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Confessio Amantis - Tales Of The Seven Deadly Sins, 1330-1408 A.D. - Incipit Liber Sextus

by John Gower

Est gula, que nostrum maculavit prima parentem

Ex vetito pomo, quo dolet omnis homo

Hec agit, ut corpus anime contraria spirat,

Quo caro fit crassa, spiritus atque macer.

Intus et exterius si que virtutis habentur,

Potibus ebrietas conviciata ruit.

Mersa sopore labis, que Bachus inebriat hospes,

Indignata Venus oscula raro premit.

The grete Senne original,

Which every man in general

Upon his berthe hath envenymed,

In Paradis it was mystymed:

Whan Adam of thilke Appel bot,

His swete morscel was to hot,

Which dedly made the mankinde.

And in the bokes as I finde,

This vice, which so out of rule

Hath sette ous alle, is cleped Gule; 10

Of which the branches ben so grete,

That of hem alle I wol noght trete,

Bot only as touchende of tuo

I thenke speke and of no mo;

Wherof the ferste is Dronkeschipe,

Which berth the cuppe felaschipe.

Ful many a wonder doth this vice,

He can make of a wisman nyce,

And of a fool, that him schal seme

That he can al the lawe deme, 20

And yiven every juggement

Which longeth to the firmament

Bothe of the sterre and of the mone;

And thus he makth a gret clerk sone

Of him that is a lewed man.

Ther is nothing which he ne can,

Whil he hath Dronkeschipe on honde,

He knowth the See, he knowth the stronde,

He is a noble man of armes,

And yit no strengthe is in his armes: 30

Ther he was strong ynouh tofore,

With Dronkeschipe it is forlore,

And al is changed his astat,

And wext anon so fieble and mat,

That he mai nouther go ne come,

Bot al togedre him is benome

The pouer bothe of hond and fot,

So that algate abide he mot.

And alle hise wittes he foryet,

The which is to him such a let, 40

That he wot nevere what he doth,

Ne which is fals, ne which is soth,

Ne which is dai, ne which is nyht,

And for the time he knowth no wyht,

That he ne wot so moche as this,

What maner thing himselven is,

Or he be man, or he be beste.

That holde I riht a sori feste,

Whan he that reson understod

So soudeinliche is woxe wod, 50

Or elles lich the dede man,

Which nouther go ne speke can.

Thus ofte he is to bedde broght,

Bot where he lith yit wot he noght,

Til he arise upon the morwe;

And thanne he seith, "O, which a sorwe

It is a man be drinkeles!"

So that halfdrunke in such a res

With dreie mouth he sterte him uppe,

And seith, "Nou baillez a the cuppe." 60

That made him lese his wit at eve

Is thanne a morwe al his beleve;

The cuppe is al that evere him pleseth,

And also that him most deseseth;

It is the cuppe whom he serveth,

Which alle cares fro him kerveth

And alle bales to him bringeth:

In joie he wepth, in sorwe he singeth,

For Dronkeschipe is so divers,

It may no whyle stonde in vers. 70

He drinkth the wyn, bot ate laste

The wyn drynkth him and bint him faste,

And leith him drunke be the wal,

As him which is his bonde thral

And al in his subjeccion.

And lich to such condicion,

As forto speke it other wise,

It falleth that the moste wise

Ben otherwhile of love adoted,

And so bewhaped and assoted, 80

Of drunke men that nevere yit

Was non, which half so loste his wit

Of drinke, as thei of such thing do

Which cleped is the jolif wo;

And waxen of here oghne thoght

So drunke, that thei knowe noght

What reson is, or more or lesse.

Such is the kinde of that sieknesse,

And that is noght for lacke of brain,

Bot love is of so gret a main, 90

That where he takth an herte on honde,

Ther mai nothing his miht withstonde:

The wise Salomon was nome,

And stronge Sampson overcome,

The knihtli David him ne mihte

Rescoue, that he with the sihte

Of Bersabee ne was bestad,

Virgile also was overlad,

And Aristotle was put under.

Forthi, mi Sone, it is no wonder 100

If thou be drunke of love among,

Which is above alle othre strong:

And if so is that thou so be,

Tell me thi Schrifte in privite;

It is no schame of such a thew

A yong man to be dronkelew.

Of such Phisique I can a part,

And as me semeth be that art,

Thou scholdest be Phisonomie

Be schapen to that maladie 110

Of lovedrunke, and that is routhe.

Ha, holi fader, al is trouthe

That ye me telle: I am beknowe

That I with love am so bethrowe,

And al myn herte is so thurgh sunke,

That I am verrailiche drunke,

And yit I mai bothe speke and go.

Bot I am overcome so,

And torned fro miself so clene,

That ofte I wot noght what I mene; 120

So that excusen I ne mai

Min herte, fro the ferste day

That I cam to mi ladi kiththe,

I was yit sobre nevere siththe.

Wher I hire se or se hire noght,

With musinge of min oghne thoght,

Of love, which min herte assaileth,

So drunke I am, that mi wit faileth

And al mi brain is overtorned,

And mi manere so mistorned, 130

That I foryete al that I can

And stonde lich a mased man;

That ofte, whanne I scholde pleie,

It makth me drawe out of the weie

In soulein place be miselve,

As doth a labourer to delve,

Which can no gentil mannes chere;

Or elles as a lewed Frere,

Whan he is put to his penance,

Riht so lese I mi contienance. 140

And if it nedes to betyde,

That I in compainie abyde,

Wher as I moste daunce and singe

The hovedance and carolinge,

Or forto go the newefot,

I mai noght wel heve up mi fot,

If that sche be noght in the weie;

For thanne is al mi merthe aweie,

And waxe anon of thoght so full,

Wherof mi limes ben so dull, 150

I mai unethes gon the pas.

For thus it is and evere was,

Whanne I on suche thoghtes muse,

The lust and merthe that men use,

Whan I se noght mi ladi byme,

Al is foryete for the time

So ferforth that mi wittes changen

And alle lustes fro me strangen,

That thei seie alle trewely,

And swere, that it am noght I. 160

For as the man which ofte drinketh,

With win that in his stomac sinketh

Wext drunke and witles for a throwe,

Riht so mi lust is overthrowe,

And of myn oghne thoght so mat

I wexe, that to myn astat

Ther is no lime wol me serve,

Bot as a drunke man I swerve,

And suffre such a Passion,

That men have gret compassion, 170

And everich be himself merveilleth

What thing it is that me so eilleth.

Such is the manere of mi wo

Which time that I am hire fro,

Til eft ayein that I hire se.

Bot thanne it were a nycete

To telle you hou that I fare:

For whanne I mai upon hire stare,

Hire wommanhede, hire gentilesse,

Myn herte is full of such gladnesse, 180

That overpasseth so mi wit,

That I wot nevere where it sit,

Bot am so drunken of that sihte,

Me thenkth that for the time I mihte

Riht sterte thurgh the hole wall;

And thanne I mai wel, if I schal,

Bothe singe and daunce and lepe aboute,

And holde forth the lusti route.

Bot natheles it falleth so

Fulofte, that I fro hire go 190

Ne mai, bot as it were a stake,

I stonde avisement to take

And loke upon hire faire face;

That for the while out of the place

For al the world ne myhte I wende.

Such lust comth thanne unto mi mende,

So that withoute mete or drinke,

Of lusti thoughtes whiche I thinke

Me thenkth I mihte stonden evere;

And so it were to me levere 200

Than such a sihte forto leve,

If that sche wolde yif me leve

To have so mochel of mi wille.

And thus thenkende I stonde stille

Withoute blenchinge of myn yhe,

Riht as me thoghte that I syhe

Of Paradis the moste joie:

And so therwhile I me rejoie,

Into myn herte a gret desir,

The which is hotere than the fyr, 210

Al soudeinliche upon me renneth,

That al mi thoght withinne brenneth,

And am so ferforth overcome,

That I not where I am become;

So that among the hetes stronge

In stede of drinke I underfonge

A thoght so swete in mi corage,

That nevere Pyment ne vernage

Was half so swete forto drinke.

For as I wolde, thanne I thinke 220

As thogh I were at myn above,

For so thurgh drunke I am of love,

That al that mi sotye demeth

Is soth, as thanne it to me semeth.

And whyle I mai tho thoghtes kepe,

Me thenkth as thogh I were aslepe

And that I were in goddes barm;

Bot whanne I se myn oghne harm,

And that I soudeinliche awake

Out of my thought, and hiede take 230

Hou that the sothe stant in dede,

Thanne is mi sekernesse in drede

And joie torned into wo,

So that the hete is al ago

Of such sotie as I was inne.

And thanne ayeinward I beginne

To take of love a newe thorst,

The which me grieveth altherworst,

For thanne comth the blanche fievere,

With chele and makth me so to chievere, 240

And so it coldeth at myn herte,

That wonder is hou I asterte,

In such a point that I ne deie:

For certes ther was nevere keie

Ne frosen ys upon the wal

More inly cold that I am al.

And thus soffre I the hote chele,

Which passeth othre peines fele;

In cold I brenne and frese in hete:

And thanne I drinke a biter swete 250

With dreie lippe and yhen wete.

Lo, thus I tempre mi diete,

And take a drauhte of such reles,

That al mi wit is herteles,

And al myn herte, ther it sit,

Is, as who seith, withoute wit;

So that to prove it be reson

In makinge of comparison

Ther mai no difference be

Betwen a drunke man and me. 260

Bot al the worste of everychon

Is evere that I thurste in on;

The more that myn herte drinketh,

The more I may; so that me thinketh,

My thurst schal nevere ben aqueint.

God schilde that I be noght dreint

Of such a superfluite:

For wel I fiele in mi degre

That al mi wit is overcast,

Wherof I am the more agast, 270

That in defaulte of ladischipe

Per chance in such a drunkeschipe

I mai be ded er I be war.

For certes, fader, this I dar

Beknowe and in mi schrifte telle:

Bot I a drauhte have of that welle,

In which mi deth is and mi lif,

Mi joie is torned into strif,

That sobre schal I nevere worthe,

Bot as a drunke man forworthe; 280

So that in londe where I fare

The lust is lore of mi welfare,

As he that mai no bote finde.

Bot this me thenkth a wonder kinde,

As I am drunke of that I drinke,

So am I ek for falte of drinke;

Of which I finde no reles:

Bot if I myhte natheles

Of such a drinke as I coveite,

So as me liste, have o receite, 290

I scholde assobre and fare wel.

Bot so fortune upon hire whiel

On hih me deigneth noght to sette,

For everemore I finde a lette:

The boteler is noght mi frend,

Which hath the keie be the bend;

I mai wel wisshe and that is wast,

For wel I wot, so freissh a tast,

Bot if mi grace be the more,

I schal assaie neveremore. 300

Thus am I drunke of that I se,

For tastinge is defended me,

And I can noght miselven stanche:

So that, mi fader, of this branche

I am gultif, to telle trouthe.

Mi Sone, that me thenketh routhe;

For lovedrunke is the meschief

Above alle othre the most chief,

If he no lusti thoght assaie,

Which mai his sori thurst allaie: 310

As for the time yit it lisseth

To him which other joie misseth.

Forthi, mi Sone, aboven alle

Thenk wel, hou so it the befalle,

And kep thi wittes that thou hast,

And let hem noght be drunke in wast:

Bot natheles ther is no wyht

That mai withstonde loves miht.

Bot why the cause is, as I finde,

Of that ther is diverse kinde 320

Of lovedrunke, why men pleigneth

After the court which al ordeigneth,

I wol the tellen the manere;

Nou lest, mi Sone, and thou schalt hiere.

For the fortune of every chance

After the goddes pourveance

To man it groweth from above,

So that the sped of every love

Is schape there, er it befalle.

For Jupiter aboven alle, 330

Which is of goddes soverein,

Hath in his celier, as men sein,

Tuo tonnes fulle of love drinke,

That maken many an herte sinke

And many an herte also to flete,

Or of the soure or of the swete.

That on is full of such piment,

Which passeth all entendement

Of mannes witt, if he it taste,

And makth a jolif herte in haste: 340

That other biter as the galle,

Which makth a mannes herte palle,

Whos drunkeschipe is a sieknesse

Thurgh fielinge of the biternesse.

Cupide is boteler of bothe,

Which to the lieve and to the lothe

Yifth of the swete and of the soure,

That some lawhe, and some loure.

Bot for so moche as he blind is,

Fulofte time he goth amis 350

And takth the badde for the goode,

Which hindreth many a mannes fode

Withoute cause, and forthreth eke.

So be ther some of love seke,

Whiche oghte of reson to ben hole,

And some comen to the dole

In happ and as hemselve leste

Drinke undeserved of the beste.

And thus this blinde Boteler

Yifth of the trouble in stede of cler 360

And ek the cler in stede of trouble:

Lo, hou he can the hertes trouble,

And makth men drunke al upon chaunce

Withoute lawe of governance.

If he drawe of the swete tonne,

Thanne is the sorwe al overronne

Of lovedrunke, and schalt noght greven

So to be drunken every even,

For al is thanne bot a game.

Bot whanne it is noght of the same, 370

And he the biter tonne draweth,

Such drunkeschipe an herte gnaweth

And fiebleth al a mannes thoght,

That betre him were have drunke noght

And al his bred have eten dreie;

For thanne he lest his lusti weie

With drunkeschipe, and wot noght whider

To go, the weies ben so slider,

In which he mai per cas so falle,

That he schal breke his wittes alle. 380

And in this wise men be drunke

After the drink that thei have drunke:

Bot alle drinken noght alike,

For som schal singe and som schal syke,

So that it me nothing merveilleth,

Mi Sone, of love that thee eilleth;

For wel I knowe be thi tale,

That thou hast drunken of the duale,

Which biter is, til god the sende

Such grace that thou miht amende. 390

Bot, Sone, thou schalt bidde and preie

In such a wise as I schal seie,

That thou the lusti welle atteigne

Thi wofull thurstes to restreigne

Of love, and taste the swetnesse;

As Bachus dede in his distresse,

Whan bodiliche thurst him hente

In strange londes where he wente.

This Bachus Sone of Jupiter

Was hote, and as he wente fer 400

Be his fadres assignement

To make a werre in Orient,

And gret pouer with him he ladde,

So that the heiere hond he hadde

And victoire of his enemys,

And torneth homward with his pris,

In such a contre which was dreie

A meschief fell upon the weie.

As he rod with his compainie

Nyh to the strondes of Lubie, 410

Ther myhte thei no drinke finde

Of water nor of other kinde,

So that himself and al his host

Were of defalte of drinke almost

Destruid, and thanne Bachus preide

To Jupiter, and thus he seide:

"O hihe fader, that sest al,

To whom is reson that I schal

Beseche and preie in every nede,

Behold, mi fader, and tak hiede 420

This wofull thurst that we ben inne

To staunche, and grante ous forto winne,

And sauf unto the contre fare,

Wher that oure lusti loves are

Waitende upon oure hom cominge."

And with the vois of his preiynge,

Which herd was to the goddes hihe,

He syh anon tofore his yhe

A wether, which the ground hath sporned;

And wher he hath it overtorned, 430

Ther sprang a welle freissh and cler,

Wherof his oghne boteler

After the lustes of his wille

Was every man to drinke his fille.

And for this ilke grete grace

Bachus upon the same place

A riche temple let arere,

Which evere scholde stonde there

To thursti men in remembrance.

Forthi, mi Sone, after this chance 440

It sit thee wel to taken hiede

So forto preie upon thi nede,

As Bachus preide for the welle;

And thenk, as thou hast herd me telle,

Hou grace he gradde and grace he hadde.

He was no fol that ferst so radde,

For selden get a domb man lond:

Tak that proverbe, and understond

That wordes ben of vertu grete.

Forthi to speke thou ne lete, 450

And axe and prei erli and late

Thi thurst to quenche, and thenk algate,

The boteler which berth the keie

Is blind, as thou hast herd me seie;

And if it mihte so betyde,

That he upon the blinde side

Per cas the swete tonne arauhte,

Than schalt thou have a lusti drauhte

And waxe of lovedrunke sobre.

And thus I rede thou assobre 460

Thin herte in hope of such a grace;

For drunkeschipe in every place,

To whether side that it torne,

Doth harm and makth a man to sporne

And ofte falle in such a wise,

Wher he per cas mai noght arise.

And forto loke in evidence

Upon the sothe experience,

So as it hath befalle er this,

In every mannes mouth it is 470

Hou Tristram was of love drunke

With Bele Ysolde, whan thei drunke

The drink which Brangwein hem betok,

Er that king Marc his Eem hire tok

To wyve, as it was after knowe.

And ek, mi Sone, if thou wolt knowe,

As it hath fallen overmore

In loves cause, and what is more

Of drunkeschipe forto drede,

As it whilom befell in dede, 480

Wherof thou miht the betre eschuie

Of drunke men that thou ne suie

The compaignie in no manere,

A gret ensample thou schalt hiere.

This finde I write in Poesie

Of thilke faire Ipotacie,

Of whos beaute ther as sche was

Spak every man, - and fell per cas,

That Pirotos so him spedde,

That he to wyve hire scholde wedde, 490

Wherof that he gret joie made.

And for he wolde his love glade,

Ayein the day of mariage

Be mouthe bothe and be message

Hise frendes to the feste he preide,

With gret worschipe and, as men seide,

He hath this yonge ladi spoused.

And whan that thei were alle housed,

And set and served ate mete,

Ther was no wyn which mai be gete, 500

That ther ne was plente ynouh:

Bot Bachus thilke tonne drouh,

Wherof be weie of drunkeschipe

The greteste of the felaschipe

Were oute of reson overtake;

And Venus, which hath also take

The cause most in special,

Hath yove hem drinke forth withal

Of thilke cuppe which exciteth

The lust wherinne a man deliteth: 510

And thus be double weie drunke,

Of lust that ilke fyri funke

Hath mad hem, as who seith, halfwode,

That thei no reson understode,

Ne to non other thing thei syhen,

Bot hire, which tofore here yhen

Was wedded thilke same day,

That freisshe wif, that lusti May,

On hire it was al that thei thoghten.

And so ferforth here lustes soghten, 520

That thei the whiche named were

Centauri, ate feste there

Of on assent, of an acord

This yonge wif malgre hire lord

In such a rage awei forth ladden,

As thei whiche non insihte hadden

Bot only to her drunke fare,

Which many a man hath mad misfare

In love als wel as other weie.

Wherof, if I schal more seie 530

Upon the nature of the vice,

Of custume and of exercice

The mannes grace hou it fordoth,

A tale, which was whilom soth,

Of fooles that so drunken were,

I schal reherce unto thine Ere.

I rede in a Cronique thus

Of Galba and of Vitellus,

The whiche of Spaigne bothe were

The greteste of alle othre there, 540

And bothe of o condicion

After the disposicion

Of glotonie and drunkeschipe.

That was a sori felaschipe:

For this thou miht wel understonde,

That man mai wel noght longe stonde

Which is wyndrunke of comun us;

For he hath lore the vertus,

Wherof reson him scholde clothe;

And that was seene upon hem bothe. 550

Men sein ther is non evidence,

Wherof to knowe a difference

Betwen the drunken and the wode,

For thei be nevere nouther goode;

For wher that wyn doth wit aweie,

Wisdom hath lost the rihte weie,

That he no maner vice dredeth;

Nomore than a blind man thredeth

His nedle be the Sonnes lyht,

Nomore is reson thanne of myht, 560

Whan he with drunkeschipe is blent.

And in this point thei weren schent,

This Galba bothe and ek Vitelle,

Upon the cause as I schal telle,

Wherof good is to taken hiede.

For thei tuo thurgh her drunkenhiede

Of witles excitacioun

Oppressede al the nacion

Of Spaigne; for of fool usance,

Which don was of continuance 570

Of hem, whiche alday drunken were,

Ther was no wif ne maiden there,

What so thei were, or faire or foule,

Whom thei ne token to defoule,

Wherof the lond was often wo:

And ek in othre thinges mo

Thei wroghten many a sondri wrong.

Bot hou so that the dai be long,

The derke nyht comth ate laste:

God wolde noght thei scholden laste, 580

And schop the lawe in such a wise,

That thei thurgh dom to the juise

Be dampned forto be forlore.

Bot thei, that hadden ben tofore

Enclin to alle drunkenesse,-

Here ende thanne bar witnesse;

For thei in hope to assuage

The peine of deth, upon the rage

That thei the lasse scholden fiele,

Of wyn let fille full a Miele, 590

And dronken til so was befalle

That thei her strengthes losten alle

Withouten wit of eny brain;

And thus thei ben halfdede slain,

That hem ne grieveth bot a lyte.

Mi Sone, if thou be forto wyte

In eny point which I have seid,

Wherof thi wittes ben unteid,

I rede clepe hem hom ayein.

I schal do, fader, as ye sein, 600

Als ferforth as I mai suffise:

Bot wel I wot that in no wise

The drunkeschipe of love aweie

I mai remue be no weie,

It stant noght upon my fortune.

Bot if you liste to comune

Of the seconde Glotonie,

Which cleped is Delicacie,

Wherof ye spieken hier tofore,

Beseche I wolde you therfore. 610

Mi Sone, as of that ilke vice,

Which of alle othre is the Norrice,

And stant upon the retenue

Of Venus, so as it is due,

The proprete hou that it fareth

The bok hierafter nou declareth.

Of this chapitre in which we trete

There is yit on of such diete,

To which no povere mai atteigne;

For al is Past of paindemeine 620

And sondri wyn and sondri drinke,

Wherof that he wole ete and drinke:

Hise cokes ben for him affaited,

So that his body is awaited,

That him schal lacke no delit,

Als ferforth as his appetit

Sufficeth to the metes hote.

Wherof this lusti vice is hote

Of Gule the Delicacie,

Which al the hole progenie 630

Of lusti folk hath undertake

To feede, whil that he mai take

Richesses wherof to be founde:

Of Abstinence he wot no bounde,

To what profit it scholde serve.

And yit phisique of his conserve

Makth many a restauracioun

Unto his recreacioun,

Which wolde be to Venus lief.

Thus for the point of his relief 640

The coc which schal his mete arraie,

Bot he the betre his mouth assaie,

His lordes thonk schal ofte lese,

Er he be served to the chese:

For ther mai lacke noght so lyte,

That he ne fint anon a wyte;

For bot his lust be fully served,

Ther hath no wiht his thonk deserved.

And yit for mannes sustenance,

To kepe and holde in governance, 650

To him that wole his hele gete

Is non so good as comun mete:

For who that loketh on the bokes,

It seith, confeccion of cokes,

A man him scholde wel avise

Hou he it toke and in what wise.

For who that useth that he knoweth,

Ful selden seknesse on him groweth,

And who that useth metes strange,

Though his nature empeire and change 660

It is no wonder, lieve Sone,

Whan that he doth ayein his wone;

For in Phisique this I finde,

Usage is the seconde kinde.

And riht so changeth his astat

He that of love is delicat:

For though he hadde to his hond

The beste wif of al the lond,

Or the faireste love of alle,

Yit wolde his herte on othre falle 670

And thenke hem mor delicious

Than he hath in his oghne hous:

Men sein it is nou ofte so;

Avise hem wel, thei that so do.

And forto speke in other weie,

Fulofte time I have herd seie,

That he which hath no love achieved,

Him thenkth that he is noght relieved,

Thogh that his ladi make him chiere,

So as sche mai in good manere 680

Hir honour and hir name save,

Bot he the surplus mihte have.

Nothing withstondende hire astat,

Of love more delicat

He set hire chiere at no delit,

Bot he have al his appetit.

Mi Sone, if it be with thee so,

Tell me. Myn holi fader, no:

For delicat in such a wise

Of love, as ye to me devise, 690

Ne was I nevere yit gultif;

For if I hadde such a wif

As ye speke of, what scholde I more?

For thanne I wolde neveremore

For lust of eny wommanhiede

Myn herte upon non other fiede:

And if I dede, it were a wast.

Bot al withoute such repast

Of lust, as ye me tolde above,

Of wif, or yit of other love, 700

I faste, and mai no fode gete;

So that for lacke of deinte mete,

Of which an herte mai be fedd,

I go fastende to my bedd.

Bot myhte I geten, as ye tolde,

So mochel that mi ladi wolde

Me fede with hir glad semblant,

Though me lacke al the remenant,

Yit scholde I somdel ben abeched

And for the time wel refreched. 710

Bot certes, fader, sche ne doth;

For in good feith, to telle soth,

I trowe, thogh I scholde sterve,

Sche wolde noght hire yhe swerve,

Min herte with o goodly lok

To fede, and thus for such a cok

I mai go fastinge everemo:

Bot if so is that eny wo

Mai fede a mannes herte wel,

Therof I have at every meel 720

Of plente more than ynowh;

Bot that is of himself so towh,

Mi stomac mai it noght defie.

Lo, such is the delicacie

Of love, which myn herte fedeth;

Thus have I lacke of that me nedeth.

Bot for al this yit natheles

I seie noght I am gylteles,

That I somdel am delicat:

For elles were I fulli mat, 730

Bot if that I som lusti stounde

Of confort and of ese founde,

To take of love som repast;

For thogh I with the fulle tast

The lust of love mai noght fiele,

Min hunger otherwise I kiele

Of smale lustes whiche I pike,

And for a time yit thei like;

If that ye wisten what I mene.

Nou, goode Sone, schrif thee clene 740

Of suche deyntes as ben goode,

Wherof thou takst thin hertes fode.

Mi fader, I you schal reherce,

Hou that mi fodes ben diverse,

So as thei fallen in degre.

O fiedinge is of that I se,

An other is of that I here,

The thridde, as I schal tellen here,

It groweth of min oghne thoght:

And elles scholde I live noght; 750

For whom that failleth fode of herte,

He mai noght wel the deth asterte.

Of sihte is al mi ferste fode,

Thurgh which myn yhe of alle goode

Hath that to him is acordant,

A lusti fode sufficant.

Whan that I go toward the place

Wher I schal se my ladi face,

Min yhe, which is loth to faste,

Beginth to hungre anon so faste, 760

That him thenkth of on houre thre,

Til I ther come and he hire se:

And thanne after his appetit

He takth a fode of such delit,

That him non other deynte nedeth.

Of sondri sihtes he him fedeth:

He seth hire face of such colour,

That freisshere is than eny flour,

He seth hire front is large and plein

Withoute fronce of eny grein, 770

He seth hire yhen lich an hevene,

He seth hire nase strauht and evene,

He seth hire rode upon the cheke,

He seth hire rede lippes eke,

Hire chyn acordeth to the face,

Al that he seth is full of grace,

He seth hire necke round and clene,

Therinne mai no bon be sene,

He seth hire handes faire and whyte;

For al this thing withoute wyte 780

He mai se naked ate leste,

So is it wel the more feste

And wel the mor Delicacie

Unto the fiedinge of myn yhe.

He seth hire schapthe forth withal,

Hire bodi round, hire middel smal,

So wel begon with good array,

Which passeth al the lust of Maii,

Whan he is most with softe schoures

Ful clothed in his lusti floures. 790

With suche sihtes by and by

Min yhe is fed; bot finaly,

Whan he the port and the manere

Seth of hire wommanysshe chere,

Than hath he such delice on honde,

Him thenkth he mihte stille stonde,

And that he hath ful sufficance

Of liflode and of sustienance

As to his part for everemo.

And if it thoghte alle othre so, 800

Fro thenne wolde he nevere wende,

Bot there unto the worldes ende

He wolde abyde, if that he mihte,

And fieden him upon the syhte.

For thogh I mihte stonden ay

Into the time of domesday

And loke upon hire evere in on,

Yit whanne I scholde fro hire gon,

Min yhe wolde, as thogh he faste,

Ben hungerstorven al so faste, 810

Til efte ayein that he hire syhe.

Such is the nature of myn yhe:

Ther is no lust so deintefull,

Of which a man schal noght be full,

Of that the stomac underfongeth,

Bot evere in on myn yhe longeth:

For loke hou that a goshauk tireth,

Riht so doth he, whan that he pireth

And toteth on hire wommanhiede;

For he mai nevere fulli fiede 820

His lust, bot evere aliche sore

Him hungreth, so that he the more

Desireth to be fed algate:

And thus myn yhe is mad the gate,

Thurgh which the deyntes of my thoght

Of lust ben to myn herte broght.

Riht as myn yhe with his lok

Is to myn herte a lusti coc

Of loves fode delicat,

Riht so myn Ere in his astat, 830

Wher as myn yhe mai noght serve,

Can wel myn hertes thonk deserve

And fieden him fro day to day

With suche deyntes as he may.

For thus it is, that overal,

Wher as I come in special,

I mai hiere of mi ladi pris;

I hiere on seith that sche is wys,

An other seith that sche is good,

And som men sein, of worthi blod 840

That sche is come, and is also

So fair, that nawher is non so;

And som men preise hire goodli chiere:

Thus every thing that I mai hiere,

Which souneth to mi ladi goode,

Is to myn Ere a lusti foode.

And ek min Ere hath over this

A deynte feste, whan so is

That I mai hiere hirselve speke;

For thanne anon mi faste I breke 850

On suche wordes as sche seith,

That full of trouthe and full of feith

Thei ben, and of so good desport,

That to myn Ere gret confort

Thei don, as thei that ben delices.

For al the metes and the spices,

That eny Lombard couthe make,

Ne be so lusti forto take

Ne so ferforth restauratif,

I seie as for myn oghne lif, 860

As ben the wordes of hire mouth:

For as the wyndes of the South

Ben most of alle debonaire,

So whan hir list to speke faire,

The vertu of hire goodly speche

Is verraily myn hertes leche.

And if it so befalle among,

That sche carole upon a song,

Whan I it hiere I am so fedd,

That I am fro miself so ledd, 870

As thogh I were in paradis;

For certes, as to myn avis,

Whan I here of hir vois the stevene,

Me thenkth it is a blisse of hevene.

And ek in other wise also

Fulofte time it falleth so,

Min Ere with a good pitance

Is fedd of redinge of romance

Of Ydoine and of Amadas,

That whilom weren in mi cas, 880

And eke of othre many a score,

That loveden longe er I was bore.

For whan I of here loves rede,

Min Ere with the tale I fede;

And with the lust of here histoire

Somtime I drawe into memoire

Hou sorwe mai noght evere laste;

And so comth hope in ate laste,

Whan I non other fode knowe.

And that endureth bot a throwe, 890

Riht as it were a cherie feste;

Bot forto compten ate leste,

As for the while yit it eseth

And somdel of myn herte appeseth:

For what thing to myn Ere spreedeth,

Which is plesant, somdel it feedeth

With wordes suche as he mai gete

Mi lust, in stede of other mete.

Lo thus, mi fader, as I seie,

Of lust the which myn yhe hath seie, 900

And ek of that myn Ere hath herd,

Fulofte I have the betre ferd.

And tho tuo bringen in the thridde,

The which hath in myn herte amidde

His place take, to arraie

The lusti fode, which assaie

I mot; and nameliche on nyhtes,

Whan that me lacketh alle sihtes,

And that myn heringe is aweie,

Thanne is he redy in the weie 910

Mi reresouper forto make,

Of which myn hertes fode I take.

This lusti cokes name is hote

Thoght, which hath evere hise pottes hote

Of love buillende on the fyr

With fantasie and with desir,

Of whiche er this fulofte he fedde

Min herte, whanne I was abedde;

And thanne he set upon my bord

Bothe every syhte and every word 920

Of lust, which I have herd or sein.

Bot yit is noght mi feste al plein,

Bot al of woldes and of wisshes,

Therof have I my fulle disshes,

Bot as of fielinge and of tast,

Yit mihte I nevere have o repast.

And thus, as I have seid aforn,

I licke hony on the thorn,

And as who seith, upon the bridel

I chiewe, so that al is ydel 930

As in effect the fode I have.

Bot as a man that wolde him save,

Whan he is seck, be medicine,

Riht so of love the famine

I fonde in al that evere I mai

To fiede and dryve forth the day,

Til I mai have the grete feste,

Which al myn hunger myhte areste.

Lo suche ben mi lustes thre;

Of that I thenke and hiere and se 940

I take of love my fiedinge

Withoute tastinge or fielinge:

And as the Plover doth of Eir

I live, and am in good espeir

That for no such delicacie

I trowe I do no glotonie.

And natheles to youre avis,

Min holi fader, that be wis,

I recomande myn astat

Of that I have be delicat. 950

Mi Sone, I understonde wel

That thou hast told hier everydel,

And as me thenketh be thi tale,

It ben delices wonder smale,

Wherof thou takst thi loves fode.

Bot, Sone, if that thou understode

What is to ben delicious,

Thou woldest noght be curious

Upon the lust of thin astat

To ben to sore delicat, 960

Wherof that thou reson excede:

For in the bokes thou myht rede,

If mannes wisdom schal be suied,

It oghte wel to ben eschuied

In love als wel as other weie;

For, as these holi bokes seie,

The bodely delices alle

In every point, hou so thei falle,

Unto the Soule don grievance.

And forto take in remembrance, 970

A tale acordant unto this,

Which of gret understondinge is

To mannes soule resonable,

I thenke telle, and is no fable.

Of Cristes word, who wole it rede,

Hou that this vice is forto drede

In thevangile it telleth plein,

Which mot algate be certein,

For Crist himself it berth witnesse.

And thogh the clerk and the clergesse 980

In latin tunge it rede and singe,

Yit for the more knoulechinge

Of trouthe, which is good to wite,

I schal declare as it is write

In Engleissh, for thus it began.

Crist seith: "Ther was a riche man,

A mihti lord of gret astat,

And he was ek so delicat

Of his clothing, that everyday

Of pourpre and bisse he made him gay, 990

And eet and drank therto his fille

After the lustes of his wille,

As he which al stod in delice

And tok non hiede of thilke vice.

And as it scholde so betyde,

A povere lazre upon a tyde

Cam to the gate and axed mete:

Bot there mihte he nothing gete

His dedly hunger forto stanche;

For he, which hadde his fulle panche 1000

Of alle lustes ate bord,

Ne deigneth noght to speke a word,

Onliche a Crumme forto yive,

Wherof the povere myhte live

Upon the yifte of his almesse.

Thus lai this povere in gret destresse

Acold and hungred ate gate,

Fro which he mihte go no gate,

So was he wofulli besein.

And as these holi bokes sein, 1010

The houndes comen fro the halle,

Wher that this sike man was falle,

And as he lay ther forto die,

The woundes of his maladie

Thei licken forto don him ese.

Bot he was full of such desese,

That he mai noght the deth eschape;

Bot as it was that time schape,

The Soule fro the bodi passeth,

And he whom nothing overpasseth, 1020

The hihe god, up to the hevene

Him tok, wher he hath set him evene

In Habrahammes barm on hyh,

Wher he the hevene joie syh

And hadde al that he have wolde.

And fell, as it befalle scholde,

This riche man the same throwe

With soudein deth was overthrowe,

And forth withouten eny wente

Into the helle straght he wente; 1030

The fend into the fyr him drouh,

Wher that he hadde peine ynouh

Of flamme which that evere brenneth.

And as his yhe aboute renneth,

Toward the hevene he cast his lok,

Wher that he syh and hiede tok

Hou Lazar set was in his Se

Als ferr as evere he mihte se

With Habraham; and thanne he preide

Unto the Patriarch and seide: 1040

"Send Lazar doun fro thilke Sete,

And do that he his finger wete

In water, so that he mai droppe

Upon my tunge, forto stoppe

The grete hete in which I brenne."

Bot Habraham answerde thenne

And seide to him in this wise:

"Mi Sone, thou thee miht avise

And take into thi remembrance,

Hou Lazar hadde gret penance, 1050

Whyl he was in that other lif,

Bot thou in al thi lust jolif

The bodily delices soghtest:

Forthi, so as thou thanne wroghtest,

Nou schalt thou take thi reward

Of dedly peine hierafterward

In helle, which schal evere laste;

And this Lazar nou ate laste

The worldes peine is overronne,

In hevene and hath his lif begonne 1060

Of joie, which is endeles.

Bot that thou preidest natheles,

That I schal Lazar to the sende

With water on his finger ende,

Thin hote tunge forto kiele,

Thou schalt no such graces fiele;

For to that foule place of Sinne,

For evere in which thou schalt ben inne,

Comth non out of this place thider,

Ne non of you mai comen hider; 1070

Thus be yee parted nou atuo."

The riche ayeinward cride tho:

"O Habraham, sithe it so is,

That Lazar mai noght do me this

Which I have axed in this place,

I wolde preie an other grace.

For I have yit of brethren fyve,

That with mi fader ben alyve

Togedre duellende in on hous;

To whom, as thou art gracious, 1080

I preie that thou woldest sende

Lazar, so that he mihte wende

To warne hem hou the world is went,

That afterward thei be noght schent

Of suche peines as I drye.

Lo, this I preie and this I crie,

Now I may noght miself amende."

The Patriarch anon suiende

To his preiere ansuerde nay;

And seide him hou that everyday 1090

His brethren mihten knowe and hiere

Of Moi5ses on Erthe hiere

And of prophetes othre mo,

What hem was best. And he seith no;

Bot if ther mihte a man aryse

Fro deth to lyve in such a wise,

To tellen hem hou that it were,

He seide hou thanne of pure fere

Thei scholden wel be war therby.

Quod Habraham: "Nay sikerly; 1100

For if thei nou wol noght obeie

To suche as techen hem the weie,

And alday preche and alday telle

Hou that it stant of hevene and helle,

Thei wol noght thanne taken hiede,

Thogh it befelle so in dede

That eny ded man were arered,

To ben of him no betre lered

Than of an other man alyve."

If thou, mi Sone, canst descryve 1110

This tale, as Crist himself it tolde,

Thou schalt have cause to beholde,

To se so gret an evidence,

Wherof the sothe experience

Hath schewed openliche at ije,

That bodili delicacie

Of him which yeveth non almesse

Schal after falle in gret destresse.

And that was sene upon the riche:

For he ne wolde unto his liche 1120

A Crumme yiven of his bred,

Thanne afterward, whan he was ded,

A drope of water him was werned.

Thus mai a mannes wit be lerned

Of hem that so delices taken;

Whan thei with deth ben overtaken,

That erst was swete is thanne sour.

Bot he that is a governour

Of worldes good, if he be wys,

Withinne his herte he set no pris 1130

Of al the world, and yit he useth

The good, that he nothing refuseth,

As he which lord is of the thinges.

The Nouches and the riche ringes,

The cloth of gold and the Perrie

He takth, and yit delicacie

He leveth, thogh he were al this.

The beste mete that ther is

He ett, and drinkth the beste drinke;

Bot hou that evere he ete or drinke, 1140

Delicacie he put aweie,

As he which goth the rihte weie

Noght only forto fiede and clothe

His bodi, bot his soule bothe.

Bot thei that taken otherwise

Here lustes, ben none of the wise;

And that whilom was schewed eke,

If thou these olde bokes seke,

Als wel be reson as be kinde,

Of olde ensample as men mai finde. 1150

What man that wolde him wel avise,

Delicacie is to despise,

Whan kinde acordeth noght withal;

Wherof ensample in special

Of Nero whilom mai be told,

Which ayein kinde manyfold

Hise lustes tok, til ate laste

That god him wolde al overcaste;

Of whom the Cronique is so plein,

Me list nomore of him to sein. 1160

And natheles for glotonie

Of bodili Delicacie,

To knowe his stomak hou it ferde,

Of that noman tofore herde,

Which he withinne himself bethoghte,

A wonder soubtil thing he wroghte.

Thre men upon eleccioun

Of age and of complexioun

Lich to himself be alle weie

He tok towardes him to pleie, 1170

And ete and drinke als wel as he.

Therof was no diversite;

For every day whan that thei eete,

Tofore his oghne bord thei seete,

And of such mete as he was served,

Althogh thei hadde it noght deserved,

Thei token service of the same.

Bot afterward al thilke game

Was into wofull ernest torned;

For whan thei weren thus sojorned, 1180

Withinne a time at after mete

Nero, which hadde noght foryete

The lustes of his frele astat,

As he which al was delicat,

To knowe thilke experience,

The men let come in his presence:

And to that on the same tyde,

A courser that he scholde ryde

Into the feld, anon he bad;

Wherof this man was wonder glad, 1190

And goth to prike and prance aboute.

That other, whil that he was oute,

He leide upon his bedd to slepe:

The thridde, which he wolde kepe

Withinne his chambre, faire and softe

He goth now doun nou up fulofte,

Walkende a pass, that he ne slepte,

Til he which on the courser lepte

Was come fro the field ayein.

Nero thanne, as the bokes sein, 1200

These men doth taken alle thre

And slouh hem, for he wolde se

The whos stomak was best defied:

And whanne he hath the sothe tryed,

He fond that he which goth the pass

Defyed best of alle was,

Which afterward he usede ay.

And thus what thing unto his pay

Was most plesant, he lefte non:

With every lust he was begon, 1210

Wherof the bodi myhte glade,

For he non abstinence made;

Bot most above alle erthli thinges

Of wommen unto the likinges

Nero sette al his hole herte,

For that lust scholde him noght asterte.

Whan that the thurst of love him cawhte,

Wher that him list he tok a drauhte,

He spareth nouther wif ne maide,

That such an other, as men saide, 1220

In al this world was nevere yit.

He was so drunke in al his wit

Thurgh sondri lustes whiche he tok,

That evere, whil ther is a bok,

Of Nero men schul rede and singe

Unto the worldes knowlechinge,

Mi goode Sone, as thou hast herd.

For evere yit it hath so ferd,

Delicacie in loves cas

Withoute reson is and was; 1230

For wher that love his herte set,

Him thenkth it myhte be no bet;

And thogh it be noght fulli mete,

The lust of love is evere swete.

Lo, thus togedre of felaschipe

Delicacie and drunkeschipe,

Wherof reson stant out of herre,

Have mad full many a wisman erre

In loves cause most of alle:

For thanne hou so that evere it falle, 1240

Wit can no reson understonde,

Bot let the governance stonde

To Will, which thanne wext so wylde,

That he can noght himselve schylde

Fro no peril, bot out of feere

The weie he secheth hiere and there,

Him recheth noght upon what syde:

For oftetime he goth beside,

And doth such thing withoute drede,

Wherof him oghte wel to drede. 1250

Bot whan that love assoteth sore,

It passeth alle mennes lore;

What lust it is that he ordeigneth,

Ther is no mannes miht restreigneth,

And of the godd takth he non hiede:

Bot laweles withoute drede,

His pourpos for he wolde achieve

Ayeins the pointz of the believe,

He tempteth hevene and erthe and helle,

Hierafterward as I schall telle. 1260

Who dar do thing which love ne dar?

To love is every lawe unwar,

Bot to the lawes of his heste

The fissch, the foul, the man, the beste

Of al the worldes kinde louteth.

For love is he which nothing douteth:

In mannes herte where he sit,

He compteth noght toward his wit

The wo nomore than the wele,

No mor the hete than the chele, 1270

No mor the wete than the dreie,

No mor to live than to deie,

So that tofore ne behinde

He seth nothing, bot as the blinde

Withoute insyhte of his corage

He doth merveilles in his rage.

To what thing that he wole him drawe,

Ther is no god, ther is no lawe,

Of whom that he takth eny hiede;

Bot as Baiard the blinde stede, 1280

Til he falle in the dich amidde,

He goth ther noman wole him bidde;

He stant so ferforth out of reule,

Ther is no wit that mai him reule.

And thus to telle of him in soth,

Ful many a wonder thing he doth,

That were betre to be laft,

Among the whiche is wicchecraft,

That som men clepen Sorcerie,

Which forto winne his druerie 1290

With many a circumstance he useth,

Ther is no point which he refuseth.

The craft which that Saturnus fond,

To make prickes in the Sond,

That Geomance cleped is,

Fulofte he useth it amis;

And of the flod his Ydromance,

And of the fyr the Piromance,

With questions echon of tho

He tempteth ofte, and ek also 1300

Ae5remance in juggement

To love he bringth of his assent:

For these craftes, as I finde,

A man mai do be weie of kinde,

Be so it be to good entente.

Bot he goth al an other wente;

For rathere er he scholde faile,

With Nigromance he wole assaile

To make his incantacioun

With hot subfumigacioun. 1310

Thilke art which Spatula is hote,

And used is of comun rote

Among Paiens, with that craft ek

Of which is Auctor Thosz the Grek,

He worcheth on and on be rowe:

Razel is noght to him unknowe,

Ne Salomones Candarie,

His Ydeac, his Eutonye;

The figure and the bok withal

Of Balamuz, and of Ghenbal 1320

The Seal, and therupon thymage

Of Thebith, for his avantage

He takth, and somwhat of Gibiere,

Which helplich is to this matiere.

Babilla with hire Sones sevene,

Which hath renonced to the hevene,

With Cernes bothe square and rounde,

He traceth ofte upon the grounde,

Makende his invocacioun;

And for full enformacioun 1330

The Scole which Honorius

Wrot, he poursuieth: and lo, thus

Magique he useth forto winne

His love, and spareth for no Sinne.

And over that of his Sotie,

Riht as he secheth Sorcerie

Of hem that ben Magiciens,

Riht so of the Naturiens

Upon the Sterres from above

His weie he secheth unto love, 1340

Als fer as he hem understondeth.

In many a sondry wise he fondeth:

He makth ymage, he makth sculpture,

He makth writinge, he makth figure,

He makth his calculacions,

He makth his demonstracions;

His houres of Astronomie

He kepeth as for that partie

Which longeth to thinspeccion

Of love and his affeccion; 1350

He wolde into the helle seche

The devel himselve to beseche,

If that he wiste forto spede,

To gete of love his lusti mede:

Wher that he hath his herte set,

He bede nevere fare bet

Ne wite of other hevene more.

Mi Sone, if thou of such a lore

Hast ben er this, I red thee leve.

Min holi fader, be youre leve 1360

Of al that ye have spoken hiere

Which toucheth unto this matiere,

To telle soth riht as I wene,

I wot noght o word what ye mene.

I wol noght seie, if that I couthe,

That I nolde in mi lusti youthe

Benethe in helle and ek above

To winne with mi ladi love

Don al that evere that I mihte;

For therof have I non insihte 1370

Wher afterward that I become,

To that I wonne and overcome

Hire love, which I most coveite.

Mi Sone, that goth wonder streite:

For this I mai wel telle soth,

Ther is noman the which so doth,

For al the craft that he can caste,

That he nabeith it ate laste.

For often he that wol beguile

Is guiled with the same guile, 1380

And thus the guilour is beguiled;

As I finde in a bok compiled

To this matiere an old histoire,

The which comth nou to mi memoire,

And is of gret essamplerie

Ayein the vice of Sorcerie,

Wherof non ende mai be good.

Bot hou whilom therof it stod,

A tale which is good to knowe

To thee, mi Sone, I schal beknowe. 1390

Among hem whiche at Troie were,

Uluxes ate Siege there

Was on be name in special;

Of whom yit the memorial

Abit, for whyl ther is a mouth,

For evere his name schal be couth.

He was a worthi knyht and king

And clerk knowende of every thing;

He was a gret rethorien,

He was a gret magicien; 1400

Of Tullius the rethorique,

Of king Zorastes the magique,

Of Tholome thastronomie,

Of Plato the Philosophie,

Of Daniel the slepi dremes,

Of Neptune ek the water stremes,

Of Salomon and the proverbes,

Of Macer al the strengthe of herbes,

And the Phisique of Ypocras,

And lich unto Pictagoras 1410

Of Surgerie he knew the cures.

Bot somwhat of his aventures,

Which schal to mi matiere acorde,

To thee, mi Sone, I wol recorde.

This king, of which thou hast herd sein,

Fro Troie as he goth hom ayein

Be Schipe, he fond the See divers,

With many a wyndi storm revers.

Bot he thurgh wisdom that he schapeth

Ful many a gret peril ascapeth, 1420

Of whiche I thenke tellen on,

Hou that malgre the nedle and ston

Wynddrive he was al soudeinly

Upon the strondes of Cilly,

Wher that he moste abyde a whyle.

Tuo queenes weren in that yle

Calipsa named and Circes;

And whan they herde hou Uluxes

Is londed ther upon the ryve,

For him thei senden als so blive. 1430

With him suche as he wolde he nam

And to the court to hem he cam.

Thes queenes were as tuo goddesses

Of Art magique Sorceresses,

That what lord comth to that rivage,

Thei make him love in such a rage

And upon hem assote so,

That thei wol have, er that he go,

Al that he hath of worldes good.

Uluxes wel this understod, 1440

Thei couthe moche, he couthe more;

Thei schape and caste ayein him sore

And wroghte many a soutil wyle,

Bot yit thei mihte him noght beguile.

Bot of the men of his navie

Thei tuo forschope a gret partie,

Mai non of hem withstonde here hestes;

Som part thei schopen into bestes,

Som part thei schopen into foules,

To beres, tigres, Apes, oules, 1450

Or elles be som other weie;

Ther myhte hem nothing desobeie,

Such craft thei hadde above kinde.

Bot that Art couthe thei noght finde,

Of which Uluxes was deceived,

That he ne hath hem alle weyved,

And broght hem into such a rote,

That upon him thei bothe assote;

And thurgh the science of his art

He tok of hem so wel his part, 1460

That he begat Circes with childe.

He kepte him sobre and made hem wilde,

He sette himselve so above,

That with here good and with here love,

Who that therof be lief or loth,

Al quit into his Schip he goth.

Circes toswolle bothe sides

He lefte, and waiteth on the tydes,

And straght thurghout the salte fom

He takth his cours and comth him hom, 1470

Where as he fond Penolope;

A betre wif ther mai non be,

And yit ther ben ynowhe of goode.

Bot who hir goodschipe understode

Fro ferst that sche wifhode tok,

Hou many loves sche forsok

And hou sche bar hire al aboute,

Ther whiles that hire lord was oute,

He mihte make a gret avant

Amonges al the remenant 1480

That sche was on of al the beste.

Wel myhte he sette his herte in reste,

This king, whan he hir fond in hele;

For as he couthe in wisdom dele,

So couthe sche in wommanhiede:

And whan sche syh withoute drede

Hire lord upon his oghne ground,

That he was come sauf and sound,

In al this world ne mihte be

A gladdere womman than was sche. 1490

The fame, which mai noght ben hidd,

Thurghout the lond is sone kidd,

Here king is come hom ayein:

Ther mai noman the fulle sein,

Hou that thei weren alle glade,

So mochel joie of him thei made.

The presens every day be newed,

He was with yiftes al besnewed;

The poeple was of him so glad,

That thogh non other man hem bad, 1500

Taillage upon hemself thei sette,

And as it were of pure dette

Thei yeve here goodes to the king:

This was a glad hom welcomyng.

Thus hath Uluxes what he wolde,

His wif was such as sche be scholde,

His poeple was to him sougit,

Him lacketh nothing of delit.

Bot fortune is of such a sleyhte,

That whan a man is most on heyhte, 1510

Sche makth him rathest forto falle:

Ther wot noman what schal befalle,

The happes over mannes hed

Ben honged with a tendre thred.

That proved was on Uluxes;

For whan he was most in his pes,

Fortune gan to make him werre

And sette his welthe al out of herre.

Upon a dai as he was merie,

As thogh ther mihte him nothing derie, 1520

Whan nyht was come, he goth to bedde,

With slep and bothe his yhen fedde.

And while he slepte, he mette a swevene:

Him thoghte he syh a stature evene,

Which brihtere than the sonne schon;

A man it semeth was it non,

Bot yit it was as in figure

Most lich to mannyssh creature,

Bot as of beaute hevenelich

It was most to an Angel lich: 1530

And thus betwen angel and man

Beholden it this king began,

And such a lust tok of the sihte,

That fain he wolde, if that he mihte,

The forme of that figure embrace;

And goth him forth toward the place,

Wher he sih that ymage tho,

And takth it in his Armes tuo,

And it embraceth him ayein

And to the king thus gan it sein: 1540

"Uluxes, understond wel this,

The tokne of oure aqueintance is

Hierafterward to mochel tene:

The love that is ous betuene,

Of that we nou such joie make,

That on of ous the deth schal take,

Whan time comth of destine;

It may non other wise be."

Uluxes tho began to preie

That this figure wolde him seie 1550

What wyht he is that seith him so.

This wyht upon a spere tho

A pensel which was wel begon,

Embrouded, scheweth him anon:

Thre fisshes alle of o colour

In manere as it were a tour

Upon the pensel were wroght.

Uluxes kneu this tokne noght,

And preith to wite in som partie

What thing it myhte signefie, 1560

"A signe it is," the wyht ansuerde,

"Of an Empire:" and forth he ferde

Al sodeinly, whan he that seide.

Uluxes out of slep abreide,

And that was riht ayein the day,

That lengere slepen he ne may.

Men sein, a man hath knowleching

Save of himself of alle thing;

His oghne chance noman knoweth,

Bot as fortune it on him throweth: 1570

Was nevere yit so wys a clerk,

Which mihte knowe al goddes werk,

Ne the secret which god hath set

Ayein a man mai noght be let.

Uluxes, thogh that he be wys,

With al his wit in his avis,

The mor that he his swevene acompteth,

The lasse he wot what it amonteth:

For al his calculacion,

He seth no demonstracion 1580

Al pleinly forto knowe an ende;

Bot natheles hou so it wende,

He dradde him of his oghne Sone.

That makth him wel the more astone,

And schop therfore anon withal,

So that withinne castel wall

Thelamachum his Sone he schette,

And upon him strong warde he sette.

The sothe furthere he ne knew,

Til that fortune him overthreu; 1590

Bot natheles for sikernesse,

Wher that he mihte wite and gesse

A place strengest in his lond,

Ther let he make of lym and sond

A strengthe where he wolde duelle;

Was nevere man yit herde telle

Of such an other as it was.

And forto strengthe him in that cas,

Of al his lond the sekereste

Of servantz and the worthieste, 1600

To kepen him withinne warde,

He sette his bodi forto warde;

And made such an ordinance,

For love ne for aqueintance,

That were it erly, were it late,

Thei scholde lete in ate gate

No maner man, what so betydde,

Bot if so were himself it bidde.

Bot al that myhte him noght availe,

For whom fortune wole assaile, 1610

Ther mai be non such resistence,

Which mihte make a man defence;

Al that schal be mot falle algate.

This Circes, which I spak of late,

On whom Uluxes hath begete

A child, thogh he it have foryete,

Whan time com, as it was wone,

Sche was delivered of a Sone,

Which cleped is Thelogonus.

This child, whan he was bore thus, 1620

Aboute his moder to ful age,

That he can reson and langage,

In good astat was drawe forth:

And whan he was so mochel worth

To stonden in a mannes stede,

Circes his moder hath him bede

That he schal to his fader go,

And tolde him al togedre tho

What man he was that him begat.

And whan Thelogonus of that 1630

Was war and hath ful knowleching

Hou that his fader was a king,

He preith his moder faire this,

To go wher that his fader is;

And sche him granteth that he schal,

And made him redi forth withal.

It was that time such usance,

That every man the conoiscance

Of his contre bar in his hond,

Whan he wente into strange lond; 1640

And thus was every man therfore

Wel knowe, wher that he was bore:

For espiaile and mistrowinges

They dede thanne suche thinges,

That every man mai other knowe.

So it befell that ilke throwe

Thelogonus as in this cas;

Of his contre the signe was

Thre fisshes, whiche he scholde bere

Upon the penon of a spere: 1650

And whan that he was thus arraied

And hath his harneis al assaied,

That he was redy everydel,

His moder bad him farewel,

And seide him that he scholde swithe

His fader griete a thousand sithe.

Thelogonus his moder kiste

And tok his leve, and wher he wiste

His fader was, the weie nam,

Til he unto Nachaie cam, 1660

Which of that lond the chief Cite

Was cleped, and ther axeth he

Wher was the king and hou he ferde.

And whan that he the sothe herde,

Wher that the king Uluxes was,

Al one upon his hors gret pas

He rod him forth, and in his hond

He bar the signal of his lond

With fisshes thre, as I have told;

And thus he wente unto that hold, 1670

Wher that his oghne fader duelleth.

The cause why he comth he telleth

Unto the kepers of the gate,

And wolde have comen in therate,

Bot schortli thei him seide nay:

And he als faire as evere he may

Besoghte and tolde hem ofte this,

Hou that the king his fader is;

Bot they with proude wordes grete

Begunne to manace and threte, 1680

Bot he go fro the gate faste,

Thei wolde him take and sette faste.

Fro wordes unto strokes thus

Thei felle, and so Thelogonus

Was sore hurt and welnyh ded;

Bot with his scharpe speres hed

He makth defence, hou so it falle,

And wan the gate upon hem alle,

And hath slain of the beste fyve;

And thei ascriden als so blyve 1690

Thurghout the castell al aboute.

On every syde men come oute,

Wherof the kinges herte afflihte,

And he with al the haste he mihte

A spere cauhte and out he goth,

As he that was nyh wod for wroth.

He sih the gates ful of blod,

Thelogonus and wher he stod

He sih also, bot he ne knew

What man it was, and to him threw 1700

His Spere, and he sterte out asyde.

Bot destine, which schal betide,

Befell that ilke time so,

Thelogonus knew nothing tho

What man it was that to him caste,

And while his oghne spere laste,

With al the signe therupon

He caste unto the king anon,

And smot him with a dedly wounde.

Uluxes fell anon to grounde; 1710

Tho every man, "The king! the king!"

Began to crie, and of this thing

Thelogonus, which sih the cas,

On knes he fell and seide, "Helas!

I have min oghne fader slain:

Nou wolde I deie wonder fain,

Nou sle me who that evere wile,

For certes it is right good skile."

He crith, he wepth, he seith therfore,

"Helas, that evere was I bore, 1720

That this unhappi destine

So wofulli comth in be me!"

This king, which yit hath lif ynouh,

His herte ayein to him he drouh,

And to that vois an Ere he leide

And understod al that he seide,

And gan to speke, and seide on hih,

"Bring me this man." And whan he sih

Thelogonus, his thoght he sette

Upon the swevene which he mette, 1730

And axeth that he myhte se

His spere, on which the fisshes thre

He sih upon a pensel wroght.

Tho wiste he wel it faileth noght,

And badd him that he telle scholde

Fro whenne he cam and what he wolde.

Thelogonus in sorghe and wo

So as he mihte tolde tho

Unto Uluxes al the cas,

Hou that Circes his moder was, 1740

And so forth seide him everydel,

Hou that his moder gret him wel,

And in what wise sche him sente.

Tho wiste Uluxes what it mente,

And tok him in hise Armes softe,

And al bledende he kest him ofte,

And seide, "Sone, whil I live,

This infortune I thee foryive."

After his other Sone in haste

He sende, and he began him haste 1750

And cam unto his fader tyt.

Bot whan he sih him in such plit,

He wolde have ronne upon that other

Anon, and slain his oghne brother,

Ne hadde be that Uluxes

Betwen hem made acord and pes,

And to his heir Thelamachus

He bad that he Thelogonus

With al his pouer scholde kepe,

Til he were of his woundes depe 1760

Al hol, and thanne he scholde him yive

Lond wher upon he mihte live.

Thelamachus, whan he this herde,

Unto his fader he ansuerde

And seide he wolde don his wille.

So duelle thei togedre stille,

These brethren, and the fader sterveth.

Lo, wherof Sorcerie serveth.

Thurgh Sorcerie his lust he wan,

Thurgh Sorcerie his wo began, 1770

Thurgh Sorcerie his love he ches,

Thurgh Sorcerie his lif he les;

The child was gete in Sorcerie,

The which dede al this felonie:

Thing which was ayein kynde wroght

Unkindeliche it was aboght;

The child his oghne fader slowh,

That was unkindeschipe ynowh.

Forthi tak hiede hou that it is,

So forto winne love amis, 1780

Which endeth al his joie in wo:

For of this Art I finde also,

That hath be do for loves sake,

Wherof thou miht ensample take,

A gret Cronique imperial,

Which evere into memorial

Among the men, hou so it wende,

Schal duelle to the worldes ende.

The hihe creatour of thinges,

Which is the king of alle kinges, 1790

Ful many a wonder worldes chance

Let slyden under his suffrance;

Ther wot noman the cause why,

Bot he the which is almyhty.

And that was proved whilom thus,

Whan that the king Nectanabus,

Which hadde Egipte forto lede,-

Bot for he sih tofor the dede

Thurgh magique of his Sorcerie,

Wherof he couthe a gret partie, 1800

Hise enemys to him comende,

Fro whom he mihte him noght defende,

Out of his oghne lond he fledde;

And in the wise as he him dredde

It fell, for al his wicchecraft,

So that Egipte him was beraft,

And he desguised fledde aweie

Be schipe, and hield the rihte weie

To Macedoine, wher that he

Aryveth ate chief Cite. 1810

Thre yomen of his chambre there

Al only forto serve him were,

The whiche he trusteth wonder wel,

For thei were trewe as eny stiel;

And hapneth that thei with him ladde

Part of the beste good he hadde.

Thei take logginge in the toun

After the disposicion

Wher as him thoghte best to duelle:

He axeth thanne and herde telle 1820

Hou that the king was oute go.

Upon a werre he hadde tho;

But in that Cite thanne was

The queene, which Olimpias

Was hote, and with sollempnete

The feste of hir nativite,

As it befell, was thanne holde;

And for hire list to be beholde

And preised of the poeple aboute,

Sche schop hir forto riden oute 1830

At after mete al openly.

Anon were alle men redy,

And that was in the monthe of Maii,

This lusti queene in good arrai

Was set upon a Mule whyt:

To sen it was a gret delit

The joie that the cite made;

With freisshe thinges and with glade

The noble toun was al behonged,

And every wiht was sore alonged 1840

To se this lusti ladi ryde.

Ther was gret merthe on alle syde;

Wher as sche passeth be the strete,

Ther was ful many a tymber bete

And many a maide carolende:

And thus thurghout the toun pleiende

This queene unto a pleine rod,

Wher that sche hoved and abod

To se diverse game pleie,

The lusti folk jouste and tourneie; 1850

And so forth every other man,

Which pleie couthe, his pley began,

To plese with this noble queene.

Nectanabus cam to the grene

Amonges othre and drouh him nyh.

Bot whan that he this ladi sih

And of hir beaute hiede tok,

He couthe noght withdrawe his lok

To se noght elles in the field,

Bot stod and only hire behield. 1860

Of his clothinge and of his gere

He was unlich alle othre there,

So that it hapneth ate laste,

The queene on him hire yhe caste,

And knew that he was strange anon:

Bot he behield hire evere in on

Withoute blenchinge of his chere.

Sche tok good hiede of his manere,

And wondreth why he dede so,

And bad men scholde for him go. 1870

He cam and dede hire reverence,

And sche him axeth in cilence

For whenne he cam and what he wolde.

And he with sobre wordes tolde,

And seith, "Ma dame, a clerk I am,

To you and in message I cam,

The which I mai noght tellen hiere;

Bot if it liketh you to hiere,

It mot be seid al prively,

Wher non schal be bot ye and I." 1880

Thus for the time he tok his leve.

The dai goth forth til it was eve,

That every man mot lete his werk;

And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk,

What thing it is he wolde mene:

And in this wise abod the queene,

And passeth over thilke nyht,

Til it was on the morwe liht.

Sche sende for him, and he com,

With him his Astellabre he nom, 1890

Which was of fin gold precious

With pointz and cercles merveilous;

And ek the hevenely figures

Wroght in a bok ful of peintures

He tok this ladi forto schewe,

And tolde of ech of hem be rewe

The cours and the condicion.

And sche with gret affeccion

Sat stille and herde what he wolde:

And thus whan he sih time, he tolde, 1900

And feigneth with hise wordes wise

A tale, and seith in such a wise:

"Ma dame, bot a while ago,

Wher I was in Egipte tho,

And radde in scole of this science,

It fell into mi conscience

That I unto the temple wente,

And ther with al myn hole entente

As I mi sacrifice dede,

On of the goddes hath me bede 1910

That I you warne prively,

So that ye make you redy,

And that ye be nothing agast;

For he such love hath to you cast,

That ye schul ben his oghne diere,

And he schal be your beddefiere,

Til ye conceive and be with childe."

And with that word sche wax al mylde,

And somdel red becam for schame,

And axeth him that goddes name, 1920

Which so wol don hire compainie.

And he seide, "Amos of Lubie."

And sche seith, "That mai I noght lieve,

Bot if I sihe a betre prieve."

"Ma dame," quod Nectanabus,

"In tokne that it schal be thus,

This nyht for enformacion

Ye schul have an avision:

That Amos schal to you appiere,

To schewe and teche in what manere 1930

The thing schal afterward befalle.

Ye oghten wel above alle

To make joie of such a lord;

For whan ye ben of on acord,

He schal a Sone of you begete,

Which with his swerd schal winne and gete

The wyde world in lengthe and brede;

Alle erthli kinges schull him drede,

And in such wise, I you behote,

The god of erthe he schal be hote." 1940

"If this be soth," tho quod the queene,

"This nyht, thou seist, it schal be sene.

And if it falle into mi grace,

Of god Amos, that I pourchace

To take of him so gret worschipe,

I wol do thee such ladischipe,

Wherof thou schalt for everemo

Be riche." And he hir thonketh tho,

And tok his leve and forth he wente.

Sche wiste litel what he mente, 1950

For it was guile and Sorcerie,

Al that sche tok for Prophecie.

Nectanabus thurghout the day,

Whan he cam hom wher as he lay,

His chambre be himselve tok,

And overtorneth many a bok,

And thurgh the craft of Artemage

Of wex he forgeth an ymage.

He loketh his equacions

And ek the constellacions, 1960

He loketh the conjunccions,

He loketh the recepcions,

His signe, his houre, his ascendent,

And drawth fortune of his assent:

The name of queene Olimpias

In thilke ymage write was

Amiddes in the front above.

And thus to winne his lust of love

Nectanabus this werk hath diht;

And whan it cam withinne nyht, 1970

That every wyht is falle aslepe,

He thoghte he wolde his time kepe,

As he which hath his houre apointed.

And thanne ferst he hath enoignted

With sondri herbes that figure,

And therupon he gan conjure,

So that thurgh his enchantement

This ladi, which was innocent

And wiste nothing of this guile,

Mette, as sche slepte thilke while, 1980

Hou fro the hevene cam a lyht,

Which al hir chambre made lyht;

And as sche loketh to and fro,

Sche sih, hir thoghte, a dragoun tho,

Whos scherdes schynen as the Sonne,

And hath his softe pas begonne

With al the chiere that he may

Toward the bedd ther as sche lay,

Til he cam to the beddes side.

And sche lai stille and nothing cride, 1990

For he dede alle his thinges faire

And was courteis and debonaire:

And as he stod hire fasteby,

His forme he changeth sodeinly,

And the figure of man he nom,

To hire and into bedde he com,

And such thing there of love he wroghte,

Wherof, so as hire thanne thoghte,

Thurgh likinge of this god Amos

With childe anon hire wombe aros, 2000

And sche was wonder glad withal.

Nectanabus, which causeth al

Of this metrede the substance,

Whan he sih time, his nigromance

He stinte and nothing more seide

Of his carecte, and sche abreide

Out of hir slep, and lieveth wel

That it is soth thanne everydel

Of that this clerk hire hadde told,

And was the gladdere manyfold 2010

In hope of such a glad metrede,

Which after schal befalle in dede.

Sche longeth sore after the dai,

That sche hir swevene telle mai

To this guilour in privete,

Which kneu it als so wel as sche:

And natheles on morwe sone

Sche lefte alle other thing to done,

And for him sende, and al the cas

Sche tolde him pleinly as it was, 2020

And seide hou thanne wel sche wiste

That sche his wordes mihte triste,

For sche fond hire Avisioun

Riht after the condicion

Which he hire hadde told tofore;

And preide him hertely therfore

That he hire holde covenant

So forth of al the remenant,

That sche may thurgh his ordinance

Toward the god do such plesance, 2030

That sche wakende myhte him kepe

In such wise as sche mette aslepe.

And he, that couthe of guile ynouh,

Whan he this herde, of joie he louh,

And seith, "Ma dame, it schal be do.

Bot this I warne you therto:

This nyht, whan that he comth to pleie,

That ther be no lif in the weie

Bot I, that schal at his likinge

Ordeine so for his cominge, 2040

That ye ne schull noght of him faile.

For this, ma dame, I you consaile,

That ye it kepe so prive,

That no wiht elles bot we thre

Have knowlechinge hou that it is;

For elles mihte it fare amis,

If ye dede oght that scholde him grieve."

And thus he makth hire to believe,

And feigneth under guile feith:

Bot natheles al that he seith 2050

Sche troweth; and ayein the nyht

Sche hath withinne hire chambre dyht,

Wher as this guilour faste by

Upon this god schal prively

Awaite, as he makth hire to wene:

And thus this noble gentil queene,

Whan sche most trusteth, was deceived.

The nyht com, and the chambre is weyved,

Nectanabus hath take his place,

And whan he sih the time and space, 2060

Thurgh the deceipte of his magique

He putte him out of mannes like,

And of a dragoun tok the forme,

As he which wolde him al conforme

To that sche sih in swevene er this;

And thus to chambre come he is.

The queene lay abedde and sih,

And hopeth evere, as he com nyh,

That he god of Lubye were,

So hath sche wel the lasse fere. 2070

Bot for he wolde hire more assure,

Yit eft he changeth his figure,

And of a wether the liknesse

He tok, in signe of his noblesse

With large hornes for the nones:

Of fin gold and of riche stones

A corone on his hed he bar,

And soudeinly, er sche was war,

As he which alle guile can,

His forme he torneth into man, 2080

And cam to bedde, and sche lai stille,

Wher as sche soffreth al his wille,

As sche which wende noght misdo.

Bot natheles it hapneth so,

Althogh sche were in part deceived,

Yit for al that sche hath conceived

The worthieste of alle kiththe,

Which evere was tofore or siththe

Of conqueste and chivalerie;

So that thurgh guile and Sorcerie 2090

Ther was that noble knyht begunne,

Which al the world hath after wunne.

Thus fell the thing which falle scholde,

Nectanabus hath that he wolde;

With guile he hath his love sped,

With guile he cam into the bed,

With guile he goth him out ayein:

He was a schrewed chamberlein,

So to beguile a worthi queene,

And that on him was after seene. 2100

Bot natheles the thing is do;

This false god was sone go,

With his deceipte and hield him clos,

Til morwe cam, that he aros.

And tho, whan time and leisir was,

The queene tolde him al the cas,

As sche that guile non supposeth;

And of tuo pointz sche him opposeth.

On was, if that this god nomore

Wol come ayein, and overmore, 2110

Hou sche schal stonden in acord

With king Philippe hire oghne lord,

Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone.

"Ma dame," he seith, "let me alone:

As for the god I undertake

That whan it liketh you to take

His compaignie at eny throwe,

If I a day tofore it knowe,

He schal be with you on the nyht;

And he is wel of such a myht 2120

To kepe you from alle blame.

Forthi conforte you, ma dame,

Ther schal non other cause be."

Thus tok he leve and forth goth he,

And tho began he forto muse

Hou he the queene mihte excuse

Toward the king of that is falle;

And fond a craft amonges alle,

Thurgh which he hath a See foul daunted,

With his magique and so enchaunted, 2130

That he flyh forth, whan it was nyht,

Unto the kinges tente riht,

Wher that he lay amidde his host:

And whanne he was aslepe most,

With that the See foul to him broghte

And othre charmes, whiche he wroghte

At hom withinne his chambre stille,

The king he torneth at his wille,

And makth him forto dreme and se

The dragoun and the privete 2140

Which was betuen him and the queene.

And over that he made him wene

In swevene, hou that the god Amos,

Whan he up fro the queene aros,

Tok forth a ring, wherinne a ston

Was set, and grave therupon

A Sonne, in which, whan he cam nyh,

A leoun with a swerd he sih;

And with that priente, as he tho mette,

Upon the queenes wombe he sette 2150

A Seal, and goth him forth his weie.

With that the swevene wente aweie,

And tho began the king awake

And sigheth for his wyves sake,

Wher as he lay withinne his tente,

And hath gret wonder what it mente.

With that he hasteth him to ryse

Anon, and sende after the wise,

Among the whiche ther was on,

A clerc, his name is Amphion: 2160

Whan he the kinges swevene herde,

What it betokneth he ansuerde,

And seith, "So siker as the lif,

A god hath leie be thi wif,

And gete a Sone, which schal winne

The world and al that is withinne.

As leon is the king of bestes,

So schal the world obeie his hestes,

Which with his swerd schal al be wonne,

Als ferr as schyneth eny Sonne." 2170

The king was doubtif of this dom;

Bot natheles, whan that he com

Ayein into his oghne lond,

His wif with childe gret he fond.

He mihte noght himselve stiere,

That he ne made hire hevy chiere;

Bot he which couthe of alle sorwe,

Nectanabus, upon the morwe

Thurgh the deceipte and nigromance

Tok of a dragoun the semblance, 2180

And wher the king sat in his halle,

Com in rampende among hem alle

With such a noise and such a rore,

That thei agast were also sore

As thogh thei scholde deie anon.

And natheles he grieveth non,

Bot goth toward the deyss on hih;

And whan he cam the queene nyh,

He stinte his noise, and in his wise

To hire he profreth his servise, 2190

And leith his hed upon hire barm;

And sche with goodly chiere hire arm

Aboute his necke ayeinward leide,

And thus the queene with him pleide

In sihte of alle men aboute.

And ate laste he gan to loute

And obeissance unto hire make,

As he that wolde his leve take;

And sodeinly his lothly forme

Into an Egle he gan transforme, 2200

And flyh and sette him on a raile;

Wherof the king hath gret mervaile,

For there he pruneth him and piketh,

As doth an hauk whan him wel liketh,

And after that himself he schok,

Wherof that al the halle quok,

As it a terremote were;

Thei seiden alle, god was there:

In such a res and forth he flyh.

The king, which al this wonder syh, 2210

Whan he cam to his chambre alone,

Unto the queene he made his mone

And of foryivenesse hir preide;

For thanne he knew wel, as he seide,

Sche was with childe with a godd.

Thus was the king withoute rodd

Chastised, and the queene excused

Of that sche hadde ben accused.

And for the gretere evidence,

Yit after that in the presence 2220

Of king Philipp and othre mo,

Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho,

A Phesant cam before here yhe,

The which anon as thei hire syhe,

Fleende let an ey doun falle,

And it tobrak tofore hem alle:

And as thei token therof kepe,

Thei syhe out of the schelle crepe

A litel Serpent on the ground,

Which rampeth al aboute round, 2230

And in ayein it wolde have wonne,

Bot for the brennynge of the Sonne

It mihte noght, and so it deide.

And therupon the clerkes seide,

"As the Serpent, whan it was oute,

Went enviroun the schelle aboute

And mihte noght torne in ayein,

So schal it fallen in certein:

This child the world schal environe,

And above alle the corone 2240

Him schal befalle, and in yong Age

He schal desire in his corage,

Whan al the world is in his hond,

To torn ayein into the lond

Wher he was bore, and in his weie

Homward he schal with puison deie."

The king, which al this sih and herde,

Fro that dai forth, hou so it ferde,

His jalousie hath al foryete.

Bot he which hath the child begete, 2250

Nectanabus, in privete

The time of his nativite

Upon the constellacioun

Awaiteth, and relacion

Makth to the queene hou sche schal do,

And every houre apointeth so,

That no mynut therof was lore.

So that in due time is bore

This child, and forth with therupon

Ther felle wondres many on 2260

Of terremote universiel:

The Sonne tok colour of stiel

And loste his lyht, the wyndes blewe,

And manye strengthes overthrewe;

The See his propre kinde changeth,

And al the world his forme strangeth;

The thonder with his fyri levene

So cruel was upon the hevene,

That every erthli creature

Tho thoghte his lif in aventure. 2270

The tempeste ate laste cesseth,

The child is kept, his age encresseth,

And Alisandre his name is hote,

To whom Calistre and Aristote

To techen him Philosophie

Entenden, and Astronomie,

With othre thinges whiche he couthe

Also, to teche him in his youthe

Nectanabus tok upon honde.

Bot every man mai understonde, 2280

Of Sorcerie hou that it wende,

It wole himselve prove at ende,

And namely forto beguile

A lady, which withoute guile

Supposeth trouthe al that sche hiereth:

Bot often he that evele stiereth

His Schip is dreynt therinne amidde;

And in this cas riht so betidde.

Nectanabus upon a nyht,

Whan it was fair and sterre lyht, 2290

This yonge lord ladde up on hih

Above a tour, wher as he sih

Thee sterres such as he acompteth,

And seith what ech of hem amonteth,

As thogh he knewe of alle thing;

Bot yit hath he no knowleching

What schal unto himself befalle.

Whan he hath told his wordes alle,

This yonge lord thanne him opposeth,

And axeth if that he supposeth 2300

What deth he schal himselve deie.

He seith, "Or fortune is aweie

And every sterre hath lost his wone,

Or elles of myn oghne Sone

I schal be slain, I mai noght fle."

Thoghte Alisandre in privete,

"Hierof this olde dotard lieth":

And er that other oght aspieth,

Al sodeinliche his olde bones

He schof over the wal at ones, 2310

And seith him, "Ly doun there apart:

Wherof nou serveth al thin art?

Thou knewe alle othre mennes chance

And of thiself hast ignorance:

That thou hast seid amonges alle

Of thi persone, is noght befalle."

Nectanabus, which hath his deth,

Yit while him lasteth lif and breth,

To Alisandre he spak and seide

That he with wrong blame on him leide 2320

Fro point to point and al the cas

He tolde, hou he his Sone was.

Tho he, which sory was ynowh,

Out of the dich his fader drouh,

And tolde his moder hou it ferde

In conseil; and whan sche it herde

And kneu the toknes whiche he tolde,

Sche nyste what sche seie scholde,

Bot stod abayssht as for the while

Of his magique and al the guile. 2330

Sche thoghte hou that sche was deceived,

That sche hath of a man conceived,

And wende a god it hadde be.

Bot natheles in such degre,

So as sche mihte hire honour save,

Sche schop the body was begrave.

And thus Nectanabus aboghte

The Sorcerie which he wroghte:

Thogh he upon the creatures

Thurgh his carectes and figures 2340

The maistrie and the pouer hadde,

His creatour to noght him ladde,

Ayein whos lawe his craft he useth,

Whan he for lust his god refuseth,

And tok him to the dieules craft.

Lo, what profit him is belaft:

That thing thurgh which he wende have stonde,

Ferst him exilede out of londe

Which was his oghne, and from a king

Made him to ben an underling; 2350

And siththen to deceive a queene,

That torneth him to mochel teene;

Thurgh lust of love he gat him hate,

That ende couthe he noght abate.

His olde sleyhtes whiche he caste,

Yonge Alisaundre hem overcaste,

His fader, which him misbegat,

He slouh, a gret mishap was that;

Bot for o mis an other mys

Was yolde, and so fulofte it is; 2360

Nectanabus his craft miswente,

So it misfell him er he wente.

I not what helpeth that clergie

Which makth a man to do folie,

And nameliche of nigromance,

Which stant upon the mescreance.

And forto se more evidence,

Zorastes, which thexperience

Of Art magique ferst forth drouh,

Anon as he was bore, he louh, 2370

Which tokne was of wo suinge:

For of his oghne controvinge

He fond magique and tauhte it forth;

Bot al that was him litel worth,

For of Surrie a worthi king

Him slou, and that was his endyng.

Bot yit thurgh him this craft is used,

And he thurgh al the world accused,

For it schal nevere wel achieve

That stant noght riht with the believe: 2380

Bot lich to wolle is evele sponne,

Who lest himself hath litel wonne,

An ende proveth every thing.

Sal, which was of Juys king,

Up peine of deth forbad this art,

And yit he tok therof his part.

The Phitonesse in Samarie

Yaf him conseil be Sorcerie,

Which after fell to mochel sorwe,

For he was slain upon the morwe. 2390

To conne moche thing it helpeth,

Bot of to mochel noman yelpeth:

So forto loke on every side,

Magique mai noght wel betyde.

Forthi, my Sone, I wolde rede

That thou of these ensamples drede,

That for no lust of erthli love

Thou seche so to come above,

Wherof as in the worldes wonder

Thou schalt for evere be put under. 2400

Mi goode fader, grant mercy,

For evere I schal be war therby:

Of love what me so befalle,

Such Sorcerie aboven alle

Fro this dai forth I schal eschuie,

That so ne wol I noght poursuie

Mi lust of love forto seche.

Bot this I wolde you beseche,

Beside that me stant of love,

As I you herde speke above 2410

Hou Alisandre was betawht

To Aristotle, and so wel tawht

Of al that to a king belongeth,

Wherof min herte sore longeth

To wite what it wolde mene.

For be reson I wolde wene

That if I herde of thinges strange,

Yit for a time it scholde change

Mi peine, and lisse me somdiel.

Mi goode Sone, thou seist wel. 2420

For wisdom, hou that evere it stonde,

To him that can it understonde

Doth gret profit in sondri wise;

Bot touchende of so hih aprise,

Which is noght unto Venus knowe,

I mai it noght miselve knowe,

Which of hir court am al forthdrawe

And can nothing bot of hir lawe.

Bot natheles to knowe more

Als wel as thou me longeth sore; 2430

And for it helpeth to comune,

Al ben thei noght to me comune,

The scoles of Philosophie,

Yit thenke I forto specefie,

In boke as it is comprehended,

Wherof thou mihtest ben amended.

For thogh I be noght al cunnynge

Upon the forme of this wrytynge,

Som part therof yit have I herd,

In this matiere hou it hath ferd. 2440

Explicit Liber Sextus