[ 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 relees to my wo. Skeat1899: 4440
    • But what and she my balis 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 outrely .
    • A! that is a ful noyous thing!
    • For many a lover, in loving, Skeat1899: 4450
    • Hangeth upon hir, and trusteth fast,
    • Whiche lese hir travel 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 put 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 natheles yit , gladly she wolde, Skeat1899: 4465
    • That he, that wol him with hir holde,
    • Hadde alle tymes [his] 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 ne 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 pryse .
    • Whan heest and deed a-sundir varie,
    • They doon [me have] 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,
    • Drede also, and Ielousye,
    • And Wikked-Tunge, ful of envye,
    • Of whiche the sharpe and cruel ire Skeat1899: 4485
    • Ful oft me put 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 soner may him see.
    • And yit moreover, wurst of alle,
    • Ther is set to kepe, foule hir bifalle!
    • A rimpled vekke, fer 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.
    • [The] yiftes were fair, but not forthy
    • They helpe me but simply , [ ] Skeat1899: 4510
    • But Bialacoil [may] loosed be,
    • To gon at large and to be free.
    • For him my lyf lyth al in dout ,
    • But-if he come the rather out .
    • 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 vergere ?
    • 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.
    • She 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 asyde 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 engins wolde me take, [ ]
    • If I my [lorde] 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 muche , it may not yolden be, [ ]
    • Whan he the hay passen me lete ,
    • 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, [if god wil] ,
    • 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 thinke ,
    • 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 taken 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 thinke his thank to fele.
    • My good, myn harm, lyth hool in me; Skeat1899: 4585
    • In Love may no defaute be;
    • For trewe Love ne 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,
    • Or doublenesse of repenting.’
  • Coment Raisoun vient a L’amant.

    • 4615. Rubric in both.

    • Thus as I made my passage Skeat1899: 4615
    • In compleynt, and in cruel rage,
    • And I not 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 wys , and ful plesaunt,
    • And of hir porte ful avenaunt.
    • The righte 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 com 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 [pyned] 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 mighte 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 liege 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] loved 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.

L’Amaunt.

‘Yes, I.’

4660. Th. Yes; G. Yhis.

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 astate ;
  • 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.
  • Ye , dame! sith my lord is he, Skeat1899: 4680
  • And I his man, maad with myn honde, [ ]
  • I wolde right fayn undirstonde
  • To knowen of what kinde he be,
  • If any 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 [here lerne] without science, [ ]
    • And knowe, withoute 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 knet 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,
    • [A trouthe] , fret 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 wood resoun,
    • A swete peril , in to droune, Skeat1899: 4710
    • An hevy birthen, light to bere,
    • A wikked wawe awey to were . [ ]
    • It is Caribdis 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 sike hele and hool siknesse ,
    • A thrust drowned [in] dronkenesse, [ ]
    • An helthe ful of maladye,
    • And charitee ful of envye,
    • An [hunger] ful of habundaunce, Skeat1899: 4725
    • And a gredy suffisaunce;
    • Delyt right ful of hevinesse,
    • And drerihed ful of gladnesse; [ ]
    • Bitter swetnesse and swete errour,
    • Right evel savoured good savour; Skeat1899: 4730
    • Sinne that pardoun hath withinne,
    • And pardoun spotted without [with] 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 be amourettes [ ] Skeat1899: 4755
    • In mourning blak, as bright burnettes.
    • For noon is of so mochel prys,
    • Ne no man founden [is] 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 mochel might,
    • Noon so fulfilled of bounte,
    • [But] 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 been ,
    • 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 [I] wist [er] , [ ]
    • To me so contrarie and so fer
    • Is every thing that ye me lere; Skeat1899: 4795
    • And yit I can it al parcuere . [ ]
    • Myn herte foryetith therof right nought,
    • It is so writen in my thought;
    • And depe graven it is so tendir
    • That al by herte I can it rendre, Skeat1899: 4800
    • And rede it over comunely;
    • But to my-silf lewedist am I.
    • ‘But sith ye love discreven so,
    • And lakke and preise it, bothe two,
    • Defyneth it into this letter, Skeat1899: 4805
    • That I may thenke on it the better;
    • For I herde never [diffyne it ere] ,
    • 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 knet bitwixe tweyne,
    • [Which] male and female, with oo cheyne,
    • So frely byndith, that they nil 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 engendring ;
    • 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 at a leke. Skeat1899: 4830
    • For paramours they do but feyne; [ ]
    • To love truly they disdeyne.
    • They falsen ladies traitoursly,
    • And sweren hem othes utterly,
    • With many a lesing, and many a fable, Skeat1899: 4835
    • And al they finden deceyvable.
    • And, whan they her lust han geten,
    • The hoote ernes they al foryeten.
    • Wimmen, the harm they 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 [who] 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
    • 4856. G. omits; from Th.

    • For bicause al is corumpable,
    • And faile shulde successioun,
    • Ne were ther 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 set 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 parfyt ;
    • For hir desir is for delyt,
    • The which fortened crece and eke [ ] Skeat1899: 4875
    • The pley of love for-ofte seke,
    • And thralle hem-silf, they be so nyce,
    • Unto the prince of every vyce .
    • For of ech sinne it is the rote,
    • Unlefulle lust, though it be sote, Skeat1899: 4880
    • And of al yvel the racyne,
    • As Tullius 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 set bothe man and wyf
    • In al perel of soule and lyf; Skeat1899: 4890
    • And perel 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 yalt [him] 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
    • But-if that 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 in 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 youth-hede ,
    • Delyt so doth his bridil lede.
    • Delyt thus hangith, drede thee nought,
    • Bothe mannis body and his thought,
    • Only thurgh Youthe, his chamberere , Skeat1899: 4935
    • That to don yvel is customere ,
    • And of nought elles taketh hede
    • But only folkes for to lede
    • Into disporte and wildenesse, Skeat1899: 4939
    • So is [she] froward from sadnesse.
    • ‘But Elde drawith hem therfro;
    • Who wot it nought, he may wel go
    • [Demand] of hem that now arn olde, [ ]
    • That whylom Youthe hadde in holde,
    • Which yit remembre of tendir age, Skeat1899: 4945
    • How it hem brought in many a rage,
    • And many a foly therin wrought.
    • But now that Elde hath hem thurgh-sought,
    • They repente hem of her folye,
    • That Youthe hem putte in Iupardye , Skeat1899: 4950
    • In perel and in muche wo,
    • And made hem ofte amis to do,
    • And suen yvel companye,
    • Riot and avouterye .
    • ‘But Elde [can] ageyn restreyne Skeat1899: 4955
    • From suche 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, ne pryse ; 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 courte go.
    • Peyne and Distresse, Syknesse and Ire,
    • And Malencoly, that angry sire,
    • Ben of hir paleys senatours;
    • Groning and Grucching, hir herbergeours , Skeat1899: 5000
    • The day and night, hir to turment,
    • With cruel Deth they hir present,
    • And tellen hir, erliche and late,
    • That Deth stant 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 wepeth 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 [hir] 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 list [have] Ioye and mirth also [ ]
    • Of love, be it he or she,
    • High or lowe, who [so] 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 [ay] 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 given for coveitise. Skeat1899: 5050
    • I preise no womman, though [she] 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 loveth 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 suche [a] beeste
    • To be loved is not worthy,
    • Or bere the name of druery . [ ]
    • Noon shulde hir please, but he were wood, Skeat1899: 5065
    • That wol dispoile him of his good.
    • Yit nevertheles, I wol not sey
    • [But] 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 [they] 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 thee 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 [herberedest than] 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 profit 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 [thy] tyme al,
    • And spent [thy youthe] 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 recured 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 [alway] ,
    • 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.
    • [Than] 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 say with mood, [ ]
    • If I it leve, in hatrede ay
    • Liven, and voide love away
    • From me, [and been] a sinful wrecche, Skeat1899: 5165
    • Hated of all that [love that] tecche.
    • I may not go noon other gate,
    • For either 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 [thee] 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
    • [Ne lak in hem] , 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 oon [e]state .
    • 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 [but] 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 [hath] 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 [he] 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 in nombre is bet than three
    • In every counsel and secree. Skeat1899: 5260
    • Repreve he dredeth 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 [be] that he him plesith
    • Than [is] 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
    • [As] fully as he hath requered .
    • 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 [him] what that he may;
    • And of his blisse parte shal he,
    • If love wol departed be.
    • ‘And whilom of this [amitee] [ ] Skeat1899: 5285
    • Spak Tullius in a ditee; [ ]
    • [“A man] 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 [cases] 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 [cases] with his might,
    • Taking no kepe to skile nor right,
    • As ferre as love may him excuse;
    • This oughte 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 [it] 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 amorous , Skeat1899: 5325
    • Ne in his living vertuous,
    • But-[if] he love more, in mood,
    • Men for hem-silf than for hir good.
    • For love that profit doth abyde
    • Is fals, and bit not in no tyde. [ ] Skeat1899: 5330
    • [This] love cometh of dame Fortune,
    • That litel whyle wol contune;
    • For it shal chaungen wonder sone,
    • And take eclips right as the mone,
    • Whan she 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,
    • Thurgh brightnesse of the sonne bemes Skeat1899: 5345
    • That yeveth to hir ageyn hir lemes.
    • That love is right of sich nature;
    • Now is [it] 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 [with] wedis blake
    • [It] hidith of Love the light awey, [ ]
    • That into night it turneth day;
    • It may not see Richesse shyne Skeat1899: 5355
    • Til the blakke shadowes fyne.
    • For, whan Richesse shyneth bright,
    • Love recovereth ageyn his light;
    • And whan it failith, he wol flit,
    • And as she [groweth, so groweth] 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 fond 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 soth . Skeat1899: 5375
    • Lo, what profit his catel doth!
    • Of every man that may him see,
    • It geteth him nought but enmitee.
    • But he amende him 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 kepe [it ay is] his purpose,
    • Til for drede his eyen close, Skeat1899: 5390
    • And til a wikked deth him take;
    • Him hadde lever asondre shake,
    • And late his limes 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 wat ,
    • For ech man knowith his estat ; Skeat1899: 5400
    • For wel him oughte be reproved
    • That loveth nought, ne is not loved.
    • ‘But sith we arn to Fortune comen,
    • And [han] 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 [in] 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 hem deles,
    • And yeveth hem 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 hem with glorie veyne , Skeat1899: 5425
    • And worldly blisse noncerteyne.
    • Whan she hem 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 highe be,
    • They wene to have in certeintee
    • Of hertly frendis [so] 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 very 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 [greet] speking,
    • And han [there]-of a reioysing, [ ]
    • And trowe hem as the Evangyle;
    • And it is al falsheed and gyle,
    • As they shal afterwardes 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 [this] Fortune that I of telle,
    • With men whan hir lust to dwelle,
    • Makith hem 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
    • Of hir whele, with 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 shewe, by experience ,
    • 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, withouten were, Skeat1899: 5485
    • Freend of effect , and freend of chere; [ ]
    • And which in love weren trew and stable,
    • And whiche also weren variable,
    • After Fortune, hir goddesse ,
    • In poverte, outher in richesse; Skeat1899: 5490
    • For al [she] yeveth, out of drede , [ ]
    • Unhappe bereveth it in dede;
    • For Infortune lat 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 they sawe him set on-lofte,
    • And weren of him socoured ofte,
    • And most y-holpe 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 feldefare .” [ ] Skeat1899: 5510
    • Alle suche freendis I beshrewe,
    • For of [the] 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 [the] 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 [his] purs, certis;
    • And Fortune, mishapping,
    • Whan upon men she is [falling] ,
    • Thurgh misturning of hir chaunce, Skeat1899: 5545
    • And casteth 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 [is] miche richesse and tresour; Skeat1899: 5555
    • For more [doth] 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 [yeve] 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 [receyveth] ,
    • 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 [but] miches tweyne, [ ] Skeat1899: 5585
    • Ne [more] value in his demeigne,
    • Liveth more at ese, and more is riche,
    • Than doth he that is [so] chiche,
    • And in his bern hath, soth to seyn,
    • An hundred [muwis] 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 augment and multiply.
    • And though on hepis [it] 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 nought , his mete to by,
    • He shal bithinke him hastely ,
    • 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 bere 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 [it] , 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 wight , ne onerous ,
    • 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 laste day, Skeat1899: 5640
    • And taketh the world as it wolde be;
    • For ever in herte thenkith he,
    • The soner that [the] 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.
    • Pictagoras 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 Boece 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 rente 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 swinkith , 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, fardels for to bere, [ ]
    • With as good chere as he dide ere;
    • To swinke and traveile he not feynith , Skeat1899: 5685
    • For for to robben he disdeynith ;
    • 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 were is set, [ ]
    • That it quik brenneth [more] to get, [ ] Skeat1899: 5700
    • Ne never shal [enough have] geten ;
    • 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.
    • [This is the] 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 hir 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,
    • Ye , 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 fysycien also sothely; Skeat1899: 5740
    • And sithen it goth fro fy to sy ;
    • To truste on hem, it 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 [ne] live not holily. [ ]
    • But aboven al, specialy, Skeat1899: 5750
    • Sich as prechen [for] veynglorie,
    • And toward god have no memorie,
    • But forth as ypocrites trace,
    • And to her soules deth purchace,
    • And outward [shewen] 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 [it] to other may profyte,
    • Himsilf availeth not a myte;
    • For oft 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 faste 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
    • [Thre] gret mischeves hem assailith,
    • And thus in gadring ay travaylith;
    • With moche 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 in defaute of love it is,
    • As it shewith ful wel, y-wis. Skeat1899: 5790
    • For if these gredy, the sothe to seyn,
    • Loveden, and were loved ageyn,
    • And good 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. ]

FRAGMENT C.

    • Whan Love had told hem his entente, [ ]
    • The baronage to councel wente;
    • In many sentences they fille,
    • And dyversly they seide hir wille :
    • But aftir discord they accorded, Skeat1899: 5815
    • And hir accord to Love recorded.
    • ‘Sir,’ seiden they, ‘we been at oon,
    • By even accord of everichoon,
    • Out-take Richesse al-only, Skeat1899: 5819
    • That sworen hath ful hauteynly,
    • That she the castel nil assaile,
    • Ne smyte a stroke in this bataile,
    • With dart, ne mace, spere, ne knyf,
    • For man that speketh or bereth the lyf, [ ]
    • And blameth your empryse, y-wis, Skeat1899: 5825
    • And from our hoost departed is,
    • (At leeste wey, as in this plyte,)
    • So hath she this man in dispyte;
    • For she seith he ne loved hir never,
    • And therfor she wol hate him ever. Skeat1899: 5830
    • For he wol gadre no tresore ,
    • He hath hir wrath for evermore.
    • He agilte hir never in other caas,
    • Lo, here al hoolly his trespas!
    • She seith wel, that this other day Skeat1899: 5835
    • He asked hir leve to goon the way
    • That is clepid To-moche-Yeving, [ ]
    • And spak ful faire in his praying;
    • But whan he prayde hir, pore was he,
    • Therfore she warned him the entree. Skeat1899: 5840
    • Ne yit is he not thriven so
    • That he hath geten a peny or two,
    • That quitly is his owne in hold.
    • Thus hath Richesse us alle told;
    • And whan Richesse us this recorded, Skeat1899: 5845
    • Withouten hir we been accorded.
    • ‘And we finde in our accordaunce,
    • That False-Semblant and Abstinaunce,
    • With alle the folk of hir bataile,
    • Shulle at the hinder gate assayle, Skeat1899: 5850
    • That Wikkid-Tunge hath in keping,
    • With his Normans, fulle of Iangling.
    • And with hem Curtesie and Largesse,
    • That shulle shewe hir hardinesse
    • To the olde wyf that [kepeth] so harde [ ] Skeat1899: 5855
    • Fair-Welcoming within her warde.
    • Than shal Delyte and Wel-Helinge [ ]
    • Fonde Shame adoun to bringe;
    • With al hir hoost , erly and late,
    • They shulle assailen [thilke] gate. Skeat1899: 5860
    • Agaynes Drede shal Hardinesse
    • Assayle, and also Sikernesse,
    • With al the folk of hir leding,
    • That never wist what was fleing.
    • ‘Fraunchyse shal fighte, and eek Pitee, Skeat1899: 5865
    • With Daunger ful of crueltee.
    • Thus is your hoost ordeyned wel;
    • Doun shal the castel every del,
    • If everiche do his entente ,
    • So that Venus be presente , Skeat1899: 5870
    • Your modir, ful of vassalage ,
    • That can y-nough of such usage;
    • Withouten hir may no wight spede
    • This werk, neither for word ne dede.
    • Therfore is good ye for hir sende, Skeat1899: 5875
    • For thurgh hir may this werk amende.’
Amour.
    • ‘Lordinges, my modir, the goddesse,
    • That is my lady, and my maistresse,
    • Nis not [at] al at my willing,
    • Ne doth not al my desyring. Skeat1899: 5880
    • Yit can she som-tyme doon labour,
    • Whan that hir lust, in my socour,
    • [Al my nedis] for to acheve,
    • But now I thenke hir not to greve.
    • My modir is she, and of childhede Skeat1899: 5885
    • I bothe worshipe hir, and eek drede;
    • For who that dredith sire ne dame
    • Shal it abye in body or name.
    • And, natheles, yit cunne we
    • Sende aftir hir, if nede be; Skeat1899: 5890
    • And were she nigh, she comen wolde,
    • I trowe that no-thing might hir holde.
    • ‘My modir is of greet prowesse;
    • She hath tan many a forteresse , [ ]
    • That cost hath many a pound er this, Skeat1899: 5895
    • Ther I nas not present, y-wis;
    • And yit men seide it was my dede;
    • But I come never in that stede;
    • Ne me ne lykith, so mote I thee,
    • Such toures take withoute me. Skeat1899: 5900
    • For-why me thenketh that, in no wyse,
    • It may ben cleped but marchandise.
    • ‘Go bye a courser, blak or whyte,
    • And pay therfor; than art thou quyte.
    • The marchaunt oweth thee right nought, Skeat1899: 5905
    • Ne thou him, whan thou [hast] it bought.
    • I wol not selling clepe yeving,
    • For selling axeth no guerdoning;
    • Here lyth no thank, ne no meryte,
    • That oon goth from that other al quyte. Skeat1899: 5910
    • But this selling is not semblable;
    • For, whan his hors is in the stable,
    • He may it selle ageyn, pardee,
    • And winne on it, such hap may be;
    • Al may the man not lese, y-wis, Skeat1899: 5915
    • For at the leest the skin is his.
    • Or elles, if it so bityde
    • That he wol kepe his hors to ryde,
    • Yit is he lord ay of his hors.
    • But thilke chaffare is wel wors, Skeat1899: 5920
    • There Venus entremeteth nought;
    • For who-so such chaffare hath bought,
    • He shal not worchen so wysly,
    • That he ne shal lese al outerly
    • Bothe his money and his chaffare; Skeat1899: 5925
    • But the seller of the ware
    • The prys and profit have shal.
    • Certeyn, the byer shal lese al;
    • For he ne can so dere it bye
    • To have lordship and ful maistrye, Skeat1899: 5930
    • Ne have power to make letting [ ]
    • Neither for yift ne for preching,
    • That of his chaffare, maugre his,
    • Another shal have as moche, y-wis,
    • If he wol yeve as moche as he, Skeat1899: 5935
    • Of what contrey so that he be;
    • Or for right nought, so happe may,
    • If he can flater hir to hir pay.
    • Ben than suche marchaunts wyse?
    • No, but fooles in every wyse, Skeat1899: 5940
    • Whan they bye such thing wilfully,
    • Ther-as they lese her good [fully] .
    • But natheles, this dar I saye,
    • My modir is not wont to paye,
    • For she is neither so fool ne nyce, Skeat1899: 5945
    • To entremete hir of sich vyce .
    • But truste wel, he shal paye al,
    • That repente of his bargeyn shal,
    • Whan Poverte put him in distresse,
    • Al were he scoler to Richesse, Skeat1899: 5950
    • That is for me in gret yerning,
    • Whan she assenteth to my willing.
    • ‘But, [by] my modir seint Venus, [ ]
    • And by hir fader Saturnus,
    • That hir engendrid by his lyf, Skeat1899: 5955
    • But not upon his weddid wyf!
    • Yit wol I more unto you swere,
    • To make this thing the seurere ;
    • Now by that feith, and that leautee
    • I owe to alle my brethren free, Skeat1899: 5960
    • Of which ther nis wight under heven
    • That can her fadris names neven, [ ]
    • So dyvers and so many ther be
    • That with my modir have be privee!
    • Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse, Skeat1899: 5965
    • The pole of helle to my witnesse, [ ]
    • Now drinke I not this yeer clarree,
    • If that I lye, or forsworn be!
    • (For of the goddes the usage is,
    • That who-so him forswereth amis, Skeat1899: 5970
    • Shal that yeer drinke no clarree).
    • Now have I sworn y-nough, pardee;
    • If I forswere me, than am I lorn,
    • But I wol never be forsworn.
    • Sith Richesse hath me failed here, Skeat1899: 5975
    • She shal abye that trespas dere ,
    • At leeste wey, but [she] hir arme
    • With swerd, or sparth, or gisarme. [ ]
    • For certes, sith she loveth not me,
    • Fro thilke tyme that she may see Skeat1899: 5980
    • The castel and the tour to-shake,
    • In sory tyme she shal awake.
    • If I may grype a riche man,
    • I shal so pulle him, if I can, [ ]
    • That he shal, in a fewe stoundes, Skeat1899: 5985
    • Lese alle his markes and his poundes.
    • I shal him make his pens outslinge,
    • But-[if] they in his gerner springe; [ ]
    • Our maydens shal eek plukke him so,
    • That him shal neden fetheres mo, Skeat1899: 5990
    • And make him selle his lond to spende,
    • But he the bet cunne him defende.
    • ‘Pore men han maad hir lord of me;
    • Although they not so mighty be,
    • That they may fede me in delyt, Skeat1899: 5995
    • I wol not have hem in despyt.
    • No good man hateth hem , as I gesse,
    • For chinche and feloun is Richesse,
    • That so can chase hem and dispyse,
    • And hem defoule in sondry wyse. Skeat1899: 6000
    • They loven ful bet, so god me spede,
    • Than doth the riche, chinchy grede , [ ]
    • And been, in good feith, more stable
    • And trewer, and more serviable;
    • And therfore it suffysith me Skeat1899: 6005
    • Hir goode herte, and hir leautee. [ ]
    • They han on me set al hir thought,
    • And therfore I forgete hem nought.
    • I wolde hem bringe in greet noblesse, [ ]
    • If that I were god of Richesse, Skeat1899: 6010
    • As I am god of Love, sothly,
    • Such routhe upon hir pleynt have I.
    • Therfore I must his socour be,
    • That peyneth him to serven me;
    • For if he deyde for love of this, Skeat1899: 6015
    • Than semeth in me no love ther is.’
    • ‘Sir,’ seide they, ‘sooth is, every del, [ ]
    • That ye reherce, and we wot wel
    • Thilk oth to holde is resonable;
    • For it is good and covenable, Skeat1899: 6020
    • That ye on riche men han sworn.
    • For, sir, this wot we wel biforn;
    • If riche men doon you homage,
    • That is as fooles doon outrage; [ ]
    • But ye shul not forsworen be, [ ] Skeat1899: 6025
    • Ne let therfore to drinke clarree, [ ]
    • Or piment maked fresh and newe. [ ]
    • Ladyes shulle hem such pepir brewe,
    • If that they falle into hir laas,
    • That they for wo mowe seyn “Allas!” Skeat1899: 6030
    • Ladyes shuln ever so curteis be,
    • That they shal quyte your oth al free.
    • Ne seketh never other vicaire, [ ]
    • For they shal speke with hem so faire
    • That ye shal holde you payed ful wel, Skeat1899: 6035
    • Though ye you medle never a del.
    • Lat ladies worche with hir thinges, [ ]
    • They shal hem telle so fele tydinges,
    • And moeve hem eke so many requestis
    • By flatery, that not honest is, Skeat1899: 6040
    • And therto yeve hem such thankinges,
    • What with kissing, and with talkinges,
    • That certes, if they trowed be,
    • Shal never leve hem lond ne fee [ ]
    • That it nil as the moeble fare, Skeat1899: 6045
    • Of which they first delivered are.
    • Now may ye telle us al your wille,
    • And we your hestes shal fulfille.
    • ‘But Fals-Semblant dar not, for drede
    • Of you, sir, medle him of this dede, Skeat1899: 6050
    • For he seith that ye been his fo;
    • He not, if ye wol worche him wo.
    • Wherfore we pray you alle, beausire,
    • That ye forgive him now your ire,
    • And that he may dwelle, as your man, Skeat1899: 6055
    • With Abstinence, his dere lemman;
    • This our accord and our wil now.’ [ ]
    • ‘Parfay,’ seide Love, ‘I graunte it yow;
    • I wol wel holde him for my man;
    • Now lat him come:’ and he forth ran. Skeat1899: 6060
    • ‘Fals-Semblant,’ quod Love, ‘in this wyse
    • I take thee here to my servyse,
    • That thou our freendis helpe alway ,
    • And hindre hem neithir night ne day,
    • But do thy might hem to releve, Skeat1899: 6065
    • And eek our enemies that thou greve.
    • Thyn be this might, I graunt it thee, [ ]
    • My king of harlotes shalt thou be;
    • We wol that thou have such honour.
    • Certeyn, thou art a fals traitour, Skeat1899: 6070
    • And eek a theef; sith thou were born,
    • A thousand tyme thou art forsworn.
    • But, natheles , in our hering,
    • To putte our folk out of douting,
    • I bid thee teche hem, wostow how? Skeat1899: 6075
    • By somme general signe now,
    • In what place thou shalt founden be,
    • If that men had mister of thee; [ ]
    • And how men shal thee best espye,
    • For thee to knowe is greet maistrye; Skeat1899: 6080
    • Tel in what place is thyn haunting.’
F. Sem.
    • ‘Sir, I have fele dyvers woning,
    • That I kepe not rehersed be, [ ]
    • So that ye wolde respyten me.
    • For if that I telle you the sothe, Skeat1899: 6085
    • I may have harm and shame bothe.
    • If that my felowes wisten it,
    • My tales shulden me be quit;
    • For certeyn, they wolde hate me,
    • If ever I knewe hir cruelte; Skeat1899: 6090
    • For they wolde over-al holde hem stille
    • Of trouthe that is ageyn hir wille;
    • Suche tales kepen they not here.
    • I might eftsone bye it ful dere,
    • If I seide of hem any thing, Skeat1899: 6095
    • That ought displeseth to hir hering.
    • For what word that hem prikke or byteth,
    • In that word noon of hem delyteth,
    • Al were it gospel, the evangyle,
    • That wolde reprove hem of hir gyle, Skeat1899: 6100
    • For they are cruel and hauteyn.
    • And this thing wot I wel, certeyn,
    • If I speke ought to peire hir loos, [ ]
    • Your court shal not so wel be cloos,
    • That they ne shal wite it atte last. Skeat1899: 6105
    • Of good men am I nought agast,
    • For they wol taken on hem nothing,
    • Whan that they knowe al my mening;
    • But he that wol it on him take,
    • He wol himself suspecious make, Skeat1899: 6110
    • That he his lyf let covertly, [ ]
    • In Gyle and in Ipocrisy,
    • That me engendred and yaf fostring.’
    • ‘They made a ful good engendring,’
    • Quod Love, ‘for who-so soothly telle, Skeat1899: 6115
    • They engendred the devel of helle!
    • ‘But nedely, how-so-ever it be,’
    • Quod Love, ‘I wol and charge thee,
    • To telle anoon thy woning-places,
    • Hering ech wight that in this place is; [ ] Skeat1899: 6120
    • And what lyf that thou livest also,
    • Hyde it no lenger now; wherto?
    • Thou most discover al thy wurching,
    • How thou servest, and of what thing,
    • Though that thou shuldest for thy soth-sawe Skeat1899: 6125
    • Ben al to-beten and to-drawe;
    • And yit art thou not wont, pardee.
    • But natheles, though thou beten be,
    • Thou shalt not be the first, that so
    • Hath for soth-sawe suffred wo.’
F. Sem.
    • ‘Sir, sith that it may lyken you, Skeat1899: 6131
    • Though that I shulde be slayn right now,
    • I shal don your comaundement,
    • For therto have I gret talent.’ Skeat1899: 6134
    • Withouten wordes mo, right than,
    • Fals-Semblant his sermon bigan,
    • And seide hem thus in audience:—
    • ‘Barouns, tak hede of my sentence!
    • That wight that list to have knowing Skeat1899: 6139
    • Of Fals-Semblant, ful of flatering,
    • He must in worldly folk him seke,
    • And, certes, in the cloistres eke;
    • I wone no-where but in hem tweye ;
    • But not lyk even, sooth to seye ;
    • Shortly, I wol herberwe me Skeat1899: 6145
    • There I hope best to hulstred be; [ ]
    • And certeynly, sikerest hyding
    • Is undirneth humblest clothing.
    • ‘Religious folk ben ful covert; [ ]
    • Seculer folk ben more appert. Skeat1899: 6150
    • But natheles, I wol not blame
    • Religious folk, ne hem diffame,
    • In what habit that ever they go:
    • Religioun humble, and trewe also,
    • Wol I not blame, ne dispyse, Skeat1899: 6155
    • But I nil love it, in no wyse.
    • I mene of fals religious,
    • That stoute ben, and malicious;
    • That wolen in an abit go, Skeat1899: 6159
    • And setten not hir herte therto.
    • ‘Religious folk ben al pitous;
    • Thou shalt not seen oon dispitous.
    • They loven no pryde, ne no stryf,
    • But humbly they wol lede hir lyf;
    • With swich folk wol I never be.
    • And if I dwelle, I feyne me Skeat1899: 6166
    • I may wel in her abit go;
    • But me were lever my nekke atwo,
    • Than lete a purpose that I take, [ ]
    • What covenaunt that ever I make. Skeat1899: 6170
    • I dwelle with hem that proude be,
    • And fulle of wyles and subtelte ;
    • That worship of this world coveyten,
    • And grete nedes cunne espleyten;
    • And goon and gadren greet pitaunces, Skeat1899: 6175
    • And purchace hem the acqueyntaunces
    • Of men that mighty lyf may leden;
    • And feyne hem pore, and hem-self feden
    • With gode morcels delicious,
    • And drinken good wyn precious, Skeat1899: 6180
    • And preche us povert and distresse,
    • And fisshen hem-self greet richesse
    • With wyly nettis that they caste :
    • It wol come foul out at the laste.
    • They ben fro clene religioun went; Skeat1899: 6185
    • They make the world an argument [ ]
    • That hath a foul conclusioun.
    • “I have a robe of religioun,
    • Than am I al religious:”
    • This argument is al roignous; Skeat1899: 6190
    • It is not worth a croked brere;
    • Habit ne maketh monk ne frere, [ ]
    • But clene lyf and devocioun
    • Maketh gode men of religioun.
    • Nathelesse , ther can noon answere, Skeat1899: 6195
    • How high that ever his heed he shere
    • With rasour whetted never so kene,
    • That Gyle in braunches cut thrittene; [ ]
    • Ther can no wight distincte it so,
    • That he dar sey a word therto. Skeat1899: 6200
    • ‘But what herberwe that ever I take,
    • Or what semblant that ever I make,
    • I mene but gyle, and folowe that;
    • For right no mo than Gibbe our cat [ ]
    • [Fro myce and rattes went his wyle] , [ ] Skeat1899: 6205
    • Ne entende I [not] but to begyle ;
    • Ne no wight may, by my clothing,
    • Wite with what folk is my dwelling;
    • Ne by my wordis yet, pardee,
    • So softe and so plesaunt they be. Skeat1899: 6210
    • Bihold the dedis that I do;
    • But thou be blind, thou oughtest so;
    • For, varie hir wordis fro hir dede,
    • They thenke on gyle, withouten drede,
    • What maner clothing that they were, Skeat1899: 6215
    • Or what estat that ever they bere,
    • Lered or lewd, lord or lady,
    • Knight, squier, burgeis, or bayly.’
    • Right thus whyl Fals-Semblant sermoneth,
    • Eftsones Love him aresoneth, [ ] Skeat1899: 6220
    • And brak his tale in the speking
    • As though he had him told lesing;
    • And seide: ‘What, devel, is that I here? [ ]
    • What folk hast thou us nempned here?
    • May men finde religioun Skeat1899: 6225
    • In worldly habitacioun?’
F. Sem.
    • Ye , sir; it foloweth not that they
    • Shulde lede a wikked lyf, parfey,
    • Ne not therfore her soules lese,
    • That hem to worldly clothes chese; Skeat1899: 6230
    • For, certis, it were gret pitee.
    • Men may in seculer clothes see
    • Florisshen holy religioun.
    • Ful many a seynt in feeld and toun,
    • With many a virgin glorious, Skeat1899: 6235
    • Devout, and ful religious,
    • Had deyed, that comun clothe ay beren,
    • Yit seyntes never-the-les they weren.
    • I coude reken you many a ten;
    • Ye , wel nigh alle these holy wimmen, Skeat1899: 6240
    • That men in chirchis herie and seke,
    • Bothe maydens, and these wyves eke,
    • That baren many a fair child here,
    • Wered alwey clothis seculere,
    • And in the same dyden they, Skeat1899: 6245
    • That seyntes weren, and been alwey.
    • The eleven thousand maydens dere, [ ]
    • That beren in heven hir ciergis clere,
    • Of which men rede in chirche, and singe,
    • Were take in seculer clothing, Skeat1899: 6250
    • Whan they resseyved martirdom,
    • And wonnen heven unto her hoom.
    • Good herte makith the gode thought;
    • The clothing yeveth ne reveth nought.
    • The gode thought and the worching, Skeat1899: 6255
    • That maketh religioun flowring, [ ]
    • Ther lyth the good religioun
    • Aftir the right entencioun.
    • ‘Who-so toke a wethers skin,
    • And wrapped a gredy wolf therin, [ ] Skeat1899: 6260
    • For he shulde go with lambis whyte,
    • Wenest thou not he wolde hem byte?
    • Yis ! never-the-las, as he were wood,
    • He wolde hem wery, and drinke the blood; [ ]
    • And wel the rather hem disceyve, Skeat1899: 6265
    • For, sith they coude not perceyve
    • His treget and his crueltee, [ ]
    • They wolde him folowe, al wolde he flee.
    • ‘If ther be wolves of sich hewe
    • Amonges these apostlis newe, Skeat1899: 6270
    • Thou, holy chirche, thou mayst be wayled !
    • Sith that thy citee is assayled
    • Thourgh knightis of thyn owne table, Skeat1899: 6273
    • God wot thy lordship is doutable!
    • If they enforce [hem] it to winne,
    • That shulde defende it fro withinne,
    • Who might defence ayens hem make?
    • Withouten stroke it mot be take
    • Of trepeget or mangonel; [ ]
    • Without displaying of pensel. [ ] Skeat1899: 6280
    • And if god nil don it socour,
    • But lat [hem] renne in this colour,
    • Thou moost thyn heestis laten be.
    • Than is ther nought, but yelde thee,
    • Or yeve hem tribute, doutelees , Skeat1899: 6285
    • And holde it of hem to have pees:
    • But gretter harm bityde thee,
    • That they al maister of it be.
    • Wel conne they scorne thee withal;
    • By day stuffen they the wal, [ ] Skeat1899: 6290
    • And al the night they mynen there.
    • Nay, thou most planten elleswhere
    • Thyn impes, if thou wolt fruyt have;
    • Abyd not there thy-self to save.
    • ‘But now pees! here I turne ageyn; Skeat1899: 6295
    • I wol no more of this thing seyn ,
    • If I may passen me herby;
    • I mighte maken you wery.
    • But I wol heten you alway
    • To helpe your freendis what I may, Skeat1899: 6300
    • So they wollen my company;
    • For they be shent al-outerly
    • But-if so falle, that I be
    • Oft with hem, and they with me.
    • And eek my lemman mot they serve, [ ] Skeat1899: 6305
    • Or they shul not my love deserve.
    • Forsothe, I am a fals traitour;
    • God iugged me for a theef trichour;
    • Forsworn I am, but wel nygh non
    • Wot of my gyle, til it be don. Skeat1899: 6310
    • ‘Thourgh me hath many oon deth resseyved,
    • That my treget never aperceyved;
    • And yit resseyveth, and shal resseyve,
    • That my falsnesse never aperceyve:
    • But who-so doth, if he wys be, Skeat1899: 6315
    • Him is right good be war of me.
    • 6317, 8. Words supplied by Kaluza.

    • But so sligh is the [deceyving [ ]
    • That to hard is the] aperceyving.
    • For Protheus, that coude him chaunge
    • In every shap, hoomly and straunge, Skeat1899: 6320
    • Coude never sich gyle ne tresoun
    • As I; for I com never in toun
    • Ther-as I mighte knowen be,
    • Though men me bothe might here and see.
    • Ful wel I can my clothis chaunge, Skeat1899: 6325
    • Take oon, and make another straunge.
    • Now am I knight, now chasteleyn;
    • Now prelat, and now chapeleyn;
    • Now prest, now clerk, and now forstere; Skeat1899: 6329
    • Now am I maister, now scolere;
    • Now monk, now chanoun, now baily;
    • What-ever mister man am I. [ ]
    • Now am I prince, now am I page,
    • And can by herte every langage.
    • Som-tyme am I hoor and old; Skeat1899: 6335
    • Now am I yong, [and] stout, and bold;
    • Now am I Robert, now Robyn; [ ]
    • Now frere Menour, now Iacobyn; [ ]
    • And with me folweth my loteby, [ ]
    • To don me solas and company, Skeat1899: 6340
    • That hight dame Abstinence-Streyned , [ ]
    • In many a queynt array [y]-feyned .
    • Right as it cometh to hir lyking,
    • I fulfille al hir desiring.
    • Somtyme a wommans cloth take I; [ ] Skeat1899: 6345
    • Now am I mayde, now lady.
    • Somtyme I am religious;
    • Now lyk an anker in an hous.
    • Somtyme am I prioresse,
    • And now a nonne, and now abbesse; Skeat1899: 6350
    • And go thurgh alle regiouns,
    • Seking alle religiouns. [ ]
    • But to what ordre that I am sworn,
    • I take the strawe, and lete the corn; [ ]
    • To [blynde] folk [ther] I enhabite, [ ] Skeat1899: 6355
    • I axe no-more but hir abite .
    • What wol ye more? in every wyse,
    • Right as me list, I me disgyse.
    • Wel can I bere me under weed; [ ]
    • Unlyk is my word to my deed. Skeat1899: 6360
    • Thus make I in my trappis falle,
    • Thurgh my pryvileges, alle
    • That ben in Cristendom alyve.
    • I may assoile, and I may shryve,
    • That no prelat may lette me, [ ] Skeat1899: 6365
    • Al folk, wher-ever they founde be:
    • I noot no prelat may don so,
    • But it the pope be, and no mo,
    • That made thilk establisshing.
    • Now is not this a propre thing? Skeat1899: 6370
    • But, were my sleightis aperceyved,
    • [Ne shulde I more been receyved ]
    • As I was wont; and wostow why?
    • For I dide hem a tregetry; [ ]
    • But therof yeve I litel tale, Skeat1899: 6375
    • I have the silver and the male;
    • So have I preched and eek shriven ,
    • So have I take, so have [me] yiven ,
    • Thurgh hir foly, husbond and wyf, [ ]
    • That I lede right a Ioly lyf, Skeat1899: 6380
    • Thurgh simplesse of the prelacye;
    • They know not al my tregetrye.
    • ‘But for as moche as man and wyf
    • Shuld shewe hir paroche-prest hir lyf
    • Ones a yeer, as seith the book, [ ] Skeat1899: 6385
    • Er any wight his housel took,
    • Than have I pryvilegis large,
    • That may of moche thing discharge;
    • For he may seye right thus, pardee:—
    • “Sir Preest, in shrift I telle it thee, [ ] Skeat1899: 6390
    • That he, to whom that I am shriven,
    • Hath me assoiled, and me yiven
    • Penaunce soothly, for my sinne,
    • Which that I fond me gilty inne;
    • Ne I ne have never entencioun Skeat1899: 6395
    • To make double confessioun,
    • Ne reherce eft my shrift to thee;
    • O shrift is right y-nough to me. [ ]
    • This oughte thee suffyce wel,
    • Ne be not rebel never-a-del; Skeat1899: 6400
    • For certis, though thou haddest it sworn,
    • I wot no prest ne prelat born
    • That may to shrift eft me constreyne.
    • And if they don, I wol me pleyne;
    • For I wot where to pleyne wel. Skeat1899: 6405
    • Thou shalt not streyne me a del,
    • Ne enforce me, ne [yit] me trouble,
    • To make my confessioun double.
    • Ne I have none affeccioun
    • To have double absolucioun. Skeat1899: 6410
    • The firste is right y-nough to me;
    • This latter assoiling quyte I thee.
    • I am unbounde; what mayst thou finde
    • More of my sinnes me to unbinde?
    • For he, that might hath in his hond, Skeat1899: 6415
    • Of alle my sinnes me unbond.
    • And if thou wolt me thus constreyne,
    • That me mot nedis on thee pleyne, [ ]
    • There shal no Iugge imperial,
    • Ne bisshop, ne official, Skeat1899: 6420
    • Don Iugement on me; for I
    • Shal gon and pleyne me openly
    • Unto my shrift-fadir newe, [ ]
    • (That hight not Frere Wolf untrewe!) [ ]
    • And he shal chevise him for me, [ ] Skeat1899: 6425
    • For I trowe he can hampre thee.
    • But, lord! he wolde be wrooth withalle,
    • If men him wolde Frere Wolf calle!
    • For he wolde have no pacience,
    • But don al cruel vengeaunce! Skeat1899: 6430
    • He wolde his might don at the leest,
    • [Ne] no-thing spare for goddis heest.
    • And, god so wis be my socour,
    • But thou yeve me my Saviour [ ]
    • At Ester, whan it lyketh me, Skeat1899: 6435
    • Withoute presing more on thee,
    • I wol forth, and to him goon,
    • And he shal housel me anoon,
    • For I am out of thy grucching;
    • I kepe not dele with thee nothing.” Skeat1899: 6440
    • Thus may he shryve him, that forsaketh
    • His paroche-prest, and to me taketh.
    • And if the prest wol him refuse,
    • I am ful redy him to accuse,
    • And him punisshe and hampre so, Skeat1899: 6445
    • That he his chirche shal forgo.
    • ‘But who-so hath in his feling
    • The consequence of such shryving,
    • Shal seen that prest may never have might [ ]
    • To knowe the conscience a-right Skeat1899: 6450
    • Of him that is under his cure.
    • And this ageyns holy scripture, [ ]
    • That biddeth every herde honeste
    • Have verry knowing of his beste . [ ]
    • But pore folk that goon by strete, Skeat1899: 6455
    • That have no gold, ne sommes grete,
    • Hem wolde I lete to her prelates,
    • Or lete hir prestis knowe hir states,
    • For to me right nought yeve they.’
Amour.
    • ‘And why is it?’
    • 6460. Both it is; F. Porquoi.

F. Sem.
    • ‘For they ne may. Skeat1899: 6460
    • They ben so bare, I take no keep;
    • But I wol have the fatte sheep;—
    • Lat parish prestis have the lene,
    • I yeve not of hir harm a bene! [ ]
    • And if that prelats grucchen it, Skeat1899: 6465
    • That oughten wroth be in hir wit,
    • To lese her fatte bestes so,
    • I shal yeve hem a stroke or two,
    • That they shal lesen with [the] force, [ ]
    • Ye , bothe hir mytre and hir croce. Skeat1899: 6470
    • Thus Iape I hem, and have do longe,
    • My priveleges been so stronge.’
    • Fals-Semblant wolde have stinted here,
    • But Love ne made him no such chere
    • That he was wery of his sawe; Skeat1899: 6475
    • But for to make him glad and fawe,
    • He seide:—‘Tel on more specialy,
    • How that thou servest untrewly.
    • Tel forth, and shame thee never a del;
    • For as thyn abit shewith wel, Skeat1899: 6480
    • Thou [semest] an holy heremyte.’
F. Sem.
Amour.
  • ‘Thou gost and prechest povertee?’
F. Sem.
  • Ye , sir; but richesse hath poustee.’
Amour.
  • ‘Thou prechest abstinence also?’ Skeat1899: 6485
F. Sem.
    • ‘Sir, I wol fillen, so mote I go,
    • My paunche of gode mete and wyne,
    • As shulde a maister of divyne;
    • For how that I me pover feyne,
    • Yit alle pore folk I disdeyne. Skeat1899: 6490
    • ‘I love bet the acqueyntaunce [ ]
    • Ten tymes , of the king of Fraunce,
    • Than of pore man of mylde mode,
    • Though that his soule be also gode.
    • For whan I see beggers quaking, Skeat1899: 6495
    • Naked on mixens al stinking,
    • For hungre crye, and eek for care,
    • I entremete not of hir fare.
    • They been so pore, and ful of pyne,
    • They might not ones yeve me dyne , [ ] Skeat1899: 6500
    • For they have no-thing but hir lyf;
    • What shulde he yeve that likketh his knyf?
    • It is but foly to entremete,
    • To seke in houndes nest fat mete.
    • Let bere hem to the spitel anoon, Skeat1899: 6505
    • But, for me, comfort gete they noon.
    • But a riche sike usurere
    • Wolde I visyte and drawe nere;
    • Him wol I comforte and rehete,
    • For I hope of his gold to gete. Skeat1899: 6510
    • And if that wikked deth him have,
    • I wol go with him to his grave.
    • And if ther any reprove me,
    • Why that I lete the pore be,
    • Wostow how I [mot] ascape? Skeat1899: 6515
    • I sey, and swerë him ful rape,
    • That riche men han more tecches
    • Of sinne, than han pore wrecches,
    • And han of counseil more mister;
    • And therfore I wol drawe hem ner. Skeat1899: 6520
    • But as gret hurt, it may so be,
    • Hath soule in right gret poverte,
    • As soul in gret richesse, forsothe,
    • Al-be-it that they hurten bothe.
    • For richesse and mendicitees Skeat1899: 6525
    • Ben cleped two extremitees;
    • The mene is cleped suffisaunce,
    • Ther lyth of vertu the aboundaunce.
    • For Salamon, ful wel I woot,
    • In his Parables us wroot, Skeat1899: 6530
    • As it is knowe of many a wight,
    • In his [thrittethe] chapitre right: [ ]
    • “God, thou me kepe, for thy poustee,
    • Fro richesse and mendicitee;
    • For if a riche man him dresse Skeat1899: 6535
    • To thenke to moche on [his] richesse,
    • His herte on that so fer is set,
    • That he his creatour foryet;
    • And him, that [begging] wol ay greve,
    • How shulde I by his word him leve? Skeat1899: 6540
    • Unnethe that he nis a micher, [ ]
    • Forsworn, or elles [god is] lyer.”
    • Thus seith Salamones sawes;
    • Ne we finde writen in no lawes,
    • And namely in our Cristen lay— Skeat1899: 6545
    • (Who seith “ ye ,” I dar sey “nay”)—
    • That Crist, ne his apostlis dere,
    • Whyl that they walkede in erthe here,
    • Were never seen her bred begging,
    • For they nolde beggen for nothing. Skeat1899: 6550
    • 6551. G. was.

    • And right thus were men wont to teche;
    • And in this wyse wolde it preche
    • The maistres of divinitee
    • Somtyme in Paris the citee.
    • ‘And if men wolde ther-geyn appose Skeat1899: 6555
    • The naked text, and lete the glose, [ ]
    • It mighte sone assoiled be;
    • For men may wel the sothe see,
    • That, parde, they mighte axe a thing
    • Pleynly forth, without begging. Skeat1899: 6560
    • For they weren goddis herdis dere,
    • And cure of soules hadden here,
    • They nolde no-thing begge hir fode;
    • For aftir Crist was don on rode,
    • With [hir] propre hondis they wrought, Skeat1899: 6565
    • And with travel, and elles nought,
    • They wonnen al hir sustenaunce,
    • And liveden forth in hir penaunce,
    • And the remenaunt [yeve] awey
    • To other pore folk alwey. Skeat1899: 6570
    • They neither bilden tour ne halle, [ ]
    • But [leye] in houses smale withalle.
    • A mighty man, that can and may,
    • Shulde with his honde and body alway
    • Winne him his food in laboring, Skeat1899: 6575
    • If he ne have rent or sich a thing,
    • Although he be religious,
    • And god to serven curious.
    • Thus mote he don, or do trespas,
    • But-if it be in certeyn cas, Skeat1899: 6580
    • That I can reherce, if mister be,
    • Right wel, whan the tyme I see.
    • ‘Seke the book of Seynt Austin,
    • Be it in paper or perchemin, [ ]
    • There-as he writ of these worchinges, [ ] Skeat1899: 6585
    • Thou shalt seen that non excusinges
    • A parfit man ne shulde seke
    • By wordis, ne by dedis eke,
    • Although he be religious,
    • And god to serven curious, Skeat1899: 6590
    • That he ne shal, so mote I go,
    • With propre hondis and body also,
    • Gete his food in laboring,
    • If he ne have propretee of thing.
    • Yit shulde he selle al his substaunce, Skeat1899: 6595
    • And with his swink have sustenaunce,
    • If he be parfit in bountee.
    • Thus han tho bookes tolde me:
    • For he that wol gon ydilly,
    • And useth it ay besily Skeat1899: 6600
    • To haunten other mennes table,
    • He is a trechour, ful of fable;
    • Ne he ne may, by gode resoun,
    • Excuse him by his orisoun.
    • For men bihoveth, in som gyse, Skeat1899: 6605
    • Som-tyme [leven] goddes servyse
    • To gon and purchasen her nede.
    • Men mote eten, that is no drede,
    • And slepe, and eek do other thing;
    • So longe may they leve praying. Skeat1899: 6610
    • So may they eek hir prayer blinne,
    • While that they werke, hir mete to winne.
    • Seynt Austin wol therto accorde,
    • In thilke book that I recorde.
    • Justinian eek, that made lawes, [ ] Skeat1899: 6615
    • Hath thus forboden, by olde dawes,
    • “No man, up peyne to be deed,
    • Mighty of body, to begge his breed,
    • If he may swinke, it for to gete;
    • Men shulde him rather mayme or bete, Skeat1899: 6620
    • Or doon of him apert Iustice,
    • Than suffren him in such malice.”
    • They don not wel, so mote I go,
    • That taken such almesse so,
    • But if they have som privelege, Skeat1899: 6625
    • That of the peyne hem wol allege.
    • But how that is, can I not see,
    • But-if the prince disseyved be;
    • Ne I ne wene not, sikerly,
    • That they may have it rightfully. Skeat1899: 6630
    • But I wol not determyne
    • Of princes power, ne defyne,
    • Ne by my word comprende, y-wis,
    • If it so fer may strecche in this.
    • I wol not entremete a del; Skeat1899: 6635
    • But I trowe that the book seith wel, [ ]
    • Who that taketh almesses, that be
    • Dewe to folk that men may see
    • Lame, feble, wery, and bare,
    • Pore, or in such maner care, Skeat1899: 6640
    • (That conne winne hem nevermo,
    • For they have no power therto),
    • He eteth his owne dampning,
    • But-if he lye, that made al thing.
    • And if ye such a truaunt finde, [ ] Skeat1899: 6645
    • Chastise him wel, if ye be kinde.
    • But they wolde hate you, percas,
    • And, if ye fillen in hir laas,
    • They wolde eftsones do you scathe,
    • If that they mighte , late or rathe; Skeat1899: 6650
    • For they be not ful pacient,
    • That han the world thus foule blent.
    • And witeth wel, [wher] that god bad [ ]
    • The good man selle al that he had,
    • And folowe him, and to pore it yive , Skeat1899: 6655
    • He wolde not therfore that he live
    • To serven him in mendience,
    • For it was never his sentence;
    • But he bad wirken whan that nede is,
    • And folwe him in goode dedis. Skeat1899: 6660
    • Seynt Poule, that loved al holy chirche,
    • He bade thapostles for to wirche,
    • And winnen hir lyflode in that wyse,
    • And hem defended truaundyse,
    • And seide, “Wirketh with your honden;” [ ] Skeat1899: 6665
    • Thus shulde the thing be undirstonden.
    • He nolde, y-wis, bidde hem begging,
    • Ne sellen gospel, ne preching,
    • Lest they berafte, with hir asking,
    • Folk of hir catel or of hir thing. Skeat1899: 6670
    • For in this world is many a man
    • That yeveth his good, for he ne can
    • Werne it for shame, or elles he
    • Wolde of the asker delivered be;
    • And, for he him encombreth so, Skeat1899: 6675
    • He yeveth him good to late him go:
    • But it can him no-thing profyte,
    • They lese the yift and the meryte.
    • The goode folk, that Poule to preched,
    • Profred him ofte, whan he hem teched, Skeat1899: 6680
    • Som of hir good in charite;
    • But therof right no-thing took he; [ ]
    • But of his hondwerk wolde he gete
    • Clothes to wryen him, and his mete.’
Amour.
  • ‘Tel me than how a man may liven, Skeat1899: 6685
  • That al his good to pore hath yiven,
  • And wol but only bidde his bedis,
  • And never with honde laboure his nedis:
  • May he do so?’
F. Sem.
  • ‘Ye, sir.’
Amour.
  • ‘And how?’
F. Sem.
    • ‘Sir, I wol gladly telle yow:— Skeat1899: 6690
    • Seynt Austin seith, a man may be [ ]
    • In houses that han propretee,
    • As templers and hospitelers, [ ]
    • And as these chanouns regulers, [ ]
    • Or whyte monkes, or these blake— [ ] Skeat1899: 6695
    • (I wole no mo ensamplis make)—
    • And take thereof his sustening,
    • For therinne lyth no begging;
    • But other-weyes not, y-wis,
    • [If] Austin gabbeth not of this. Skeat1899: 6700
    • And yit ful many a monk laboureth,
    • That god in holy chirche honoureth;
    • For whan hir swinking is agoon,
    • They rede and singe in chirche anoon.
    • ‘And for ther hath ben greet discord, Skeat1899: 6705
    • As many a wight may bere record,
    • Upon the estate of mendience ,
    • I wol shortly, in your presence,
    • Telle how a man may begge at nede,
    • That hath not wherwith him to fede, Skeat1899: 6710
    • Maugre his felones Iangelinges,
    • For sothfastnesse wol non hidinges;
    • And yit, percas, I may abey, [ ]
    • That I to yow sothly thus sey.
    • ‘Lo, here the caas especial: Skeat1899: 6715
    • If a man be so bestial
    • That he of no craft hath science,
    • And nought desyreth ignorence,
    • Than may he go a-begging yerne,
    • Til he som maner craft can lerne, Skeat1899: 6720
    • Thurgh which, withoute truaunding,
    • He may in trouthe have his living.
    • Or if he may don no labour,
    • For elde, or syknesse, or langour,
    • Or for his tendre age also, Skeat1899: 6725
    • Than may he yit a-begging go.
    • ‘Or if he have, peraventure,
    • Thurgh usage of his noriture ,
    • Lived over deliciously,
    • Than oughten good folk comunly Skeat1899: 6730
    • Han of his mischeef som pitee,
    • And suffren him also, that he
    • May gon aboute and begge his breed,
    • That he be not for hungur deed.
    • Or if he have of craft cunning, Skeat1899: 6735
    • And strengthe also, and desiring
    • To wirken, as he hadde what,
    • But he finde neither this ne that,
    • Than may he begge, til that he
    • Have geten his necessitee. Skeat1899: 6740
    • ‘Or if his winning be so lyte,
    • That his labour wol not acquyte
    • Sufficiantly al his living,
    • Yit may he go his breed begging;
    • Fro dore to dore he may go trace, Skeat1899: 6745
    • Til he the remenaunt may purchace.
    • Or if a man wolde undirtake
    • Any empryse for to make,
    • In the rescous of our lay, [ ]
    • And it defenden as he may, Skeat1899: 6750
    • Be it with armes or lettrure,
    • Or other covenable cure,
    • If it be so e pore be,
    • Than may he begge, til that he
    • May finde in trouthe for to swinke, Skeat1899: 6755
    • And gete him clothes , mete, and drinke.
    • Swinke he with hondis corporel,
    • And not with hondis espirituel.
    • ‘In al thise caas, and in semblables,
    • If that ther ben mo resonables, Skeat1899: 6760
    • He may begge, as I telle you here,
    • And elles nought, in no manere;
    • As William Seynt Amour wolde preche, [ ]
    • And ofte wolde dispute and teche
    • Of this matere alle openly Skeat1899: 6765
    • At Paris ful solempnely ,
    • And al-so god my soule blesse,
    • As he had, in this stedfastnesse,
    • The accord of the universitee,
    • And of the puple, as semeth me. Skeat1899: 6770
    • ‘No good man oughte it to refuse,
    • Ne oughte him therof to excuse,
    • Be wrooth or blythe who-so be;
    • For I wol speke, and telle it thee,
    • Al shulde I dye, and be put doun, Skeat1899: 6775
    • As was seynt Poul, in derk prisoun;
    • Or be exiled in this caas
    • With wrong, as maister William was,
    • That my moder Ypocrisye
    • Banisshed for hir greet envye. Skeat1899: 6780
    • ‘My moder flemed him, Seynt Amour:
    • This noble dide such labour [ ]
    • To susteyne ever the loyaltee,
    • That he to moche agilte- me.
    • He made a book, and leet it wryte, Skeat1899: 6785
    • 6786. So Th. ; G. Of thyngis that he beste myghte ( in late hand ).

    • Wherin his lyf he dide al wryte,
    • And wolde ich reneyed begging, [ ]
    • And lived by my traveyling,
    • If I ne had rent ne other good.
    • What? wened he that I were wood? Skeat1899: 6790
    • For labour might me never plese,
    • I have more wil to been at ese;
    • And have wel lever, sooth to sey,
    • Bifore the puple patre and prey,
    • And wrye me in my foxerye Skeat1899: 6795
    • Under a cope of papelardye.’ [ ]
    • Quod Love, ‘What devel is this I here?
    • What wordis tellest thou me here?’