Chapter 21

P. i. 1i.Torpor, ebes sensus, scola parua labor minimusqueCausant quo minimus ipse minora canam:Qua tamen Engisti lingua canit Insula BrutiAnglica Carmente metra iuuante loquar.Ossibus ergo carens que conterit ossa loquelisAbsit, et interpres stet procul oro malus.Incipit PrologusOf hem that writen ous toforeThe bokes duelle, and we therforeBen tawht of that was write tho:Forthi good is that we alsoIn oure tyme among ous hiere24Do wryte of newe som matiere,25Essampled of these olde wyse26So that it myhte in such a wyse,27[Design of the Book.]Whan we ben dede and elleswhere,Beleve to the worldes eere10In tyme comende after this.Bot for men sein, and soth it is,That who that al of wisdom writIt dulleth ofte a mannes witP. i. 2To him that schal it aldai rede,28For thilke cause, if that ye rede,I wolde go the middel weieAnd wryte a bok betwen the tweie,Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore,That of the lasse or of the more20Som man mai lyke of that I wryte:And for that fewe men enditeHic in principio declarat qualiter in anno Regis Ricardi secundi sexto decimo Iohannes Gower presentem libellum composuit et finaliter compleuit, quem strenuissimo domino suo domino Henrico de Lancastria tunc Derbeie Comiti cum omni reuerencia specialiter destinauit.In oure englissh, I thenke make29*A bok for Engelondes sake,30P. i. 3The yer sextenthe of kyng Richard.What schal befalle hierafterwardGod wot, for now upon this tydeMen se the world on every syde31In sondry wyse so diversed,32That it welnyh stant al reversed,30As forto speke of tyme ago.The cause whi it changeth soIt needeth nought to specifie,33The thing so open is at ÿeP. i. 4That every man it mai beholde:And natheles be daies olde,Whan that the bokes weren levere,Wrytinge was beloved evere34Of hem that weren vertuous;For hier in erthe amonges ous,40If noman write hou that it stode,35The pris of hem that weren goodeScholde, as who seith, a gret partieBe lost: so for to magnifieThe worthi princes that tho were,The bokes schewen hiere and there,36Wherof the world ensampled is;37And tho that deden thanne amisP. i. 5Thurgh tirannie and crualte,38Right as thei stoden in degre,50So was the wrytinge of here werk.39Thus I, which am a burel clerk,40Purpose forto wryte a bokAfter the world that whilom tokLong tyme in olde daies passed:Bot for men sein it is now lassed,In worse plit than it was tho,I thenke forto touche alsoThe world which neweth every dai,So as I can, so as I mai.60Thogh I seknesse have upon hondeAnd longe have had, yit woll I fondeTo wryte and do my bisinesse,41That in som part, so as I gesse,The wyse man mai ben avised.For this prologe is so assisedThat it to wisdom al belongeth:What wysman that it underfongeth,42He schal drawe into remembranceThe fortune of this worldes chance,70The which noman in his persone43Mai knowe, bot the god al one.44Whan the prologe is so despended,This bok schal afterward ben endedOf love, which doth many a wonder45And many a wys man hath put under.46And in this wyse I thenke treteTowardes hem that now be grete,P. i. 6Betwen the vertu and the viceWhich longeth unto this office.4780[Dedication.]Bot for my wittes ben to smaleTo tellen every man his tale,This bok, upon amendmentTo stonde at his commandement,With whom myn herte is of accord,I sende unto myn oghne lord,Which of Lancastre is Henri named:The hyhe god him hath proclamedFul of knyhthode and alle grace.So woll I now this werk embrace90With hol trust and with hol believe;God grante I mot it wel achieve.*48A bok for king Richardes sake,49To whom belongeth my ligeance50With al myn hertes obeissanceIn al that evere a liege man51Unto his king may doon or can:So ferforth I me recomande52To him which al me may comande,30*Preyende unto the hihe regne53Which causeth every king to regne,That his corone longe stonde.Hic declarat in primis qualiter ob reuerenciam serenissimi principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi55totus suus humilis Iohannes Gower, licet graui infirmitate a diu multipliciter fatigatus, huius opusculi labores suscipere non recusauit, set59tanquam fauum ex variis floribus recollectum, presentem libellum ex variis cronicis, historiis,62poetarum philosophorumque dictis, quatenus sibi infirmitas permisit, studiosissime compilauit.I thenke and have it understonde,As it bifel upon a tyde,As thing which scholde tho betyde,—54Under the toun of newe Troye,Which tok of Brut his ferste joye,56In Temse whan it was flowende57As I be bote cam rowende,5840*So as fortune hir tyme sette,My liege lord par chaunce I mette;And so befel,60as I cam nyh,61Out of my bot, whan he me syh,He bad me come in to his barge.And whan I was with him at large,Amonges othre thinges seid63He hath this charge upon me leid,64And bad me doo my besynesse65That to his hihe worthinesse50*Som newe thing I scholde boke,66That he himself it mihte loke67After the forme of my writynge.68And thus upon his comandyngeMyn herte is wel the more glad69To write so as he me bad;And eek my fere is wel the lasseThat non envye schal compasseWithoute a resonable wite70To feyne and blame that I write.60*A gentil herte his tunge stilleth,That it malice non distilleth,71But preyseth that is to be preised;But he that hath his word unpeysedAnd handleth every thing,72I preye un to the hevene king73Fro suche tunges he me schilde.And natheles this world is wildeOf such jangling, and what befalle,74My kinges heste schal nought falle,70*That I, in hope to deserveHis thonk, ne schal his wil observe;And elles were I nought excused,For that thing may nought be refusedWhich that a king himselve bit.75Forthi the symplesce of my wit76I thenke if that it myhte avayle77In his service to travaile:78Though I seknesse have upon honde,And longe have had, yit wol I fonde,7980*So as I made my beheste,80To make a bok after his heste,81And write in such a maner wise,Which may be wisdom to the wiseAnd pley to hem that lust to pleye.But in proverbe I have herd seyeThat who that wel his werk begynneth82The rather a good ende he wynneth;And thus the prologe of my bok83After the world that whilom tok,90*And eek somdel after the newe,I wol begynne84for to newe.85[The former Time better than this.]ii.Tempus preteritum presens fortuna beatumLinquit, et antiquas vertit in orbe vias.86Progenuit veterem concors dileccio pacem,Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat:Legibus vnicolor tunc temporis aura refulsit,Iusticie plane tuncque fuere vie.87Nuncque latens odium vultum depingit amoris,Paceque sub ficta tempus ad arma tegit;88Instar et ex variis mutabile CameliontisLex gerit, et regnis sunt noua iura nouis:(10)[Temporal Rulers.]Climata que fuerant solidissima sicque per orbemSoluuntur, nec eo centra quietis habent.If I schal drawe in to my myndeDe statu regnorum, vt dicunt, secundum temporalia, videlicet tempore regis Ricardi secundi anno regni sui sexto decimo.89The tyme passed, thanne I fyndeThe world stod thanne in al his welthe:Tho was the lif of man in helthe,Tho was plente, tho was richesse,Tho was the fortune of prouesse,Tho was knyhthode in pris be name,Wherof the wyde worldes fame100P. i. 7Write in Cronique is yit withholde;Justice of lawe tho was holde,The privilege of regalieWas sauf, and al the baronieWorschiped was in his astat;The citees knewen no debat,The poeple stod in obeissanceUnder the reule of governance,And pes, which ryhtwisnesse keste,90With charite tho stod in reste:110Of mannes herte the corageWas schewed thanne in the visage;The word was lich to the conceite91Withoute semblant of deceite:Tho was ther unenvied love,92Tho was the vertu sett aboveAnd vice was put under fote.Now stant the crop under the rote,The world is changed overal,And therof most in special120That love is falle into discord.And that I take to recordOf every lond for his partieThe comun vois, which mai noght lie;93Noght upon on, bot upon alleIt is that men now clepe and calle,And sein the regnes ben divided,94In stede of love is hate guided,The werre wol no pes purchace,And lawe hath take hire double face,130P. i. 8So that justice out of the weieWith ryhtwisnesse is gon aweie:And thus to loke on every halve,Men sen the sor withoute salve,Which al the world hath overtake.Ther is no regne of alle outtake,For every climat hath his dielAfter the tornynge of the whiel,Which blinde fortune overthroweth;Wherof the certain noman knoweth:140The hevene wot what is to done,Bot we that duelle under the moneStonde in this world upon a weer,95And namely bot the pouer96Of hem that ben the worldes guidesWith good consail on alle sidesBe kept upriht in such a wyse,97That hate breke noght thassiseOf love, which is al the chief98To kepe a regne out of meschief.150For alle resoun wolde this,Apostolus. Regem honorificate.That unto him which the heved isThe membres buxom scholden bowe,And he scholde ek her trowthe allowe,With al his herte and make hem chiere,99Salomon. Omnia fac cum consilio.For good consail is good to hiere.Althogh a man be wys himselve,100Yit is the wisdom more of tuelve;And if thei stoden bothe in on,101To hope it were thanne anon160P. i. 9That god his grace wolde sendeTo make of thilke werre an ende,Which every day now groweth newe:And that is gretly forto reweIn special for Cristes sake,Which wolde his oghne lif forsakeAmong the men to yeve pes.But now men tellen nathelesThat love is fro the world departed,102So stant the pes unevene parted170With hem that liven now adaies.Bot forto loke at alle assaies,To him that wolde resoun secheAfter the comun worldes specheIt is to wondre of thilke werre,In which non wot who hath the werre;For every lond himself deceyvethAnd of desese his part receyveth,And yet ne take men no kepe.Bot thilke lord which al may kepe,180To whom no consail may ben hid,Upon the world which is betid,Amende that wherof men pleigneWith trewe hertes and with pleine,And reconcile love ayeyn,As he which is king sovereignOf al the worldes governaunce,And of his hyhe porveaunceAfferme pes betwen the londesAnd take her cause into hise hondes,190P. i. 10So that the world may stonde appesedAnd his godhede also be plesed.[The Church.]iii.Quas coluit Moises vetus aut nouus ipse Iohannes,Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies.Sic prius ecclesia bina virtute politaNunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via.Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro resumensHorruit ad Cristi verba cruoris iter;Nunc tamen assiduo gladium de sanguine tinctumVibrat auaricia, lege tepente sacra.103Sic lupus est pastor, pater hostis, mors miserator,Predoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor.104(10)To thenke upon the daies olde,De statu cleri, vt dicunt, secundum spiritualia, videlicet tempore Roberti Gibbonensis, qui nomen Clementis sibi sortitus est, tunc antipape.105The lif of clerkes to beholde,Men sein how that thei weren thoEnsample and reule of alle thoWhiche of wisdom the vertu soughten.Unto the god ferst thei besoughtenAs to the substaunce of her Scole,That thei ne scholden noght befole200Her wit upon none erthly werkes,106Which were ayein thestat of clerkes,And that thei myhten fle the viceWhich Simon hath in his office,Wherof he takth the gold in honde.107For thilke tyme I understondeThe Lumbard made non eschangeThe bisschopriches forto change,Ne yet a lettre for to sendeFor dignite ne for Provende,108210Or cured or withoute cure.The cherche keye in aventureP. i. 11Of armes and of brygantailleStod nothing thanne upon bataille;To fyhte or for to make cheste109It thoghte hem thanne noght honeste;Bot of simplesce and pacienceThei maden thanne no defence:The Court of worldly regalie110To hem was thanne no baillie;220The vein honour was noght desired,Which hath the proude herte fyred;Humilite was tho withholde,And Pride was a vice holde.Of holy cherche the largesseYaf thanne and dede gret almesseTo povere men that hadden nede:Thei were ek chaste in word and dede,Wherof the poeple ensample tok;Her lust was al upon the bok,230Or forto preche or forto preie,To wisse men the ryhte weieOf suche as stode of trowthe unliered.Lo, thus was Petres barge stiered111Of hem that thilke tyme were,And thus cam ferst to mannes EreThe feith of Crist and alle goodeThurgh hem that thanne weren goodeAnd sobre and chaste and large and wyse.Bot now men sein is otherwise,240Simon the cause hath undertake,The worldes swerd on honde is take;P. i. 12And that is wonder natheles,Whan Crist him self hath bode pesAnd set it in his testament,How now that holy cherche is went,Of that here lawe positifHath set to make werre and strifFor worldes good, which may noght laste.112God wot the cause to the laste250Of every right and wrong also;But whil the lawe is reuled soThat clerkes to the werre entende,I not how that thei scholde amendeThe woful world in othre thinges,To make pes betwen the kyngesAfter the lawe of charite,Which is the propre dueteBelongende unto the presthode.Bot as it thenkth to the manhode,113260The hevene is ferr, the world is nyh,And veine gloire is ek so slyh,Which coveitise hath now withholde,That thei non other thing beholde,Bot only that thei myhten winne.And thus the werres thei beginne,Wherof the holi cherche is taxed,114That in the point as it is axedThe disme goth to the bataille,As thogh Crist myhte noght availe270To don hem riht be other weie.In to the swerd the cherche keieP. i. 13Is torned, and the holy bedeInto cursinge, and every stedeWhich scholde stonde upon the feithAnd to this cause an Ere leyth,Astoned is of the querele.That scholde be the worldes heleIs now, men sein, the pestilenceWhich hath exiled pacience115280Fro the clergie in special:And that is schewed overal,In eny thing whan thei ben grieved.Bot if Gregoire be believed,As it is in the bokes write,He doth ous somdel forto witeThe cause of thilke prelacie,Wher god is noght of compaignie:For every werk as it is foundedSchal stonde or elles be confounded;290Who that only for Cristes sakeDesireth cure forto take,And noght for pride of thilke astat,To bere a name of a prelat,He schal be resoun do profitIn holy cherche upon the plitThat he hath set his conscience;Gregorius. Terrenis lucris inhiant, honore prelacie gaudent, et non vt prosint, set vt presint, episcopatum desiderant.Bot in the worldes reverenceTher ben of suche manie glade,Whan thei to thilke astat ben made,300Noght for the merite of the charge,Bot for thei wolde hemself deschargeP. i. 14Of poverte and become grete;And thus for Pompe and for beyeteThe Scribe and ek the PhariseeOf Moïses upon the SeeIn the chaiere on hyh ben set;Wherof the feith is ofte let,Which is betaken hem to kepe.In Cristes cause alday thei slepe,310Bot of the world is noght foryete;For wel is him that now may geteOffice in Court to ben honoured.The stronge coffre hath al devouredUnder the keye of avariceThe tresor of the benefice,Wherof the povere schulden clothe116And ete and drinke and house bothe;The charite goth al unknowe,For thei no grein of Pite sowe:320And slouthe kepeth the libraire117Which longeth to the Saintuaire;To studie upon the worldes loreSufficeth now withoute more;Delicacie his swete tothHath fostred so that it fordothOf abstinence al that ther is.And forto loken over this,If Ethna brenne in the clergie,Al openly to mannes ÿe330At Avynoun thexperience118Therof hath yove an evidence,P. i. 15Of that men sen hem so divided.And yit the cause is noght decided;Bot it is seid and evere schal,Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal,119Whan that men wenen best to sitte:In holy cherche of such a slitte120Is for to rewe un to ous alle;God grante it mote wel befalle340Towardes him which hath the trowthe.121Bot ofte is sen that mochel slowthe,Whan men ben drunken of the cuppe,Doth mochel harm, whan fyr is uppe,Bot if somwho the flamme stanche;And so to speke upon this branche,Which proud Envie hath mad to springe,122Of Scisme, causeth forto bringeThisnewe Secte of Lollardie,And also many an heresie350Among the clerkes in hemselve.It were betre dike and delveAnd stonde upon the ryhte feith,Than knowe al that the bible seith123And erre as somme clerkes do.Upon the hond to were a SchooAnd sette upon the fot a GloveAcordeth noght to the behoveOf resonable mannes us:If men behielden the vertus360That Crist in Erthe taghte here,Thei scholden noght in such manere,P. i. 16Among hem that ben holden wise,The Papacie so desguiseUpon diverse eleccioun,Which stant after thaffecciounOf sondry londes al aboute:Bot whan god wole, it schal were oute,For trowthe mot stonde ate laste.Bot yet thei argumenten faste124370Upon the Pope and his astat,Wherof thei falle in gret debat;This clerk seith yee, that other nay,125And thus thei dryve forth the day,And ech of hem himself amendethOf worldes good, bot non entendethTo that which comun profit were.Thei sein that god is myhti there,And schal ordeine what he wile,Ther make thei non other skile380Where is the peril of the feith,Bot every clerk his herte leithTo kepe his world in special,And of the cause general,Which unto holy cherche longeth,Is non of hem that underfongethTo schapen eny resistence:And thus the riht hath no defence,Bot ther I love, ther I holde.Lo, thus tobroke is Cristes folde,390Wherof the flock withoute guideDevoured is on every side,P. i. 17In lacke of hem that ben unwareSchepherdes, whiche her wit bewareUpon the world in other halve.The scharpe pricke in stede of salve126Thei usen now, wherof the heleThei hurte of that thei scholden hele;And what Schep that is full of wulleUpon his back, thei toose and pulle,400Whil ther is eny thing to pile:And thogh ther be non other skileBot only for thei wolden wynne,Thei leve noght, whan thei begynne,Upon her acte to procede,Which is no good schepherdes dede.And upon this also men sein,That fro the leese which is pleinInto the breres thei forcacche127Her Orf, for that thei wolden lacche128410With such duresce, and so bereveThat schal upon the thornes leveOf wulle, which the brere hath tore;Wherof the Schep ben al totoreOf that the hierdes make hem lese.Lo, how thei feignen chalk for chese,For though thei speke and teche wel,Thei don hemself therof no del:For if the wolf come in the weie,129Her gostly Staf is thanne aweie,420Wherof thei scholde her flock defende;130Bot if the povere Schep offendeP. i. 18In eny thing, thogh it be lyte,They ben al redy forto smyte;And thus, how evere that thei tale,The strokes falle upon the smale,And upon othre that ben greteHem lacketh herte forto bete.So that under the clerkes laweMen sen the Merel al mysdrawe,430I wol noght seie in general,For ther ben somme in specialIn whom that alle vertu duelleth,Qui vocatur a deo tanquam Aaron.And tho ben, as thapostel telleth,That god of his elecciounHath cleped to perfecciounIn the manere as Aaron was:Thei ben nothing in thilke casOf Simon, which the foldes gateHath lete, and goth in othergate,440Bot thei gon in the rihte weie.Ther ben also somme, as men seie,That folwen Simon ate hieles,Whos carte goth upon the whielesOf coveitise and worldes Pride,And holy cherche goth beside,Which scheweth outward a visageOf that is noght in the corage.For if men loke in holy cherche,Betwen the word and that thei werche131450Ther is a full gret difference:Thei prechen ous in audienceP. i. 19That noman schal his soule empeire,132For al is bot a chirie feireThis worldes good, so as thei telle;Also thei sein ther is an helle,Which unto mannes sinne is due,133And bidden ous therfore eschueThat wikkid is, and do the goode.Who that here wordes understode,460It thenkth thei wolden do the same;Bot yet betwen ernest and gameFul ofte it torneth other wise.With holy tales thei deviseHow meritoire is thilke dedeOf charite, to clothe and fedeThe povere folk and forto parteThe worldes good, bot thei departeNe thenken noght fro that thei have.Also thei sein, good is to save470With penance and with abstinenceOf chastite the continence;Bot pleinly forto speke of that,I not how thilke body fat,Which thei with deynte metes kepeAnd leyn it softe forto slepe,Whan it hath elles al his wille,With chastite schal stonde stille:And natheles I can noght seie,In aunter if that I misseye.480Touchende of this, how evere it stonde,I here and wol noght understonde,P. i. 20For therof have I noght to done:Bot he that made ferst the Mone,The hyhe god, of his goodnesse,If ther be cause, he it redresce.134Bot what as eny man accuse,135This mai reson of trowthe excuse;The vice of hem that ben ungoodeIs no reproef unto the goode:490For every man hise oghne werkesSchal bere, and thus as of the clerkesThe goode men ben to comende,And alle these othre god amende:For thei ben to the worldes ÿe136The Mirour of ensamplerie,To reulen and to taken hiedeBetwen the men and the godhiede.

P. i. 1

i.Torpor, ebes sensus, scola parua labor minimusqueCausant quo minimus ipse minora canam:Qua tamen Engisti lingua canit Insula BrutiAnglica Carmente metra iuuante loquar.Ossibus ergo carens que conterit ossa loquelisAbsit, et interpres stet procul oro malus.

i.Torpor, ebes sensus, scola parua labor minimusque

Causant quo minimus ipse minora canam:

Qua tamen Engisti lingua canit Insula Bruti

Anglica Carmente metra iuuante loquar.

Ossibus ergo carens que conterit ossa loquelis

Absit, et interpres stet procul oro malus.

Incipit Prologus

Of hem that writen ous toforeThe bokes duelle, and we therforeBen tawht of that was write tho:Forthi good is that we alsoIn oure tyme among ous hiere24Do wryte of newe som matiere,25Essampled of these olde wyse26So that it myhte in such a wyse,27

Of hem that writen ous tofore

The bokes duelle, and we therfore

Ben tawht of that was write tho:

Forthi good is that we also

In oure tyme among ous hiere24

Do wryte of newe som matiere,25

Essampled of these olde wyse26

So that it myhte in such a wyse,27

[Design of the Book.]Whan we ben dede and elleswhere,Beleve to the worldes eere10In tyme comende after this.Bot for men sein, and soth it is,That who that al of wisdom writIt dulleth ofte a mannes witP. i. 2To him that schal it aldai rede,28For thilke cause, if that ye rede,I wolde go the middel weieAnd wryte a bok betwen the tweie,Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore,That of the lasse or of the more20Som man mai lyke of that I wryte:And for that fewe men enditeHic in principio declarat qualiter in anno Regis Ricardi secundi sexto decimo Iohannes Gower presentem libellum composuit et finaliter compleuit, quem strenuissimo domino suo domino Henrico de Lancastria tunc Derbeie Comiti cum omni reuerencia specialiter destinauit.In oure englissh, I thenke make29*A bok for Engelondes sake,30P. i. 3The yer sextenthe of kyng Richard.What schal befalle hierafterwardGod wot, for now upon this tydeMen se the world on every syde31In sondry wyse so diversed,32That it welnyh stant al reversed,30As forto speke of tyme ago.The cause whi it changeth soIt needeth nought to specifie,33The thing so open is at ÿeP. i. 4That every man it mai beholde:And natheles be daies olde,Whan that the bokes weren levere,Wrytinge was beloved evere34Of hem that weren vertuous;For hier in erthe amonges ous,40If noman write hou that it stode,35The pris of hem that weren goodeScholde, as who seith, a gret partieBe lost: so for to magnifieThe worthi princes that tho were,The bokes schewen hiere and there,36Wherof the world ensampled is;37And tho that deden thanne amisP. i. 5Thurgh tirannie and crualte,38Right as thei stoden in degre,50So was the wrytinge of here werk.39Thus I, which am a burel clerk,40Purpose forto wryte a bokAfter the world that whilom tokLong tyme in olde daies passed:Bot for men sein it is now lassed,In worse plit than it was tho,I thenke forto touche alsoThe world which neweth every dai,So as I can, so as I mai.60Thogh I seknesse have upon hondeAnd longe have had, yit woll I fondeTo wryte and do my bisinesse,41That in som part, so as I gesse,The wyse man mai ben avised.For this prologe is so assisedThat it to wisdom al belongeth:What wysman that it underfongeth,42He schal drawe into remembranceThe fortune of this worldes chance,70The which noman in his persone43Mai knowe, bot the god al one.44Whan the prologe is so despended,This bok schal afterward ben endedOf love, which doth many a wonder45And many a wys man hath put under.46And in this wyse I thenke treteTowardes hem that now be grete,P. i. 6Betwen the vertu and the viceWhich longeth unto this office.4780[Dedication.]Bot for my wittes ben to smaleTo tellen every man his tale,This bok, upon amendmentTo stonde at his commandement,With whom myn herte is of accord,I sende unto myn oghne lord,Which of Lancastre is Henri named:The hyhe god him hath proclamedFul of knyhthode and alle grace.So woll I now this werk embrace90With hol trust and with hol believe;God grante I mot it wel achieve.

[Design of the Book.]

Whan we ben dede and elleswhere,

Beleve to the worldes eere10

In tyme comende after this.

Bot for men sein, and soth it is,

That who that al of wisdom writ

It dulleth ofte a mannes wit

P. i. 2

To him that schal it aldai rede,28

For thilke cause, if that ye rede,

I wolde go the middel weie

And wryte a bok betwen the tweie,

Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore,

That of the lasse or of the more20

Som man mai lyke of that I wryte:

And for that fewe men endite

Hic in principio declarat qualiter in anno Regis Ricardi secundi sexto decimo Iohannes Gower presentem libellum composuit et finaliter compleuit, quem strenuissimo domino suo domino Henrico de Lancastria tunc Derbeie Comiti cum omni reuerencia specialiter destinauit.

In oure englissh, I thenke make29

*A bok for Engelondes sake,30

P. i. 3

The yer sextenthe of kyng Richard.

What schal befalle hierafterward

God wot, for now upon this tyde

Men se the world on every syde31

In sondry wyse so diversed,32

That it welnyh stant al reversed,30

As forto speke of tyme ago.

The cause whi it changeth so

It needeth nought to specifie,33

The thing so open is at ÿe

P. i. 4

That every man it mai beholde:

And natheles be daies olde,

Whan that the bokes weren levere,

Wrytinge was beloved evere34

Of hem that weren vertuous;

For hier in erthe amonges ous,40

If noman write hou that it stode,35

The pris of hem that weren goode

Scholde, as who seith, a gret partie

Be lost: so for to magnifie

The worthi princes that tho were,

The bokes schewen hiere and there,36

Wherof the world ensampled is;37

And tho that deden thanne amis

P. i. 5

Thurgh tirannie and crualte,38

Right as thei stoden in degre,50

So was the wrytinge of here werk.39

Thus I, which am a burel clerk,40

Purpose forto wryte a bok

After the world that whilom tok

Long tyme in olde daies passed:

Bot for men sein it is now lassed,

In worse plit than it was tho,

I thenke forto touche also

The world which neweth every dai,

So as I can, so as I mai.60

Thogh I seknesse have upon honde

And longe have had, yit woll I fonde

To wryte and do my bisinesse,41

That in som part, so as I gesse,

The wyse man mai ben avised.

For this prologe is so assised

That it to wisdom al belongeth:

What wysman that it underfongeth,42

He schal drawe into remembrance

The fortune of this worldes chance,70

The which noman in his persone43

Mai knowe, bot the god al one.44

Whan the prologe is so despended,

This bok schal afterward ben ended

Of love, which doth many a wonder45

And many a wys man hath put under.46

And in this wyse I thenke trete

Towardes hem that now be grete,

P. i. 6

Betwen the vertu and the vice

Which longeth unto this office.4780

[Dedication.]

Bot for my wittes ben to smale

To tellen every man his tale,

This bok, upon amendment

To stonde at his commandement,

With whom myn herte is of accord,

I sende unto myn oghne lord,

Which of Lancastre is Henri named:

The hyhe god him hath proclamed

Ful of knyhthode and alle grace.

So woll I now this werk embrace90

With hol trust and with hol believe;

God grante I mot it wel achieve.

*48A bok for king Richardes sake,49To whom belongeth my ligeance50With al myn hertes obeissanceIn al that evere a liege man51Unto his king may doon or can:So ferforth I me recomande52To him which al me may comande,30*Preyende unto the hihe regne53Which causeth every king to regne,That his corone longe stonde.Hic declarat in primis qualiter ob reuerenciam serenissimi principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi55totus suus humilis Iohannes Gower, licet graui infirmitate a diu multipliciter fatigatus, huius opusculi labores suscipere non recusauit, set59tanquam fauum ex variis floribus recollectum, presentem libellum ex variis cronicis, historiis,62poetarum philosophorumque dictis, quatenus sibi infirmitas permisit, studiosissime compilauit.I thenke and have it understonde,As it bifel upon a tyde,As thing which scholde tho betyde,—54Under the toun of newe Troye,Which tok of Brut his ferste joye,56In Temse whan it was flowende57As I be bote cam rowende,5840*So as fortune hir tyme sette,My liege lord par chaunce I mette;And so befel,60as I cam nyh,61Out of my bot, whan he me syh,He bad me come in to his barge.And whan I was with him at large,Amonges othre thinges seid63He hath this charge upon me leid,64And bad me doo my besynesse65That to his hihe worthinesse50*Som newe thing I scholde boke,66That he himself it mihte loke67After the forme of my writynge.68And thus upon his comandyngeMyn herte is wel the more glad69To write so as he me bad;And eek my fere is wel the lasseThat non envye schal compasseWithoute a resonable wite70To feyne and blame that I write.60*A gentil herte his tunge stilleth,That it malice non distilleth,71But preyseth that is to be preised;But he that hath his word unpeysedAnd handleth every thing,72I preye un to the hevene king73Fro suche tunges he me schilde.And natheles this world is wildeOf such jangling, and what befalle,74My kinges heste schal nought falle,70*That I, in hope to deserveHis thonk, ne schal his wil observe;And elles were I nought excused,For that thing may nought be refusedWhich that a king himselve bit.75Forthi the symplesce of my wit76I thenke if that it myhte avayle77In his service to travaile:78Though I seknesse have upon honde,And longe have had, yit wol I fonde,7980*So as I made my beheste,80To make a bok after his heste,81And write in such a maner wise,Which may be wisdom to the wiseAnd pley to hem that lust to pleye.But in proverbe I have herd seyeThat who that wel his werk begynneth82The rather a good ende he wynneth;And thus the prologe of my bok83After the world that whilom tok,90*And eek somdel after the newe,I wol begynne84for to newe.85

*48A bok for king Richardes sake,49

To whom belongeth my ligeance50

With al myn hertes obeissance

In al that evere a liege man51

Unto his king may doon or can:

So ferforth I me recomande52

To him which al me may comande,30*

Preyende unto the hihe regne53

Which causeth every king to regne,

That his corone longe stonde.

Hic declarat in primis qualiter ob reuerenciam serenissimi principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi55totus suus humilis Iohannes Gower, licet graui infirmitate a diu multipliciter fatigatus, huius opusculi labores suscipere non recusauit, set59tanquam fauum ex variis floribus recollectum, presentem libellum ex variis cronicis, historiis,62poetarum philosophorumque dictis, quatenus sibi infirmitas permisit, studiosissime compilauit.

I thenke and have it understonde,

As it bifel upon a tyde,

As thing which scholde tho betyde,—54

Under the toun of newe Troye,

Which tok of Brut his ferste joye,56

In Temse whan it was flowende57

As I be bote cam rowende,5840*

So as fortune hir tyme sette,

My liege lord par chaunce I mette;

And so befel,60as I cam nyh,61

Out of my bot, whan he me syh,

He bad me come in to his barge.

And whan I was with him at large,

Amonges othre thinges seid63

He hath this charge upon me leid,64

And bad me doo my besynesse65

That to his hihe worthinesse50*

Som newe thing I scholde boke,66

That he himself it mihte loke67

After the forme of my writynge.68

And thus upon his comandynge

Myn herte is wel the more glad69

To write so as he me bad;

And eek my fere is wel the lasse

That non envye schal compasse

Withoute a resonable wite70

To feyne and blame that I write.60*

A gentil herte his tunge stilleth,

That it malice non distilleth,71

But preyseth that is to be preised;

But he that hath his word unpeysed

And handleth every thing,72

I preye un to the hevene king73

Fro suche tunges he me schilde.

And natheles this world is wilde

Of such jangling, and what befalle,74

My kinges heste schal nought falle,70*

That I, in hope to deserve

His thonk, ne schal his wil observe;

And elles were I nought excused,

For that thing may nought be refused

Which that a king himselve bit.75

Forthi the symplesce of my wit76

I thenke if that it myhte avayle77

In his service to travaile:78

Though I seknesse have upon honde,

And longe have had, yit wol I fonde,7980*

So as I made my beheste,80

To make a bok after his heste,81

And write in such a maner wise,

Which may be wisdom to the wise

And pley to hem that lust to pleye.

But in proverbe I have herd seye

That who that wel his werk begynneth82

The rather a good ende he wynneth;

And thus the prologe of my bok83

After the world that whilom tok,90*

And eek somdel after the newe,

I wol begynne84for to newe.85

[The former Time better than this.]ii.Tempus preteritum presens fortuna beatumLinquit, et antiquas vertit in orbe vias.86Progenuit veterem concors dileccio pacem,Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat:Legibus vnicolor tunc temporis aura refulsit,Iusticie plane tuncque fuere vie.87Nuncque latens odium vultum depingit amoris,Paceque sub ficta tempus ad arma tegit;88Instar et ex variis mutabile CameliontisLex gerit, et regnis sunt noua iura nouis:(10)[Temporal Rulers.]Climata que fuerant solidissima sicque per orbemSoluuntur, nec eo centra quietis habent.

[The former Time better than this.]

ii.Tempus preteritum presens fortuna beatum

Linquit, et antiquas vertit in orbe vias.86

Progenuit veterem concors dileccio pacem,

Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat:

Legibus vnicolor tunc temporis aura refulsit,

Iusticie plane tuncque fuere vie.87

Nuncque latens odium vultum depingit amoris,

Paceque sub ficta tempus ad arma tegit;88

Instar et ex variis mutabile Cameliontis

Lex gerit, et regnis sunt noua iura nouis:(10)

[Temporal Rulers.]

Climata que fuerant solidissima sicque per orbem

Soluuntur, nec eo centra quietis habent.

If I schal drawe in to my myndeDe statu regnorum, vt dicunt, secundum temporalia, videlicet tempore regis Ricardi secundi anno regni sui sexto decimo.89The tyme passed, thanne I fyndeThe world stod thanne in al his welthe:Tho was the lif of man in helthe,Tho was plente, tho was richesse,Tho was the fortune of prouesse,Tho was knyhthode in pris be name,Wherof the wyde worldes fame100P. i. 7Write in Cronique is yit withholde;Justice of lawe tho was holde,The privilege of regalieWas sauf, and al the baronieWorschiped was in his astat;The citees knewen no debat,The poeple stod in obeissanceUnder the reule of governance,And pes, which ryhtwisnesse keste,90With charite tho stod in reste:110Of mannes herte the corageWas schewed thanne in the visage;The word was lich to the conceite91Withoute semblant of deceite:Tho was ther unenvied love,92Tho was the vertu sett aboveAnd vice was put under fote.Now stant the crop under the rote,The world is changed overal,And therof most in special120That love is falle into discord.And that I take to recordOf every lond for his partieThe comun vois, which mai noght lie;93Noght upon on, bot upon alleIt is that men now clepe and calle,And sein the regnes ben divided,94In stede of love is hate guided,The werre wol no pes purchace,And lawe hath take hire double face,130P. i. 8So that justice out of the weieWith ryhtwisnesse is gon aweie:And thus to loke on every halve,Men sen the sor withoute salve,Which al the world hath overtake.Ther is no regne of alle outtake,For every climat hath his dielAfter the tornynge of the whiel,Which blinde fortune overthroweth;Wherof the certain noman knoweth:140The hevene wot what is to done,Bot we that duelle under the moneStonde in this world upon a weer,95And namely bot the pouer96Of hem that ben the worldes guidesWith good consail on alle sidesBe kept upriht in such a wyse,97That hate breke noght thassiseOf love, which is al the chief98To kepe a regne out of meschief.150For alle resoun wolde this,Apostolus. Regem honorificate.That unto him which the heved isThe membres buxom scholden bowe,And he scholde ek her trowthe allowe,With al his herte and make hem chiere,99Salomon. Omnia fac cum consilio.For good consail is good to hiere.Althogh a man be wys himselve,100Yit is the wisdom more of tuelve;And if thei stoden bothe in on,101To hope it were thanne anon160P. i. 9That god his grace wolde sendeTo make of thilke werre an ende,Which every day now groweth newe:And that is gretly forto reweIn special for Cristes sake,Which wolde his oghne lif forsakeAmong the men to yeve pes.But now men tellen nathelesThat love is fro the world departed,102So stant the pes unevene parted170With hem that liven now adaies.Bot forto loke at alle assaies,To him that wolde resoun secheAfter the comun worldes specheIt is to wondre of thilke werre,In which non wot who hath the werre;For every lond himself deceyvethAnd of desese his part receyveth,And yet ne take men no kepe.Bot thilke lord which al may kepe,180To whom no consail may ben hid,Upon the world which is betid,Amende that wherof men pleigneWith trewe hertes and with pleine,And reconcile love ayeyn,As he which is king sovereignOf al the worldes governaunce,And of his hyhe porveaunceAfferme pes betwen the londesAnd take her cause into hise hondes,190P. i. 10So that the world may stonde appesedAnd his godhede also be plesed.

If I schal drawe in to my mynde

De statu regnorum, vt dicunt, secundum temporalia, videlicet tempore regis Ricardi secundi anno regni sui sexto decimo.89

The tyme passed, thanne I fynde

The world stod thanne in al his welthe:

Tho was the lif of man in helthe,

Tho was plente, tho was richesse,

Tho was the fortune of prouesse,

Tho was knyhthode in pris be name,

Wherof the wyde worldes fame100

P. i. 7

Write in Cronique is yit withholde;

Justice of lawe tho was holde,

The privilege of regalie

Was sauf, and al the baronie

Worschiped was in his astat;

The citees knewen no debat,

The poeple stod in obeissance

Under the reule of governance,

And pes, which ryhtwisnesse keste,90

With charite tho stod in reste:110

Of mannes herte the corage

Was schewed thanne in the visage;

The word was lich to the conceite91

Withoute semblant of deceite:

Tho was ther unenvied love,92

Tho was the vertu sett above

And vice was put under fote.

Now stant the crop under the rote,

The world is changed overal,

And therof most in special120

That love is falle into discord.

And that I take to record

Of every lond for his partie

The comun vois, which mai noght lie;93

Noght upon on, bot upon alle

It is that men now clepe and calle,

And sein the regnes ben divided,94

In stede of love is hate guided,

The werre wol no pes purchace,

And lawe hath take hire double face,130

P. i. 8

So that justice out of the weie

With ryhtwisnesse is gon aweie:

And thus to loke on every halve,

Men sen the sor withoute salve,

Which al the world hath overtake.

Ther is no regne of alle outtake,

For every climat hath his diel

After the tornynge of the whiel,

Which blinde fortune overthroweth;

Wherof the certain noman knoweth:140

The hevene wot what is to done,

Bot we that duelle under the mone

Stonde in this world upon a weer,95

And namely bot the pouer96

Of hem that ben the worldes guides

With good consail on alle sides

Be kept upriht in such a wyse,97

That hate breke noght thassise

Of love, which is al the chief98

To kepe a regne out of meschief.150

For alle resoun wolde this,

Apostolus. Regem honorificate.

That unto him which the heved is

The membres buxom scholden bowe,

And he scholde ek her trowthe allowe,

With al his herte and make hem chiere,99

Salomon. Omnia fac cum consilio.

For good consail is good to hiere.

Althogh a man be wys himselve,100

Yit is the wisdom more of tuelve;

And if thei stoden bothe in on,101

To hope it were thanne anon160

P. i. 9

That god his grace wolde sende

To make of thilke werre an ende,

Which every day now groweth newe:

And that is gretly forto rewe

In special for Cristes sake,

Which wolde his oghne lif forsake

Among the men to yeve pes.

But now men tellen natheles

That love is fro the world departed,102

So stant the pes unevene parted170

With hem that liven now adaies.

Bot forto loke at alle assaies,

To him that wolde resoun seche

After the comun worldes speche

It is to wondre of thilke werre,

In which non wot who hath the werre;

For every lond himself deceyveth

And of desese his part receyveth,

And yet ne take men no kepe.

Bot thilke lord which al may kepe,180

To whom no consail may ben hid,

Upon the world which is betid,

Amende that wherof men pleigne

With trewe hertes and with pleine,

And reconcile love ayeyn,

As he which is king sovereign

Of al the worldes governaunce,

And of his hyhe porveaunce

Afferme pes betwen the londes

And take her cause into hise hondes,190

P. i. 10

So that the world may stonde appesed

And his godhede also be plesed.

[The Church.]iii.Quas coluit Moises vetus aut nouus ipse Iohannes,Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies.Sic prius ecclesia bina virtute politaNunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via.Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro resumensHorruit ad Cristi verba cruoris iter;Nunc tamen assiduo gladium de sanguine tinctumVibrat auaricia, lege tepente sacra.103Sic lupus est pastor, pater hostis, mors miserator,Predoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor.104(10)

[The Church.]

iii.Quas coluit Moises vetus aut nouus ipse Iohannes,

Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies.

Sic prius ecclesia bina virtute polita

Nunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via.

Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro resumens

Horruit ad Cristi verba cruoris iter;

Nunc tamen assiduo gladium de sanguine tinctum

Vibrat auaricia, lege tepente sacra.103

Sic lupus est pastor, pater hostis, mors miserator,

Predoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor.104(10)

To thenke upon the daies olde,De statu cleri, vt dicunt, secundum spiritualia, videlicet tempore Roberti Gibbonensis, qui nomen Clementis sibi sortitus est, tunc antipape.105The lif of clerkes to beholde,Men sein how that thei weren thoEnsample and reule of alle thoWhiche of wisdom the vertu soughten.Unto the god ferst thei besoughtenAs to the substaunce of her Scole,That thei ne scholden noght befole200Her wit upon none erthly werkes,106Which were ayein thestat of clerkes,And that thei myhten fle the viceWhich Simon hath in his office,Wherof he takth the gold in honde.107For thilke tyme I understondeThe Lumbard made non eschangeThe bisschopriches forto change,Ne yet a lettre for to sendeFor dignite ne for Provende,108210Or cured or withoute cure.The cherche keye in aventureP. i. 11Of armes and of brygantailleStod nothing thanne upon bataille;To fyhte or for to make cheste109It thoghte hem thanne noght honeste;Bot of simplesce and pacienceThei maden thanne no defence:The Court of worldly regalie110To hem was thanne no baillie;220The vein honour was noght desired,Which hath the proude herte fyred;Humilite was tho withholde,And Pride was a vice holde.Of holy cherche the largesseYaf thanne and dede gret almesseTo povere men that hadden nede:Thei were ek chaste in word and dede,Wherof the poeple ensample tok;Her lust was al upon the bok,230Or forto preche or forto preie,To wisse men the ryhte weieOf suche as stode of trowthe unliered.Lo, thus was Petres barge stiered111Of hem that thilke tyme were,And thus cam ferst to mannes EreThe feith of Crist and alle goodeThurgh hem that thanne weren goodeAnd sobre and chaste and large and wyse.Bot now men sein is otherwise,240Simon the cause hath undertake,The worldes swerd on honde is take;P. i. 12And that is wonder natheles,Whan Crist him self hath bode pesAnd set it in his testament,How now that holy cherche is went,Of that here lawe positifHath set to make werre and strifFor worldes good, which may noght laste.112God wot the cause to the laste250Of every right and wrong also;But whil the lawe is reuled soThat clerkes to the werre entende,I not how that thei scholde amendeThe woful world in othre thinges,To make pes betwen the kyngesAfter the lawe of charite,Which is the propre dueteBelongende unto the presthode.Bot as it thenkth to the manhode,113260The hevene is ferr, the world is nyh,And veine gloire is ek so slyh,Which coveitise hath now withholde,That thei non other thing beholde,Bot only that thei myhten winne.And thus the werres thei beginne,Wherof the holi cherche is taxed,114That in the point as it is axedThe disme goth to the bataille,As thogh Crist myhte noght availe270To don hem riht be other weie.In to the swerd the cherche keieP. i. 13Is torned, and the holy bedeInto cursinge, and every stedeWhich scholde stonde upon the feithAnd to this cause an Ere leyth,Astoned is of the querele.That scholde be the worldes heleIs now, men sein, the pestilenceWhich hath exiled pacience115280Fro the clergie in special:And that is schewed overal,In eny thing whan thei ben grieved.Bot if Gregoire be believed,As it is in the bokes write,He doth ous somdel forto witeThe cause of thilke prelacie,Wher god is noght of compaignie:For every werk as it is foundedSchal stonde or elles be confounded;290Who that only for Cristes sakeDesireth cure forto take,And noght for pride of thilke astat,To bere a name of a prelat,He schal be resoun do profitIn holy cherche upon the plitThat he hath set his conscience;Gregorius. Terrenis lucris inhiant, honore prelacie gaudent, et non vt prosint, set vt presint, episcopatum desiderant.Bot in the worldes reverenceTher ben of suche manie glade,Whan thei to thilke astat ben made,300Noght for the merite of the charge,Bot for thei wolde hemself deschargeP. i. 14Of poverte and become grete;And thus for Pompe and for beyeteThe Scribe and ek the PhariseeOf Moïses upon the SeeIn the chaiere on hyh ben set;Wherof the feith is ofte let,Which is betaken hem to kepe.In Cristes cause alday thei slepe,310Bot of the world is noght foryete;For wel is him that now may geteOffice in Court to ben honoured.The stronge coffre hath al devouredUnder the keye of avariceThe tresor of the benefice,Wherof the povere schulden clothe116And ete and drinke and house bothe;The charite goth al unknowe,For thei no grein of Pite sowe:320And slouthe kepeth the libraire117Which longeth to the Saintuaire;To studie upon the worldes loreSufficeth now withoute more;Delicacie his swete tothHath fostred so that it fordothOf abstinence al that ther is.And forto loken over this,If Ethna brenne in the clergie,Al openly to mannes ÿe330At Avynoun thexperience118Therof hath yove an evidence,P. i. 15Of that men sen hem so divided.And yit the cause is noght decided;Bot it is seid and evere schal,Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal,119Whan that men wenen best to sitte:In holy cherche of such a slitte120Is for to rewe un to ous alle;God grante it mote wel befalle340Towardes him which hath the trowthe.121Bot ofte is sen that mochel slowthe,Whan men ben drunken of the cuppe,Doth mochel harm, whan fyr is uppe,Bot if somwho the flamme stanche;And so to speke upon this branche,Which proud Envie hath mad to springe,122Of Scisme, causeth forto bringeThisnewe Secte of Lollardie,And also many an heresie350Among the clerkes in hemselve.It were betre dike and delveAnd stonde upon the ryhte feith,Than knowe al that the bible seith123And erre as somme clerkes do.Upon the hond to were a SchooAnd sette upon the fot a GloveAcordeth noght to the behoveOf resonable mannes us:If men behielden the vertus360That Crist in Erthe taghte here,Thei scholden noght in such manere,P. i. 16Among hem that ben holden wise,The Papacie so desguiseUpon diverse eleccioun,Which stant after thaffecciounOf sondry londes al aboute:Bot whan god wole, it schal were oute,For trowthe mot stonde ate laste.Bot yet thei argumenten faste124370Upon the Pope and his astat,Wherof thei falle in gret debat;This clerk seith yee, that other nay,125And thus thei dryve forth the day,And ech of hem himself amendethOf worldes good, bot non entendethTo that which comun profit were.Thei sein that god is myhti there,And schal ordeine what he wile,Ther make thei non other skile380Where is the peril of the feith,Bot every clerk his herte leithTo kepe his world in special,And of the cause general,Which unto holy cherche longeth,Is non of hem that underfongethTo schapen eny resistence:And thus the riht hath no defence,Bot ther I love, ther I holde.Lo, thus tobroke is Cristes folde,390Wherof the flock withoute guideDevoured is on every side,P. i. 17In lacke of hem that ben unwareSchepherdes, whiche her wit bewareUpon the world in other halve.The scharpe pricke in stede of salve126Thei usen now, wherof the heleThei hurte of that thei scholden hele;And what Schep that is full of wulleUpon his back, thei toose and pulle,400Whil ther is eny thing to pile:And thogh ther be non other skileBot only for thei wolden wynne,Thei leve noght, whan thei begynne,Upon her acte to procede,Which is no good schepherdes dede.And upon this also men sein,That fro the leese which is pleinInto the breres thei forcacche127Her Orf, for that thei wolden lacche128410With such duresce, and so bereveThat schal upon the thornes leveOf wulle, which the brere hath tore;Wherof the Schep ben al totoreOf that the hierdes make hem lese.Lo, how thei feignen chalk for chese,For though thei speke and teche wel,Thei don hemself therof no del:For if the wolf come in the weie,129Her gostly Staf is thanne aweie,420Wherof thei scholde her flock defende;130Bot if the povere Schep offendeP. i. 18In eny thing, thogh it be lyte,They ben al redy forto smyte;And thus, how evere that thei tale,The strokes falle upon the smale,And upon othre that ben greteHem lacketh herte forto bete.So that under the clerkes laweMen sen the Merel al mysdrawe,430I wol noght seie in general,For ther ben somme in specialIn whom that alle vertu duelleth,Qui vocatur a deo tanquam Aaron.And tho ben, as thapostel telleth,That god of his elecciounHath cleped to perfecciounIn the manere as Aaron was:Thei ben nothing in thilke casOf Simon, which the foldes gateHath lete, and goth in othergate,440Bot thei gon in the rihte weie.Ther ben also somme, as men seie,That folwen Simon ate hieles,Whos carte goth upon the whielesOf coveitise and worldes Pride,And holy cherche goth beside,Which scheweth outward a visageOf that is noght in the corage.For if men loke in holy cherche,Betwen the word and that thei werche131450Ther is a full gret difference:Thei prechen ous in audienceP. i. 19That noman schal his soule empeire,132For al is bot a chirie feireThis worldes good, so as thei telle;Also thei sein ther is an helle,Which unto mannes sinne is due,133And bidden ous therfore eschueThat wikkid is, and do the goode.Who that here wordes understode,460It thenkth thei wolden do the same;Bot yet betwen ernest and gameFul ofte it torneth other wise.With holy tales thei deviseHow meritoire is thilke dedeOf charite, to clothe and fedeThe povere folk and forto parteThe worldes good, bot thei departeNe thenken noght fro that thei have.Also thei sein, good is to save470With penance and with abstinenceOf chastite the continence;Bot pleinly forto speke of that,I not how thilke body fat,Which thei with deynte metes kepeAnd leyn it softe forto slepe,Whan it hath elles al his wille,With chastite schal stonde stille:And natheles I can noght seie,In aunter if that I misseye.480Touchende of this, how evere it stonde,I here and wol noght understonde,P. i. 20For therof have I noght to done:Bot he that made ferst the Mone,The hyhe god, of his goodnesse,If ther be cause, he it redresce.134Bot what as eny man accuse,135This mai reson of trowthe excuse;The vice of hem that ben ungoodeIs no reproef unto the goode:490For every man hise oghne werkesSchal bere, and thus as of the clerkesThe goode men ben to comende,And alle these othre god amende:For thei ben to the worldes ÿe136The Mirour of ensamplerie,To reulen and to taken hiedeBetwen the men and the godhiede.

To thenke upon the daies olde,

De statu cleri, vt dicunt, secundum spiritualia, videlicet tempore Roberti Gibbonensis, qui nomen Clementis sibi sortitus est, tunc antipape.105

The lif of clerkes to beholde,

Men sein how that thei weren tho

Ensample and reule of alle tho

Whiche of wisdom the vertu soughten.

Unto the god ferst thei besoughten

As to the substaunce of her Scole,

That thei ne scholden noght befole200

Her wit upon none erthly werkes,106

Which were ayein thestat of clerkes,

And that thei myhten fle the vice

Which Simon hath in his office,

Wherof he takth the gold in honde.107

For thilke tyme I understonde

The Lumbard made non eschange

The bisschopriches forto change,

Ne yet a lettre for to sende

For dignite ne for Provende,108210

Or cured or withoute cure.

The cherche keye in aventure

P. i. 11

Of armes and of brygantaille

Stod nothing thanne upon bataille;

To fyhte or for to make cheste109

It thoghte hem thanne noght honeste;

Bot of simplesce and pacience

Thei maden thanne no defence:

The Court of worldly regalie110

To hem was thanne no baillie;220

The vein honour was noght desired,

Which hath the proude herte fyred;

Humilite was tho withholde,

And Pride was a vice holde.

Of holy cherche the largesse

Yaf thanne and dede gret almesse

To povere men that hadden nede:

Thei were ek chaste in word and dede,

Wherof the poeple ensample tok;

Her lust was al upon the bok,230

Or forto preche or forto preie,

To wisse men the ryhte weie

Of suche as stode of trowthe unliered.

Lo, thus was Petres barge stiered111

Of hem that thilke tyme were,

And thus cam ferst to mannes Ere

The feith of Crist and alle goode

Thurgh hem that thanne weren goode

And sobre and chaste and large and wyse.

Bot now men sein is otherwise,240

Simon the cause hath undertake,

The worldes swerd on honde is take;

P. i. 12

And that is wonder natheles,

Whan Crist him self hath bode pes

And set it in his testament,

How now that holy cherche is went,

Of that here lawe positif

Hath set to make werre and strif

For worldes good, which may noght laste.112

God wot the cause to the laste250

Of every right and wrong also;

But whil the lawe is reuled so

That clerkes to the werre entende,

I not how that thei scholde amende

The woful world in othre thinges,

To make pes betwen the kynges

After the lawe of charite,

Which is the propre duete

Belongende unto the presthode.

Bot as it thenkth to the manhode,113260

The hevene is ferr, the world is nyh,

And veine gloire is ek so slyh,

Which coveitise hath now withholde,

That thei non other thing beholde,

Bot only that thei myhten winne.

And thus the werres thei beginne,

Wherof the holi cherche is taxed,114

That in the point as it is axed

The disme goth to the bataille,

As thogh Crist myhte noght availe270

To don hem riht be other weie.

In to the swerd the cherche keie

P. i. 13

Is torned, and the holy bede

Into cursinge, and every stede

Which scholde stonde upon the feith

And to this cause an Ere leyth,

Astoned is of the querele.

That scholde be the worldes hele

Is now, men sein, the pestilence

Which hath exiled pacience115280

Fro the clergie in special:

And that is schewed overal,

In eny thing whan thei ben grieved.

Bot if Gregoire be believed,

As it is in the bokes write,

He doth ous somdel forto wite

The cause of thilke prelacie,

Wher god is noght of compaignie:

For every werk as it is founded

Schal stonde or elles be confounded;290

Who that only for Cristes sake

Desireth cure forto take,

And noght for pride of thilke astat,

To bere a name of a prelat,

He schal be resoun do profit

In holy cherche upon the plit

That he hath set his conscience;

Gregorius. Terrenis lucris inhiant, honore prelacie gaudent, et non vt prosint, set vt presint, episcopatum desiderant.

Bot in the worldes reverence

Ther ben of suche manie glade,

Whan thei to thilke astat ben made,300

Noght for the merite of the charge,

Bot for thei wolde hemself descharge

P. i. 14

Of poverte and become grete;

And thus for Pompe and for beyete

The Scribe and ek the Pharisee

Of Moïses upon the See

In the chaiere on hyh ben set;

Wherof the feith is ofte let,

Which is betaken hem to kepe.

In Cristes cause alday thei slepe,310

Bot of the world is noght foryete;

For wel is him that now may gete

Office in Court to ben honoured.

The stronge coffre hath al devoured

Under the keye of avarice

The tresor of the benefice,

Wherof the povere schulden clothe116

And ete and drinke and house bothe;

The charite goth al unknowe,

For thei no grein of Pite sowe:320

And slouthe kepeth the libraire117

Which longeth to the Saintuaire;

To studie upon the worldes lore

Sufficeth now withoute more;

Delicacie his swete toth

Hath fostred so that it fordoth

Of abstinence al that ther is.

And forto loken over this,

If Ethna brenne in the clergie,

Al openly to mannes ÿe330

At Avynoun thexperience118

Therof hath yove an evidence,

P. i. 15

Of that men sen hem so divided.

And yit the cause is noght decided;

Bot it is seid and evere schal,

Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal,119

Whan that men wenen best to sitte:

In holy cherche of such a slitte120

Is for to rewe un to ous alle;

God grante it mote wel befalle340

Towardes him which hath the trowthe.121

Bot ofte is sen that mochel slowthe,

Whan men ben drunken of the cuppe,

Doth mochel harm, whan fyr is uppe,

Bot if somwho the flamme stanche;

And so to speke upon this branche,

Which proud Envie hath mad to springe,122

Of Scisme, causeth forto bringe

Thisnewe Secte of Lollardie,

And also many an heresie350

Among the clerkes in hemselve.

It were betre dike and delve

And stonde upon the ryhte feith,

Than knowe al that the bible seith123

And erre as somme clerkes do.

Upon the hond to were a Schoo

And sette upon the fot a Glove

Acordeth noght to the behove

Of resonable mannes us:

If men behielden the vertus360

That Crist in Erthe taghte here,

Thei scholden noght in such manere,

P. i. 16

Among hem that ben holden wise,

The Papacie so desguise

Upon diverse eleccioun,

Which stant after thaffeccioun

Of sondry londes al aboute:

Bot whan god wole, it schal were oute,

For trowthe mot stonde ate laste.

Bot yet thei argumenten faste124370

Upon the Pope and his astat,

Wherof thei falle in gret debat;

This clerk seith yee, that other nay,125

And thus thei dryve forth the day,

And ech of hem himself amendeth

Of worldes good, bot non entendeth

To that which comun profit were.

Thei sein that god is myhti there,

And schal ordeine what he wile,

Ther make thei non other skile380

Where is the peril of the feith,

Bot every clerk his herte leith

To kepe his world in special,

And of the cause general,

Which unto holy cherche longeth,

Is non of hem that underfongeth

To schapen eny resistence:

And thus the riht hath no defence,

Bot ther I love, ther I holde.

Lo, thus tobroke is Cristes folde,390

Wherof the flock withoute guide

Devoured is on every side,

P. i. 17

In lacke of hem that ben unware

Schepherdes, whiche her wit beware

Upon the world in other halve.

The scharpe pricke in stede of salve126

Thei usen now, wherof the hele

Thei hurte of that thei scholden hele;

And what Schep that is full of wulle

Upon his back, thei toose and pulle,400

Whil ther is eny thing to pile:

And thogh ther be non other skile

Bot only for thei wolden wynne,

Thei leve noght, whan thei begynne,

Upon her acte to procede,

Which is no good schepherdes dede.

And upon this also men sein,

That fro the leese which is plein

Into the breres thei forcacche127

Her Orf, for that thei wolden lacche128410

With such duresce, and so bereve

That schal upon the thornes leve

Of wulle, which the brere hath tore;

Wherof the Schep ben al totore

Of that the hierdes make hem lese.

Lo, how thei feignen chalk for chese,

For though thei speke and teche wel,

Thei don hemself therof no del:

For if the wolf come in the weie,129

Her gostly Staf is thanne aweie,420

Wherof thei scholde her flock defende;130

Bot if the povere Schep offende

P. i. 18

In eny thing, thogh it be lyte,

They ben al redy forto smyte;

And thus, how evere that thei tale,

The strokes falle upon the smale,

And upon othre that ben grete

Hem lacketh herte forto bete.

So that under the clerkes lawe

Men sen the Merel al mysdrawe,430

I wol noght seie in general,

For ther ben somme in special

In whom that alle vertu duelleth,

Qui vocatur a deo tanquam Aaron.

And tho ben, as thapostel telleth,

That god of his eleccioun

Hath cleped to perfeccioun

In the manere as Aaron was:

Thei ben nothing in thilke cas

Of Simon, which the foldes gate

Hath lete, and goth in othergate,440

Bot thei gon in the rihte weie.

Ther ben also somme, as men seie,

That folwen Simon ate hieles,

Whos carte goth upon the whieles

Of coveitise and worldes Pride,

And holy cherche goth beside,

Which scheweth outward a visage

Of that is noght in the corage.

For if men loke in holy cherche,

Betwen the word and that thei werche131450

Ther is a full gret difference:

Thei prechen ous in audience

P. i. 19

That noman schal his soule empeire,132

For al is bot a chirie feire

This worldes good, so as thei telle;

Also thei sein ther is an helle,

Which unto mannes sinne is due,133

And bidden ous therfore eschue

That wikkid is, and do the goode.

Who that here wordes understode,460

It thenkth thei wolden do the same;

Bot yet betwen ernest and game

Ful ofte it torneth other wise.

With holy tales thei devise

How meritoire is thilke dede

Of charite, to clothe and fede

The povere folk and forto parte

The worldes good, bot thei departe

Ne thenken noght fro that thei have.

Also thei sein, good is to save470

With penance and with abstinence

Of chastite the continence;

Bot pleinly forto speke of that,

I not how thilke body fat,

Which thei with deynte metes kepe

And leyn it softe forto slepe,

Whan it hath elles al his wille,

With chastite schal stonde stille:

And natheles I can noght seie,

In aunter if that I misseye.480

Touchende of this, how evere it stonde,

I here and wol noght understonde,

P. i. 20

For therof have I noght to done:

Bot he that made ferst the Mone,

The hyhe god, of his goodnesse,

If ther be cause, he it redresce.134

Bot what as eny man accuse,135

This mai reson of trowthe excuse;

The vice of hem that ben ungoode

Is no reproef unto the goode:490

For every man hise oghne werkes

Schal bere, and thus as of the clerkes

The goode men ben to comende,

And alle these othre god amende:

For thei ben to the worldes ÿe136

The Mirour of ensamplerie,

To reulen and to taken hiede

Betwen the men and the godhiede.

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