[
Here, at
l. 4070
of the
French text,
ends the work of
G. de Lorris;
and begins the work of
Jean de Meun.]
-
- Allas, in wanhope?—nay, pardee!
- For I wol never dispeired be.
-
If Hope me faile, than am I
Skeat1899: 4435
- Ungracious and unworthy;
- In Hope I wol comforted be,
- For Love, whan he bitaught hir me,
- Seide, that Hope, wher-so I go,
-
Shulde ay be
to my wo.
Skeat1899: 4440
-
-
But what and she my
bete,
- And be to me curteis and swete?
- She is in no-thing ful certeyn.
- Lovers she put in ful gret peyn,
-
And makith hem with wo to dele.
Skeat1899: 4445
- Hir fair biheest disceyveth fele,
- For she wol bihote, sikirly,
-
And failen aftir
.
- A! that is a ful noyous thing!
-
For many a lover, in loving,
Skeat1899: 4450
- Hangeth upon hir, and trusteth fast,
-
Whiche lese hir
at the last.
- Of thing to comen she woot right nought;
- Therfore, if it be wysly sought,
-
Hir counseille, foly is to take.
Skeat1899: 4455
- For many tymes, whan she wol make
- A ful good silogisme, I drede
- That aftirward ther shal in dede
- Folwe an evel conclusioun;
-
This
me in confusioun.
Skeat1899: 4460
- For many tymes I have it seen,
- That many have bigyled been,
- For trust that they have set in Hope,
-
Which fel hem aftirward a-slope.
-
-
But
, gladly she wolde,
Skeat1899: 4465
- That he, that wol him with hir holde,
-
Hadde alle tymes
purpos clere,
- Withoute deceyte, or any were.
- That she desireth sikirly;
-
Whan I hir blamed, I did foly.
Skeat1899: 4470
- But what avayleth hir good wille,
-
Whan she
may staunche my stounde ille?
- That helpith litel, that she may do,
- Outake biheest unto my wo.
-
And heeste certeyn, in no wyse,
Skeat1899: 4475
-
Withoute yift, is not to
.
-
-
Whan heest and deed
varie,
-
They doon
a gret contrarie.
- Thus am I possed up and doun
-
With dool, thought, and confusioun;
Skeat1899: 4480
- Of my disese ther is no noumbre.
- Daunger and Shame me encumbre,
-
also, and Ielousye,
- And Wikked-Tunge, ful of envye,
-
Of whiche the sharpe and cruel ire
Skeat1899: 4485
-
Ful oft me
in gret martire.
- They han my Ioye fully let,
- Sith Bialacoil they have bishet
- Fro me in prisoun wikkidly,
-
Whom I love so entirely,
Skeat1899: 4490
- That it wol my bane be,
-
But I the
may him see.
- And yit moreover, wurst of alle,
- Ther is set to kepe, foule hir bifalle!
-
A rimpled vekke,
ronne in age,
Skeat1899: 4495
- Frowning and yelowe in hir visage,
- Which in awayte lyth day and night,
- That noon of hem may have a sight.
-
Now moot my sorwe enforced be;
-
Ful soth it is, that Love yaf me
Skeat1899: 4500
- Three wonder yiftes of his grace,
- Which I have lorn now in this place,
- Sith they ne may, withoute drede
- Helpen but litel, who taketh hede.
-
For here availeth no Swete-Thought,
Skeat1899: 4505
- And Swete-Speche helpith right nought.
- The thridde was called Swete-Loking,
- That now is lorn, without lesing.
-
yiftes were fair, but not forthy
-
They helpe me but
,
Skeat1899: 4510
-
But Bialacoil
loosed be,
- To gon at large and to be free.
-
For him my lyf lyth al in
,
-
But-if he come the rather
.
-
Allas! I trowe it wol not been!
Skeat1899: 4515
- For how shuld I evermore him seen?
- He may not out, and that is wrong,
- Bicause the tour is so strong.
- How shulde he out? by whos prowesse,
-
Out of so strong a forteresse?
Skeat1899: 4520
- By me, certeyn, it nil be do;
- God woot, I have no wit therto!
- But wel I woot I was in rage,
- Whan I to Love dide homage.
-
Who was in cause, in sothfastnesse,
Skeat1899: 4525
- But hir-silf, dame Idelnesse,
- Which me conveyed, thurgh fair prayere,
-
To entre into that fair
?
- She was to blame me to leve,
-
The which now doth me sore greve.
Skeat1899: 4530
- A foolis word is nought to trowe,
-
Ne worth an appel for to lowe;
- Men shulde him snibbe bittirly,
- At pryme temps of his foly.
-
I was a fool, and she me leved,
Skeat1899: 4535
- Thurgh whom I am right nought releved.
-
accomplisshed al my wil,
- That now me greveth wondir il.
- Resoun me seide what shulde falle.
-
A fool my-silf I may wel calle,
Skeat1899: 4540
-
That love
I had not leyde,
- And trowed that dame Resoun seyde.
- Resoun had bothe skile and right,
- Whan she me blamed, with al hir might,
-
To medle of love, that hath me shent;
Skeat1899: 4545
- But certeyn now I wol repent.
-
- ‘And shulde I repent? Nay, parde!
- A fals traitour than shulde I be.
-
The develles
wolde me take,
-
If I my
wolde forsake,
Skeat1899: 4550
- Or Bialacoil falsly bitraye.
- Shulde I at mischeef hate him? nay,
- Sith he now, for his curtesye,
- Is in prisoun of Ielousye.
-
Curtesye certeyn dide he me,
Skeat1899: 4555
-
So
, it may not yolden be,
-
Whan he the hay passen me
,
- To kisse the rose, faire and swete;
-
Shulde I therfore cunne him maugree?
-
Nay, certeynly, it shal not be;
Skeat1899: 4560
-
For Love shal never,
,
- Here of me, thurgh word or wil,
- Offence or complaynt, more or lesse,
- Neither of Hope nor Idilnesse;
-
For certis, it were wrong that I
Skeat1899: 4565
- Hated hem for hir curtesye.
-
Ther is not ellis, but suffre and
,
-
And waken whan I shulde winke;
- Abyde in hope, til Love, thurgh chaunce,
-
Sende me socour or allegeaunce,
Skeat1899: 4570
- Expectant ay til I may mete
- To geten mercy of that swete.
-
- ‘Whylom I thinke how Love to me
-
Seyde he wolde
atte gree
-
My servise, if unpacience
Skeat1899: 4575
- Caused me to doon offence.
- He seyde, “In thank I shal it take,
- And high maister eek thee make,
- If wikkednesse ne reve it thee;
-
But sone, I trowe, that shal not be.”
Skeat1899: 4580
- These were his wordis by and by;
- It semed he loved me trewly.
- Now is ther not but serve him wele,
-
If that I
his thank to fele.
-
My good, myn harm, lyth hool in me;
Skeat1899: 4585
- In Love may no defaute be;
-
For trewe Love
failid never man.
- Sothly, the faute mot nedis than
- (As God forbede!) be founde in me,
-
And how it cometh, I can not see.
Skeat1899: 4590
- Now lat it goon as it may go;
- Whether Love wol socoure me or slo,
- He may do hool on me his wil.
- I am so sore bounde him til,
-
From his servyse I may not fleen;
Skeat1899: 4595
- For lyf and deth, withouten wene,
- Is in his hand; I may not chese;
- He may me do bothe winne and lese.
- And sith so sore he doth me greve,
-
Yit, if my lust he wolde acheve
Skeat1899: 4600
- To Bialacoil goodly to be,
- I yeve no force what felle on me.
- For though I dye, as I mot nede,
- I praye Love, of his goodlihede,
-
To Bialacoil do gentilnesse,
Skeat1899: 4605
- For whom I live in such distresse,
- That I mote deyen for penaunce.
- But first, withoute repentaunce,
- I wol me confesse in good entent,
-
And make in haste my testament,
Skeat1899: 4610
- As lovers doon that felen smerte:—
- To Bialacoil leve I myn herte
- Al hool, withoute departing,
-
doublenesse of repenting.’
-
Coment Raisoun vient a L’amant.
-
-
-
Thus as I made my passage
Skeat1899: 4615
- In compleynt, and in cruel rage,
-
And I
wher to finde a leche
- That couthe unto myn helping eche,
- Sodeynly agayn comen doun
-
Out of hir tour I saugh Resoun,
Skeat1899: 4620
-
Discrete and
, and ful plesaunt,
- And of hir porte ful avenaunt.
-
The
wey she took to me,
- Which stood in greet perplexite,
-
That was posshed in everyside,
Skeat1899: 4625
- That I nist where I might abyde,
- Til she, demurely sad of chere,
-
Seide to me as she
nere:—
-
- ‘Myn owne freend, art thou yit greved?
-
How is this quarel yit acheved
Skeat1899: 4630
- Of Loves syde? Anoon me telle;
- Hast thou not yit of love thy fille?
- Art thou not wery of thy servyse
-
That thee hath
in sich wyse?
-
What Ioye hast thou in thy loving?
Skeat1899: 4635
- Is it swete or bitter thing?
- Canst thou yit chese, lat me see,
-
What best thy socour
be?
-
- ‘Thou servest a ful noble lord,
-
That maketh thee thral for thy reward,
Skeat1899: 4640
- Which ay renewith thy turment,
- With foly so he hath thee blent.
- Thou felle in mischeef thilke day,
- Whan thou didest, the sothe to say,
-
Obeysaunce and eek homage;
Skeat1899: 4645
-
Thou wroughtest no-thing as the sage.
-
Whan thou bicam his
man,
- Thou didist a gret foly than;
- Thou wistest not what fel therto,
-
With what lord thou haddist to do.
Skeat1899: 4650
- If thou haddist him wel knowe,
- Thou haddist nought be brought so lowe;
- For if thou wistest what it were,
- Thou noldist serve him half a yeer,
-
Not a weke, nor half a day,
Skeat1899: 4655
- Ne yit an hour withoute delay,
-
Ne never [han]
paramours,
- His lordship is so ful of shoures.
- Knowest him ought?’
L’Amaunt.
‘Ye, dame, parde!’
Raisoun.
‘Nay, nay.’
4659 (
ends at
parde);
misnumbered
4660
in
M.
Th.
Ye;
G.
Yhe.
Raisoun.
‘Wherof, lat see?’
Skeat1899: 4660
L’Amaunt.
‘Of that he seyde I shulde be
Glad to have sich lord as he,
And maister of sich seignory.’
Raisoun.
‘Knowist him no more?’
L’Amaunt.
- ‘Nay, certis, I,
-
Save that he yaf me rewles there,
Skeat1899: 4665
- And wente his wey, I niste where,
-
4667.
misnumbered
4670
in
M.
- And I abood bounde in balaunce.’
Raisoun.
-
‘Lo, there a noble conisaunce!
- But I wil that thou knowe him now
-
Ginning and ende, sith that thou
Skeat1899: 4670
- Art so anguisshous and mate,
-
Disfigured out of
;
- Ther may no wrecche have more of wo,
- Ne caitif noon enduren so.
-
It were to every man sitting
Skeat1899: 4675
- Of his lord have knowleching.
- For if thou knewe him, out of dout,
- Lightly thou shulde escapen out
- Of the prisoun that marreth thee.’
L’Amaunt.
-
‘
, dame! sith my lord is he,
Skeat1899: 4680
-
And I his man, maad with myn honde,
- I wolde right fayn undirstonde
-
To
of what kinde he be,
-
If
wolde enforme me.’
Raisoun.
-
-
‘I wolde,’ seid Resoun, ‘thee lere,
Skeat1899: 4685
- Sith thou to lerne hast sich desire,
- And shewe thee, withouten fable,
- A thing that is not demonstrable.
-
Thou shalt
science,
-
And knowe,
experience,
Skeat1899: 4690
- The thing that may not knowen be,
- Ne wist ne shewid in no degree.
- Thou mayst the sothe of it not witen,
- Though in thee it were writen.
-
Thou shalt not knowe therof more
Skeat1899: 4695
- Whyle thou art reuled by his lore;
-
But unto him that love wol flee,
- The knotte may unclosed be,
- Which hath to thee, as it is founde,
-
So long be
and not unbounde.
Skeat1899: 4700
- Now sette wel thyn entencioun,
- To here of love discripcioun.
-
- ‘Love, it is an hateful pees,
- A free acquitaunce, without relees,
-
,
full of falshede,
-
A sikernesse, al set in drede;
Skeat1899: 4706
- In herte is a dispeiring hope,
- And fulle of hope, it is wanhope;
-
Wyse woodnesse, and
resoun,
-
A swete
, in to droune,
Skeat1899: 4710
- An hevy birthen, light to bere,
-
A wikked wawe awey to
.
-
It is
perilous,
- Disagreable and gracious.
-
It is discordaunce that can accorde,
Skeat1899: 4715
- And accordaunce to discorde.
- It is cunning withoute science,
- Wisdom withoute sapience,
- Wit withoute discrecioun,
-
Havoir, withoute possessioun.
Skeat1899: 4720
-
It is
hele and hool
,
-
A
drowned [in] dronkenesse,
-
An
ful of maladye,
- And charitee ful of envye,
-
An
ful of habundaunce,
Skeat1899: 4725
- And a gredy suffisaunce;
- Delyt right ful of hevinesse,
-
And
ful of gladnesse;
- Bitter swetnesse and swete errour,
-
Right evel savoured good savour;
Skeat1899: 4730
-
that pardoun hath withinne,
-
And pardoun spotted without
sinne;
- A peyne also it is, Ioyous,
- And felonye right pitous;
-
Also pley that selde is stable,
Skeat1899: 4735
- And stedefast [stat], right mevable;
- A strengthe, weyked to stonde upright,
- And feblenesse, ful of might;
- Wit unavysed, sage folye,
-
And Ioye ful of turmentrye;
Skeat1899: 4740
- A laughter it is, weping ay,
- Rest, that traveyleth night and day;
- Also a swete helle it is,
- And a sorowful Paradys;
-
A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun,
Skeat1899: 4745
- And, ful of froste, somer sesoun;
-
Pryme temps, ful of frostes whyte,
- And May, devoide of al delyte,
- With seer braunches, blossoms ungrene;
-
And newe fruyt, fillid with winter tene.
Skeat1899: 4750
-
It is a slowe, may not forbere
- Ragges, ribaned with gold, to were;
- For al-so wel wol love be set
- Under ragges as riche rochet;
-
And eek as wel
amourettes
Skeat1899: 4755
- In mourning blak, as bright burnettes.
- For noon is of so mochel prys,
-
Ne no man founden
so wys,
- Ne noon so high is of parage,
-
Ne no man founde of wit so sage,
Skeat1899: 4760
- No man so hardy ne so wight,
-
Ne no man of so
might,
- Noon so fulfilled of bounte,
-
he with love may daunted be.
-
Al the world holdith this way;
Skeat1899: 4765
- Love makith alle to goon miswey,
- But it be they of yvel lyf,
-
Whom Genius cursith, man and wyf,
- That wrongly werke ageyn nature.
-
Noon suche I love, ne have no cure
Skeat1899: 4770
-
Of suche as Loves servaunts
,
- And wol not by my counsel fleen.
- For I ne preyse that loving,
- Wher-thurgh man, at the laste ending,
-
Shal calle hem wrecchis fulle of wo,
Skeat1899: 4775
- Love greveth hem and shendith so.
- But if thou wolt wel Love eschewe.
- For to escape out of his mewe,
- And make al hool thy sorwe to slake,
-
No bettir counsel mayst thou take,
Skeat1899: 4780
- Than thinke to fleen wel, y-wis;
- May nought helpe elles; for wite thou this:—
- If thou flee it, it shal flee thee;
- Folowe it, and folowen shal it thee.’
L’Amaunt.
-
-
Whan I hadde herd al Resoun seyn,
Skeat1899: 4785
- Which hadde spilt hir speche in veyn:
- ‘Dame,’ seyde I, ‘I dar wel sey
- Of this avaunt me wel I may
- That from your scole so deviaunt
-
I am, that never the more avaunt
Skeat1899: 4790
- Right nought am I, thurgh your doctryne;
- I dulle under your disciplyne;
-
I wot no more than
wist
,
- To me so contrarie and so fer
-
Is every thing that ye me lere;
Skeat1899: 4795
-
And yit I can it
.
- Myn herte foryetith therof right nought,
- It is so writen in my thought;
-
And depe
it is so tendir
-
That al by herte I can it rendre,
Skeat1899: 4800
- And rede it over comunely;
-
But to my-silf
am I.
-
- ‘But sith ye love discreven so,
-
And
and preise it, bothe two,
-
Defyneth it into this letter,
Skeat1899: 4805
- That I may thenke on it the better;
-
For I herde never
,
- And wilfully I wolde it lere.’
Raisoun.
-
- ‘If love be serched wel and sought,
-
It is a sykenesse of the thought
Skeat1899: 4810
-
Annexed and
tweyne,
-
[Which] male and female,
oo cheyne,
-
So
byndith,
they
twinne,
- Whether so therof they lese or winne.
-
The roote springith, thurgh hoot brenning,
Skeat1899: 4815
- Into disordinat desiring
- For to kissen and enbrace,
- And at her lust them to solace.
- Of other thing love recchith nought,
-
But setteth hir herte and al hir thought
Skeat1899: 4820
- More for delectacioun
- Than any procreacioun
-
Of other fruyt by
;
- Which love to god is not plesing;
-
For of hir body fruyt to get
Skeat1899: 4825
- They yeve no force, they are so set
- Upon delyt, to pley in-fere.
- And somme have also this manere,
- To feynen hem for love seke;
-
Sich love I preise not
a leke.
Skeat1899: 4830
-
For paramours they do but feyne;
- To love truly they disdeyne.
- They falsen ladies traitoursly,
-
And
hem othes utterly,
-
With many a lesing, and many a fable,
Skeat1899: 4835
- And al they finden deceyvable.
-
And, whan they
geten,
- The hoote ernes they al foryeten.
-
Wimmen, the harm
byen ful sore;
-
But men this thenken evermore,
Skeat1899: 4840
- That lasse harm is, so mote I thee,
- Disceyve them, than disceyved be;
- And namely, wher they ne may
- Finde non other mene wey.
-
For I wot wel, in sothfastnesse,
Skeat1899: 4845
-
That
doth now his bisynesse
- With any womman for to dele,
- For any lust that he may fele,
- But-if it be for engendrure,
-
He doth trespasse, I you ensure.
Skeat1899: 4850
- For he shulde setten al his wil
- To geten a likly thing him til,
- And to sustene[n], if he might,
- And kepe forth, by kindes right,
-
His owne lyknesse and semblable,
Skeat1899: 4855
-
- For bicause al is corumpable,
- And faile shulde successioun,
-
Ne were
generacioun
-
Our sectis strene for to save.
-
Whan fader or moder arn in grave,
Skeat1899: 4860
- Hir children shulde, whan they ben deede,
- Ful diligent ben, in hir steede,
- To use that werke on such a wyse,
- That oon may thurgh another ryse.
-
Therfore
Kinde therin delyt,
Skeat1899: 4865
- For men therin shulde hem delyte,
- And of that dede be not erke,
- But ofte sythes haunt that werke.
- For noon wolde drawe therof a draught
-
Ne were delyt, which hath him caught.
Skeat1899: 4870
- This hadde sotil dame Nature;
- For noon goth right, I thee ensure,
-
Ne hath entent hool ne
;
- For hir desir is for delyt,
-
The which fortened
and eke
Skeat1899: 4875
- The pley of love for-ofte seke,
- And thralle hem-silf, they be so nyce,
-
Unto the prince of every
.
- For of ech sinne it is the rote,
-
Unlefulle lust, though it be sote,
Skeat1899: 4880
- And of al yvel the racyne,
-
As
can determyne,
- Which in his tyme was ful sage,
- In a boke he made of Age,
-
Wher that more he preyseth Elde,
Skeat1899: 4885
- Though he be croked and unwelde,
- And more of commendacioun,
- Than Youthe in his discripcioun.
-
For Youthe
bothe man and wyf
-
In al perel of soule and lyf;
Skeat1899: 4890
-
And
is, but men have grace,
- The [tyme] of youthe for to pace,
- Withoute any deth or distresse,
- It is so ful of wildenesse;
-
So ofte it doth shame or damage
Skeat1899: 4895
- To him or to his linage.
- It ledith man now up, now doun,
- In mochel dissolucioun,
- And makith him love yvel company,
-
And lede his lyf disrewlily,
Skeat1899: 4900
-
And halt him payed with noon estate.
- Within him-silf is such debate,
- He chaungith purpos and entent,
-
And
into som covent,
-
To liven aftir her empryse,
Skeat1899: 4905
- And lesith fredom and fraunchyse,
- That Nature in him hadde set,
- The which ageyn he may not get,
- If he there make his mansioun
-
For to abyde professioun.
Skeat1899: 4910
- Though for a tyme his herte absente,
- It may not fayle, he shal repente,
- And eke abyde thilke day
- To leve his abit, and goon his way,
-
And lesith his worship and his name,
Skeat1899: 4915
- And dar not come ageyn for shame;
- But al his lyf he doth so mourne,
- Bicause he dar not hoom retourne.
- Fredom of kinde so lost hath he
-
That never may recured be,
Skeat1899: 4920
-
god him graunte grace
- That he may, er he hennes pace,
-
Conteyne undir obedience
- Thurgh the vertu of pacience.
-
For Youthe set man in al folye,
Skeat1899: 4925
-
In unthrift and
ribaudye,
- In leccherye, and in outrage,
- So ofte it chaungith of corage.
- Youthe ginneth ofte sich bargeyn,
-
That may not ende withouten peyn.
Skeat1899: 4930
-
In gret perel is set
,
- Delyt so doth his bridil lede.
-
Delyt
hangith, drede thee nought,
- Bothe mannis body and his thought,
-
Only thurgh
,
Skeat1899: 4935
-
That to don yvel is
,
- And of nought elles taketh hede
- But only folkes for to lede
-
Into disporte and wildenesse,
Skeat1899: 4939
-
So is
froward from sadnesse.
-
- ‘But Elde drawith hem therfro;
- Who wot it nought, he may wel go
-
[Demand]
hem that now arn olde,
- That whylom Youthe hadde in holde,
-
Which yit
of tendir age,
Skeat1899: 4945
- How it hem brought in many a rage,
- And many a foly therin wrought.
-
But now that Elde hath
thurgh-sought,
- They repente hem of her folye,
-
That Youthe hem putte in
,
Skeat1899: 4950
-
In perel and in
wo,
- And made hem ofte amis to do,
- And suen yvel companye,
-
Riot and
.
-
-
‘But Elde
ageyn restreyne
Skeat1899: 4955
-
From
foly, and refreyne,
- And set men, by hir ordinaunce,
- In good reule and in governaunce.
- But yvel she spendith hir servyse,
-
For no man wol hir love,
;
Skeat1899: 4960
- She is hated, this wot I wele.
- Hir acqueyntaunce wolde no man fele,
- Ne han of Elde companye,
- Men hate to be of hir alye.
-
For no man wolde bicomen olde,
Skeat1899: 4965
- Ne dye, whan he is yong and bolde.
- And Elde merveilith right gretly,
- Whan they remembre hem inwardly
- Of many a perelous empryse,
-
Whiche that they wrought in sondry wyse,
Skeat1899: 4970
- How ever they might, withoute blame,
- Escape awey withoute shame,
- In youthe, withoute[n] damage
- Or repreef of her linage,
-
Losse of membre, sheding of blode,
Skeat1899: 4975
- Perel of deth, or losse of good.
-
- ‘Wost thou nought where Youthe abit,
- That men so preisen in her wit?
- With Delyt she halt soiour,
-
For bothe they dwellen in oo tour.
Skeat1899: 4980
- As longe as Youthe is in sesoun,
- They dwellen in oon mansioun.
- Delyt of Youthe wol have servyse
- To do what so he wol devyse;
-
And Youthe is redy evermore
Skeat1899: 4985
- For to obey, for smerte of sore,
- Unto Delyt, and him to yive
- Hir servise, whyl that she may live.
-
- ‘Where Elde abit, I wol thee telle
-
Shortly, and no whyle dwelle,
Skeat1899: 4990
- For thider bihoveth thee to go.
- If Deth in youthe thee not slo,
- Of this journey thou maist not faile.
- With hir Labour and Travaile
-
Logged been, with Sorwe and Wo,
Skeat1899: 4995
-
That never out of hir
go.
- Peyne and Distresse, Syknesse and Ire,
- And Malencoly, that angry sire,
- Ben of hir paleys senatours;
-
Groning and Grucching, hir
,
Skeat1899: 5000
- The day and night, hir to turment,
- With cruel Deth they hir present,
- And tellen hir, erliche and late,
-
That
armed at hir gate.
-
Than bringe they to hir remembraunce
Skeat1899: 5005
- The foly dedis of hir infaunce,
- Which causen hir to mourne in wo
- That Youthe hath hir bigiled so,
- Which sodeynly awey is hasted.
-
She
the tyme that she hath wasted,
Skeat1899: 5010
- Compleyning of the preterit,
- And the present, that not abit,
- And of hir olde vanitee,
-
That, but aforn hir she may see
-
In the future som socour,
Skeat1899: 5015
- To leggen hir of hir dolour,
- To graunt hir tyme of repentaunce,
- For hir sinnes to do penaunce,
- And at the laste so hir governe
-
To winne the Ioy that is eterne,
Skeat1899: 5020
-
Fro which go backward Youthe
made,
- In vanitee to droune and wade.
- For present tyme abidith nought,
- It is more swift than any thought;
-
So litel whyle it doth endure
Skeat1899: 5025
- That ther nis compte ne mesure.
-
- ‘But how that ever the game go,
-
Who
and mirth also
- Of love, be it he or she,
-
High or lowe, who
it be,
Skeat1899: 5030
- In fruyt they shulde hem delyte;
- Her part they may not elles quyte,
- To save hem-silf in honestee.
- And yit ful many oon I see
-
Of wimmen, sothly for to seyne,
Skeat1899: 5035
-
That
desire and wolde fayne
- The pley of love, they be so wilde,
- And not coveite to go with childe.
- And if with child they be perchaunce,
-
They wole it holde a gret mischaunce;
Skeat1899: 5040
- But what-som-ever wo they fele,
- They wol not pleyne, but concele;
- But-if it be any fool or nyce,
- In whom that shame hath no Iustyce.
-
For to delyt echon they drawe,
Skeat1899: 5045
- That haunte this werk, bothe high and lawe,
-
Save sich that ar[e]n worth right nought,
- That for money wol be bought.
- Such love I preise in no wyse,
-
Whan it is
for coveitise.
Skeat1899: 5050
-
I preise no womman, though
be wood,
- That yeveth hir-silf for any good.
- For litel shulde a man telle
- Of hir, that wol hir body selle,
-
Be she mayde, be she wyf,
Skeat1899: 5055
- That quik wol selle hir, by hir lyf.
- How faire chere that ever she make,
- He is a wrecche, I undirtake,
-
That
such one, for swete or sour,
-
Though she him calle hir paramour,
Skeat1899: 5060
- And laugheth on him, and makith him feeste.
-
For certeynly no
beeste
- To be loved is not worthy,
-
Or bere the name of
.
-
Noon shulde hir please, but he were wood,
Skeat1899: 5065
- That wol dispoile him of his good.
- Yit nevertheles, I wol not sey
-
she, for solace and for pley,
- May a Iewel or other thing
-
Take of her loves free yeving;
Skeat1899: 5070
- But that she aske it in no wyse,
- For drede of shame of coveityse.
- And she of hirs may him, certeyn,
- Withoute sclaundre, yeven ageyn,
-
And ioyne her hertes togidre so
Skeat1899: 5075
- In love, and take and yeve also.
- Trowe not that I wolde hem twinne,
- Whan in her love ther is no sinne;
- I wol that they togedre go,
-
And doon al that they han ado,
Skeat1899: 5080
- As curteis shulde and debonaire,
- And in her love beren hem faire,
- Withoute vyce, bothe he and she;
-
So that alwey, in honestee,
Skeat1899: 5084
-
Fro foly love
kepe hem clere
- That brenneth hertis with his fere;
- And that her love, in any wyse,
- Be devoid of coveityse.
- Good love shulde engendrid be
-
Of trewe herte, iust, and secree,
Skeat1899: 5090
- And not of such as sette her thought
- To have her lust, and ellis nought,
- So are they caught in Loves lace,
- Truly, for bodily solace.
-
Fleshly delyt is so present
Skeat1899: 5095
- With thee, that sette al thyn entent,
- Withoute more (what shulde I glose?)
- For to gete and have the Rose;
-
Which makith
so mate and wood
-
That thou desirest noon other good.
Skeat1899: 5100
- But thou art not an inche the nerre,
- Eut ever abydest in sorwe and werre,
- As in thy face it is sene;
- It makith thee bothe pale and lene;
- Thy might, thy vertu goth away.
-
A sory gest, in goode fay,
Skeat1899: 5106
-
Thou
in thyn inne,
- The God of Love whan thou let inne!
- Wherfore I rede, thou shette him out,
-
Or he shal greve thee, out of doute;
Skeat1899: 5110
-
For to thy
it wol turne,
- If he nomore with thee soiourne.
- In gret mischeef and sorwe sonken
- Ben hertis, that of love arn dronken,
-
As thou peraventure knowen shal,
Skeat1899: 5115
-
Whan thou hast lost
tyme al,
-
And spent
in ydilnesse,
- In waste, and woful lustinesse;
- If thou maist live the tyme to see
-
Of love for to delivered be,
Skeat1899: 5120
- Thy tyme thou shalt biwepe sore
- The whiche never thou maist restore.
-
(For tyme lost, as men may see,
-
For no-thing may
be).
- And if thou scape yit, atte laste,
-
Fro Love, that hath thee so faste
Skeat1899: 5126
- Knit and bounden in his lace,
- Certeyn, I holde it but a grace.
- For many oon, as it is seyn,
-
Have lost, and spent also in veyn,
Skeat1899: 5130
- In his servyse, withoute socour,
- Body and soule, good, and tresour,
- Wit, and strengthe, and eek richesse,
- Of which they hadde never redresse.’
-
-
Thus taught and preched hath Resoun,
Skeat1899: 5135
- But Love spilte hir sermoun,
-
That was so imped in my thought,
- That hir doctrine I sette at nought.
- And yit ne seide she never a dele,
-
That I ne understode it wele,
Skeat1899: 5140
- Word by word, the mater al.
- But unto Love I was so thral,
- Which callith over-al his pray,
-
He chasith so my thought
,
-
And holdith myn herte undir his sele,
Skeat1899: 5145
- As trust and trew as any stele;
- So that no devocioun
- Ne hadde I in the sermoun
- Of dame Resoun, ne of hir rede;
-
It toke no soiour in myn hede.
Skeat1899: 5150
- For alle yede out at oon ere
- That in that other she dide lere;
- Fully on me she lost hir lore,
- Hir speche me greved wondir sore.
-
-
unto hir for ire I seide,
-
For anger, as I dide abraide:
Skeat1899: 5156
- ‘Dame, and is it your wille algate,
- That I not love, but that I hate
- Alle men, as ye me teche?
-
For if I do aftir your speche,
Skeat1899: 5160
- Sith that ye seyn love is not good,
-
Than must I nedis
with mood,
- If I it leve, in hatrede ay
- Liven, and voide love away
-
From me,
a sinful wrecche,
Skeat1899: 5165
-
Hated of all that
tecche.
- I may not go noon other gate,
-
For
must I love or hate.
- And if I hate men of-newe
-
More than love, it wol me rewe,
Skeat1899: 5170
- As by your preching semeth me,
- For Love no-thing ne preisith thee.
- Ye yeve good counseil, sikirly,
- That prechith me al-day, that I
-
Shulde not Loves lore alowe;
Skeat1899: 5175
-
He were a fool, wolde you not trowe!
- In speche also ye han me taught
- Another love, that knowen is naught,
- Which I have herd you not repreve,
-
To love ech other; by your leve,
Skeat1899: 5180
- If ye wolde diffyne it me,
- I wolde gladly here, to see,
- At the leest, if I may lere
- Of sondry loves the manere.’
Raison.
-
-
‘Certis, freend, a fool art thou
Skeat1899: 5185
-
Whan that thou no-thing wolt allowe
-
That I
for thy profit say.
- Yit wol I sey thee more, in fay;
- For I am redy, at the leste,
-
To accomplisshe thy requeste,
Skeat1899: 5190
-
But I not wher it wol avayle;
- In veyne, perauntre, I shal travayle.
- Love ther is in sondry wyse,
- As I shal thee here devyse.
-
For som love leful is and good;
Skeat1899: 5195
- I mene not that which makith thee wood,
- And bringith thee in many a fit,
- And ravisshith fro thee al thy wit,
- It is so merveilous and queynt;
-
With such love be no more aqueynt.
Skeat1899: 5200
Rubric.
Both
Aunsete (
for
Amistie).
-
Comment Raisoun diffinist Amistie.
-
- ‘Love of Frendshipe also ther is,
- Which makith no man doon amis,
- Of wille knit bitwixe two,
- That wol not breke for wele ne wo;
-
Which long is lykly to contune,
Skeat1899: 5205
- Whan wille and goodis ben in comune;
- Grounded by goddis ordinaunce,
- Hool, withoute discordaunce;
- With hem holding comuntee
-
Of al her goode in charitee,
Skeat1899: 5210
- That ther be noon excepcioun
- Thurgh chaunging of entencioun;
- That ech helpe other at hir neede,
- And wysly hele bothe word and dede;
-
Trewe of mening, devoid of slouthe,
Skeat1899: 5215
- For wit is nought withoute trouthe;
- So that the ton dar al his thought
- Seyn to his freend, and spare nought,
- As to him-silf, without dreding
-
To be discovered by wreying.
Skeat1899: 5220
- For glad is that coniunccioun,
- Whan ther is noon suspecioun
-
, whom they wolde prove
- That trew and parfit weren in love.
-
For no man may be amiable,
Skeat1899: 5225
- But-if he be so ferme and stable,
- That fortune chaunge him not, ne blinde,
- But that his freend alwey him finde,
-
Bothe pore and riche, in
.
-
For if his freend, thurgh any gate,
Skeat1899: 5230
- Wol compleyne of his povertee,
- He shulde not byde so long, til he
- Of his helping him requere;
-
For good deed, done
thurgh prayere,
-
Is sold, and bought to dere, y-wis,
Skeat1899: 5235
- To hert that of gret valour is.
- For hert fulfilled of gentilnesse
- Can yvel demene his distresse.
- And man that worthy is of name
- To asken often hath gret shame.
-
A good man brenneth in his thought
Skeat1899: 5241
- For shame, whan he axeth ought.
- He hath gret thought, and dredith ay
- For his disese, whan he shal pray
-
His freend, lest that he warned be,
Skeat1899: 5245
- Til that he preve his stabiltee.
- But whan that he hath founden oon
- That trusty is and trew as stone,
-
And
assayed him at al,
-
And found him stedefast as a wal,
Skeat1899: 5250
- And of his freendship be certeyne,
- He shal him shewe bothe Ioye and peyne,
-
And al that
dar thinke or sey,
- Withoute shame, as he wel may.
-
For how shulde he ashamed be
Skeat1899: 5255
- Of sich oon as I tolde thee?
- For whan he woot his secree thought,
- The thridde shal knowe ther-of right nought;
-
For tweyn
nombre is bet than three
-
In every counsel and secree.
Skeat1899: 5260
-
Repreve he
never a del,
- Who that biset his wordis wel;
- For every wys man, out of drede,
- Can kepe his tunge til he see nede;
-
And fooles can not holde hir tunge;
Skeat1899: 5265
-
A fooles belle is sone runge.
- Yit shal a trewe freend do more
- To helpe his felowe of his sore,
-
And socoure him, whan he hath nede,
Skeat1899: 5269
- In al that he may doon in dede;
-
And gladder
that he him plesith
-
Than
his felowe that he esith.
- And if he do not his requeste,
-
He shal as mochel him moleste
-
As his felow, for that he
Skeat1899: 5275
- May not fulfille his voluntee
-
fully as he hath
.
-
If bothe the hertis Love hath fered,
- Joy and wo they shul depart,
-
And take evenly ech his part.
Skeat1899: 5280
- Half his anoy he shal have ay,
-
And comfort
what that he may;
-
And of
blisse parte shal he,
- If love wol departed be.
-
-
‘And whilom of this
Skeat1899: 5285
-
Spak
in a ditee;
-
shulde maken his request
- Unto his freend, that is honest;
- And he goodly shulde it fulfille,
-
But it the more were out of skile,
Skeat1899: 5290
- And otherwise not graunt therto,
-
Except only in
two:
- If men his freend to deth wolde dryve,
- Lat him be bisy to save his lyve.
-
Also if men wolen him assayle,
Skeat1899: 5295
- Of his wurship to make him faile,
- And hindren him of his renoun,
- Lat him, with ful entencioun,
- His dever doon in ech degree
-
That his freend ne shamed be,
Skeat1899: 5300
-
In this two
with his might,
- Taking no kepe to skile nor right,
- As ferre as love may him excuse;
-
This
no man to refuse.”
-
This love that I have told to thee
Skeat1899: 5305
- Is no-thing contrarie to me;
- This wol I that thou folowe wel,
- And leve the tother everydel.
- This love to vertu al attendith,
-
The tothir fooles blent and shendith.
Skeat1899: 5310
-
- ‘Another love also there is,
- That is contrarie unto this,
- Which desyre is so constreyned
-
That
is but wille feyned;
Skeat1899: 5314
- Awey fro trouthe it doth so varie,
- That to good love it is contrarie;
- For it maymeth, in many wyse,
- Syke hertis with coveityse;
- Al in winning and in profyt
-
Sich love settith his delyt.
Skeat1899: 5320
- This love so hangeth in balaunce
- That, if it lese his hope, perchaunce,
- Of lucre, that he is set upon,
- It wol faile, and quenche anon;
-
For no man may be
,
Skeat1899: 5325
- Ne in his living vertuous,
-
he love more, in mood,
- Men for hem-silf than for hir good.
- For love that profit doth abyde
-
Is fals, and
not in no tyde.
Skeat1899: 5330
-
love cometh of dame Fortune,
- That litel whyle wol contune;
- For it shal chaungen wonder sone,
- And take eclips right as the mone,
-
Whan
is from us [y]-let
Skeat1899: 5335
- Thurgh erthe, that bitwixe is set
- The sonne and hir, as it may falle,
- Be it in party, or in alle;
-
The shadowe maketh her bemis merke,
Skeat1899: 5339
- And hir hornes to shewe derke,
-
That part where she hath lost hir lyght
- Of Phebus fully, and the sight;
- Til, whan the shadowe is overpast,
- She is enlumined ageyn as faste,
-
brightnesse of the sonne bemes
Skeat1899: 5345
- That yeveth to hir ageyn hir lemes.
- That love is right of sich nature;
-
Now is
fair, and now obscure,
- Now bright, now clipsy of manere,
-
And whylom dim, and whylom clere.
Skeat1899: 5350
- As sone as Poverte ginneth take,
-
With mantel and
wedis blake
-
hidith of Love the light awey,
- That into night it turneth day;
-
It may not see Richesse shyne
Skeat1899: 5355
-
Til the
shadowes fyne.
- For, whan Richesse shyneth bright,
- Love recovereth ageyn his light;
- And whan it failith, he wol flit,
-
And as she
it.
Skeat1899: 5360
-
- ‘Of this love, here what I sey:—
- The riche men are loved ay,
- And namely tho that sparand bene,
- That wol not wasshe hir hertes clene
-
Of the filthe, nor of the vyce
Skeat1899: 5365
- Of gredy brenning avaryce.
-
The riche man ful
is, y-wis,
- That weneth that he loved is.
- If that his herte it undirstood,
-
It is not he, it is his good;
Skeat1899: 5370
- He may wel witen in his thought,
- His good is loved, and he right nought.
- For if he be a nigard eke,
- Men wole not sette by him a leke,
-
But haten him; this is the
.
Skeat1899: 5375
-
Lo, what profit
catel doth!
- Of every man that may him see,
- It geteth him nought but enmitee.
-
But he amende
of that vyce,
-
And knowe him-silf, he is not wys.
Skeat1899: 5380
-
- ‘Certis, he shulde ay freendly be,
- To gete him love also ben free,
- Or ellis he is not wyse ne sage
-
No more than is a gote ramage.
-
That he not loveth, his dede proveth,
Skeat1899: 5385
- Whan he his richesse so wel loveth,
- That he wol hyde it ay and spare,
- His pore freendis seen forfare;
-
To
purpose,
-
Til for drede his
close,
Skeat1899: 5390
- And til a wikked deth him take;
- Him hadde lever asondre shake,
-
And late
asondre ryve,
- Than leve his richesse in his lyve.
-
He thenkith parte it with no man;
Skeat1899: 5395
- Certayn, no love is in him than,
- How shulde love within him be,
- Whan in his herte is no pite?
-
That he trespasseth, wel I
,
-
For ech man knowith his
;
Skeat1899: 5400
- For wel him oughte be reproved
- That loveth nought, ne is not loved.
-
-
‘But
we arn to Fortune comen,
-
And
our sermoun of hir nomen,
-
A wondir wil I telle thee now,
Skeat1899: 5405
- Thou herdist never sich oon, I trow.
- I not wher thou me leven shal,
-
Though sothfastnesse it be
al,
-
As it is writen, and is sooth,
Skeat1899: 5409
- That unto men more profit doth
- The froward Fortune and contraire,
- Than the swote and debonaire:
- And if thee thinke it is doutable,
- It is thurgh argument provable.
-
For the debonaire and softe
Skeat1899: 5415
- Falsith and bigylith ofte;
- For liche a moder she can cherishe
- And milken as doth a norys;
-
And of hir goode to
deles,
-
And yeveth
part of her Ioweles,
Skeat1899: 5420
- With grete richesse and dignitee;
- And hem she hoteth stabilitee
- In a state that is not stable,
- But chaunging ay and variable;
-
And fedith
with
,
Skeat1899: 5425
- And worldly blisse noncerteyne.
-
Whan she
settith on hir whele,
- Than wene they to be right wele,
- And in so stable state withalle,
-
That never they wene for to falle.
Skeat1899: 5430
-
And whan they set so
be,
- They wene to have in certeintee
-
Of hertly frendis
gret noumbre,
- That no-thing mighte her stat encombre;
-
They truste hem so on every syde,
Skeat1899: 5435
- Wening with hem they wolde abyde
- In every perel and mischaunce,
- Withoute chaunge or variaunce,
-
Bothe of catel and of good;
Skeat1899: 5439
- And also for to spende hir blood
- And alle hir membris for to spille,
- Only to fulfille hir wille.
-
They maken it hole in many wyse,
- And hoten hem hir ful servyse,
-
How sore that it do hem smerte,
Skeat1899: 5445
-
Into hir
naked sherte!
- Herte and al, so hole they yeve,
- For the tyme that they may live,
- So that, with her flaterye,
-
They maken foolis glorifye
Skeat1899: 5450
-
Of hir wordis
speking,
-
And han
a reioysing,
- And trowe hem as the Evangyle;
- And it is al falsheed and gyle,
-
As they shal
see,
Skeat1899: 5455
- Whan they arn falle in povertee,
- And been of good and catel bare;
- Than shulde they seen who freendis ware.
- For of an hundred, certeynly,
-
Nor of a thousand ful scarsly,
Skeat1899: 5460
- Ne shal they fynde unnethis oon,
- Whan povertee is comen upon.
-
For
Fortune that I of telle,
- With men whan hir lust to dwelle,
-
Makith
to lese hir conisaunce,
Skeat1899: 5465
- And nourishith hem in ignoraunce.
-
- ‘But froward Fortune and perverse,
- Whan high estatis she doth reverse,
- And maketh hem to tumble doun
-
hir whele,
sodeyn tourn,
Skeat1899: 5470
- And from hir richesse doth hem flee,
- And plongeth hem in povertee,
- As a stepmoder envyous,
- And leyeth a plastre dolorous
-
Unto her hertis, wounded egre,
Skeat1899: 5475
- Which is not tempred with vinegre,
- But with poverte and indigence,
-
For to
,
- That she is Fortune verely
-
In whom no man shulde affy,
Skeat1899: 5480
- Nor in hir yeftis have fiaunce,
- She is so ful of variaunce.
- Thus can she maken high and lowe,
-
Whan they from richesse ar[e]n throwe,
-
Fully to knowen,
were,
Skeat1899: 5485
-
Freend of
, and freend of chere;
- And which in love weren trew and stable,
- And whiche also weren variable,
-
After Fortune, hir
,
-
In poverte, outher in richesse;
Skeat1899: 5490
-
,
- Unhappe bereveth it in dede;
-
For Infortune
not oon
- Of freendis, whan Fortune is goon;
-
I mene tho freendis that wol flee
Skeat1899: 5495
- Anoon as entreth povertee.
- And yit they wol not leve hem so,
- But in ech place where they go
- They calle hem “wrecche,” scorne and blame,
-
And of hir mishappe hem diffame,
Skeat1899: 5500
- And, namely, siche as in richesse
- Pretendith most of stablenesse,
-
Whan that
sawe him set on-lofte,
- And weren of him socoured ofte,
-
And most
in al hir nede:
Skeat1899: 5505
- But now they take no maner hede,
-
But seyn, in voice of flaterye,
- That now apperith hir folye,
- Over-al where-so they fare,
-
And singe, “Go, farewel
.”
Skeat1899: 5510
- Alle suche freendis I beshrewe,
-
For of
trewe ther be to fewe;
-
But sothfast freendis, what so bityde,
- In every fortune wolen abyde;
-
They han hir hertis in suche noblesse
Skeat1899: 5515
- That they nil love for no richesse;
- Nor, for that Fortune may hem sende,
- They wolen hem socoure and defende;
- And chaunge for softe ne for sore,
-
For who is freend, loveth evermore.
Skeat1899: 5520
- Though men drawe swerd his freend to slo,
- He may not hewe hir love a-two.
-
But, in
case that I shal sey,
- For pride and ire lese it he may,
-
And for reprove by nycetee,
Skeat1899: 5525
- And discovering of privitee,
- With tonge wounding, as feloun,
- Thurgh venemous detraccioun.
- Frend in this case wol gon his way,
-
For no-thing greve him more ne may;
Skeat1899: 5530
- And for nought ellis wol he flee,
- If that he love in stabilitee.
- And certeyn, he is wel bigoon
- Among a thousand that fyndith oon.
-
For ther may be no richesse,
Skeat1899: 5535
- Ageyns frendship, of worthinesse;
- For it ne may so high atteigne
-
As may the valoure, sooth to seyne,
- Of him that loveth trew and wel;
-
Frendship is more than is catel.
Skeat1899: 5540
-
For freend in court ay better is
-
Than peny in
purs, certis;
- And Fortune, mishapping,
-
Whan upon men she is
,
-
Thurgh misturning of hir chaunce,
Skeat1899: 5545
-
And
hem oute of balaunce,
- She makith, thurgh hir adversitee,
- Men ful cleerly for to see
- Him that is freend in existence
-
From him that is by apparence.
Skeat1899: 5550
- For Infortune makith anoon
- To knowe thy freendis fro thy foon,
- By experience, right as it is;
- The which is more to preyse, y-wis,
-
Than
miche richesse and tresour;
Skeat1899: 5555
-
For more
profit and valour
- Poverte, and such adversitee,
- Bifore than doth prosperitee;
- For the toon yeveth conisaunce,
-
And the tother ignoraunce.
Skeat1899: 5560
-
- ‘And thus in poverte is in dede
- Trouthe declared fro falsehede;
- For feynte frendis it wol declare,
- And trewe also, what wey they fare.
-
For whan he was in his richesse,
Skeat1899: 5565
- These freendis, ful of doublenesse,
- Offrid him in many wyse
- Hert and body, and servyse.
-
What wolde he than ha
to ha bought
-
To knowen openly her thought,
Skeat1899: 5570
- That he now hath so clerly seen?
- The lasse bigyled he sholde have been
- And he hadde than perceyved it,
- But richesse nold not late him wit.
-
Wel more avauntage doth him than,
Skeat1899: 5575
- Sith that it makith him a wys man,
-
The greet mischeef that he
,
- Than doth richesse that him deceyveth.
- Richesse riche ne makith nought
-
Him that on tresour set his thought;
Skeat1899: 5580
- For richesse stont in suffisaunce
- And no-thing in habundaunce;
- For suffisaunce al-only
- Makith men to live richely.
-
For he that hath
miches tweyne,
Skeat1899: 5585
-
Ne
value in his demeigne,
- Liveth more at ese, and more is riche,
-
Than doth he that is
chiche,
- And in his bern hath, soth to seyn,
-
An hundred
of whete greyn,
Skeat1899: 5590
- Though he be chapman or marchaunt,
- And have of golde many besaunt.
- For in the geting he hath such wo,
- And in the keping drede also,
-
And set evermore his bisynesse
Skeat1899: 5595
- For to encrese, and not to lesse,
-
For to
and multiply.
-
And though on hepis
lye him by,
- Yit never shal make his richesse
-
Asseth unto his gredinesse.
Skeat1899: 5600
- But the povre that recchith nought,
- Save of his lyflode, in his thought,
- Which that he getith with his travaile,
- He dredith nought that it shal faile,
-
Though he have lytel worldis good,
Skeat1899: 5605
- Mete and drinke, and esy food,
- Upon his travel and living,
- And also suffisaunt clothing.
- Or if in syknesse that he falle,
-
And lothe mete and drink withalle,
Skeat1899: 5610
-
Though he have
, his mete to by,
-
He shal bithinke him
,
- To putte him out of al daunger.
- That he of mete hath no mister;
-
Or that he may with litel eke
Skeat1899: 5615
- Be founden, whyl that he is seke;
-
Or that men shul him
in hast,
- To live, til his syknesse be past,
-
To somme maysondewe bisyde;
-
He cast nought what shal him bityde.
Skeat1899: 5620
- He thenkith nought that ever he shal
- Into any syknesse falle.
-
- ‘And though it falle, as it may be,
- That al betyme spare shal he
-
As mochel as shal to him suffyce,
Skeat1899: 5625
- Whyl he is syke in any wyse,
-
He doth
, for that he wol be
- Content with his povertee
- Withoute nede of any man.
-
So miche in litel have he can,
Skeat1899: 5630
- He is apayed with his fortune;
- And for he nil be importune
-
Unto no
, ne
,
- Nor of hir goodes coveitous;
-
Therfore he spareth, it may wel been,
Skeat1899: 5635
- His pore estat for to sustene.
-
- ‘Or if him lust not for to spare,
- But suffrith forth, as nought ne ware,
- Atte last it hapneth, as it may,
-
Right unto his
day,
Skeat1899: 5640
-
And
the world as it wolde be;
- For ever in herte thenkith he,
-
The soner that
deeth him slo,
- To paradys the soner go
-
He shal, there for to live in blisse,
Skeat1899: 5645
- Where that he shal no good misse.
- Thider he hopith god shal him sende
- Aftir his wrecchid lyves ende.
-
himsilf reherses,
-
In a book that the Golden Verses
Skeat1899: 5650
- Is clepid, for the nobilitee
- Of the honourable ditee:—
- “Than, whan thou gost thy body fro,
- Free in the eir thou shalt up go,
-
And leven al humanitee,
Skeat1899: 5655
- And purely live in deitee.”—
- He is a fool, withouten were,
- That trowith have his countre here.
- “In erthe is not our countree,”
-
That may these clerkis seyn and see
Skeat1899: 5660
-
In
of Consolacioun,
- Where it is maked mencioun
- Of our countree pleyn at the eye,
- By teching of philosophye,
-
Where lewid men might lere wit,
Skeat1899: 5665
- Who-so that wolde translaten it.
- If he be sich that can wel live
-
Aftir his
may him yive,
- And not desyreth more to have,
-
That may fro povertee him save:
Skeat1899: 5670
- A wys man seide, as we may seen,
- Is no man wrecched, but he it wene,
-
Be he king, knight, or ribaud.
- And many a ribaud is mery and baud,
-
That
, and berith, bothe day and night,
Skeat1899: 5675
- Many a burthen of gret might,
- The whiche doth him lasse offense,
- For he suffrith in pacience.
- They laugh and daunce, trippe and singe,
-
And ley not up for her living,
Skeat1899: 5680
- But in the tavern al dispendith
- The winning that god hem sendith.
-
Than goth he,
for to bere,
- With as good chere as he dide ere;
-
To swinke and traveile he not
,
Skeat1899: 5685
-
For for to robben he
;
- But right anoon, aftir his swinke,
- He goth to tavern for to drinke.
- Alle these ar riche in abundaunce,
-
That can thus have suffisaunce
Skeat1899: 5690
- Wel more than can an usurere,
- As god wel knowith, withoute were.
- For an usurer, so god me see,
- Shal never for richesse riche bee,
-
But evermore pore and indigent,
Skeat1899: 5695
- Scarce, and gredy in his entent.
-
- ‘For soth it is, whom it displese,
- Ther may no marchaunt live at ese,
-
His herte in sich a
is set,
-
That it quik brenneth
to get,
Skeat1899: 5700
-
Ne never
;
-
Though he have gold in gerners yeten,
- For to be nedy he dredith sore.
- Wherfore to geten more and more
-
He set his herte and his desire;
Skeat1899: 5705
- So hote he brennith in the fire
- Of coveitise, that makith him wood
- To purchase other mennes good.
- He undirfongith a gret peyne,
-
That undirtakith to drinke up Seyne;
Skeat1899: 5710
- For the more he drinkith, ay
- The more he leveth, the soth to say.
-
thurst of fals geting,
- That last ever in coveiting,
-
And the anguisshe and distresse
Skeat1899: 5715
- With the fire of gredinesse.
- She fighteth with him ay, and stryveth,
- That his herte asondre ryveth;
- Such gredinesse him assaylith,
-
That whan he most hath, most he faylith.
Skeat1899: 5720
-
- Phisiciens and advocates
- Gon right by the same yates;
- They selle hir science for winning,
- And haunte hir crafte for greet geting.
-
Hir winning is of such swetnesse,
Skeat1899: 5725
- That if a man falle in sikenesse,
-
They are ful glad, for
encrese;
- For by hir wille, withoute lees,
- Everiche man shulde be seke,
-
And though they dye, they set not a leke.
Skeat1899: 5730
- After, whan they the gold have take,
- Ful litel care for hem they make.
- They wolde that fourty were seke at onis,
-
, two hundred, in flesh and bonis,
-
And yit two thousand, as I gesse,
Skeat1899: 5735
- For to encresen her richesse.
- They wol not worchen, in no wyse,
- But for lucre and coveityse;
-
For fysyk ginneth first by
fy,
-
The
also sothely;
Skeat1899: 5740
-
And sithen it goth fro
;
-
To truste on hem,
is foly;
- For they nil, in no maner gree,
- Do right nought for charitee.
-
-
‘Eke in the same secte are set
Skeat1899: 5745
- Alle tho that prechen for to get
- Worshipes, honour, and richesse.
- Her hertis arn in greet distresse,
-
That folk
live not holily.
-
But aboven al, specialy,
Skeat1899: 5750
-
Sich as prechen
veynglorie,
- And toward god have no memorie,
- But forth as ypocrites trace,
- And to her soules deth purchace,
-
And outward
holynesse,
Skeat1899: 5755
- Though they be fulle of cursidnesse.
- Not liche to the apostles twelve,
- They deceyve other and hem-selve;
-
Bigyled is the gyler than.
-
For preching of a cursed man,
Skeat1899: 5760
-
Though
to other may profyte,
-
availeth not a myte;
-
For
good predicacioun
- Cometh of evel entencioun.
-
To him not vailith his preching,
Skeat1899: 5765
- Al helpe he other with his teching;
- For where they good ensaumple take,
- There is he with veynglorie shake.
-
- ‘But lat us leven these prechoures,
-
And speke of hem that in her toures
Skeat1899: 5770
-
Hepe up her gold, and
shette,
- And sore theron her herte sette.
- They neither love god, ne drede;
- They kepe more than it is nede,
-
And in her bagges sore it binde,
Skeat1899: 5775
- Out of the sonne, and of the winde;
- They putte up more than nede ware,
- Whan they seen pore folk forfare,
- For hunger dye, and for cold quake;
-
God can wel vengeaunce therof take.
Skeat1899: 5780
-
gret mischeves hem assailith,
- And thus in gadring ay travaylith;
-
With
peyne they winne richesse;
- And drede hem holdith in distresse,
-
To kepe that they gadre faste;
Skeat1899: 5785
- With sorwe they leve it at the laste;
- With sorwe they bothe dye and live,
- That to richesse her hertis yive,
-
And
defaute of love it is,
-
As it shewith ful wel, y-wis.
Skeat1899: 5790
-
For if
gredy, the sothe to seyn,
- Loveden, and were loved ageyn,
-
And
love regned over-alle,
- Such wikkidnesse ne shulde falle;
-
But he shulde yeve that most good had
Skeat1899: 5795
- To hem that weren in nede bistad,
- And live withoute fals usure,
- For charitee ful clene and pure.
-
If they hem yeve to goodnesse,
-
Defending hem from ydelnesse,
Skeat1899: 5800
- In al this world than pore noon
- We shulde finde, I trowe, not oon.
- But chaunged is this world unstable;
- For love is over-al vendable.
-
We see that no man loveth now
Skeat1899: 5805
- But for winning and for prow;
- And love is thralled in servage
- Whan it is sold for avauntage;
- Yit wommen wol hir bodies selle;
-
Suche soules goth to the devel of helle.’
Skeat1899: 5810
[
Here ends
l. 5170
of the
F. text.
A great gap follows. The next line answers to
l. 10717
of the same.
]