Chapter 35

[Demetrius and Perseus.]In a Cronique, as thou schalt wite,Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos detractores, qui in alterius vituperium mendacia confingentes diffamacionem fieri procurant. Et narrat qualiter Perseus, Philippi Regis Macedonie filius, Demetrio fratri suo ob eius probitatem inuidens, composito detraccionis mendacio ipsum apud patrem suum mortaliter accusauit, dicens quod ipse non solum patrem set et totum Macedonie regnum Romanis hostibus proditorie vendidisset: quem super hoc in iudicium producens, testibus que iudicibus auro subornatis, quamuis falsissime morte condempnatum euicit: quo defuncto eciam et pater infra breue postea mortuus est. Et sic Perseo successiue regnante deus huiusmodi detraccionis inuidiam abhorrens ipsum cum vniuersa suorum pugnatorum multitudine extra Danubii fluuium ab Emilio tunc Romanorum Consule euentu bellico interfici fortunauit. Ita quod ab illo die Macedonie potestas penitus destructa Romano Imperio subiugata deseruiuit, et eius detraccio, quam contra alium conspirauerat, in sui ipsius diffamacionem pro perpetuo diuulgata consistit.A gret ensample I finde write,Which I schal telle upon this thing.Philippe of Macedoyne kyngTwo Sones hadde be his wif,Whos fame is yit in Grece rif:667Demetrius the ferste brotherWas hote, and Perseüs that other.1620Demetrius men seiden thoThe betre knyht was of the tuo,P. i. 214To whom the lond was entendant,668As he which heir was apparantTo regne after his fader dai:Bot that thing which no water maiQuenche in this world, bot evere brenneth,Into his brother herte it renneth,The proude Envie of that he sihHis brother scholde clymbe on hih,1630And he to him mot thanne obeie:669That may he soffre be no weie.With strengthe dorst he nothing fonde,So tok he lesinge upon honde,Whan he sih time and spak therto.For it befell that time so,His fader grete werres haddeWith Rome, whiche he streite laddeThurgh mihty hond of his manhode,As he which hath ynowh knihthode,6701640And ofte hem hadde sore grieved.Bot er the werre were achieved,As he was upon ordinanceAt hom in Grece, it fell per chance,671Demetrius, which ofte abouteRidende was, stod that time oute,So that this Perse in his absence,Which bar the tunge of pestilence,With false wordes whiche he feignethUpon his oghne brother pleigneth1650In privete behinde his bak,And to his fader thus he spak:P. i. 215‘Mi diere fader, I am holdeBe weie of kinde, as resoun wolde,That I fro yow schal nothing hide,Which mihte torne in eny sideOf youre astat into grevance:Forthi myn hertes obeissanceTowardes you I thenke kepe;For it is good ye take kepe1660Upon a thing which is me told.Mi brother hath ous alle soldTo hem of Rome, and you also;For thanne they behote him so,That he with hem schal regne in pes.Thus hath he cast for his encressThat youre astat schal go to noght;And this to proeve schal be broghtSo ferforth, that I undertake672It schal noght wel mow be forsake.’1670The king upon this tale ansuerdeAnd seide, if this thing which he herdeBe soth and mai be broght to prove,‘It schal noght be to his behove,Which so hath schapen ous the werste,673For he himself schal be the fersteThat schal be ded, if that I mai.’Thus afterward upon a dai,674Whan that Demetrius was come,Anon his fader hath him nome,1680And bad unto his brother PerseThat he his tale schal reherseP. i. 216Of thilke tresoun which he tolde.And he, which al untrowthe wolde,Conseileth that so hih a nedeBe treted wher as it mai spede,In comun place of juggement.The king therto yaf his assent,Demetrius was put in hold,Wherof that Perseüs was bold.1690Thus stod the trowthe under the charge,And the falshede goth at large,Which thurgh beheste hath overcomeThe greteste of the lordes some,That privelich of his acordThei stonde as witnesse of record:The jugge was mad favorable:Thus was the lawe deceivableSo ferforth that the trowthe fondRescousse non, and thus the lond1700Forth with the king deceived were.The gulteles was dampned thereAnd deide upon accusement:Bot such a fals conspirement,Thogh it be prive for a throwe,Godd wolde noght it were unknowe;675And that was afterward wel proved676In him which hath the deth controved.Of that his brother was so slainThis Perseüs was wonder fain,1710As he that tho was apparant,677Upon the Regne and expectant;P. i. 217Wherof he wax so proud and vein,That he his fader in desdeignHath take and set of non acompte,As he which thoghte him to surmonte;That wher he was ferst debonaire,He was tho rebell and contraire,And noght as heir bot as a kingHe tok upon him alle thing1720Of malice and of tirannieIn contempt of the Regalie,Livende his fader, and so wroghte,That whan the fader him bethoghteAnd sih to whether side it drowh,Anon he wiste well ynowhHow Perse after his false tungeHath so thenvious belle runge,678That he hath slain his oghne brother.Wherof as thanne he knew non other,1730Bot sodeinly the jugge he nom,Which corrupt sat upon the dom,In such a wise and hath him pressed,That he the sothe him hath confessedOf al that hath be spoke and do.Mor sori than the king was thoWas nevere man upon this Molde,And thoghte in certein that he woldeVengance take upon this wrong.Bot thother parti was so strong,1740That for the lawe of no statutTher mai no riht ben execut;P. i. 218And upon this division679The lond was torned up so doun:Wherof his herte is so distraght,That he for pure sorwe hath caghtThe maladie of which natureIs queint in every creature.And whan this king was passed thus,This false tunged Perseüs1750The regiment hath underfonge.Bot ther mai nothing stonde longeWhich is noght upon trowthe grounded;For god, which alle thing hath boundedAnd sih the falshod of his guile,Hath set him bot a litel while,That he schal regne upon depos;For sodeinliche as he aros680So sodeinliche doun he fell.In thilke time it so befell,1760This newe king of newe PrideWith strengthe schop him forto ride,And seide he wolde Rome waste,681Wherof he made a besi haste,And hath assembled him an hostIn al that evere he mihte most:What man that mihte wepne hereOf alle he wolde non forbere;So that it mihte noght be nombred,The folk which after was encombred6821770Thurgh him, that god wolde overthrowe.Anon it was at Rome knowe,P. i. 219The pompe which that Perse ladde;And the Romeins that time haddeA Consul, which was cleped thusBe name, Paul Emilius,A noble, a worthi kniht withalle;And he, which chief was of hem alle,683This werre on honde hath undertake.And whanne he scholde his leve take6841780Of a yong dowhter which was his,Sche wepte, and he what cause it isHire axeth, and sche him ansuerdeThat Perse is ded; and he it herde,And wondreth what sche meene wolde:And sche upon childhode him toldeThat Perse hir litel hound is ded.With that he pulleth up his hed685And made riht a glad visage,And seide how that was a presage1790Touchende unto that other Perse,Of that fortune him scholde adverse,He seith, for such a prenostikMost of an hound was to him lik:For as it is an houndes kindeTo berke upon a man behinde,Riht so behinde his brother bakWith false wordes whiche he spakHe hath do slain, and that is rowthe.‘Bot he which hateth alle untrowthe,1800The hihe god, it schal redresse;For so my dowhter prophetesseP. i. 220Forth with hir litel houndes deth686Betokneth.’ And thus forth he geth687Conforted of this evidence,With the Romeins in his defenceAyein the Greks that ben comende.This Perseüs, as noght seende688This meschief which that him abod,689With al his multitude rod,1810And prided him upon the thing,690Of that he was become a king,And how he hadde his regne gete;Bot he hath al the riht foryeteWhich longeth unto governance.Wherof thurgh goddes ordinanceIt fell, upon the wynter tideThat with his host he scholde rideOver Danubie thilke flod,Which al befrose thanne stod1820So harde, that he wende welTo passe: bot the blinde whiel,Which torneth ofte er men be war,Thilke ys which that the horsmen barTobrak, so that a gret partieWas dreint; of the chivalerieThe rerewarde it tok aweie,Cam non of hem to londe dreie.Paulus the worthi kniht Romein691Be his aspie it herde sein,1830And hasteth him al that he may,So that upon that other dayP. i. 221He cam wher he this host beheld,And that was in a large feld,Wher the Baneres ben desplaied.He hath anon hise men arraied,And whan that he was embatailled,He goth and hath the feld assailed,And slowh and tok al that he fond;Wherof the Macedoyne lond,1840Which thurgh king Alisandre honouredLong time stod, was tho devoured.To Perse and al that infortuneThei wyte, so that the comuneOf al the lond his heir exile;And he despeired for the whileDesguised in a povere wedeTo Rome goth, and ther for nedeThe craft which thilke time was,To worche in latoun and in bras,1850He lerneth for his sustienance.Such was the Sones pourveance,And of his fader it is seid,In strong prisoun that he was leidIn Albe, wher that he was dedFor hunger and defalte of bred.692The hound was tokne and prophecieThat lich an hound he scholde die,Which lich was of condicioun,Whan he with his detraccioun1860Bark on his brother so behinde.Confessor.Lo, what profit a man mai finde,P. i. 222Which hindre wole an other wiht.Forthi with al thin hole miht,Mi Sone, eschuie thilke vice.Amans.Mi fader, elles were I nyce:For ye therof so wel have spoke,693That it is in myn herte lokeAnd evere schal: bot of Envie,694If ther be more in his baillie1870Towardes love, sai me what.Confessor.Mi Sone, as guile under the hatWith sleyhtes of a tregetourIs hidd, Envie of such colourHath yit the ferthe deceivant,The which is cleped Falssemblant,Wherof the matiere and the formeNow herkne and I thee schal enforme.[iv.False-Semblant.]iv.Nil bilinguis aget, nisi duplo concinat ore,Dumque diem loquitur, nox sua vota tegit.Vultus habet lucem, tenebras mens, sermo salutem,Actus set morbum dat suus esse grauem.Pax tibi quam spondet, magis est prenostica guerre;Comoda si dederit, disce subesse dolum.Quod patet esse fides in eo fraus est, que politiPrincipium pacti finis habere negat.O quam condicio talis deformat amantem,Qui magis apparens est in amore nichil.10Of Falssemblant if I schal telle,Above alle othre it is the welle1880Out of the which deceipte floweth.Ther is noman so wys that knowethOf thilke flod which is the tyde,Hic tractat Confessor super quarta specie Inuidie, que dissimilacio dicitur, cuius vultus quanto maioris amicicie apparenciam ostendit, tanto subtilioris doli fallacias ad decipiendum mens ymaginatur.Ne how he scholde himselven guideP. i. 223To take sauf passage there.And yit the wynd to mannes EreIs softe, and as it semeth outeIt makth clier weder al aboute;Bot thogh it seme, it is noght so.For Falssemblant hath everemo1890Of his conseil in compaignieThe derke untrewe Ypocrisie,Whos word descordeth to his thoght:Forthi thei ben togedre broghtOf o covine, of on houshold,695As it schal after this be told.696Of Falssemblant it nedeth noghtTo telle of olde ensamples oght;For al dai in experienceA man mai se thilke evidence1900Of faire wordes whiche he hiereth;Bot yit the barge Envie stiereth697And halt it evere fro the londe,Wher Falssemblant with Ore on hondeIt roweth, and wol noght arive,Bot let it on the wawes dryveIn gret tempeste and gret debat,698Wherof that love and his astatEmpeireth. And therfore I rede,Mi Sone, that thou fle and drede1910This vice, and what that othre sein,Let thi Semblant be trewe and plein.For Falssemblant is thilke vice,Which nevere was withoute office:P. i. 224Wher that Envie thenkth to guile,He schal be for that ilke while699Of prive conseil Messagier.For whan his semblant is most clier,Thanne is he most derk in his thoght,Thogh men him se, thei knowe him noght;1920Bot as it scheweth in the glasThing which therinne nevere was,So scheweth it in his visageThat nevere was in his corage:Thus doth he al his thing with sleyhte.700Hic in amoris causa Confessor super isto vicio Amanti opponit.Now ley thi conscience in weyhte,Mi goode Sone, and schrif the hier,If thou were evere CustummerTo Falssemblant in eny wise.Confessio Amantis.For ought I can me yit avise,1930Mi goode fader, certes no.If I for love have oght do so,Now asketh, I wol praie yow:For elles I wot nevere howOf Falssemblant that I have gilt.Confessor.Mi Sone, and sithen that thou wiltThat I schal axe, gabbe noght,Bot tell if evere was thi thoghtWith Falssemblant and covertureTo wite of eny creature1940How that he was with love lad;So were he sori, were he glad,Whan that thou wistest how it were,Al that he rounede in thin Ere701P. i. 225Thou toldest forth in other place,To setten him fro loves graceOf what womman that thee best liste,Ther as noman his conseil wisteBot thou, be whom he was deceivedOf love, and from his pourpos weyved;1950And thoghtest that his destourbanceThin oghne cause scholde avance,As who saith, ‘I am so celee,Ther mai no mannes priveteBe heled half so wel as myn.’Art thou, mi Sone, of such engin?Tell on.Amans.Mi goode fader, nayAs for the more part I say;Bot of somdiel I am beknowe,That I mai stonde in thilke rowe7021960Amonges hem that Saundres use.I wol me noght therof excuse,That I with such colour ne steyne,Whan I my beste Semblant feigneTo my felawh, til that I wotAl his conseil bothe cold and hot:For be that cause I make him chiere,Til I his love knowe and hiere;And if so be myn herte souchethThat oght unto my ladi toucheth1970Of love that he wol me telle,703Anon I renne unto the welleAnd caste water in the fyr,So that his carte amidd the Myr,P. i. 226Be that I have his conseil knowe,Fulofte sithe I overthrowe,Whan that he weneth best to stonde.Bot this I do you understonde,If that a man love elles where,So that my ladi be noght there,1980And he me telle, I wole it hide,Ther schal no word ascape aside,For with deceipte of no semblantTo him breke I no covenant;Me liketh noght in other placeTo lette noman of his grace,Ne forto ben inquisitifTo knowe an other mannes lif:Wher that he love or love noght,That toucheth nothing to my thoght,7041990Bot al it passeth thurgh myn EreRiht as a thing that nevere were,And is foryete and leid beside.Bot if it touche on eny sideMi ladi, as I have er spoken,Myn Eres ben noght thanne loken;For certes, whanne that betitt,My will, myn herte and al my wittBen fully set to herkne and spireWhat eny man wol speke of hire.2000Thus have I feigned compaignieFulofte, for I wolde aspieWhat thing it is that eny man705Telle of mi worthi lady can:P. i. 227And for tuo causes I do this,The ferste cause wherof is,—If that I myhte ofherkne and sekeThat eny man of hire mispeke,I wolde excuse hire so fully,That whan sche wist it inderly,7062010Min hope scholde be the moreTo have hir thank for everemore.That other cause, I you assure,Is, why that I be covertureHave feigned semblant ofte timeTo hem that passen alday bymeAnd ben lovers als wel as I,For this I weene trewely,That ther is of hem alle non,That thei ne loven everich on2020Mi ladi: for sothliche I lieveAnd durste setten it in prieve,Is non so wys that scholde asterte,Bot he were lustles in his herte,Forwhy and he my ladi sihe,Hir visage and hir goodlych yhe,Bot he hire lovede, er he wente.And for that such is myn entente,That is the cause of myn aspie,Why that I feigne compaignie2030And make felawe overal;For gladly wolde I knowen alAnd holde me covert alway,That I fulofte ye or nayP. i. 228Ne liste ansuere in eny wise,Bot feigne semblant as the wiseAnd herkne tales, til I knoweMi ladi lovers al arowe.And whanne I hiere how thei have wroght,I fare as thogh I herde it noght7072040And as I no word understode;Bot that is nothing for here goode:For lieveth wel, the sothe is this,708That whanne I knowe al how it is,I wol bot forthren hem a lite,709Bot al the worste I can enditeI telle it to my ladi platIn forthringe of myn oghne astat,And hindre hem al that evere I may.Bot for al that yit dar I say,2050I finde unto miself no bote,Althogh myn herte nedes moteThurgh strengthe of love al that I hiereDiscovere unto my ladi diere:For in good feith I have no mihtTo hele fro that swete wiht,If that it touche hire eny thing.Bot this wot wel the hevene king,That sithen ferst this world began,Unto non other strange man2060Ne feigned I semblant ne chiere,To wite or axe of his matiere,Thogh that he lovede ten or tuelve,Whanne it was noght my ladi selve:P. i. 229Bot if he wolde axe eny redAl onlich of his oghne hed,How he with other love ferde,His tales with myn Ere I herde,Bot to myn herte cam it noghtNe sank no deppere in my thoght,2070Bot hield conseil, as I was bede,And tolde it nevere in other stede,710Bot let it passen as it com.Now, fader, say what is thi dom,And hou thou wolt that I be peinedFor such Semblant as I have feigned.Confessor.Mi Sone, if reson be wel peised,Ther mai no vertu ben unpreisedNe vice non be set in pris.Forthi, my Sone, if thou be wys,2080Do no viser upon thi face,Which as wol noght thin herte embrace:For if thou do, withinne a throweTo othre men it schal be knowe,So miht thou lihtli falle in blameAnd lese a gret part of thi name.And natheles in this degreeFulofte time thou myht seOf suche men that now adayThis vice setten in a say:7112090I speke it for no mannes blame,Bot forto warne thee the same.Mi Sone, as I mai hiere talkeIn every place where I walke,P. i. 230I not if it be so or non,Bot it is manye daies gonThat I ferst herde telle this,How Falssemblant hath ben and isMost comunly fro yer to yereWith hem that duelle among ous here,2100Of suche as we Lombardes calle.For thei ben the slyeste of alle,So as men sein in toune aboute,To feigne and schewe thing withouteWhich is revers to that withinne:Wherof that thei fulofte winne,Whan thei be reson scholden lese;Thei ben the laste and yit thei chese,And we the ferste, and yit behindeWe gon, there as we scholden finde2110The profit of oure oghne lond:712Thus gon thei fre withoute bondTo don her profit al at large,And othre men bere al the charge.Of Lombardz unto this covine,Whiche alle londes conne engine,Mai Falssemblant in specialBe likned, for thei overal,Wher as they thenken forto duelle,Among hemself; so as thei telle,2120Ferst ben enformed forto lereA craft which cleped is Fa crere:713For if Fa crere come aboute,Thanne afterward hem stant no douteP. i. 231To voide with a soubtil hondThe beste goodes of the londAnd bringe chaf and take corn.Where as Fa crere goth toforn,714In all his weie he fynt no lette;That Dore can non huissher schette2130In which him list to take entre:And thus the conseil most secreOf every thing Fa crere knoweth,Which into strange place he bloweth,Where as he wot it mai most grieve.And thus Fa crere makth believe,So that fulofte he hath deceived,Er that he mai ben aperceived.Thus is this vice forto drede;715For who these olde bokes rede2140Of suche ensamples as were ar,Him oghte be the more warOf alle tho that feigne chiere,Wherof thou schalt a tale hiere.[Deianira and Nessus.]Of Falssemblant which is believedFul many a worthi wiht is grieved,And was long time er we wer bore.Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos, qui sub dissimilate beneuolencie speculo716alios in amore defraudant. Et narrat qualiter Hercules, cum ipse quoddam fluuium, cuius vada non nouit, cum Deianira transmeare proposuit, superueniens Nessus Gigas ob amiciciam Herculis, vt dixit, Deianiram in vlnas suas suscipiens trans ripam salvo perduxit. Et statim cum ad litus peruenisset, quamcito currere potuit, ipsam tanquam propriam in preiudicium Herculis asportare fugiens conabatur: per quod non solum ipsi seteciam Herculi mortis euentum fortuna postmodum causauit.To thee, my Sone, I wol therforeA tale telle of Falssemblant,Which falseth many a covenant,2150And many a fraude of fals conseilTher ben hangende upon his Seil:And that aboghten gultelesBothe Deianire and Hercules,P. i. 232The whiche in gret desese felleThurgh Falssemblant, as I schal telle.Whan Hercules withinne a throweAl only hath his herte throweUpon this faire Deianire,It fell him on a dai desire,2160Upon a Rivere as he stod,That passe he wolde over the flodWithoute bot, and with him ledeHis love, bot he was in dredeFor tendresce of that swete wiht,For he knew noght the forde ariht.Ther was a Geant thanne nyh,Which Nessus hihte, and whanne he sihThis Hercules and Deianyre,Withinne his herte he gan conspire,7172170As he which thurgh his tricherieHath Hercules in gret envie,Which he bar in his herte loke,And thanne he thoghte it schal be wroke.Bot he ne dorste nathelesAyein this worthi HerculesFalle in debat as forto feihte;Bot feigneth Semblant al be sleihte718Of frendschipe and of alle goode,And comth where as thei bothe stode,2180And makth hem al the chiere he can,And seith that as here oghne manHe is al redy forto doWhat thing he mai; and it fell soP. i. 233That thei upon his Semblant triste,And axen him if that he wisteWhat thing hem were best to done,So that thei mihten sauf and soneThe water passe, he and sche.And whan Nessus the privete2190Knew of here herte what it mente,719As he that was of double entente,He made hem riht a glad visage;And whanne he herde of the passageOf him and hire, he thoghte guile,And feigneth Semblant for a whileTo don hem plesance and servise,Bot he thoghte al an other wise.720This Nessus with hise wordes slyheYaf such conseil tofore here yhe2200Which semeth outward profitableAnd was withinne deceivable.He bad hem of the Stremes depeThat thei be war and take kepe,So as thei knowe noght the pas;Bot forto helpe in such a cas,He seith himself that for here ese721He wolde, if that it mihte hem plese,The passage of the water take,And for this ladi undertake2210To bere unto that other strondeAnd sauf to sette hire up alonde,And Hercules may thanne alsoThe weie knowe how he schal go:722P. i. 234And herto thei acorden alle.Bot what as after schal befalle,Wel payd was Hercules of this,And this Geant also glad is,723And tok this ladi up alofteAnd set hire on his schuldre softe,7242220And in the flod began to wade,725As he which no grucchinge made,And bar hire over sauf and sound.Bot whanne he stod on dreie groundAnd Hercules was fer behinde,He sette his trowthe al out of mynde,Who so therof be lief or loth,With Deianyre and forth he goth,726As he that thoghte to dissevereThe compaignie of hem for evere.2230Whan Hercules therof tok hiede,Als faste as evere he mihte him spiedeHe hyeth after in a throwe;And hapneth that he hadde a bowe,The which in alle haste he bende,As he that wolde an Arwe sende,Which he tofore hadde envenimed.He hath so wel his schote timed,That he him thurgh the bodi smette,And thus the false wiht he lette.2240Bot lest now such a felonie:Whan Nessus wiste he scholde die,He tok to Deianyre his scherte,Which with the blod was of his herteP. i. 235Thurghout desteigned overal,And tolde how sche it kepe schalAl prively to this entente,727That if hire lord his herte wente728To love in eny other place,The scherte, he seith, hath such a grace,2250That if sche mai so mochel make729That he the scherte upon him take,He schal alle othre lete in veinAnd torne unto hire love ayein.Who was tho glad bot Deianyre?Hire thoghte hire herte was afyreTil it was in hire cofre loke,So that no word therof was spoke.The daies gon, the yeres passe,The hertes waxen lasse and lasse2260Of hem that ben to love untrewe:This Hercules with herte neweHis love hath set on Eolen,And therof spieken alle men.This Eolen, this faire maide,Was, as men thilke time saide,The kinges dowhter of Eurice;And sche made Hercules so nyceUpon hir Love and so assote,That he him clotheth in hire cote,7302270And sche in his was clothed ofte;731And thus fieblesce is set alofte,732And strengthe was put under fote,Ther can noman therof do bote.P. i. 236Whan Deianyre hath herd this speche,Ther was no sorwe forto seche:Of other helpe wot sche non,Bot goth unto hire cofre anon;With wepende yhe and woful herteSche tok out thilke unhappi scherte,2280As sche that wende wel to do,And broghte hire werk aboute soThat Hercules this scherte on dede,To such entente as she was bedeOf Nessus, so as I seide er.Bot therof was sche noght the ner,As no fortune may be weyved;With Falssemblant sche was deceived,That whan sche wende best have wonne,Sche lost al that sche hath begonne.2290For thilke scherte unto the bonHis body sette afyre anon,And cleveth so, it mai noght twinne,For the venym that was therinne.And he thanne as a wilde manUnto the hihe wode he ran,And as the Clerk Ovide telleth,The grete tres to grounde he fellethWith strengthe al of his oghne myght,733And made an huge fyr upriht,2300And lepte himself therinne at onesAnd brende him bothe fleissh and bones.Which thing cam al thurgh Falssemblant,That false Nessus the GeantP. i. 237Made unto him and to his wif;Wherof that he hath lost his lif,And sche sori for everemo.Confessor.Forthi, my Sone, er thee be wo,I rede, be wel war therfore;For whan so gret a man was lore,2310It oghte yive a gret conceipteTo warne alle othre of such deceipte.Amans.Grant mercy, fader, I am warSo fer that I nomore darOf Falssemblant take aqueintance;Bot rathere I wol do penance734That I have feigned chiere er this.Now axeth forth, what so ther isOf that belongeth to my schrifte.Confessor.Mi Sone, yit ther is the fifte2320Which is conceived of Envie,And cleped is Supplantarie,Thurgh whos compassement and guileFul many a man hath lost his whileIn love als wel as otherwise,Hierafter as I schal devise.

[Demetrius and Perseus.]

In a Cronique, as thou schalt wite,

Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos detractores, qui in alterius vituperium mendacia confingentes diffamacionem fieri procurant. Et narrat qualiter Perseus, Philippi Regis Macedonie filius, Demetrio fratri suo ob eius probitatem inuidens, composito detraccionis mendacio ipsum apud patrem suum mortaliter accusauit, dicens quod ipse non solum patrem set et totum Macedonie regnum Romanis hostibus proditorie vendidisset: quem super hoc in iudicium producens, testibus que iudicibus auro subornatis, quamuis falsissime morte condempnatum euicit: quo defuncto eciam et pater infra breue postea mortuus est. Et sic Perseo successiue regnante deus huiusmodi detraccionis inuidiam abhorrens ipsum cum vniuersa suorum pugnatorum multitudine extra Danubii fluuium ab Emilio tunc Romanorum Consule euentu bellico interfici fortunauit. Ita quod ab illo die Macedonie potestas penitus destructa Romano Imperio subiugata deseruiuit, et eius detraccio, quam contra alium conspirauerat, in sui ipsius diffamacionem pro perpetuo diuulgata consistit.

A gret ensample I finde write,

Which I schal telle upon this thing.

Philippe of Macedoyne kyng

Two Sones hadde be his wif,

Whos fame is yit in Grece rif:667

Demetrius the ferste brother

Was hote, and Perseüs that other.1620

Demetrius men seiden tho

The betre knyht was of the tuo,

P. i. 214

To whom the lond was entendant,668

As he which heir was apparant

To regne after his fader dai:

Bot that thing which no water mai

Quenche in this world, bot evere brenneth,

Into his brother herte it renneth,

The proude Envie of that he sih

His brother scholde clymbe on hih,1630

And he to him mot thanne obeie:669

That may he soffre be no weie.

With strengthe dorst he nothing fonde,

So tok he lesinge upon honde,

Whan he sih time and spak therto.

For it befell that time so,

His fader grete werres hadde

With Rome, whiche he streite ladde

Thurgh mihty hond of his manhode,

As he which hath ynowh knihthode,6701640

And ofte hem hadde sore grieved.

Bot er the werre were achieved,

As he was upon ordinance

At hom in Grece, it fell per chance,671

Demetrius, which ofte aboute

Ridende was, stod that time oute,

So that this Perse in his absence,

Which bar the tunge of pestilence,

With false wordes whiche he feigneth

Upon his oghne brother pleigneth1650

In privete behinde his bak,

And to his fader thus he spak:

P. i. 215

‘Mi diere fader, I am holde

Be weie of kinde, as resoun wolde,

That I fro yow schal nothing hide,

Which mihte torne in eny side

Of youre astat into grevance:

Forthi myn hertes obeissance

Towardes you I thenke kepe;

For it is good ye take kepe1660

Upon a thing which is me told.

Mi brother hath ous alle sold

To hem of Rome, and you also;

For thanne they behote him so,

That he with hem schal regne in pes.

Thus hath he cast for his encress

That youre astat schal go to noght;

And this to proeve schal be broght

So ferforth, that I undertake672

It schal noght wel mow be forsake.’1670

The king upon this tale ansuerde

And seide, if this thing which he herde

Be soth and mai be broght to prove,

‘It schal noght be to his behove,

Which so hath schapen ous the werste,673

For he himself schal be the ferste

That schal be ded, if that I mai.’

Thus afterward upon a dai,674

Whan that Demetrius was come,

Anon his fader hath him nome,1680

And bad unto his brother Perse

That he his tale schal reherse

P. i. 216

Of thilke tresoun which he tolde.

And he, which al untrowthe wolde,

Conseileth that so hih a nede

Be treted wher as it mai spede,

In comun place of juggement.

The king therto yaf his assent,

Demetrius was put in hold,

Wherof that Perseüs was bold.1690

Thus stod the trowthe under the charge,

And the falshede goth at large,

Which thurgh beheste hath overcome

The greteste of the lordes some,

That privelich of his acord

Thei stonde as witnesse of record:

The jugge was mad favorable:

Thus was the lawe deceivable

So ferforth that the trowthe fond

Rescousse non, and thus the lond1700

Forth with the king deceived were.

The gulteles was dampned there

And deide upon accusement:

Bot such a fals conspirement,

Thogh it be prive for a throwe,

Godd wolde noght it were unknowe;675

And that was afterward wel proved676

In him which hath the deth controved.

Of that his brother was so slain

This Perseüs was wonder fain,1710

As he that tho was apparant,677

Upon the Regne and expectant;

P. i. 217

Wherof he wax so proud and vein,

That he his fader in desdeign

Hath take and set of non acompte,

As he which thoghte him to surmonte;

That wher he was ferst debonaire,

He was tho rebell and contraire,

And noght as heir bot as a king

He tok upon him alle thing1720

Of malice and of tirannie

In contempt of the Regalie,

Livende his fader, and so wroghte,

That whan the fader him bethoghte

And sih to whether side it drowh,

Anon he wiste well ynowh

How Perse after his false tunge

Hath so thenvious belle runge,678

That he hath slain his oghne brother.

Wherof as thanne he knew non other,1730

Bot sodeinly the jugge he nom,

Which corrupt sat upon the dom,

In such a wise and hath him pressed,

That he the sothe him hath confessed

Of al that hath be spoke and do.

Mor sori than the king was tho

Was nevere man upon this Molde,

And thoghte in certein that he wolde

Vengance take upon this wrong.

Bot thother parti was so strong,1740

That for the lawe of no statut

Ther mai no riht ben execut;

P. i. 218

And upon this division679

The lond was torned up so doun:

Wherof his herte is so distraght,

That he for pure sorwe hath caght

The maladie of which nature

Is queint in every creature.

And whan this king was passed thus,

This false tunged Perseüs1750

The regiment hath underfonge.

Bot ther mai nothing stonde longe

Which is noght upon trowthe grounded;

For god, which alle thing hath bounded

And sih the falshod of his guile,

Hath set him bot a litel while,

That he schal regne upon depos;

For sodeinliche as he aros680

So sodeinliche doun he fell.

In thilke time it so befell,1760

This newe king of newe Pride

With strengthe schop him forto ride,

And seide he wolde Rome waste,681

Wherof he made a besi haste,

And hath assembled him an host

In al that evere he mihte most:

What man that mihte wepne here

Of alle he wolde non forbere;

So that it mihte noght be nombred,

The folk which after was encombred6821770

Thurgh him, that god wolde overthrowe.

Anon it was at Rome knowe,

P. i. 219

The pompe which that Perse ladde;

And the Romeins that time hadde

A Consul, which was cleped thus

Be name, Paul Emilius,

A noble, a worthi kniht withalle;

And he, which chief was of hem alle,683

This werre on honde hath undertake.

And whanne he scholde his leve take6841780

Of a yong dowhter which was his,

Sche wepte, and he what cause it is

Hire axeth, and sche him ansuerde

That Perse is ded; and he it herde,

And wondreth what sche meene wolde:

And sche upon childhode him tolde

That Perse hir litel hound is ded.

With that he pulleth up his hed685

And made riht a glad visage,

And seide how that was a presage1790

Touchende unto that other Perse,

Of that fortune him scholde adverse,

He seith, for such a prenostik

Most of an hound was to him lik:

For as it is an houndes kinde

To berke upon a man behinde,

Riht so behinde his brother bak

With false wordes whiche he spak

He hath do slain, and that is rowthe.

‘Bot he which hateth alle untrowthe,1800

The hihe god, it schal redresse;

For so my dowhter prophetesse

P. i. 220

Forth with hir litel houndes deth686

Betokneth.’ And thus forth he geth687

Conforted of this evidence,

With the Romeins in his defence

Ayein the Greks that ben comende.

This Perseüs, as noght seende688

This meschief which that him abod,689

With al his multitude rod,1810

And prided him upon the thing,690

Of that he was become a king,

And how he hadde his regne gete;

Bot he hath al the riht foryete

Which longeth unto governance.

Wherof thurgh goddes ordinance

It fell, upon the wynter tide

That with his host he scholde ride

Over Danubie thilke flod,

Which al befrose thanne stod1820

So harde, that he wende wel

To passe: bot the blinde whiel,

Which torneth ofte er men be war,

Thilke ys which that the horsmen bar

Tobrak, so that a gret partie

Was dreint; of the chivalerie

The rerewarde it tok aweie,

Cam non of hem to londe dreie.

Paulus the worthi kniht Romein691

Be his aspie it herde sein,1830

And hasteth him al that he may,

So that upon that other day

P. i. 221

He cam wher he this host beheld,

And that was in a large feld,

Wher the Baneres ben desplaied.

He hath anon hise men arraied,

And whan that he was embatailled,

He goth and hath the feld assailed,

And slowh and tok al that he fond;

Wherof the Macedoyne lond,1840

Which thurgh king Alisandre honoured

Long time stod, was tho devoured.

To Perse and al that infortune

Thei wyte, so that the comune

Of al the lond his heir exile;

And he despeired for the while

Desguised in a povere wede

To Rome goth, and ther for nede

The craft which thilke time was,

To worche in latoun and in bras,1850

He lerneth for his sustienance.

Such was the Sones pourveance,

And of his fader it is seid,

In strong prisoun that he was leid

In Albe, wher that he was ded

For hunger and defalte of bred.692

The hound was tokne and prophecie

That lich an hound he scholde die,

Which lich was of condicioun,

Whan he with his detraccioun1860

Bark on his brother so behinde.

Confessor.

Lo, what profit a man mai finde,

P. i. 222

Which hindre wole an other wiht.

Forthi with al thin hole miht,

Mi Sone, eschuie thilke vice.

Amans.

Mi fader, elles were I nyce:

For ye therof so wel have spoke,693

That it is in myn herte loke

And evere schal: bot of Envie,694

If ther be more in his baillie1870

Towardes love, sai me what.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, as guile under the hat

With sleyhtes of a tregetour

Is hidd, Envie of such colour

Hath yit the ferthe deceivant,

The which is cleped Falssemblant,

Wherof the matiere and the forme

Now herkne and I thee schal enforme.

[iv.False-Semblant.]iv.Nil bilinguis aget, nisi duplo concinat ore,Dumque diem loquitur, nox sua vota tegit.Vultus habet lucem, tenebras mens, sermo salutem,Actus set morbum dat suus esse grauem.Pax tibi quam spondet, magis est prenostica guerre;Comoda si dederit, disce subesse dolum.Quod patet esse fides in eo fraus est, que politiPrincipium pacti finis habere negat.O quam condicio talis deformat amantem,Qui magis apparens est in amore nichil.10

[iv.False-Semblant.]

iv.Nil bilinguis aget, nisi duplo concinat ore,

Dumque diem loquitur, nox sua vota tegit.

Vultus habet lucem, tenebras mens, sermo salutem,

Actus set morbum dat suus esse grauem.

Pax tibi quam spondet, magis est prenostica guerre;

Comoda si dederit, disce subesse dolum.

Quod patet esse fides in eo fraus est, que politi

Principium pacti finis habere negat.

O quam condicio talis deformat amantem,

Qui magis apparens est in amore nichil.10

Of Falssemblant if I schal telle,Above alle othre it is the welle1880Out of the which deceipte floweth.Ther is noman so wys that knowethOf thilke flod which is the tyde,Hic tractat Confessor super quarta specie Inuidie, que dissimilacio dicitur, cuius vultus quanto maioris amicicie apparenciam ostendit, tanto subtilioris doli fallacias ad decipiendum mens ymaginatur.Ne how he scholde himselven guideP. i. 223To take sauf passage there.And yit the wynd to mannes EreIs softe, and as it semeth outeIt makth clier weder al aboute;Bot thogh it seme, it is noght so.For Falssemblant hath everemo1890Of his conseil in compaignieThe derke untrewe Ypocrisie,Whos word descordeth to his thoght:Forthi thei ben togedre broghtOf o covine, of on houshold,695As it schal after this be told.696Of Falssemblant it nedeth noghtTo telle of olde ensamples oght;For al dai in experienceA man mai se thilke evidence1900Of faire wordes whiche he hiereth;Bot yit the barge Envie stiereth697And halt it evere fro the londe,Wher Falssemblant with Ore on hondeIt roweth, and wol noght arive,Bot let it on the wawes dryveIn gret tempeste and gret debat,698Wherof that love and his astatEmpeireth. And therfore I rede,Mi Sone, that thou fle and drede1910This vice, and what that othre sein,Let thi Semblant be trewe and plein.For Falssemblant is thilke vice,Which nevere was withoute office:P. i. 224Wher that Envie thenkth to guile,He schal be for that ilke while699Of prive conseil Messagier.For whan his semblant is most clier,Thanne is he most derk in his thoght,Thogh men him se, thei knowe him noght;1920Bot as it scheweth in the glasThing which therinne nevere was,So scheweth it in his visageThat nevere was in his corage:Thus doth he al his thing with sleyhte.700Hic in amoris causa Confessor super isto vicio Amanti opponit.Now ley thi conscience in weyhte,Mi goode Sone, and schrif the hier,If thou were evere CustummerTo Falssemblant in eny wise.Confessio Amantis.For ought I can me yit avise,1930Mi goode fader, certes no.If I for love have oght do so,Now asketh, I wol praie yow:For elles I wot nevere howOf Falssemblant that I have gilt.Confessor.Mi Sone, and sithen that thou wiltThat I schal axe, gabbe noght,Bot tell if evere was thi thoghtWith Falssemblant and covertureTo wite of eny creature1940How that he was with love lad;So were he sori, were he glad,Whan that thou wistest how it were,Al that he rounede in thin Ere701P. i. 225Thou toldest forth in other place,To setten him fro loves graceOf what womman that thee best liste,Ther as noman his conseil wisteBot thou, be whom he was deceivedOf love, and from his pourpos weyved;1950And thoghtest that his destourbanceThin oghne cause scholde avance,As who saith, ‘I am so celee,Ther mai no mannes priveteBe heled half so wel as myn.’Art thou, mi Sone, of such engin?Tell on.Amans.Mi goode fader, nayAs for the more part I say;Bot of somdiel I am beknowe,That I mai stonde in thilke rowe7021960Amonges hem that Saundres use.I wol me noght therof excuse,That I with such colour ne steyne,Whan I my beste Semblant feigneTo my felawh, til that I wotAl his conseil bothe cold and hot:For be that cause I make him chiere,Til I his love knowe and hiere;And if so be myn herte souchethThat oght unto my ladi toucheth1970Of love that he wol me telle,703Anon I renne unto the welleAnd caste water in the fyr,So that his carte amidd the Myr,P. i. 226Be that I have his conseil knowe,Fulofte sithe I overthrowe,Whan that he weneth best to stonde.Bot this I do you understonde,If that a man love elles where,So that my ladi be noght there,1980And he me telle, I wole it hide,Ther schal no word ascape aside,For with deceipte of no semblantTo him breke I no covenant;Me liketh noght in other placeTo lette noman of his grace,Ne forto ben inquisitifTo knowe an other mannes lif:Wher that he love or love noght,That toucheth nothing to my thoght,7041990Bot al it passeth thurgh myn EreRiht as a thing that nevere were,And is foryete and leid beside.Bot if it touche on eny sideMi ladi, as I have er spoken,Myn Eres ben noght thanne loken;For certes, whanne that betitt,My will, myn herte and al my wittBen fully set to herkne and spireWhat eny man wol speke of hire.2000Thus have I feigned compaignieFulofte, for I wolde aspieWhat thing it is that eny man705Telle of mi worthi lady can:P. i. 227And for tuo causes I do this,The ferste cause wherof is,—If that I myhte ofherkne and sekeThat eny man of hire mispeke,I wolde excuse hire so fully,That whan sche wist it inderly,7062010Min hope scholde be the moreTo have hir thank for everemore.That other cause, I you assure,Is, why that I be covertureHave feigned semblant ofte timeTo hem that passen alday bymeAnd ben lovers als wel as I,For this I weene trewely,That ther is of hem alle non,That thei ne loven everich on2020Mi ladi: for sothliche I lieveAnd durste setten it in prieve,Is non so wys that scholde asterte,Bot he were lustles in his herte,Forwhy and he my ladi sihe,Hir visage and hir goodlych yhe,Bot he hire lovede, er he wente.And for that such is myn entente,That is the cause of myn aspie,Why that I feigne compaignie2030And make felawe overal;For gladly wolde I knowen alAnd holde me covert alway,That I fulofte ye or nayP. i. 228Ne liste ansuere in eny wise,Bot feigne semblant as the wiseAnd herkne tales, til I knoweMi ladi lovers al arowe.And whanne I hiere how thei have wroght,I fare as thogh I herde it noght7072040And as I no word understode;Bot that is nothing for here goode:For lieveth wel, the sothe is this,708That whanne I knowe al how it is,I wol bot forthren hem a lite,709Bot al the worste I can enditeI telle it to my ladi platIn forthringe of myn oghne astat,And hindre hem al that evere I may.Bot for al that yit dar I say,2050I finde unto miself no bote,Althogh myn herte nedes moteThurgh strengthe of love al that I hiereDiscovere unto my ladi diere:For in good feith I have no mihtTo hele fro that swete wiht,If that it touche hire eny thing.Bot this wot wel the hevene king,That sithen ferst this world began,Unto non other strange man2060Ne feigned I semblant ne chiere,To wite or axe of his matiere,Thogh that he lovede ten or tuelve,Whanne it was noght my ladi selve:P. i. 229Bot if he wolde axe eny redAl onlich of his oghne hed,How he with other love ferde,His tales with myn Ere I herde,Bot to myn herte cam it noghtNe sank no deppere in my thoght,2070Bot hield conseil, as I was bede,And tolde it nevere in other stede,710Bot let it passen as it com.Now, fader, say what is thi dom,And hou thou wolt that I be peinedFor such Semblant as I have feigned.Confessor.Mi Sone, if reson be wel peised,Ther mai no vertu ben unpreisedNe vice non be set in pris.Forthi, my Sone, if thou be wys,2080Do no viser upon thi face,Which as wol noght thin herte embrace:For if thou do, withinne a throweTo othre men it schal be knowe,So miht thou lihtli falle in blameAnd lese a gret part of thi name.And natheles in this degreeFulofte time thou myht seOf suche men that now adayThis vice setten in a say:7112090I speke it for no mannes blame,Bot forto warne thee the same.Mi Sone, as I mai hiere talkeIn every place where I walke,P. i. 230I not if it be so or non,Bot it is manye daies gonThat I ferst herde telle this,How Falssemblant hath ben and isMost comunly fro yer to yereWith hem that duelle among ous here,2100Of suche as we Lombardes calle.For thei ben the slyeste of alle,So as men sein in toune aboute,To feigne and schewe thing withouteWhich is revers to that withinne:Wherof that thei fulofte winne,Whan thei be reson scholden lese;Thei ben the laste and yit thei chese,And we the ferste, and yit behindeWe gon, there as we scholden finde2110The profit of oure oghne lond:712Thus gon thei fre withoute bondTo don her profit al at large,And othre men bere al the charge.Of Lombardz unto this covine,Whiche alle londes conne engine,Mai Falssemblant in specialBe likned, for thei overal,Wher as they thenken forto duelle,Among hemself; so as thei telle,2120Ferst ben enformed forto lereA craft which cleped is Fa crere:713For if Fa crere come aboute,Thanne afterward hem stant no douteP. i. 231To voide with a soubtil hondThe beste goodes of the londAnd bringe chaf and take corn.Where as Fa crere goth toforn,714In all his weie he fynt no lette;That Dore can non huissher schette2130In which him list to take entre:And thus the conseil most secreOf every thing Fa crere knoweth,Which into strange place he bloweth,Where as he wot it mai most grieve.And thus Fa crere makth believe,So that fulofte he hath deceived,Er that he mai ben aperceived.Thus is this vice forto drede;715For who these olde bokes rede2140Of suche ensamples as were ar,Him oghte be the more warOf alle tho that feigne chiere,Wherof thou schalt a tale hiere.

Of Falssemblant if I schal telle,

Above alle othre it is the welle1880

Out of the which deceipte floweth.

Ther is noman so wys that knoweth

Of thilke flod which is the tyde,

Hic tractat Confessor super quarta specie Inuidie, que dissimilacio dicitur, cuius vultus quanto maioris amicicie apparenciam ostendit, tanto subtilioris doli fallacias ad decipiendum mens ymaginatur.

Ne how he scholde himselven guide

P. i. 223

To take sauf passage there.

And yit the wynd to mannes Ere

Is softe, and as it semeth oute

It makth clier weder al aboute;

Bot thogh it seme, it is noght so.

For Falssemblant hath everemo1890

Of his conseil in compaignie

The derke untrewe Ypocrisie,

Whos word descordeth to his thoght:

Forthi thei ben togedre broght

Of o covine, of on houshold,695

As it schal after this be told.696

Of Falssemblant it nedeth noght

To telle of olde ensamples oght;

For al dai in experience

A man mai se thilke evidence1900

Of faire wordes whiche he hiereth;

Bot yit the barge Envie stiereth697

And halt it evere fro the londe,

Wher Falssemblant with Ore on honde

It roweth, and wol noght arive,

Bot let it on the wawes dryve

In gret tempeste and gret debat,698

Wherof that love and his astat

Empeireth. And therfore I rede,

Mi Sone, that thou fle and drede1910

This vice, and what that othre sein,

Let thi Semblant be trewe and plein.

For Falssemblant is thilke vice,

Which nevere was withoute office:

P. i. 224

Wher that Envie thenkth to guile,

He schal be for that ilke while699

Of prive conseil Messagier.

For whan his semblant is most clier,

Thanne is he most derk in his thoght,

Thogh men him se, thei knowe him noght;1920

Bot as it scheweth in the glas

Thing which therinne nevere was,

So scheweth it in his visage

That nevere was in his corage:

Thus doth he al his thing with sleyhte.700

Hic in amoris causa Confessor super isto vicio Amanti opponit.

Now ley thi conscience in weyhte,

Mi goode Sone, and schrif the hier,

If thou were evere Custummer

To Falssemblant in eny wise.

Confessio Amantis.

For ought I can me yit avise,1930

Mi goode fader, certes no.

If I for love have oght do so,

Now asketh, I wol praie yow:

For elles I wot nevere how

Of Falssemblant that I have gilt.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, and sithen that thou wilt

That I schal axe, gabbe noght,

Bot tell if evere was thi thoght

With Falssemblant and coverture

To wite of eny creature1940

How that he was with love lad;

So were he sori, were he glad,

Whan that thou wistest how it were,

Al that he rounede in thin Ere701

P. i. 225

Thou toldest forth in other place,

To setten him fro loves grace

Of what womman that thee best liste,

Ther as noman his conseil wiste

Bot thou, be whom he was deceived

Of love, and from his pourpos weyved;1950

And thoghtest that his destourbance

Thin oghne cause scholde avance,

As who saith, ‘I am so celee,

Ther mai no mannes privete

Be heled half so wel as myn.’

Art thou, mi Sone, of such engin?

Tell on.

Amans.

Mi goode fader, nay

As for the more part I say;

Bot of somdiel I am beknowe,

That I mai stonde in thilke rowe7021960

Amonges hem that Saundres use.

I wol me noght therof excuse,

That I with such colour ne steyne,

Whan I my beste Semblant feigne

To my felawh, til that I wot

Al his conseil bothe cold and hot:

For be that cause I make him chiere,

Til I his love knowe and hiere;

And if so be myn herte soucheth

That oght unto my ladi toucheth1970

Of love that he wol me telle,703

Anon I renne unto the welle

And caste water in the fyr,

So that his carte amidd the Myr,

P. i. 226

Be that I have his conseil knowe,

Fulofte sithe I overthrowe,

Whan that he weneth best to stonde.

Bot this I do you understonde,

If that a man love elles where,

So that my ladi be noght there,1980

And he me telle, I wole it hide,

Ther schal no word ascape aside,

For with deceipte of no semblant

To him breke I no covenant;

Me liketh noght in other place

To lette noman of his grace,

Ne forto ben inquisitif

To knowe an other mannes lif:

Wher that he love or love noght,

That toucheth nothing to my thoght,7041990

Bot al it passeth thurgh myn Ere

Riht as a thing that nevere were,

And is foryete and leid beside.

Bot if it touche on eny side

Mi ladi, as I have er spoken,

Myn Eres ben noght thanne loken;

For certes, whanne that betitt,

My will, myn herte and al my witt

Ben fully set to herkne and spire

What eny man wol speke of hire.2000

Thus have I feigned compaignie

Fulofte, for I wolde aspie

What thing it is that eny man705

Telle of mi worthi lady can:

P. i. 227

And for tuo causes I do this,

The ferste cause wherof is,—

If that I myhte ofherkne and seke

That eny man of hire mispeke,

I wolde excuse hire so fully,

That whan sche wist it inderly,7062010

Min hope scholde be the more

To have hir thank for everemore.

That other cause, I you assure,

Is, why that I be coverture

Have feigned semblant ofte time

To hem that passen alday byme

And ben lovers als wel as I,

For this I weene trewely,

That ther is of hem alle non,

That thei ne loven everich on2020

Mi ladi: for sothliche I lieve

And durste setten it in prieve,

Is non so wys that scholde asterte,

Bot he were lustles in his herte,

Forwhy and he my ladi sihe,

Hir visage and hir goodlych yhe,

Bot he hire lovede, er he wente.

And for that such is myn entente,

That is the cause of myn aspie,

Why that I feigne compaignie2030

And make felawe overal;

For gladly wolde I knowen al

And holde me covert alway,

That I fulofte ye or nay

P. i. 228

Ne liste ansuere in eny wise,

Bot feigne semblant as the wise

And herkne tales, til I knowe

Mi ladi lovers al arowe.

And whanne I hiere how thei have wroght,

I fare as thogh I herde it noght7072040

And as I no word understode;

Bot that is nothing for here goode:

For lieveth wel, the sothe is this,708

That whanne I knowe al how it is,

I wol bot forthren hem a lite,709

Bot al the worste I can endite

I telle it to my ladi plat

In forthringe of myn oghne astat,

And hindre hem al that evere I may.

Bot for al that yit dar I say,2050

I finde unto miself no bote,

Althogh myn herte nedes mote

Thurgh strengthe of love al that I hiere

Discovere unto my ladi diere:

For in good feith I have no miht

To hele fro that swete wiht,

If that it touche hire eny thing.

Bot this wot wel the hevene king,

That sithen ferst this world began,

Unto non other strange man2060

Ne feigned I semblant ne chiere,

To wite or axe of his matiere,

Thogh that he lovede ten or tuelve,

Whanne it was noght my ladi selve:

P. i. 229

Bot if he wolde axe eny red

Al onlich of his oghne hed,

How he with other love ferde,

His tales with myn Ere I herde,

Bot to myn herte cam it noght

Ne sank no deppere in my thoght,2070

Bot hield conseil, as I was bede,

And tolde it nevere in other stede,710

Bot let it passen as it com.

Now, fader, say what is thi dom,

And hou thou wolt that I be peined

For such Semblant as I have feigned.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, if reson be wel peised,

Ther mai no vertu ben unpreised

Ne vice non be set in pris.

Forthi, my Sone, if thou be wys,2080

Do no viser upon thi face,

Which as wol noght thin herte embrace:

For if thou do, withinne a throwe

To othre men it schal be knowe,

So miht thou lihtli falle in blame

And lese a gret part of thi name.

And natheles in this degree

Fulofte time thou myht se

Of suche men that now aday

This vice setten in a say:7112090

I speke it for no mannes blame,

Bot forto warne thee the same.

Mi Sone, as I mai hiere talke

In every place where I walke,

P. i. 230

I not if it be so or non,

Bot it is manye daies gon

That I ferst herde telle this,

How Falssemblant hath ben and is

Most comunly fro yer to yere

With hem that duelle among ous here,2100

Of suche as we Lombardes calle.

For thei ben the slyeste of alle,

So as men sein in toune aboute,

To feigne and schewe thing withoute

Which is revers to that withinne:

Wherof that thei fulofte winne,

Whan thei be reson scholden lese;

Thei ben the laste and yit thei chese,

And we the ferste, and yit behinde

We gon, there as we scholden finde2110

The profit of oure oghne lond:712

Thus gon thei fre withoute bond

To don her profit al at large,

And othre men bere al the charge.

Of Lombardz unto this covine,

Whiche alle londes conne engine,

Mai Falssemblant in special

Be likned, for thei overal,

Wher as they thenken forto duelle,

Among hemself; so as thei telle,2120

Ferst ben enformed forto lere

A craft which cleped is Fa crere:713

For if Fa crere come aboute,

Thanne afterward hem stant no doute

P. i. 231

To voide with a soubtil hond

The beste goodes of the lond

And bringe chaf and take corn.

Where as Fa crere goth toforn,714

In all his weie he fynt no lette;

That Dore can non huissher schette2130

In which him list to take entre:

And thus the conseil most secre

Of every thing Fa crere knoweth,

Which into strange place he bloweth,

Where as he wot it mai most grieve.

And thus Fa crere makth believe,

So that fulofte he hath deceived,

Er that he mai ben aperceived.

Thus is this vice forto drede;715

For who these olde bokes rede2140

Of suche ensamples as were ar,

Him oghte be the more war

Of alle tho that feigne chiere,

Wherof thou schalt a tale hiere.

[Deianira and Nessus.]Of Falssemblant which is believedFul many a worthi wiht is grieved,And was long time er we wer bore.Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos, qui sub dissimilate beneuolencie speculo716alios in amore defraudant. Et narrat qualiter Hercules, cum ipse quoddam fluuium, cuius vada non nouit, cum Deianira transmeare proposuit, superueniens Nessus Gigas ob amiciciam Herculis, vt dixit, Deianiram in vlnas suas suscipiens trans ripam salvo perduxit. Et statim cum ad litus peruenisset, quamcito currere potuit, ipsam tanquam propriam in preiudicium Herculis asportare fugiens conabatur: per quod non solum ipsi seteciam Herculi mortis euentum fortuna postmodum causauit.To thee, my Sone, I wol therforeA tale telle of Falssemblant,Which falseth many a covenant,2150And many a fraude of fals conseilTher ben hangende upon his Seil:And that aboghten gultelesBothe Deianire and Hercules,P. i. 232The whiche in gret desese felleThurgh Falssemblant, as I schal telle.Whan Hercules withinne a throweAl only hath his herte throweUpon this faire Deianire,It fell him on a dai desire,2160Upon a Rivere as he stod,That passe he wolde over the flodWithoute bot, and with him ledeHis love, bot he was in dredeFor tendresce of that swete wiht,For he knew noght the forde ariht.Ther was a Geant thanne nyh,Which Nessus hihte, and whanne he sihThis Hercules and Deianyre,Withinne his herte he gan conspire,7172170As he which thurgh his tricherieHath Hercules in gret envie,Which he bar in his herte loke,And thanne he thoghte it schal be wroke.Bot he ne dorste nathelesAyein this worthi HerculesFalle in debat as forto feihte;Bot feigneth Semblant al be sleihte718Of frendschipe and of alle goode,And comth where as thei bothe stode,2180And makth hem al the chiere he can,And seith that as here oghne manHe is al redy forto doWhat thing he mai; and it fell soP. i. 233That thei upon his Semblant triste,And axen him if that he wisteWhat thing hem were best to done,So that thei mihten sauf and soneThe water passe, he and sche.And whan Nessus the privete2190Knew of here herte what it mente,719As he that was of double entente,He made hem riht a glad visage;And whanne he herde of the passageOf him and hire, he thoghte guile,And feigneth Semblant for a whileTo don hem plesance and servise,Bot he thoghte al an other wise.720This Nessus with hise wordes slyheYaf such conseil tofore here yhe2200Which semeth outward profitableAnd was withinne deceivable.He bad hem of the Stremes depeThat thei be war and take kepe,So as thei knowe noght the pas;Bot forto helpe in such a cas,He seith himself that for here ese721He wolde, if that it mihte hem plese,The passage of the water take,And for this ladi undertake2210To bere unto that other strondeAnd sauf to sette hire up alonde,And Hercules may thanne alsoThe weie knowe how he schal go:722P. i. 234And herto thei acorden alle.Bot what as after schal befalle,Wel payd was Hercules of this,And this Geant also glad is,723And tok this ladi up alofteAnd set hire on his schuldre softe,7242220And in the flod began to wade,725As he which no grucchinge made,And bar hire over sauf and sound.Bot whanne he stod on dreie groundAnd Hercules was fer behinde,He sette his trowthe al out of mynde,Who so therof be lief or loth,With Deianyre and forth he goth,726As he that thoghte to dissevereThe compaignie of hem for evere.2230Whan Hercules therof tok hiede,Als faste as evere he mihte him spiedeHe hyeth after in a throwe;And hapneth that he hadde a bowe,The which in alle haste he bende,As he that wolde an Arwe sende,Which he tofore hadde envenimed.He hath so wel his schote timed,That he him thurgh the bodi smette,And thus the false wiht he lette.2240Bot lest now such a felonie:Whan Nessus wiste he scholde die,He tok to Deianyre his scherte,Which with the blod was of his herteP. i. 235Thurghout desteigned overal,And tolde how sche it kepe schalAl prively to this entente,727That if hire lord his herte wente728To love in eny other place,The scherte, he seith, hath such a grace,2250That if sche mai so mochel make729That he the scherte upon him take,He schal alle othre lete in veinAnd torne unto hire love ayein.Who was tho glad bot Deianyre?Hire thoghte hire herte was afyreTil it was in hire cofre loke,So that no word therof was spoke.The daies gon, the yeres passe,The hertes waxen lasse and lasse2260Of hem that ben to love untrewe:This Hercules with herte neweHis love hath set on Eolen,And therof spieken alle men.This Eolen, this faire maide,Was, as men thilke time saide,The kinges dowhter of Eurice;And sche made Hercules so nyceUpon hir Love and so assote,That he him clotheth in hire cote,7302270And sche in his was clothed ofte;731And thus fieblesce is set alofte,732And strengthe was put under fote,Ther can noman therof do bote.P. i. 236Whan Deianyre hath herd this speche,Ther was no sorwe forto seche:Of other helpe wot sche non,Bot goth unto hire cofre anon;With wepende yhe and woful herteSche tok out thilke unhappi scherte,2280As sche that wende wel to do,And broghte hire werk aboute soThat Hercules this scherte on dede,To such entente as she was bedeOf Nessus, so as I seide er.Bot therof was sche noght the ner,As no fortune may be weyved;With Falssemblant sche was deceived,That whan sche wende best have wonne,Sche lost al that sche hath begonne.2290For thilke scherte unto the bonHis body sette afyre anon,And cleveth so, it mai noght twinne,For the venym that was therinne.And he thanne as a wilde manUnto the hihe wode he ran,And as the Clerk Ovide telleth,The grete tres to grounde he fellethWith strengthe al of his oghne myght,733And made an huge fyr upriht,2300And lepte himself therinne at onesAnd brende him bothe fleissh and bones.Which thing cam al thurgh Falssemblant,That false Nessus the GeantP. i. 237Made unto him and to his wif;Wherof that he hath lost his lif,And sche sori for everemo.Confessor.Forthi, my Sone, er thee be wo,I rede, be wel war therfore;For whan so gret a man was lore,2310It oghte yive a gret conceipteTo warne alle othre of such deceipte.Amans.Grant mercy, fader, I am warSo fer that I nomore darOf Falssemblant take aqueintance;Bot rathere I wol do penance734That I have feigned chiere er this.Now axeth forth, what so ther isOf that belongeth to my schrifte.Confessor.Mi Sone, yit ther is the fifte2320Which is conceived of Envie,And cleped is Supplantarie,Thurgh whos compassement and guileFul many a man hath lost his whileIn love als wel as otherwise,Hierafter as I schal devise.

[Deianira and Nessus.]

Of Falssemblant which is believed

Ful many a worthi wiht is grieved,

And was long time er we wer bore.

Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos, qui sub dissimilate beneuolencie speculo716alios in amore defraudant. Et narrat qualiter Hercules, cum ipse quoddam fluuium, cuius vada non nouit, cum Deianira transmeare proposuit, superueniens Nessus Gigas ob amiciciam Herculis, vt dixit, Deianiram in vlnas suas suscipiens trans ripam salvo perduxit. Et statim cum ad litus peruenisset, quamcito currere potuit, ipsam tanquam propriam in preiudicium Herculis asportare fugiens conabatur: per quod non solum ipsi seteciam Herculi mortis euentum fortuna postmodum causauit.

To thee, my Sone, I wol therfore

A tale telle of Falssemblant,

Which falseth many a covenant,2150

And many a fraude of fals conseil

Ther ben hangende upon his Seil:

And that aboghten gulteles

Bothe Deianire and Hercules,

P. i. 232

The whiche in gret desese felle

Thurgh Falssemblant, as I schal telle.

Whan Hercules withinne a throwe

Al only hath his herte throwe

Upon this faire Deianire,

It fell him on a dai desire,2160

Upon a Rivere as he stod,

That passe he wolde over the flod

Withoute bot, and with him lede

His love, bot he was in drede

For tendresce of that swete wiht,

For he knew noght the forde ariht.

Ther was a Geant thanne nyh,

Which Nessus hihte, and whanne he sih

This Hercules and Deianyre,

Withinne his herte he gan conspire,7172170

As he which thurgh his tricherie

Hath Hercules in gret envie,

Which he bar in his herte loke,

And thanne he thoghte it schal be wroke.

Bot he ne dorste natheles

Ayein this worthi Hercules

Falle in debat as forto feihte;

Bot feigneth Semblant al be sleihte718

Of frendschipe and of alle goode,

And comth where as thei bothe stode,2180

And makth hem al the chiere he can,

And seith that as here oghne man

He is al redy forto do

What thing he mai; and it fell so

P. i. 233

That thei upon his Semblant triste,

And axen him if that he wiste

What thing hem were best to done,

So that thei mihten sauf and sone

The water passe, he and sche.

And whan Nessus the privete2190

Knew of here herte what it mente,719

As he that was of double entente,

He made hem riht a glad visage;

And whanne he herde of the passage

Of him and hire, he thoghte guile,

And feigneth Semblant for a while

To don hem plesance and servise,

Bot he thoghte al an other wise.720

This Nessus with hise wordes slyhe

Yaf such conseil tofore here yhe2200

Which semeth outward profitable

And was withinne deceivable.

He bad hem of the Stremes depe

That thei be war and take kepe,

So as thei knowe noght the pas;

Bot forto helpe in such a cas,

He seith himself that for here ese721

He wolde, if that it mihte hem plese,

The passage of the water take,

And for this ladi undertake2210

To bere unto that other stronde

And sauf to sette hire up alonde,

And Hercules may thanne also

The weie knowe how he schal go:722

P. i. 234

And herto thei acorden alle.

Bot what as after schal befalle,

Wel payd was Hercules of this,

And this Geant also glad is,723

And tok this ladi up alofte

And set hire on his schuldre softe,7242220

And in the flod began to wade,725

As he which no grucchinge made,

And bar hire over sauf and sound.

Bot whanne he stod on dreie ground

And Hercules was fer behinde,

He sette his trowthe al out of mynde,

Who so therof be lief or loth,

With Deianyre and forth he goth,726

As he that thoghte to dissevere

The compaignie of hem for evere.2230

Whan Hercules therof tok hiede,

Als faste as evere he mihte him spiede

He hyeth after in a throwe;

And hapneth that he hadde a bowe,

The which in alle haste he bende,

As he that wolde an Arwe sende,

Which he tofore hadde envenimed.

He hath so wel his schote timed,

That he him thurgh the bodi smette,

And thus the false wiht he lette.2240

Bot lest now such a felonie:

Whan Nessus wiste he scholde die,

He tok to Deianyre his scherte,

Which with the blod was of his herte

P. i. 235

Thurghout desteigned overal,

And tolde how sche it kepe schal

Al prively to this entente,727

That if hire lord his herte wente728

To love in eny other place,

The scherte, he seith, hath such a grace,2250

That if sche mai so mochel make729

That he the scherte upon him take,

He schal alle othre lete in vein

And torne unto hire love ayein.

Who was tho glad bot Deianyre?

Hire thoghte hire herte was afyre

Til it was in hire cofre loke,

So that no word therof was spoke.

The daies gon, the yeres passe,

The hertes waxen lasse and lasse2260

Of hem that ben to love untrewe:

This Hercules with herte newe

His love hath set on Eolen,

And therof spieken alle men.

This Eolen, this faire maide,

Was, as men thilke time saide,

The kinges dowhter of Eurice;

And sche made Hercules so nyce

Upon hir Love and so assote,

That he him clotheth in hire cote,7302270

And sche in his was clothed ofte;731

And thus fieblesce is set alofte,732

And strengthe was put under fote,

Ther can noman therof do bote.

P. i. 236

Whan Deianyre hath herd this speche,

Ther was no sorwe forto seche:

Of other helpe wot sche non,

Bot goth unto hire cofre anon;

With wepende yhe and woful herte

Sche tok out thilke unhappi scherte,2280

As sche that wende wel to do,

And broghte hire werk aboute so

That Hercules this scherte on dede,

To such entente as she was bede

Of Nessus, so as I seide er.

Bot therof was sche noght the ner,

As no fortune may be weyved;

With Falssemblant sche was deceived,

That whan sche wende best have wonne,

Sche lost al that sche hath begonne.2290

For thilke scherte unto the bon

His body sette afyre anon,

And cleveth so, it mai noght twinne,

For the venym that was therinne.

And he thanne as a wilde man

Unto the hihe wode he ran,

And as the Clerk Ovide telleth,

The grete tres to grounde he felleth

With strengthe al of his oghne myght,733

And made an huge fyr upriht,2300

And lepte himself therinne at ones

And brende him bothe fleissh and bones.

Which thing cam al thurgh Falssemblant,

That false Nessus the Geant

P. i. 237

Made unto him and to his wif;

Wherof that he hath lost his lif,

And sche sori for everemo.

Confessor.

Forthi, my Sone, er thee be wo,

I rede, be wel war therfore;

For whan so gret a man was lore,2310

It oghte yive a gret conceipte

To warne alle othre of such deceipte.

Amans.

Grant mercy, fader, I am war

So fer that I nomore dar

Of Falssemblant take aqueintance;

Bot rathere I wol do penance734

That I have feigned chiere er this.

Now axeth forth, what so ther is

Of that belongeth to my schrifte.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, yit ther is the fifte2320

Which is conceived of Envie,

And cleped is Supplantarie,

Thurgh whos compassement and guile

Ful many a man hath lost his while

In love als wel as otherwise,

Hierafter as I schal devise.

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