vi.Inuidie stimulus sine causa ledit abortus,Nam sine temptante crimine crimen habet.Non est huius opus temptare Cupidinis archum,Dumque faces Veneris ethnica flamma vorat.Absque rubore gene, pallor quas fuscus obumbrat,Frigida nature cetera membra docent.Envie if that I schal descrive,He is noght schaply forto wyve805Hic describit Confessor naturam Inuidie tam in amore quam aliter secundum proprietatem vicii sub compendio.In Erthe among the wommen hiere;For ther is in him no matiereWherof he mihte do plesance.Ferst for his hevy continanceOf that he semeth evere unglad,He is noght able to ben had;And ek he brenneth so withinne,806That kinde mai no profit winne,3120Wherof he scholde his love plese:For thilke blod which scholde have eseTo regne among the moiste veines,Is drye of thilke unkendeli peinesThurgh whiche Envie is fyred ay.And thus be reson prove I mayThat toward love Envie is noght;And otherwise if it be soght,Upon what side as evere it falle,It is the werste vice of alle,3130Which of himself hath most malice.For understond that every viceSom cause hath, wherof it groweth,Bot of Envie noman knowethP. i. 265Fro whenne he cam bot out of helle.For thus the wise clerkes telle,That no spirit bot of maliceBe weie of kinde upon a viceIs tempted, and be such a weieEnvie hath kinde put aweie3140And of malice hath his steringe,Wherof he makth his bakbitinge.And is himself therof desesed.So mai ther be no kinde plesed;For ay the mor that he envieth,The more ayein himself he plieth.Thus stant Envie in good espeirTo ben himself the develes heir,As he which is his nexte licheAnd forthest fro the heveneriche,3150For there mai he nevere wone.Confessor.Forthi, my goode diere Sone,If thou wolt finde a siker weieTo love, put Envie aweie.Amans.Min holy fader, reson woldeThat I this vice eschuie scholde:Bot yit to strengthe mi corage,If that ye wolde in avantageTherof sette a recoverir,It were tome a gret desir,8073160That I this vice mihte flee.Confessor.Nou understond, my Sone, and se,Ther is phisique for the seke,And vertus for the vices eke.P. i. 266Who that the vices wolde eschuie,He mot be resoun thanne suieThe vertus; for be thilke weieHe mai the vices don aweie,For thei togedre mai noght duelle:For as the water of a welle8083170Of fyr abateth the malice,Riht so vertu fordoth the vice.Ayein Envie is Charite,Which is the Moder of Pite,That makth a mannes herte tendre,[Charity and Pity.]That it mai no malice engendreIn him that is enclin therto.809For his corage is tempred so,That thogh he mihte himself relieve,Yit wolde he noght an other grieve,3180Bot rather forto do plesanceHe berth himselven the grevance,So fain he wolde an other ese.Wherof, mi Sone, for thin eseNow herkne a tale which I rede,And understand it wel, I rede.[Tale of Constantine and Silvester.]Among the bokes of latinI finde write of ConstantinHic ponit Confessor exemplum de virtute caritatis contra Inuidiam. Et narrat de Constantino Helene filio, qui cum Imperii Romani dignitatem optinuerat, a morbo lepre infectus, medici pro sanitate recuperanda ipsum in sanguine puerorum masculorum balneare proposuerunt. Set cum innumera multitudo matrum cum filiis huiusmodi medicine causa in circuitu palacii affuisset, Imparatorque eorum gemitus et clamores percepisset, caritate motus ingemiscens sic ait: ‘O vere ipse est810dominus, qui se facit seruum pietatis.’ Et hiis dictis statum suum cunctipotentis medele811committens, sui ipsius morbum pocius quam infancium mortem benignus812elegit. Vnde ipse, qui antea Paganus et leprosus extiterat, ex vnda baptismatis813renatus vtriusque materie, tam corporis quam anime, diuino miraculo consecutus est salutem.The worthi Emperour of Rome,Suche infortunes to him come,3190Whan he was in his lusti age,The lepre cawhte in his visageAnd so forth overal aboute,That he ne mihte ryden oute:P. i. 267So lefte he bothe Schield and spere,As he that mihte him noght bestere,And hield him in his chambre clos.Thurgh al the world the fame aros,The grete clerkes ben asent814And come at his comandement3200To trete upon this lordes hele.So longe thei togedre dele,That thei upon this medicineApointen hem, and determineThat in the maner as it stodThei wolde him bathe in childes blodWithinne sevene wynter age:For, as thei sein, that scholde assuageThe lepre and al the violence,Which that thei knewe of Accidence3210And noght be weie of kinde is falle.And therto thei acorden alleAs for final conclusioun,And tolden here opiniounTo themperour: and he anonHis conseil tok, and theruponWith lettres and with seales outeThei sende in every lond abouteThe yonge children forto seche,Whos blod, thei seiden, schal be leche8153220For themperoures maladie.Ther was ynowh to wepe and crieAmong the Modres, whan thei herdeHou wofully this cause ferde,P. i. 268Bot natheles thei moten bowe;And thus wommen ther come ynowheWith children soukende on the Tete.Tho was ther manye teres lete,Bot were hem lieve or were hem lothe,The wommen and the children bothe3230Into the Paleis forth be broght816With many a sory hertes thoghtOf hem whiche of here bodi boreThe children hadde, and so forloreWithinne a while scholden se.The Modres wepe in here degre,And manye of hem aswoune falle,817The yonge babes criden alle:This noyse aros, the lord it herde,And loked out, and how it ferde3240He sih, and as who seith abreideOut of his slep, and thus he seide:‘O thou divine pourveance,Which every man in the balanceOf kinde hast formed to be liche,The povere is bore as is the richeAnd deieth in the same wise,Upon the fol, upon the wiseSiknesse and hele entrecomune;Mai non eschuie that fortune3250Which kinde hath in hire lawe set;Hire strengthe and beaute ben besetTo every man aliche fre,That sche preferreth no degreP. i. 269As in the disposiciounOf bodili complexioun:And ek of Soule resonableThe povere child is bore als ableTo vertu as the kinges Sone;For every man his oghne wone3260After the lust of his assayThe vice or vertu chese may.Thus stonden alle men franchised,Bot in astat thei ben divised;Nota.818To some worschipe and richesse,To some poverte and distresse,On lordeth and an other serveth;Bot yit as every man deservethThe world yifth noght his yiftes hiere.Bot certes he hath gret matiere3270To ben of good condicioun,Which hath in his subjecciounThe men that ben of his semblance.’And ek he tok a remembranceHow he that made lawe of kindeWolde every man to lawe binde,And bad a man, such as he woldeToward himself, riht such he scholdeToward an other don also.And thus this worthi lord as tho3280Sette in balance his oghne astatAnd with himself stod in debat,And thoghte hou that it was noght good819To se so mochel mannes blodP. i. 270Be spilt for cause of him alone.820He sih also the grete mone,Of that the Modres were unglade,And of the wo the children made,Wherof that al his herte tendreth,And such pite withinne engendreth,8213290That him was levere forto cheseHis oghne bodi forto lese,Than se so gret a moerdre wroghtUpon the blod which gulteth noght.Thus for the pite which he tokAlle othre leches he forsok,And put him out of aventureAl only into goddes cure;And seith, ‘Who that woll maister be,He mot be servant to pite.’3300So ferforth he was overcomeWith charite, that he hath nomeHis conseil and hise officers,And bad unto hise tresorersThat thei his tresour al abouteDeparte among that povere route822Of wommen and of children bothe,Wherof thei mihte hem fede and clotheAnd saufli tornen hom ayeinWithoute lost of eny grein.3310Thurgh charite thus he despendethHis good, wherof that he amendethThe povere poeple, and contrevailethThe harm, that he hem so travaileth:823P. i. 271And thus the woful nyhtes sorweTo joie is torned on the morwe;Al was thonkinge, al was blessinge,Which erst was wepinge and cursinge;Thes wommen gon hom glade ynowh,Echon for joie on other lowh,3320And preiden for this lordes hele,Which hath relessed the querele,And hath his oghne will forsakeIn charite for goddes sake.Bot now hierafter thou schalt hiereWhat god hath wroght in this matiere,As he which doth al equite.To him that wroghte chariteHe was ayeinward charitous,And to pite he was pitous:3330For it was nevere knowe yitThat charite goth unaquit.The nyht, whan he was leid to slepe,The hihe god, which wolde him kepe,Seint Peter and seint Poul him sende,Be whom he wolde his lepre amende.Thei tuo to him slepende appiereFro god, and seide in this manere:‘O Constantin, for thou hast servedPite, thou hast pite deserved:3340Forthi thou schalt such pite haveThat god thurgh pite woll thee save.So schalt thou double hele finde,Ferst for thi bodiliche kinde,P. i. 272And for thi wofull Soule also,Thou schalt ben hol of bothe tuo.And for thou schalt thee noght despeire,Thi lepre schal nomore empeireTil thou wolt sende theruponUnto the Mont of Celion,3350Wher that Silvestre and his clergieTogedre duelle in compaignieFor drede of thee, which many dayHast ben a fo to Cristes lay,And hast destruid to mochel schameThe prechours of his holy name.Bot now thou hast somdiel appesedThi god, and with good dede plesed,That thou thi pite hast bewaredUpon the blod which thou hast spared.3360Forthi to thi salvacionThou schalt have enformacioun,Such as Silvestre schal the teche:The nedeth of non other leche.’This Emperour, which al this herde,‘Grant merci lordes,’ he ansuerde,‘I wol do so as ye me seie.Bot of o thing I wolde preie:What schal I telle unto SilvestreOr of youre name or of youre estre?’3370And thei him tolden what thei hihte,And forth withal out of his sihteThei passen up into the hevene.And he awok out of his swevene,P. i. 273And clepeth, and men come anon:He tolde his drem, and theruponIn such a wise as he hem tellethThe Mont wher that Silvestre duellethThei have in alle haste soght,And founde he was and with hem broght3380To themperour, which to him toldeHis swevene and elles what he wolde.And whan Silvestre hath herd the king,He was riht joiful of this thing,And him began with al his witTo techen upon holi writFerst how mankinde was forlore,And how the hihe god therforeHis Sone sende from above,Which bore was for mannes love,3390And after of his oghne choisHe tok his deth upon the crois;And how in grave he was beloke,And how that he hath helle broke,And tok hem out that were him lieve;824And forto make ous full believeThat he was verrai goddes Sone,Ayein the kinde of mannes woneFro dethe he ros the thridde day,And whanne he wolde, as he wel may,3400He styh up to his fader eveneWith fleissh and blod into the hevene;825And riht so in the same formeIn fleissh and blod he schal reforme,P. i. 274Whan time comth, the qwike and dedeAt thilke woful dai of drede,826Where every man schal take his dom,Als wel the Maister as the grom.The mihti kinges retenueThat dai may stonde of no value3410With worldes strengthe to defende;For every man mot thanne entendeTo stonde upon his oghne dedesAnd leve alle othre mennes nedes.That dai mai no consail availe,The pledour and the plee schal faile,The sentence of that ilke dayMai non appell sette in delay;Ther mai no gold the Jugge plie,That he ne schal the sothe trie3420And setten every man upriht,Als wel the plowman as the kniht:The lewed man, the grete clerkSchal stonde upon his oghne werk,And such as he is founde tho,Such schal he be for everemo.Ther mai no peine be relessed,Ther mai no joie ben encressed,Bot endeles, as thei have do,He schal receive on of the tuo.8273430And thus Silvestre with his sawe828The ground of al the newe laweWith gret devocion he precheth,Fro point to point and pleinly techethP. i. 275Unto this hethen Emperour;And seith, the hihe creatourHath underfonge his charite,Of that he wroghte such pite,Whan he the children hadde on honde.Thus whan this lord hath understonde3440Of al this thing how that it ferde,Unto Silvestre he thanne ansuerde,With al his hole herte and seithThat he is redi to the feith.And so the vessel which for blodWas mad, Silvestre, ther it stod,With clene water of the welleIn alle haste he let do felle,And sette Constantin therinneAl naked up unto the chinne.3450And in the while it was begunne,A liht, as thogh it were a Sunne,Fro hevene into the place comWher that he tok his cristendom;And evere among the holi talesLich as thei weren fisshes skalesTher fellen from him now and eft,Til that ther was nothing beleft829Of al his grete maladie.For he that wolde him purefie,3460The hihe god hath mad him clene,So that ther lefte nothing sene;He hath him clensed bothe tuo,The bodi and the Soule also.P. i. 276Tho knew this Emperour in dedeThat Cristes feith was forto drede,And sende anon hise lettres outeAnd let do crien al aboute,Up peine of deth that noman weyveThat he baptesme ne receive:8303470After his Moder qweene HeleineHe sende, and so betwen hem tweineThei treten, that the Cite allWas cristned, and sche forth withall.This Emperour, which hele hath founde,Withinne Rome anon let founde831Tuo cherches, whiche he dede makeFor Peter and for Poules sake,Of whom he hadde avisioun;832And yaf therto possessioun3480Of lordschipe and of worldes good.Bot how so that his will was goodToward the Pope and his Franchise,Yit hath it proved other wise,To se the worchinge of the dede:For in Cronique this I rede;833Anon as he hath mad the yifte,834A vois was herd on hih the lifte,Of which al Rome was adrad,And seith: ‘To day is venym schad3490In holi cherche of temporal,Which medleth with the spirital.’835And hou it stant of that degreeYit mai a man the sothe se:P. i. 277God mai amende it, whan he wile,I can ther to non other skile.Confessor.Bot forto go ther I began,How charite mai helpe a manTo bothe worldes, I have seid:And if thou have an Ere leid,3500Mi Sone, thou miht understonde,If charite be take on honde,Ther folweth after mochel grace.Forthi, if that thou wolt pourchaceHow that thou miht Envie flee,Aqueinte thee with charite,Which is the vertu sovereine.Amans.Mi fader, I schal do my peine:For this ensample which ye toldeWith al myn herte I have withholde,3510So that I schal for everemoreEschuie Envie wel the more:And that I have er this misdo,Yif me my penance er I go.And over that to mi matiereOf schrifte, why we sitten hiere836In privete betwen ous tweie,Now axeth what ther is, I preie.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, and for thi loreI woll thee telle what is more,3520So that thou schalt the vices knowe:For whan thei be to thee full knowe,Thou miht hem wel the betre eschuie.And for this cause I thenke suieP. i. 278The forme bothe and the matiere,As now suiende thou schalt hiereWhich vice stant next after this:And whan thou wost how that it is,As thou schalt hiere me devise,Thow miht thiself the betre avise.3530
vi.Inuidie stimulus sine causa ledit abortus,Nam sine temptante crimine crimen habet.Non est huius opus temptare Cupidinis archum,Dumque faces Veneris ethnica flamma vorat.Absque rubore gene, pallor quas fuscus obumbrat,Frigida nature cetera membra docent.Envie if that I schal descrive,He is noght schaply forto wyve805Hic describit Confessor naturam Inuidie tam in amore quam aliter secundum proprietatem vicii sub compendio.In Erthe among the wommen hiere;For ther is in him no matiereWherof he mihte do plesance.Ferst for his hevy continanceOf that he semeth evere unglad,He is noght able to ben had;And ek he brenneth so withinne,806That kinde mai no profit winne,3120Wherof he scholde his love plese:For thilke blod which scholde have eseTo regne among the moiste veines,Is drye of thilke unkendeli peinesThurgh whiche Envie is fyred ay.And thus be reson prove I mayThat toward love Envie is noght;And otherwise if it be soght,Upon what side as evere it falle,It is the werste vice of alle,3130Which of himself hath most malice.For understond that every viceSom cause hath, wherof it groweth,Bot of Envie noman knowethP. i. 265Fro whenne he cam bot out of helle.For thus the wise clerkes telle,That no spirit bot of maliceBe weie of kinde upon a viceIs tempted, and be such a weieEnvie hath kinde put aweie3140And of malice hath his steringe,Wherof he makth his bakbitinge.And is himself therof desesed.So mai ther be no kinde plesed;For ay the mor that he envieth,The more ayein himself he plieth.Thus stant Envie in good espeirTo ben himself the develes heir,As he which is his nexte licheAnd forthest fro the heveneriche,3150For there mai he nevere wone.Confessor.Forthi, my goode diere Sone,If thou wolt finde a siker weieTo love, put Envie aweie.Amans.Min holy fader, reson woldeThat I this vice eschuie scholde:Bot yit to strengthe mi corage,If that ye wolde in avantageTherof sette a recoverir,It were tome a gret desir,8073160That I this vice mihte flee.Confessor.Nou understond, my Sone, and se,Ther is phisique for the seke,And vertus for the vices eke.P. i. 266Who that the vices wolde eschuie,He mot be resoun thanne suieThe vertus; for be thilke weieHe mai the vices don aweie,For thei togedre mai noght duelle:For as the water of a welle8083170Of fyr abateth the malice,Riht so vertu fordoth the vice.Ayein Envie is Charite,Which is the Moder of Pite,That makth a mannes herte tendre,[Charity and Pity.]That it mai no malice engendreIn him that is enclin therto.809For his corage is tempred so,That thogh he mihte himself relieve,Yit wolde he noght an other grieve,3180Bot rather forto do plesanceHe berth himselven the grevance,So fain he wolde an other ese.Wherof, mi Sone, for thin eseNow herkne a tale which I rede,And understand it wel, I rede.[Tale of Constantine and Silvester.]Among the bokes of latinI finde write of ConstantinHic ponit Confessor exemplum de virtute caritatis contra Inuidiam. Et narrat de Constantino Helene filio, qui cum Imperii Romani dignitatem optinuerat, a morbo lepre infectus, medici pro sanitate recuperanda ipsum in sanguine puerorum masculorum balneare proposuerunt. Set cum innumera multitudo matrum cum filiis huiusmodi medicine causa in circuitu palacii affuisset, Imparatorque eorum gemitus et clamores percepisset, caritate motus ingemiscens sic ait: ‘O vere ipse est810dominus, qui se facit seruum pietatis.’ Et hiis dictis statum suum cunctipotentis medele811committens, sui ipsius morbum pocius quam infancium mortem benignus812elegit. Vnde ipse, qui antea Paganus et leprosus extiterat, ex vnda baptismatis813renatus vtriusque materie, tam corporis quam anime, diuino miraculo consecutus est salutem.The worthi Emperour of Rome,Suche infortunes to him come,3190Whan he was in his lusti age,The lepre cawhte in his visageAnd so forth overal aboute,That he ne mihte ryden oute:P. i. 267So lefte he bothe Schield and spere,As he that mihte him noght bestere,And hield him in his chambre clos.Thurgh al the world the fame aros,The grete clerkes ben asent814And come at his comandement3200To trete upon this lordes hele.So longe thei togedre dele,That thei upon this medicineApointen hem, and determineThat in the maner as it stodThei wolde him bathe in childes blodWithinne sevene wynter age:For, as thei sein, that scholde assuageThe lepre and al the violence,Which that thei knewe of Accidence3210And noght be weie of kinde is falle.And therto thei acorden alleAs for final conclusioun,And tolden here opiniounTo themperour: and he anonHis conseil tok, and theruponWith lettres and with seales outeThei sende in every lond abouteThe yonge children forto seche,Whos blod, thei seiden, schal be leche8153220For themperoures maladie.Ther was ynowh to wepe and crieAmong the Modres, whan thei herdeHou wofully this cause ferde,P. i. 268Bot natheles thei moten bowe;And thus wommen ther come ynowheWith children soukende on the Tete.Tho was ther manye teres lete,Bot were hem lieve or were hem lothe,The wommen and the children bothe3230Into the Paleis forth be broght816With many a sory hertes thoghtOf hem whiche of here bodi boreThe children hadde, and so forloreWithinne a while scholden se.The Modres wepe in here degre,And manye of hem aswoune falle,817The yonge babes criden alle:This noyse aros, the lord it herde,And loked out, and how it ferde3240He sih, and as who seith abreideOut of his slep, and thus he seide:‘O thou divine pourveance,Which every man in the balanceOf kinde hast formed to be liche,The povere is bore as is the richeAnd deieth in the same wise,Upon the fol, upon the wiseSiknesse and hele entrecomune;Mai non eschuie that fortune3250Which kinde hath in hire lawe set;Hire strengthe and beaute ben besetTo every man aliche fre,That sche preferreth no degreP. i. 269As in the disposiciounOf bodili complexioun:And ek of Soule resonableThe povere child is bore als ableTo vertu as the kinges Sone;For every man his oghne wone3260After the lust of his assayThe vice or vertu chese may.Thus stonden alle men franchised,Bot in astat thei ben divised;Nota.818To some worschipe and richesse,To some poverte and distresse,On lordeth and an other serveth;Bot yit as every man deservethThe world yifth noght his yiftes hiere.Bot certes he hath gret matiere3270To ben of good condicioun,Which hath in his subjecciounThe men that ben of his semblance.’And ek he tok a remembranceHow he that made lawe of kindeWolde every man to lawe binde,And bad a man, such as he woldeToward himself, riht such he scholdeToward an other don also.And thus this worthi lord as tho3280Sette in balance his oghne astatAnd with himself stod in debat,And thoghte hou that it was noght good819To se so mochel mannes blodP. i. 270Be spilt for cause of him alone.820He sih also the grete mone,Of that the Modres were unglade,And of the wo the children made,Wherof that al his herte tendreth,And such pite withinne engendreth,8213290That him was levere forto cheseHis oghne bodi forto lese,Than se so gret a moerdre wroghtUpon the blod which gulteth noght.Thus for the pite which he tokAlle othre leches he forsok,And put him out of aventureAl only into goddes cure;And seith, ‘Who that woll maister be,He mot be servant to pite.’3300So ferforth he was overcomeWith charite, that he hath nomeHis conseil and hise officers,And bad unto hise tresorersThat thei his tresour al abouteDeparte among that povere route822Of wommen and of children bothe,Wherof thei mihte hem fede and clotheAnd saufli tornen hom ayeinWithoute lost of eny grein.3310Thurgh charite thus he despendethHis good, wherof that he amendethThe povere poeple, and contrevailethThe harm, that he hem so travaileth:823P. i. 271And thus the woful nyhtes sorweTo joie is torned on the morwe;Al was thonkinge, al was blessinge,Which erst was wepinge and cursinge;Thes wommen gon hom glade ynowh,Echon for joie on other lowh,3320And preiden for this lordes hele,Which hath relessed the querele,And hath his oghne will forsakeIn charite for goddes sake.Bot now hierafter thou schalt hiereWhat god hath wroght in this matiere,As he which doth al equite.To him that wroghte chariteHe was ayeinward charitous,And to pite he was pitous:3330For it was nevere knowe yitThat charite goth unaquit.The nyht, whan he was leid to slepe,The hihe god, which wolde him kepe,Seint Peter and seint Poul him sende,Be whom he wolde his lepre amende.Thei tuo to him slepende appiereFro god, and seide in this manere:‘O Constantin, for thou hast servedPite, thou hast pite deserved:3340Forthi thou schalt such pite haveThat god thurgh pite woll thee save.So schalt thou double hele finde,Ferst for thi bodiliche kinde,P. i. 272And for thi wofull Soule also,Thou schalt ben hol of bothe tuo.And for thou schalt thee noght despeire,Thi lepre schal nomore empeireTil thou wolt sende theruponUnto the Mont of Celion,3350Wher that Silvestre and his clergieTogedre duelle in compaignieFor drede of thee, which many dayHast ben a fo to Cristes lay,And hast destruid to mochel schameThe prechours of his holy name.Bot now thou hast somdiel appesedThi god, and with good dede plesed,That thou thi pite hast bewaredUpon the blod which thou hast spared.3360Forthi to thi salvacionThou schalt have enformacioun,Such as Silvestre schal the teche:The nedeth of non other leche.’This Emperour, which al this herde,‘Grant merci lordes,’ he ansuerde,‘I wol do so as ye me seie.Bot of o thing I wolde preie:What schal I telle unto SilvestreOr of youre name or of youre estre?’3370And thei him tolden what thei hihte,And forth withal out of his sihteThei passen up into the hevene.And he awok out of his swevene,P. i. 273And clepeth, and men come anon:He tolde his drem, and theruponIn such a wise as he hem tellethThe Mont wher that Silvestre duellethThei have in alle haste soght,And founde he was and with hem broght3380To themperour, which to him toldeHis swevene and elles what he wolde.And whan Silvestre hath herd the king,He was riht joiful of this thing,And him began with al his witTo techen upon holi writFerst how mankinde was forlore,And how the hihe god therforeHis Sone sende from above,Which bore was for mannes love,3390And after of his oghne choisHe tok his deth upon the crois;And how in grave he was beloke,And how that he hath helle broke,And tok hem out that were him lieve;824And forto make ous full believeThat he was verrai goddes Sone,Ayein the kinde of mannes woneFro dethe he ros the thridde day,And whanne he wolde, as he wel may,3400He styh up to his fader eveneWith fleissh and blod into the hevene;825And riht so in the same formeIn fleissh and blod he schal reforme,P. i. 274Whan time comth, the qwike and dedeAt thilke woful dai of drede,826Where every man schal take his dom,Als wel the Maister as the grom.The mihti kinges retenueThat dai may stonde of no value3410With worldes strengthe to defende;For every man mot thanne entendeTo stonde upon his oghne dedesAnd leve alle othre mennes nedes.That dai mai no consail availe,The pledour and the plee schal faile,The sentence of that ilke dayMai non appell sette in delay;Ther mai no gold the Jugge plie,That he ne schal the sothe trie3420And setten every man upriht,Als wel the plowman as the kniht:The lewed man, the grete clerkSchal stonde upon his oghne werk,And such as he is founde tho,Such schal he be for everemo.Ther mai no peine be relessed,Ther mai no joie ben encressed,Bot endeles, as thei have do,He schal receive on of the tuo.8273430And thus Silvestre with his sawe828The ground of al the newe laweWith gret devocion he precheth,Fro point to point and pleinly techethP. i. 275Unto this hethen Emperour;And seith, the hihe creatourHath underfonge his charite,Of that he wroghte such pite,Whan he the children hadde on honde.Thus whan this lord hath understonde3440Of al this thing how that it ferde,Unto Silvestre he thanne ansuerde,With al his hole herte and seithThat he is redi to the feith.And so the vessel which for blodWas mad, Silvestre, ther it stod,With clene water of the welleIn alle haste he let do felle,And sette Constantin therinneAl naked up unto the chinne.3450And in the while it was begunne,A liht, as thogh it were a Sunne,Fro hevene into the place comWher that he tok his cristendom;And evere among the holi talesLich as thei weren fisshes skalesTher fellen from him now and eft,Til that ther was nothing beleft829Of al his grete maladie.For he that wolde him purefie,3460The hihe god hath mad him clene,So that ther lefte nothing sene;He hath him clensed bothe tuo,The bodi and the Soule also.P. i. 276Tho knew this Emperour in dedeThat Cristes feith was forto drede,And sende anon hise lettres outeAnd let do crien al aboute,Up peine of deth that noman weyveThat he baptesme ne receive:8303470After his Moder qweene HeleineHe sende, and so betwen hem tweineThei treten, that the Cite allWas cristned, and sche forth withall.This Emperour, which hele hath founde,Withinne Rome anon let founde831Tuo cherches, whiche he dede makeFor Peter and for Poules sake,Of whom he hadde avisioun;832And yaf therto possessioun3480Of lordschipe and of worldes good.Bot how so that his will was goodToward the Pope and his Franchise,Yit hath it proved other wise,To se the worchinge of the dede:For in Cronique this I rede;833Anon as he hath mad the yifte,834A vois was herd on hih the lifte,Of which al Rome was adrad,And seith: ‘To day is venym schad3490In holi cherche of temporal,Which medleth with the spirital.’835And hou it stant of that degreeYit mai a man the sothe se:P. i. 277God mai amende it, whan he wile,I can ther to non other skile.Confessor.Bot forto go ther I began,How charite mai helpe a manTo bothe worldes, I have seid:And if thou have an Ere leid,3500Mi Sone, thou miht understonde,If charite be take on honde,Ther folweth after mochel grace.Forthi, if that thou wolt pourchaceHow that thou miht Envie flee,Aqueinte thee with charite,Which is the vertu sovereine.Amans.Mi fader, I schal do my peine:For this ensample which ye toldeWith al myn herte I have withholde,3510So that I schal for everemoreEschuie Envie wel the more:And that I have er this misdo,Yif me my penance er I go.And over that to mi matiereOf schrifte, why we sitten hiere836In privete betwen ous tweie,Now axeth what ther is, I preie.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, and for thi loreI woll thee telle what is more,3520So that thou schalt the vices knowe:For whan thei be to thee full knowe,Thou miht hem wel the betre eschuie.And for this cause I thenke suieP. i. 278The forme bothe and the matiere,As now suiende thou schalt hiereWhich vice stant next after this:And whan thou wost how that it is,As thou schalt hiere me devise,Thow miht thiself the betre avise.3530
vi.Inuidie stimulus sine causa ledit abortus,Nam sine temptante crimine crimen habet.Non est huius opus temptare Cupidinis archum,Dumque faces Veneris ethnica flamma vorat.Absque rubore gene, pallor quas fuscus obumbrat,Frigida nature cetera membra docent.
vi.Inuidie stimulus sine causa ledit abortus,
Nam sine temptante crimine crimen habet.
Non est huius opus temptare Cupidinis archum,
Dumque faces Veneris ethnica flamma vorat.
Absque rubore gene, pallor quas fuscus obumbrat,
Frigida nature cetera membra docent.
Envie if that I schal descrive,He is noght schaply forto wyve805Hic describit Confessor naturam Inuidie tam in amore quam aliter secundum proprietatem vicii sub compendio.In Erthe among the wommen hiere;For ther is in him no matiereWherof he mihte do plesance.Ferst for his hevy continanceOf that he semeth evere unglad,He is noght able to ben had;And ek he brenneth so withinne,806That kinde mai no profit winne,3120Wherof he scholde his love plese:For thilke blod which scholde have eseTo regne among the moiste veines,Is drye of thilke unkendeli peinesThurgh whiche Envie is fyred ay.And thus be reson prove I mayThat toward love Envie is noght;And otherwise if it be soght,Upon what side as evere it falle,It is the werste vice of alle,3130Which of himself hath most malice.For understond that every viceSom cause hath, wherof it groweth,Bot of Envie noman knowethP. i. 265Fro whenne he cam bot out of helle.For thus the wise clerkes telle,That no spirit bot of maliceBe weie of kinde upon a viceIs tempted, and be such a weieEnvie hath kinde put aweie3140And of malice hath his steringe,Wherof he makth his bakbitinge.And is himself therof desesed.So mai ther be no kinde plesed;For ay the mor that he envieth,The more ayein himself he plieth.Thus stant Envie in good espeirTo ben himself the develes heir,As he which is his nexte licheAnd forthest fro the heveneriche,3150For there mai he nevere wone.Confessor.Forthi, my goode diere Sone,If thou wolt finde a siker weieTo love, put Envie aweie.Amans.Min holy fader, reson woldeThat I this vice eschuie scholde:Bot yit to strengthe mi corage,If that ye wolde in avantageTherof sette a recoverir,It were tome a gret desir,8073160That I this vice mihte flee.Confessor.Nou understond, my Sone, and se,Ther is phisique for the seke,And vertus for the vices eke.P. i. 266Who that the vices wolde eschuie,He mot be resoun thanne suieThe vertus; for be thilke weieHe mai the vices don aweie,For thei togedre mai noght duelle:For as the water of a welle8083170Of fyr abateth the malice,Riht so vertu fordoth the vice.Ayein Envie is Charite,Which is the Moder of Pite,That makth a mannes herte tendre,[Charity and Pity.]That it mai no malice engendreIn him that is enclin therto.809For his corage is tempred so,That thogh he mihte himself relieve,Yit wolde he noght an other grieve,3180Bot rather forto do plesanceHe berth himselven the grevance,So fain he wolde an other ese.Wherof, mi Sone, for thin eseNow herkne a tale which I rede,And understand it wel, I rede.[Tale of Constantine and Silvester.]Among the bokes of latinI finde write of ConstantinHic ponit Confessor exemplum de virtute caritatis contra Inuidiam. Et narrat de Constantino Helene filio, qui cum Imperii Romani dignitatem optinuerat, a morbo lepre infectus, medici pro sanitate recuperanda ipsum in sanguine puerorum masculorum balneare proposuerunt. Set cum innumera multitudo matrum cum filiis huiusmodi medicine causa in circuitu palacii affuisset, Imparatorque eorum gemitus et clamores percepisset, caritate motus ingemiscens sic ait: ‘O vere ipse est810dominus, qui se facit seruum pietatis.’ Et hiis dictis statum suum cunctipotentis medele811committens, sui ipsius morbum pocius quam infancium mortem benignus812elegit. Vnde ipse, qui antea Paganus et leprosus extiterat, ex vnda baptismatis813renatus vtriusque materie, tam corporis quam anime, diuino miraculo consecutus est salutem.The worthi Emperour of Rome,Suche infortunes to him come,3190Whan he was in his lusti age,The lepre cawhte in his visageAnd so forth overal aboute,That he ne mihte ryden oute:P. i. 267So lefte he bothe Schield and spere,As he that mihte him noght bestere,And hield him in his chambre clos.Thurgh al the world the fame aros,The grete clerkes ben asent814And come at his comandement3200To trete upon this lordes hele.So longe thei togedre dele,That thei upon this medicineApointen hem, and determineThat in the maner as it stodThei wolde him bathe in childes blodWithinne sevene wynter age:For, as thei sein, that scholde assuageThe lepre and al the violence,Which that thei knewe of Accidence3210And noght be weie of kinde is falle.And therto thei acorden alleAs for final conclusioun,And tolden here opiniounTo themperour: and he anonHis conseil tok, and theruponWith lettres and with seales outeThei sende in every lond abouteThe yonge children forto seche,Whos blod, thei seiden, schal be leche8153220For themperoures maladie.Ther was ynowh to wepe and crieAmong the Modres, whan thei herdeHou wofully this cause ferde,P. i. 268Bot natheles thei moten bowe;And thus wommen ther come ynowheWith children soukende on the Tete.Tho was ther manye teres lete,Bot were hem lieve or were hem lothe,The wommen and the children bothe3230Into the Paleis forth be broght816With many a sory hertes thoghtOf hem whiche of here bodi boreThe children hadde, and so forloreWithinne a while scholden se.The Modres wepe in here degre,And manye of hem aswoune falle,817The yonge babes criden alle:This noyse aros, the lord it herde,And loked out, and how it ferde3240He sih, and as who seith abreideOut of his slep, and thus he seide:‘O thou divine pourveance,Which every man in the balanceOf kinde hast formed to be liche,The povere is bore as is the richeAnd deieth in the same wise,Upon the fol, upon the wiseSiknesse and hele entrecomune;Mai non eschuie that fortune3250Which kinde hath in hire lawe set;Hire strengthe and beaute ben besetTo every man aliche fre,That sche preferreth no degreP. i. 269As in the disposiciounOf bodili complexioun:And ek of Soule resonableThe povere child is bore als ableTo vertu as the kinges Sone;For every man his oghne wone3260After the lust of his assayThe vice or vertu chese may.Thus stonden alle men franchised,Bot in astat thei ben divised;Nota.818To some worschipe and richesse,To some poverte and distresse,On lordeth and an other serveth;Bot yit as every man deservethThe world yifth noght his yiftes hiere.Bot certes he hath gret matiere3270To ben of good condicioun,Which hath in his subjecciounThe men that ben of his semblance.’And ek he tok a remembranceHow he that made lawe of kindeWolde every man to lawe binde,And bad a man, such as he woldeToward himself, riht such he scholdeToward an other don also.And thus this worthi lord as tho3280Sette in balance his oghne astatAnd with himself stod in debat,And thoghte hou that it was noght good819To se so mochel mannes blodP. i. 270Be spilt for cause of him alone.820He sih also the grete mone,Of that the Modres were unglade,And of the wo the children made,Wherof that al his herte tendreth,And such pite withinne engendreth,8213290That him was levere forto cheseHis oghne bodi forto lese,Than se so gret a moerdre wroghtUpon the blod which gulteth noght.Thus for the pite which he tokAlle othre leches he forsok,And put him out of aventureAl only into goddes cure;And seith, ‘Who that woll maister be,He mot be servant to pite.’3300So ferforth he was overcomeWith charite, that he hath nomeHis conseil and hise officers,And bad unto hise tresorersThat thei his tresour al abouteDeparte among that povere route822Of wommen and of children bothe,Wherof thei mihte hem fede and clotheAnd saufli tornen hom ayeinWithoute lost of eny grein.3310Thurgh charite thus he despendethHis good, wherof that he amendethThe povere poeple, and contrevailethThe harm, that he hem so travaileth:823P. i. 271And thus the woful nyhtes sorweTo joie is torned on the morwe;Al was thonkinge, al was blessinge,Which erst was wepinge and cursinge;Thes wommen gon hom glade ynowh,Echon for joie on other lowh,3320And preiden for this lordes hele,Which hath relessed the querele,And hath his oghne will forsakeIn charite for goddes sake.Bot now hierafter thou schalt hiereWhat god hath wroght in this matiere,As he which doth al equite.To him that wroghte chariteHe was ayeinward charitous,And to pite he was pitous:3330For it was nevere knowe yitThat charite goth unaquit.The nyht, whan he was leid to slepe,The hihe god, which wolde him kepe,Seint Peter and seint Poul him sende,Be whom he wolde his lepre amende.Thei tuo to him slepende appiereFro god, and seide in this manere:‘O Constantin, for thou hast servedPite, thou hast pite deserved:3340Forthi thou schalt such pite haveThat god thurgh pite woll thee save.So schalt thou double hele finde,Ferst for thi bodiliche kinde,P. i. 272And for thi wofull Soule also,Thou schalt ben hol of bothe tuo.And for thou schalt thee noght despeire,Thi lepre schal nomore empeireTil thou wolt sende theruponUnto the Mont of Celion,3350Wher that Silvestre and his clergieTogedre duelle in compaignieFor drede of thee, which many dayHast ben a fo to Cristes lay,And hast destruid to mochel schameThe prechours of his holy name.Bot now thou hast somdiel appesedThi god, and with good dede plesed,That thou thi pite hast bewaredUpon the blod which thou hast spared.3360Forthi to thi salvacionThou schalt have enformacioun,Such as Silvestre schal the teche:The nedeth of non other leche.’This Emperour, which al this herde,‘Grant merci lordes,’ he ansuerde,‘I wol do so as ye me seie.Bot of o thing I wolde preie:What schal I telle unto SilvestreOr of youre name or of youre estre?’3370And thei him tolden what thei hihte,And forth withal out of his sihteThei passen up into the hevene.And he awok out of his swevene,P. i. 273And clepeth, and men come anon:He tolde his drem, and theruponIn such a wise as he hem tellethThe Mont wher that Silvestre duellethThei have in alle haste soght,And founde he was and with hem broght3380To themperour, which to him toldeHis swevene and elles what he wolde.And whan Silvestre hath herd the king,He was riht joiful of this thing,And him began with al his witTo techen upon holi writFerst how mankinde was forlore,And how the hihe god therforeHis Sone sende from above,Which bore was for mannes love,3390And after of his oghne choisHe tok his deth upon the crois;And how in grave he was beloke,And how that he hath helle broke,And tok hem out that were him lieve;824And forto make ous full believeThat he was verrai goddes Sone,Ayein the kinde of mannes woneFro dethe he ros the thridde day,And whanne he wolde, as he wel may,3400He styh up to his fader eveneWith fleissh and blod into the hevene;825And riht so in the same formeIn fleissh and blod he schal reforme,P. i. 274Whan time comth, the qwike and dedeAt thilke woful dai of drede,826Where every man schal take his dom,Als wel the Maister as the grom.The mihti kinges retenueThat dai may stonde of no value3410With worldes strengthe to defende;For every man mot thanne entendeTo stonde upon his oghne dedesAnd leve alle othre mennes nedes.That dai mai no consail availe,The pledour and the plee schal faile,The sentence of that ilke dayMai non appell sette in delay;Ther mai no gold the Jugge plie,That he ne schal the sothe trie3420And setten every man upriht,Als wel the plowman as the kniht:The lewed man, the grete clerkSchal stonde upon his oghne werk,And such as he is founde tho,Such schal he be for everemo.Ther mai no peine be relessed,Ther mai no joie ben encressed,Bot endeles, as thei have do,He schal receive on of the tuo.8273430And thus Silvestre with his sawe828The ground of al the newe laweWith gret devocion he precheth,Fro point to point and pleinly techethP. i. 275Unto this hethen Emperour;And seith, the hihe creatourHath underfonge his charite,Of that he wroghte such pite,Whan he the children hadde on honde.Thus whan this lord hath understonde3440Of al this thing how that it ferde,Unto Silvestre he thanne ansuerde,With al his hole herte and seithThat he is redi to the feith.And so the vessel which for blodWas mad, Silvestre, ther it stod,With clene water of the welleIn alle haste he let do felle,And sette Constantin therinneAl naked up unto the chinne.3450And in the while it was begunne,A liht, as thogh it were a Sunne,Fro hevene into the place comWher that he tok his cristendom;And evere among the holi talesLich as thei weren fisshes skalesTher fellen from him now and eft,Til that ther was nothing beleft829Of al his grete maladie.For he that wolde him purefie,3460The hihe god hath mad him clene,So that ther lefte nothing sene;He hath him clensed bothe tuo,The bodi and the Soule also.P. i. 276Tho knew this Emperour in dedeThat Cristes feith was forto drede,And sende anon hise lettres outeAnd let do crien al aboute,Up peine of deth that noman weyveThat he baptesme ne receive:8303470After his Moder qweene HeleineHe sende, and so betwen hem tweineThei treten, that the Cite allWas cristned, and sche forth withall.This Emperour, which hele hath founde,Withinne Rome anon let founde831Tuo cherches, whiche he dede makeFor Peter and for Poules sake,Of whom he hadde avisioun;832And yaf therto possessioun3480Of lordschipe and of worldes good.Bot how so that his will was goodToward the Pope and his Franchise,Yit hath it proved other wise,To se the worchinge of the dede:For in Cronique this I rede;833Anon as he hath mad the yifte,834A vois was herd on hih the lifte,Of which al Rome was adrad,And seith: ‘To day is venym schad3490In holi cherche of temporal,Which medleth with the spirital.’835And hou it stant of that degreeYit mai a man the sothe se:P. i. 277God mai amende it, whan he wile,I can ther to non other skile.Confessor.Bot forto go ther I began,How charite mai helpe a manTo bothe worldes, I have seid:And if thou have an Ere leid,3500Mi Sone, thou miht understonde,If charite be take on honde,Ther folweth after mochel grace.Forthi, if that thou wolt pourchaceHow that thou miht Envie flee,Aqueinte thee with charite,Which is the vertu sovereine.Amans.Mi fader, I schal do my peine:For this ensample which ye toldeWith al myn herte I have withholde,3510So that I schal for everemoreEschuie Envie wel the more:And that I have er this misdo,Yif me my penance er I go.And over that to mi matiereOf schrifte, why we sitten hiere836In privete betwen ous tweie,Now axeth what ther is, I preie.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, and for thi loreI woll thee telle what is more,3520So that thou schalt the vices knowe:For whan thei be to thee full knowe,Thou miht hem wel the betre eschuie.And for this cause I thenke suieP. i. 278The forme bothe and the matiere,As now suiende thou schalt hiereWhich vice stant next after this:And whan thou wost how that it is,As thou schalt hiere me devise,Thow miht thiself the betre avise.3530
Envie if that I schal descrive,
He is noght schaply forto wyve805
Hic describit Confessor naturam Inuidie tam in amore quam aliter secundum proprietatem vicii sub compendio.
In Erthe among the wommen hiere;
For ther is in him no matiere
Wherof he mihte do plesance.
Ferst for his hevy continance
Of that he semeth evere unglad,
He is noght able to ben had;
And ek he brenneth so withinne,806
That kinde mai no profit winne,3120
Wherof he scholde his love plese:
For thilke blod which scholde have ese
To regne among the moiste veines,
Is drye of thilke unkendeli peines
Thurgh whiche Envie is fyred ay.
And thus be reson prove I may
That toward love Envie is noght;
And otherwise if it be soght,
Upon what side as evere it falle,
It is the werste vice of alle,3130
Which of himself hath most malice.
For understond that every vice
Som cause hath, wherof it groweth,
Bot of Envie noman knoweth
P. i. 265
Fro whenne he cam bot out of helle.
For thus the wise clerkes telle,
That no spirit bot of malice
Be weie of kinde upon a vice
Is tempted, and be such a weie
Envie hath kinde put aweie3140
And of malice hath his steringe,
Wherof he makth his bakbitinge.
And is himself therof desesed.
So mai ther be no kinde plesed;
For ay the mor that he envieth,
The more ayein himself he plieth.
Thus stant Envie in good espeir
To ben himself the develes heir,
As he which is his nexte liche
And forthest fro the heveneriche,3150
For there mai he nevere wone.
Confessor.
Forthi, my goode diere Sone,
If thou wolt finde a siker weie
To love, put Envie aweie.
Amans.
Min holy fader, reson wolde
That I this vice eschuie scholde:
Bot yit to strengthe mi corage,
If that ye wolde in avantage
Therof sette a recoverir,
It were tome a gret desir,8073160
That I this vice mihte flee.
Confessor.
Nou understond, my Sone, and se,
Ther is phisique for the seke,
And vertus for the vices eke.
P. i. 266
Who that the vices wolde eschuie,
He mot be resoun thanne suie
The vertus; for be thilke weie
He mai the vices don aweie,
For thei togedre mai noght duelle:
For as the water of a welle8083170
Of fyr abateth the malice,
Riht so vertu fordoth the vice.
Ayein Envie is Charite,
Which is the Moder of Pite,
That makth a mannes herte tendre,
[Charity and Pity.]
That it mai no malice engendre
In him that is enclin therto.809
For his corage is tempred so,
That thogh he mihte himself relieve,
Yit wolde he noght an other grieve,3180
Bot rather forto do plesance
He berth himselven the grevance,
So fain he wolde an other ese.
Wherof, mi Sone, for thin ese
Now herkne a tale which I rede,
And understand it wel, I rede.
[Tale of Constantine and Silvester.]
Among the bokes of latin
I finde write of Constantin
Hic ponit Confessor exemplum de virtute caritatis contra Inuidiam. Et narrat de Constantino Helene filio, qui cum Imperii Romani dignitatem optinuerat, a morbo lepre infectus, medici pro sanitate recuperanda ipsum in sanguine puerorum masculorum balneare proposuerunt. Set cum innumera multitudo matrum cum filiis huiusmodi medicine causa in circuitu palacii affuisset, Imparatorque eorum gemitus et clamores percepisset, caritate motus ingemiscens sic ait: ‘O vere ipse est810dominus, qui se facit seruum pietatis.’ Et hiis dictis statum suum cunctipotentis medele811committens, sui ipsius morbum pocius quam infancium mortem benignus812elegit. Vnde ipse, qui antea Paganus et leprosus extiterat, ex vnda baptismatis813renatus vtriusque materie, tam corporis quam anime, diuino miraculo consecutus est salutem.
The worthi Emperour of Rome,
Suche infortunes to him come,3190
Whan he was in his lusti age,
The lepre cawhte in his visage
And so forth overal aboute,
That he ne mihte ryden oute:
P. i. 267
So lefte he bothe Schield and spere,
As he that mihte him noght bestere,
And hield him in his chambre clos.
Thurgh al the world the fame aros,
The grete clerkes ben asent814
And come at his comandement3200
To trete upon this lordes hele.
So longe thei togedre dele,
That thei upon this medicine
Apointen hem, and determine
That in the maner as it stod
Thei wolde him bathe in childes blod
Withinne sevene wynter age:
For, as thei sein, that scholde assuage
The lepre and al the violence,
Which that thei knewe of Accidence3210
And noght be weie of kinde is falle.
And therto thei acorden alle
As for final conclusioun,
And tolden here opinioun
To themperour: and he anon
His conseil tok, and therupon
With lettres and with seales oute
Thei sende in every lond aboute
The yonge children forto seche,
Whos blod, thei seiden, schal be leche8153220
For themperoures maladie.
Ther was ynowh to wepe and crie
Among the Modres, whan thei herde
Hou wofully this cause ferde,
P. i. 268
Bot natheles thei moten bowe;
And thus wommen ther come ynowhe
With children soukende on the Tete.
Tho was ther manye teres lete,
Bot were hem lieve or were hem lothe,
The wommen and the children bothe3230
Into the Paleis forth be broght816
With many a sory hertes thoght
Of hem whiche of here bodi bore
The children hadde, and so forlore
Withinne a while scholden se.
The Modres wepe in here degre,
And manye of hem aswoune falle,817
The yonge babes criden alle:
This noyse aros, the lord it herde,
And loked out, and how it ferde3240
He sih, and as who seith abreide
Out of his slep, and thus he seide:
‘O thou divine pourveance,
Which every man in the balance
Of kinde hast formed to be liche,
The povere is bore as is the riche
And deieth in the same wise,
Upon the fol, upon the wise
Siknesse and hele entrecomune;
Mai non eschuie that fortune3250
Which kinde hath in hire lawe set;
Hire strengthe and beaute ben beset
To every man aliche fre,
That sche preferreth no degre
P. i. 269
As in the disposicioun
Of bodili complexioun:
And ek of Soule resonable
The povere child is bore als able
To vertu as the kinges Sone;
For every man his oghne wone3260
After the lust of his assay
The vice or vertu chese may.
Thus stonden alle men franchised,
Bot in astat thei ben divised;
Nota.818
To some worschipe and richesse,
To some poverte and distresse,
On lordeth and an other serveth;
Bot yit as every man deserveth
The world yifth noght his yiftes hiere.
Bot certes he hath gret matiere3270
To ben of good condicioun,
Which hath in his subjeccioun
The men that ben of his semblance.’
And ek he tok a remembrance
How he that made lawe of kinde
Wolde every man to lawe binde,
And bad a man, such as he wolde
Toward himself, riht such he scholde
Toward an other don also.
And thus this worthi lord as tho3280
Sette in balance his oghne astat
And with himself stod in debat,
And thoghte hou that it was noght good819
To se so mochel mannes blod
P. i. 270
Be spilt for cause of him alone.820
He sih also the grete mone,
Of that the Modres were unglade,
And of the wo the children made,
Wherof that al his herte tendreth,
And such pite withinne engendreth,8213290
That him was levere forto chese
His oghne bodi forto lese,
Than se so gret a moerdre wroght
Upon the blod which gulteth noght.
Thus for the pite which he tok
Alle othre leches he forsok,
And put him out of aventure
Al only into goddes cure;
And seith, ‘Who that woll maister be,
He mot be servant to pite.’3300
So ferforth he was overcome
With charite, that he hath nome
His conseil and hise officers,
And bad unto hise tresorers
That thei his tresour al aboute
Departe among that povere route822
Of wommen and of children bothe,
Wherof thei mihte hem fede and clothe
And saufli tornen hom ayein
Withoute lost of eny grein.3310
Thurgh charite thus he despendeth
His good, wherof that he amendeth
The povere poeple, and contrevaileth
The harm, that he hem so travaileth:823
P. i. 271
And thus the woful nyhtes sorwe
To joie is torned on the morwe;
Al was thonkinge, al was blessinge,
Which erst was wepinge and cursinge;
Thes wommen gon hom glade ynowh,
Echon for joie on other lowh,3320
And preiden for this lordes hele,
Which hath relessed the querele,
And hath his oghne will forsake
In charite for goddes sake.
Bot now hierafter thou schalt hiere
What god hath wroght in this matiere,
As he which doth al equite.
To him that wroghte charite
He was ayeinward charitous,
And to pite he was pitous:3330
For it was nevere knowe yit
That charite goth unaquit.
The nyht, whan he was leid to slepe,
The hihe god, which wolde him kepe,
Seint Peter and seint Poul him sende,
Be whom he wolde his lepre amende.
Thei tuo to him slepende appiere
Fro god, and seide in this manere:
‘O Constantin, for thou hast served
Pite, thou hast pite deserved:3340
Forthi thou schalt such pite have
That god thurgh pite woll thee save.
So schalt thou double hele finde,
Ferst for thi bodiliche kinde,
P. i. 272
And for thi wofull Soule also,
Thou schalt ben hol of bothe tuo.
And for thou schalt thee noght despeire,
Thi lepre schal nomore empeire
Til thou wolt sende therupon
Unto the Mont of Celion,3350
Wher that Silvestre and his clergie
Togedre duelle in compaignie
For drede of thee, which many day
Hast ben a fo to Cristes lay,
And hast destruid to mochel schame
The prechours of his holy name.
Bot now thou hast somdiel appesed
Thi god, and with good dede plesed,
That thou thi pite hast bewared
Upon the blod which thou hast spared.3360
Forthi to thi salvacion
Thou schalt have enformacioun,
Such as Silvestre schal the teche:
The nedeth of non other leche.’
This Emperour, which al this herde,
‘Grant merci lordes,’ he ansuerde,
‘I wol do so as ye me seie.
Bot of o thing I wolde preie:
What schal I telle unto Silvestre
Or of youre name or of youre estre?’3370
And thei him tolden what thei hihte,
And forth withal out of his sihte
Thei passen up into the hevene.
And he awok out of his swevene,
P. i. 273
And clepeth, and men come anon:
He tolde his drem, and therupon
In such a wise as he hem telleth
The Mont wher that Silvestre duelleth
Thei have in alle haste soght,
And founde he was and with hem broght3380
To themperour, which to him tolde
His swevene and elles what he wolde.
And whan Silvestre hath herd the king,
He was riht joiful of this thing,
And him began with al his wit
To techen upon holi writ
Ferst how mankinde was forlore,
And how the hihe god therfore
His Sone sende from above,
Which bore was for mannes love,3390
And after of his oghne chois
He tok his deth upon the crois;
And how in grave he was beloke,
And how that he hath helle broke,
And tok hem out that were him lieve;824
And forto make ous full believe
That he was verrai goddes Sone,
Ayein the kinde of mannes wone
Fro dethe he ros the thridde day,
And whanne he wolde, as he wel may,3400
He styh up to his fader evene
With fleissh and blod into the hevene;825
And riht so in the same forme
In fleissh and blod he schal reforme,
P. i. 274
Whan time comth, the qwike and dede
At thilke woful dai of drede,826
Where every man schal take his dom,
Als wel the Maister as the grom.
The mihti kinges retenue
That dai may stonde of no value3410
With worldes strengthe to defende;
For every man mot thanne entende
To stonde upon his oghne dedes
And leve alle othre mennes nedes.
That dai mai no consail availe,
The pledour and the plee schal faile,
The sentence of that ilke day
Mai non appell sette in delay;
Ther mai no gold the Jugge plie,
That he ne schal the sothe trie3420
And setten every man upriht,
Als wel the plowman as the kniht:
The lewed man, the grete clerk
Schal stonde upon his oghne werk,
And such as he is founde tho,
Such schal he be for everemo.
Ther mai no peine be relessed,
Ther mai no joie ben encressed,
Bot endeles, as thei have do,
He schal receive on of the tuo.8273430
And thus Silvestre with his sawe828
The ground of al the newe lawe
With gret devocion he precheth,
Fro point to point and pleinly techeth
P. i. 275
Unto this hethen Emperour;
And seith, the hihe creatour
Hath underfonge his charite,
Of that he wroghte such pite,
Whan he the children hadde on honde.
Thus whan this lord hath understonde3440
Of al this thing how that it ferde,
Unto Silvestre he thanne ansuerde,
With al his hole herte and seith
That he is redi to the feith.
And so the vessel which for blod
Was mad, Silvestre, ther it stod,
With clene water of the welle
In alle haste he let do felle,
And sette Constantin therinne
Al naked up unto the chinne.3450
And in the while it was begunne,
A liht, as thogh it were a Sunne,
Fro hevene into the place com
Wher that he tok his cristendom;
And evere among the holi tales
Lich as thei weren fisshes skales
Ther fellen from him now and eft,
Til that ther was nothing beleft829
Of al his grete maladie.
For he that wolde him purefie,3460
The hihe god hath mad him clene,
So that ther lefte nothing sene;
He hath him clensed bothe tuo,
The bodi and the Soule also.
P. i. 276
Tho knew this Emperour in dede
That Cristes feith was forto drede,
And sende anon hise lettres oute
And let do crien al aboute,
Up peine of deth that noman weyve
That he baptesme ne receive:8303470
After his Moder qweene Heleine
He sende, and so betwen hem tweine
Thei treten, that the Cite all
Was cristned, and sche forth withall.
This Emperour, which hele hath founde,
Withinne Rome anon let founde831
Tuo cherches, whiche he dede make
For Peter and for Poules sake,
Of whom he hadde avisioun;832
And yaf therto possessioun3480
Of lordschipe and of worldes good.
Bot how so that his will was good
Toward the Pope and his Franchise,
Yit hath it proved other wise,
To se the worchinge of the dede:
For in Cronique this I rede;833
Anon as he hath mad the yifte,834
A vois was herd on hih the lifte,
Of which al Rome was adrad,
And seith: ‘To day is venym schad3490
In holi cherche of temporal,
Which medleth with the spirital.’835
And hou it stant of that degree
Yit mai a man the sothe se:
P. i. 277
God mai amende it, whan he wile,
I can ther to non other skile.
Confessor.
Bot forto go ther I began,
How charite mai helpe a man
To bothe worldes, I have seid:
And if thou have an Ere leid,3500
Mi Sone, thou miht understonde,
If charite be take on honde,
Ther folweth after mochel grace.
Forthi, if that thou wolt pourchace
How that thou miht Envie flee,
Aqueinte thee with charite,
Which is the vertu sovereine.
Amans.
Mi fader, I schal do my peine:
For this ensample which ye tolde
With al myn herte I have withholde,3510
So that I schal for everemore
Eschuie Envie wel the more:
And that I have er this misdo,
Yif me my penance er I go.
And over that to mi matiere
Of schrifte, why we sitten hiere836
In privete betwen ous tweie,
Now axeth what ther is, I preie.
Confessor.
Mi goode Sone, and for thi lore
I woll thee telle what is more,3520
So that thou schalt the vices knowe:
For whan thei be to thee full knowe,
Thou miht hem wel the betre eschuie.
And for this cause I thenke suie
P. i. 278
The forme bothe and the matiere,
As now suiende thou schalt hiere
Which vice stant next after this:
And whan thou wost how that it is,
As thou schalt hiere me devise,
Thow miht thiself the betre avise.3530