he beginne,

Whan that the lusti yeer comth inne,

Til Augst be passed and Septembre,

The myhty youthe he may remembre

P. iii. 371

In which the yeer hath his deduit

Of gras, of lef, of flour, of fruit,1764

Of corn and of the wyny grape.

And afterward the time is schape1765 2850

To frost, to Snow, to Wind, to Rein,

Til eft that Mars be come ayein:

The Wynter wol no Somer knowe,

The grene lef is overthrowe,

The clothed erthe is thanne bare,

Despuiled is the Somerfare,1766

That erst was hete is thanne chele.

And thus thenkende thoghtes fele,

I was out of mi swoune affraied,

Wherof I sih my wittes straied,1767 2860

And gan to clepe hem hom ayein.

And whan Resoun it herde sein

That loves rage was aweie,

He cam to me the rihte weie,

And hath remued the sotie

Of thilke unwise fantasie,

Wherof that I was wont to pleigne,

So that of thilke fyri peine

I was mad sobre and hol ynowh.

Venus behield me than and lowh, 2870

And axeth, as it were in game,

What love was. And I for schame

Ne wiste what I scholde ansuere;

And natheles I gan to swere

That be my trouthe I knew him noght;

So ferr it was out of mi thoght,

P. iii. 372

Riht as it hadde nevere be.

‘Mi goode Sone,’ tho quod sche,

‘Now at this time I lieve it wel,

So goth the fortune of my whiel; 2880

Forthi mi conseil is thou leve.’

‘Ma dame,’ I seide, ‘be your leve,

Ye witen wel, and so wot I,

That I am unbehovely

Your Court fro this day forth to serve:1768

And for I may no thonk deserve,

And also for I am refused,

I preie you to ben excused.

And natheles as for the laste,1769

Whil that my wittes with me laste, 2890

Touchende mi confession

I axe an absolucion

Of Genius, er that I go.’

[The Absolution.]

The Prest anon was redy tho,

And seide, ‘Sone, as of thi schrifte

Thou hast ful pardoun and foryifte;

Foryet it thou, and so wol I.’

Amans.

‘Min holi fader, grant mercy,’

Quod I to him, and to the queene1770

I fell on knes upon the grene, 2900

And tok my leve forto wende.

[Leave-taking of Venus.]

Bot sche, that wolde make an ende,

As therto which I was most able,

A Peire of Bedes blak as Sable

Sche tok and heng my necke aboute;

Upon the gaudes al withoute

P. iii. 373

Was write of gold, Por reposer.1771

‘Lo,’ thus sche seide, ‘John Gower,

Now thou art ate laste cast,

This have I for thin ese cast, 2910

That thou nomore of love sieche.

Bot my will is that thou besieche

And preie hierafter for the pes,

And that thou make a plein reles

To love, which takth litel hiede

Of olde men upon the nede,

Whan that the lustes ben aweie:

Forthi to thee nys bot o weie,

In which let reson be thi guide;

For he may sone himself misguide, 2920

That seth noght the peril tofore.

Mi Sone, be wel war therfore,

And kep the sentence of my lore

And tarie thou mi Court nomore,

Bot go ther vertu moral duelleth,1772

Wher ben thi bokes, as men telleth,1773

Whiche of long time thou hast write.

For this I do thee wel to wite,

If thou thin hele wolt pourchace,

Thou miht noght make suite and chace, 2930

Wher that the game is nought pernable;1774

It were a thing unresonable,

A man to be so overseie.

Forthi tak hiede of that I seie;

For in the lawe of my comune

We be noght schape to comune,

P. iii. 374

Thiself and I, nevere after this.

Now have y seid al that ther is1775

Of love as for thi final ende:

*Adieu, for y mot fro the wende.’ 2940

P. iii. 375

And with that word al sodeinly,

Enclosid in a sterred sky,1776

Venus, which is the qweene of love,

Was take in to hire place above,

P. iii. 376

More wiste y nought wher sche becam.1777

And thus my leve of hire y nam,1778

And forth with al the same tide

Hire prest, which wolde nought abide,

P. iii. 377

Or be me lief or be me loth,

Out of my sighte forth he goth, 2950

And y was left with outen helpe.

So wiste I nought wher of to yelpe,

Bot only that y hadde lore

My time, and was sori ther fore.

P. iii. 378

And thus bewhapid in my thought,

Whan al was turnyd in to nought,

I stod amasid for a while,

And in my self y gan to smyle

Thenkende uppon the bedis blake,

And how they weren me betake, 2960

For that y schulde bidde and preie.

And whanne y sigh non othre weie

Bot only that y was refusid,

Unto the lif which y hadde usid

I thoughte nevere torne ayein:

And in this wise, soth to seyn,

Homward a softe pas y wente,

Wher that with al myn hol entente1779

Uppon the point that y am schryve

I thenke bidde whil y live.1780 2970

[The Author prays for the State of England.]

iv. Parce precor, Criste, populus quo gaudeat iste;

Anglia ne triste subeat, rex summe, resiste.

Corrige quosque status, fragiles absolue reatus;

Vnde deo gratus vigeat locus iste beatus.

He which withinne daies sevene1781

This large world forth with the hevene

Hic in anno quartodecimo Regis Ricardi orat pro statu regni, quod a diu diuisum nimia aduersitate periclitabatur.1782

Of his eternal providence

Hath mad, and thilke intelligence

In mannys soule resonable

Hath schape to be perdurable,

Wherof the man of his feture

Above alle erthli creature

Aftir the soule is immortal,

To thilke lord in special, 2980

P. iii. 379

As he which is of alle thinges

The creatour, and of the kynges

Hath the fortunes uppon honde,

His grace and mercy forto fonde

Uppon my bare knes y preie,

That he this loud in siker weie

Wol sette uppon good governance.1783

For if men takyn remembrance

What is to live in unite,1784

Ther ys no staat in his degree 2990

That noughte to desire pes,

With outen which, it is no les,

To seche and loke in to the laste,

Ther may no worldes joye laste.1785

[Evil of Division in the Land.]

Ferst forto loke the Clergie,

Hem oughte wel to justefie

Thing which belongith to here cure,

As forto praie and to procure

Oure pes toward the hevene above,

And ek to sette reste and love 3000

Among ous on this erthe hiere.

For if they wroughte in this manere

Aftir the reule of charite,

I hope that men schuldyn se

This loud amende.

And ovyr this,1786

To seche and loke how that it is1787

Touchende of the chevalerie,

Which forto loke, in som partie

Is worthi forto be comendid,

And in som part to ben amendid, 3010

P. iii. 380

That of here large retenue

The lond is ful of maintenue,

Which causith that the comune right1788

In fewe contrees stant upright.

Extorcioun, contekt, ravine1789

Withholde ben of that covyne,

Aldai men hierin gret compleignte

Of the desease, of the constreignte,

Wher of the poeple is sore oppressid:

God graunte it mote be redressid. 3020

For of knyghthode thordre wolde

That thei defende and kepe scholde

The comun right and the fraunchise1790

Of holy cherche in alle wise,

So that no wikke man it dere,

And ther fore servith scheld and spere:1791

Bot for it goth now other weie,

Oure grace goth the more aweie.

And forto lokyn ovyrmore,

Wher of the poeple pleigneth sore, 3030

Toward the lawis of oure lond,

Men sein that trouthe hath broke his bond

And with brocage is goon aweie,

So that no man can se the weie

Wher forto fynde rightwisnesse.

And if men sechin sikernesse

Uppon the lucre of marchandie,1792

Compassement and tricherie

Of singuler profit to wynne,

Men seyn, is cause of mochil synne, 3040

P. iii. 381

And namely of divisioun,

Which many a noble worthi toun

Fro welthe and fro prosperite

Hath brought to gret adversite.

So were it good to ben al on,

For mechil grace ther uppon1793

Unto the Citees schulde falle,

Which myghte availle to ous alle,

If these astatz amendid were,

So that the vertus stodyn there 3050

And that the vices were aweie:

Me thenkth y dorste thanne seie,

This londis grace schulde arise.

[The Duty of a King.]

Bot yit to loke in othre wise,1794

Ther is a stat, as ye schul hiere,

Above alle othre on erthe hiere,

Which hath the loud in his balance:

To him belongith the leiance

Of Clerk, of knyght, of man of lawe;

Undir his hond al is forth drawe1795 3060

The marchant and the laborer;

So stant it al in his power

Or forto spille or forto save.1796

Bot though that he such power have,

And that his myghtes ben so large,

He hath hem nought withouten charge,1797

To which that every kyng ys swore:

So were it good that he ther fore

First un to rightwisnesse entende,

Wherof that he hym self amende 3070

P. iii. 382

Toward his god and leve vice,

Which is the chief of his office;

And aftir al the remenant

He schal uppon his covenant

Governe and lede in such a wise,

So that ther be no tirandise,

Wherof that he his poeple grieve,

Or ellis may he nought achieve

That longith to his regalie.

For if a kyng wol justifie 3080

His lond and hem that beth withynne,1798

First at hym self he mot begynne,

To kepe and reule his owne astat,

That in hym self be no debat

Toward his god: for othre wise1799

Ther may non erthly kyng suffise

Of his kyngdom the folk to lede,

Bot he the kyng of hevene drede.

For what kyng sett hym uppon pride

And takth his lust on every side 3090

And wil nought go the righte weie,

Though god his grace caste aweie

No wondir is, for ate laste

He schal wel wite it mai nought laste,1800

The pompe which he secheth here.

Bot what kyng that with humble chere

Aftir the lawe of god eschuieth

The vices, and the vertus suieth,1801

His grace schal be suffisant

To governe al the remenant 3100

P. iii. 383

Which longith to his duite;

So that in his prosperite

The poeple schal nought ben oppressid,

Wherof his name schal be blessid,

For evere and be memorial.

[The Book completed.]

And now to speke as in final,

Touchende that y undirtok

Hic in fine recapitulat super hoc quod in principio libri primi promisit se in amoris causa specialius tractaturum. Concludit enim quod omnis amoris delectacio extra caritatem nichil est. Qui autem manet in caritate, in deo manet.

In englesch forto make a book

Which stant betwene ernest and game,

I have it maad as thilke same 3110

Which axe forto ben excusid,

And that my bok be nought refusid

Of lered men, whan thei it se,1802

For lak of curiosite:

For thilke scole of eloquence

Belongith nought to my science,

Uppon the forme of rethoriqe

My wordis forto peinte and pike,

As Tullius som tyme wrot.

Bot this y knowe and this y wot, 3120

That y have do my trewe peyne

With rude wordis and with pleyne,

In al that evere y couthe and myghte,

This bok to write as y behighte,

So as siknesse it soffre wolde;

And also for my daies olde,

That y am feble and impotent,

I wot nought how the world ys went.

So preye y to my lordis alle

Now in myn age, how so befalle, 3130

P. iii. 384

That y mot stonden in here grace:1803

For though me lacke to purchace

Here worthi thonk as by decerte,

Yit the symplesse of my poverte

Desireth forto do plesance

To hem undir whos governance

I hope siker to abide.

[Farewell to Earthly Love.]

But now uppon my laste tide

That y this book have maad and write,

My muse doth me forto wite, 3140

And seith it schal be for my beste

Fro this day forth to take reste,

That y nomore of love make,

Which many an herte hath overtake,

And ovyrturnyd as the blynde

Fro reson in to lawe of kynde;

Wher as the wisdom goth aweie1804

And can nought se the ryhte weie

How to governe his oghne estat,

Bot everydai stant in debat1805 3150

Withinne him self, and can nought leve.

And thus forthy my final leve

I take now for evere more,

Withoute makynge any more,

Of love and of his dedly hele,

Which no phisicien can hele.

For his nature is so divers,

That it hath evere som travers

Or of to moche or of to lite,

That pleinly mai noman delite,1806 3160

P. iii. 385

Bot if him faile or that or this.

Bot thilke love which that is

Withinne a mannes herte affermed,

And stant of charite confermed,

[Heavenly Love.]

Such love is goodly forto have,

Such love mai the bodi save,

Such love mai the soule amende,

The hyhe god such love ous sende

Forthwith the remenant of grace;1807

So that above in thilke place 3170

Wher resteth love and alle pes,

Oure joie mai ben endeles.

Explicit iste liber, qui transeat, obsecro liber

Vt sine liuore vigeat lectoris in ore.

Qui sedet in scannis celi det vt ista Iohannis

Perpetuis annis stet pagina grata Britannis.

Derbeie Comiti, recolunt quem laude periti,1808

Vade liber purus, sub eo requiesce futurus.1809