[Uses of Labour.]P. ii. 81vii.Expedit in manibus labor, vt de cotidianis1307Actibus ac vita viuere possit homo.Set qui doctrine causa fert mente labores,Preualet et merita perpetuata parat.Of every wisdom the parfitThe hyhe god of his spiritHic loquitur contra ociosos quoscumque, et maxime contra istos, qui excellentis prudencie ingenium habentes absque fructu operum torpescunt. Et ponit exemplum de diligencia predecessorum, qui ad tocius humani generis doctrinam et auxilium suis continuis laboribus1308et studiis, gracia mediante diuina, artes et sciencias primitus inuenerunt.Yaf to the men in Erthe hiereUpon the forme and the matiereOf that he wolde make hem wise:And thus cam in the ferste appriseOf bokes and of alle goodeThurgh hem that whilom understode2370The lore which to hem was yive,Wherof these othre, that now live,Ben every day to lerne newe.Bot er the time that men siewe,And that the labour forth it broghte,Ther was no corn, thogh men it soghte,In non of al the fieldes oute;1309And er the wisdom cam abouteOf hem that ferst the bokes write,This mai wel every wys man wite,2380Ther was gret labour ek also.Thus was non ydel of the tuo,That on the plogh hath undertakeWith labour which the hond hath take,That other tok to studie and muse,As he which wolde noght refuseThe labour of hise wittes alle.And in this wise it is befalle,Of labour which that thei begunneWe be now tawht of that we kunne:2390P. ii. 82Here besinesse is yit so seene,1310That it stant evere alyche greene;Al be it so the bodi deie,The name of hem schal nevere aweie.[Discoverers and Inventors.]In the Croniqes as I finde,Cham, whos labour is yit in minde,Was he which ferst the lettres fond1311And wrot in Hebreu with his hond:Of naturel PhilosophieHe fond ferst also the clergie.2400Cadmus the lettres of GregoisFerst made upon his oghne chois.Theges of thing which schal befalle,He was the ferste Augurre of alle:And Philemon be the visageFond to descrive the corage.Cladyns, Esdras and Sulpices,1312Termegis, Pandulf, Frigidilles,Menander, Ephiloquorus,Solins, Pandas and Josephus2410The ferste were of Enditours,Of old Cronique and ek auctours:And Heredot in his scienceOf metre, of rime and of cadence1313The ferste was of which men note.And of Musique also the noteIn mannes vois or softe or scharpe,That fond Jubal; and of the harpeThe merie soun, which is to like,That fond Poulins forth with phisique.2420P. ii. 83Zenzis fond ferst the pourtreture,And Promotheüs the Sculpture;After what forme that hem thoghte,The resemblance anon thei wroghte.Tubal in Iren and in StelFond ferst the forge and wroghte it wel:And Jadahel, as seith the bok,Ferst made Net and fisshes tok:Of huntynge ek he fond the chace,Which now is knowe in many place:2430A tente of cloth with corde and stakeHe sette up ferst and dede it make.Verconius of cokerie1314Ferst made the delicacie.The craft Minerve of wolle fondAnd made cloth hire oghne hond;And Delbora made it of lyn:Tho wommen were of great engyn.Bot thing which yifth ous mete and drinkeAnd doth the labourer to swinke2440To tile lond and sette vines,Wherof the cornes and the wynesBen sustenance to mankinde,In olde bokes as I finde,Saturnus of his oghne witHath founde ferst, and more yitOf Chapmanhode he fond the weie,And ek to coigne the moneieOf sondri metall, as it is,He was the ferste man of this.2450P. ii. 84Bot hou that metall cam a placeThurgh mannes wit and goddes graceThe route of Philosophres wiseControeveden be sondri wise,Ferst forto gete it out of Myne,And after forto trie and fyne.[Alchemy.]And also with gret diligenceNota de Alconomia.Thei founden thilke experience,Which cleped is Alconomie,Wherof the Selver multeplie2460Thei made and ek the gold also.And forto telle hou it is so,Of bodies sevene in specialWith foure spiritz joynt withalStant the substance of this matiere.The bodies whiche I speke of hiereOf the Planetes ben begonne:The gold is titled to the Sonne,The mone of Selver hath his part,And Iren that stant upon Mart,2470The Led after Satorne groweth,And Jupiter the Bras bestoweth,The Coper set is to Venus,And to his part MercuriusHath the quikselver, as it falleth,The which, after the bok it calleth,Is ferst of thilke fowre named1315Of Spiritz, whiche ben proclamed;And the spirit which is secoundeIn Sal Armoniak is founde:2480P. ii. 85The thridde spirit Sulphur is;The ferthe suiende after thisArcennicum be name is hote.With blowinge and with fyres hoteIn these thinges, whiche I seie,Thei worchen be diverse weie.For as the philosophre toldeOf gold and selver, thei ben holdeTuo principal extremites,To whiche alle othre be degres2490Of the metalls ben acordant,And so thurgh kinde resemblant,That what man couthe aweie takeThe rust, of which thei waxen blake,And the savour and the hardnesse,Thei scholden take the liknesseOf gold or Selver parfitly.Bot forto worche it sikirly,Betwen the corps and the spirit,Er that the metall be parfit,2500In sevene formes it is set;1316Of alle and if that on be let,The remenant mai noght availe,Bot otherwise it mai noght faile.For thei be whom this art was foundeTo every point a certain boundeOrdeignen, that a man mai findeThis craft is wroght be weie of kinde,So that ther is no fallas inne.Bot what man that this werk beginne,2510P. ii. 86He mot awaite at every tyde,So that nothing be left aside,1317Ferst of the distillacion,Forth with the congelacion,Solucion, descencion,And kepe in his entencionThe point of sublimacion,And forth with calcinacionOf veray approbacionDo that ther be fixacion2520With tempred hetes of the fyr,Til he the parfit ElixirOf thilke philosophres StonMai gete, of which that many on1318Of Philosophres whilom write.And if thou wolt the names witeOf thilke Ston with othre tuo,Whiche as the clerkes maden tho,So as the bokes it recorden,The kinde of hem I schal recorden.2530[The Three Stones of the Philosophers.]These olde Philosophres wyse1319Be weie of kinde in sondri wiseThre Stones maden thurgh clergie.Nota de tribus lapidibus, quos philosophi composuerunt, quorum primus dicitur lapis vegetabilis, qui sanitatem conseruat, secundus dicitur lapis animalis, qui membra1320et virtutes sencibiles fortificat, tercius dicitur lapis mineralis, qui omnia metalla purificat et in suum perfectum naturali potencia deducit.The ferste, if I schal specefie,1321Waslapis vegetabilis,1322Of which the propre vertu isTo mannes hele forto serve,As forto kepe and to preserve1323The bodi fro siknesses alle,Til deth of kinde upon him falle.2540P. ii. 87The Ston seconde I thee behoteIslapis animalishote,The whos vertu is propre and cowthFor Ere and yhe and nase and mouth,Wherof a man mai hiere and seAnd smelle and taste in his degre,And forto fiele and forto goIt helpeth man of bothe tuo:The wittes fyve he underfongethTo kepe, as it to him belongeth.2550The thridde Ston in specialBe name is cleped Minerall,Which the metalls of every MineAttempreth, til that thei ben fyne,And pureth hem be such a weie,1324That al the vice goth aweie1325Of rust, of stink and of hardnesse:And whan thei ben of such clennesse,This Mineral, so as I finde,Transformeth al the ferste kynde2560And makth hem able to conceiveThurgh his vertu, and to receive1326Bothe in substance and in figureOf gold and selver the nature.For thei tuo ben thextremetes,1327To whiche after the propretesHath every metal his desir,With help and confort of the fyrForth with this Ston, as it is seid,1328Which to the Sonne and Mone is leid;2570P. ii. 88For to the rede and to the whyteThis Ston hath pouer to profite.It makth multiplicaciounOf gold, and the fixaciounIt causeth, and of his habitHe doth the werk to be parfit1329Of thilke Elixer which men calleAlconomie, as is befalle1330To hem that whilom weren wise.Bot now it stant al otherwise;2580Thei speken faste of thilke Ston,Bot hou to make it, nou wot nonAfter the sothe experience.And natheles gret diligenceThei setten upon thilke dede,And spille more than thei spede;For allewey thei finde a lette,1331Which bringeth in poverte and detteTo hem that riche were afore:The lost is had, the lucre is lore,2590To gete a pound thei spenden fyve;I not hou such a craft schal thryveIn the manere as it is used:It were betre be refusedThan forto worchen upon weeneIn thing which stant noght as thei weene.Bot noght forthi, who that it knewe,The science of himself is treweUpon the forme as it was founded,Wherof the names yit ben grounded2600P. ii. 89Of hem that ferste it founden oute;And thus the fame goth abouteTo suche as soghten besinesseOf vertu and of worthinesse.Of whom if I the names calle,[The First Alchemists.]Hermes was on the ferste of alle,To whom this art is most applied;Geber therof was magnefied,And Ortolan and Morien,1332Among the whiche is Avicen,2610Which fond and wrot a gret partieThe practique of Alconomie;Whos bokes, pleinli as thei stondeUpon this craft, fewe understonde;Bot yit to put hem in assai1333Ther ben full manye now aday,That knowen litel what thei meene.It is noght on to wite and weene;In forme of wordes thei it trete,Bot yit they failen of beyete,13342620For of tomoche or of tolyteTher is algate founde a wyte,So that thei folwe noght the lyneOf the parfite medicine,Which grounded is upon nature.Bot thei that writen the scriptureOf Grek, Arabe and of Caldee,1335Thei were of such AuctoriteThat thei ferst founden out the weie1336Of al that thou hast herd me seie;2630P. ii. 90Wherof the Cronique of her loreSchal stonde in pris for everemore.[Letters and Language.]Bot toward oure Marches hiere,Of the Latins if thou wolt hiere,Of hem that whilom vertuousWere and therto laborious,Carmente made of hire enginThe ferste lettres of Latin,Of which the tunge Romein cam,Wherof that Aristarchus nam2640Forth with Donat and Dindimus1337The ferste reule of Scole, as thus,1338How that Latin schal be componedAnd in what wise it schal be soned,That every word in his degreSchal stonde upon congruite.And thilke time at Rome alsoWas Tullius with Cithero,That writen upon Rethorike,Hou that men schal the wordes pike13392650After the forme of eloquence,Which is, men sein, a gret prudence:And after that out of HebreuJerom, which the langage kneu,The Bible, in which the lawe is closed,Into Latin he hath transposed;And many an other writere ekOut of Caldee, Arabe and GrekWith gret labour the bokes wiseTranslateden. And otherwise2660P. ii. 91The Latins of hemself alsoHere studie at thilke time so1340With gret travaile of Scole tokeIn sondri forme forto boke,That we mai take here evidencesUpon the lore of the Sciences,Of craftes bothe and of clergie;Among the whiche in PoesieTo the lovers Ovide wrotAnd tawhte, if love be to hot,2670In what manere it scholde akiele.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, if that thou fieleThat love wringe thee to sore,Behold Ovide and take his lore.1341Amans.My fader, if thei mihte spedeMi love, I wolde his bokes rede;1342And if thei techen to restreigneMi love, it were an ydel peineTo lerne a thing which mai noght be.For lich unto the greene tree,2680If that men toke his rote aweie,1343Riht so myn herte scholde deie,If that mi love be withdrawe.Wherof touchende unto this saweThere is bot only to poursuieMi love, and ydelschipe eschuie.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, soth to seie,If ther be siker eny weieTo love, thou hast seid the beste:For who that wolde have al his reste2690P. ii. 92And do no travail at the nede,It is no resoun that he spedeIn loves cause forto winne;For he which dar nothing beginne,I not what thing he scholde achieve.Bot overthis thou schalt believe,So as it sit thee wel to knowe,That ther ben othre vices slowe,Whiche unto love don gret lette,If thou thin herte upon hem sette.2700[vi.Somnolence.]viii.Perdit homo causam linquens sua iura sopori,Et quasi dimidium pars sua mortis habet.Est in amore vigil Venus, et quod habet vigilantiObsequium thalamis fert vigilata suis.Toward the Slowe progenieTher is yit on of compaignie,Hic loquitur de Sompnolencia, que Accidie1344Cameraria dicta est, cuius natura semimortua alicuius negocii vigilias obseruare soporifero1345torpore recusat: vnde quatenus amorem concernit Confessor Amanti diligencius opponit.And he is cleped Sompnolence,Which doth to Slouthe his reverence,As he which is his Chamberlein,That many an hundrid time hath leinTo slepe, whan he scholde wake.He hath with love trewes take,That wake who so wake wile,If he mai couche a doun his bile,13462710He hath al wowed what him list;1347That ofte he goth to bedde unkist,And seith that for no DruerieHe wol noght leve his sluggardie.For thogh noman it wole allowe,To slepe levere than to woweP. ii. 93Is his manere, and thus on nyhtes,Whan that he seth the lusti knyhtesRevelen, wher these wommen are,Awey he skulketh as an hare,2720And goth to bedde and leith him softe,And of his Slouthe he dremeth ofteHou that he stiketh in the Myr,And hou he sitteth be the fyrAnd claweth on his bare schanckes,And hou he clymbeth up the banckesAnd falleth into Slades depe.Bot thanne who so toke kepe,Whanne he is falle in such a drem,Riht as a Schip ayein the Strem,2730He routeth with a slepi noise,And brustleth as a monkes froise,Whanne it is throwe into the Panne.And otherwhile sielde whanneThat he mai dreme a lusti swevene,Him thenkth as thogh he were in heveneAnd as the world were holi his:And thanne he spekth of that and this,And makth his exposicionAfter the disposicion2740Of that he wolde, and in such wiseHe doth to love all his service;I not what thonk he schal deserve.1348Bot, Sone, if thou wolt love serve,1349I rede that thou do noght so.Confessio Amantis.Ha, goode fader, certes no.P. ii. 94I hadde levere be mi trowthe,Er I were set an such a sloutheAnd beere such a slepi snoute,Bothe yhen of myn hed were oute.2750For me were betre fulli die,Thanne I of such a slugardieHadde eny name, god me schilde;For whan mi moder was with childe,And I lay in hire wombe clos,I wolde rathere Atropos,Which is goddesse of alle deth,Anon as I hadde eny breth,Me hadde fro mi Moder cast.Bot now I am nothing agast,13502760[The Lover’s Wakefulness.]I thonke godd; for Lachesis,Ne Cloto, which hire felawe is,Me schopen no such destine,Whan thei at mi nativiteMy weerdes setten as thei wolde;Bot thei me schopen that I scholdeEschuie of slep the truandise,So that I hope in such a wiseTo love forto ben excused,That I no Sompnolence have used.2770For certes, fader Genius,Yit into nou it hath be thus,At alle time if it befelle1351So that I mihte come and duelleIn place ther my ladi were,I was noght slow ne slepi there:P. ii. 95For thanne I dar wel undertake,That whanne hir list on nyhtes wakeIn chambre as to carole and daunce,Me thenkth I mai me more avaunce,2780If I mai gon upon hir hond,Thanne if I wonne a kinges lond.For whanne I mai hire hand beclippe,With such gladnesse I daunce and skippe,Me thenkth I touche noght the flor;The Ro, which renneth on the Mor,Is thanne noght so lyht as I:So mow ye witen wel forthi,1352That for the time slep I hate.And whanne it falleth othergate,2790So that hire like noght to daunce,Bot on the Dees to caste chaunce1353Or axe of love som demande,Or elles that hir list comaundeTo rede and here of Troilus,Riht as sche wole or so or thus,1354I am al redi to consente.And if so is that I mai henteSomtime among a good leisir,So as I dar of mi desir2800I telle a part; bot whanne I preie,Anon sche bidt me go mi weie1355And seith it is ferr in the nyht;And I swere it is even liht.Bot as it falleth ate laste,Ther mai no worldes joie laste,P. ii. 96So mot I nedes fro hire wendeAnd of my wachche make an ende:And if sche thanne hiede toke,Hou pitousliche on hire I loke,2810Whan that I schal my leve take,Hire oghte of mercy forto slakeHire daunger, which seith evere nay.Bot he seith often, ‘Have good day,’That loth is forto take his leve:Therfore, while I mai beleve,I tarie forth the nyht along,For it is noght on me alongTo slep that I so sone go,Til that I mot algate so;2820And thanne I bidde godd hire se,And so doun knelende on mi kne1356I take leve, and if I schal,I kisse hire, and go forth withal.And otherwhile, if that I dore,Er I come fulli to the Dore,1357I torne ayein and feigne a thing,As thogh I hadde lost a RingOr somwhat elles, for I woldeKisse hire eftsones, if I scholde,2830Bot selden is that I so spede.And whanne I se that I mot nedeDeparten, I departe, and thanne1358With al myn herte I curse and banneThat evere slep was mad for yhe;For, as me thenkth, I mihte dryheP. ii. 97Withoute slep to waken evere,So that I scholde noght dissevereFro hire, in whom is al my liht:And thanne I curse also the nyht2840With al the will of mi corage,And seie, ‘Awey, thou blake ymage,Which of thi derke cloudy faceMakst al the worldes lyht deface,And causest unto slep a weie,Be which I mot nou gon aweie1359Out of mi ladi compaignie.O slepi nyht, I thee defie,And wolde that thou leye in presseWith Proserpine the goddesse2850And with Pluto the helle king:For til I se the daies spring,I sette slep noght at a risshe.’And with that word I sike and wisshe,And seie, ‘Ha, whi ne were it day?For yit mi ladi thanne I mayBeholde, thogh I do nomore.’And efte I thenke forthermore,To som man hou the niht doth ese,Whan he hath thing that mai him plese13602860The longe nyhtes be his side,Where as I faile and go beside.Bot slep, I not wherof it serveth,Of which noman his thonk deservethTo gete him love in eny place,Bot is an hindrere of his graceP. ii. 98And makth him ded as for a throwe,1361Riht as a Stok were overthrowe.And so, mi fader, in this wiseThe slepi nyhtes I despise,2870And evere amiddes of mi taleI thenke upon the nyhtingale,Which slepeth noght be weie of kindeFor love, in bokes as I finde.Thus ate laste I go to bedde,And yit min herte lith to weddeWith hire, wher as I cam fro;Thogh I departe, he wol noght so,Ther is no lock mai schette him oute,Him nedeth noght to gon aboute,2880That perce mai the harde wall;Thus is he with hire overall,That be hire lief, or be hire loth,Into hire bedd myn herte goth,And softly takth hire in his armAnd fieleth hou that sche is warm,And wissheth that his body wereTo fiele that he fieleth there.And thus miselven I tormente,Til that the dede slep me hente:2890[Dreams.]Bot thanne be a thousand scoreWelmore than I was toforeI am tormented in mi slep,Bot that I dreme is noght of schep;For I ne thenke noght on wulle,Bot I am drecched to the fulleP. ii. 99Of love, that I have to kepe,That nou I lawhe and nou I wepe,And nou I lese and nou I winne,And nou I ende and nou beginne.2900And otherwhile I dreme and meteThat I al one with hire meteAnd that Danger is left behinde;And thanne in slep such joie I finde,That I ne bede nevere awake.Bot after, whanne I hiede take,And schal arise upon the morwe,Thanne is al torned into sorwe,Noght for the cause I schal arise,Bot for I mette in such a wise,2910And ate laste I am bethoghtThat al is vein and helpeth noght:Bot yit me thenketh be my willeI wolde have leie and slepe stille,To meten evere of such a swevene,For thanne I hadde a slepi hevene.Confessor.Mi Sone, and for thou tellest so;A man mai finde of time agoThat many a swevene hath be certein,Al be it so, that som men sein2920That swevenes ben of no credence.Bot forto schewe in evidenceThat thei fulofte sothe thingesBetokne, I thenke in my wrytingesTo telle a tale therupon,Which fell be olde daies gon.
[Uses of Labour.]P. ii. 81vii.Expedit in manibus labor, vt de cotidianis1307Actibus ac vita viuere possit homo.Set qui doctrine causa fert mente labores,Preualet et merita perpetuata parat.Of every wisdom the parfitThe hyhe god of his spiritHic loquitur contra ociosos quoscumque, et maxime contra istos, qui excellentis prudencie ingenium habentes absque fructu operum torpescunt. Et ponit exemplum de diligencia predecessorum, qui ad tocius humani generis doctrinam et auxilium suis continuis laboribus1308et studiis, gracia mediante diuina, artes et sciencias primitus inuenerunt.Yaf to the men in Erthe hiereUpon the forme and the matiereOf that he wolde make hem wise:And thus cam in the ferste appriseOf bokes and of alle goodeThurgh hem that whilom understode2370The lore which to hem was yive,Wherof these othre, that now live,Ben every day to lerne newe.Bot er the time that men siewe,And that the labour forth it broghte,Ther was no corn, thogh men it soghte,In non of al the fieldes oute;1309And er the wisdom cam abouteOf hem that ferst the bokes write,This mai wel every wys man wite,2380Ther was gret labour ek also.Thus was non ydel of the tuo,That on the plogh hath undertakeWith labour which the hond hath take,That other tok to studie and muse,As he which wolde noght refuseThe labour of hise wittes alle.And in this wise it is befalle,Of labour which that thei begunneWe be now tawht of that we kunne:2390P. ii. 82Here besinesse is yit so seene,1310That it stant evere alyche greene;Al be it so the bodi deie,The name of hem schal nevere aweie.[Discoverers and Inventors.]In the Croniqes as I finde,Cham, whos labour is yit in minde,Was he which ferst the lettres fond1311And wrot in Hebreu with his hond:Of naturel PhilosophieHe fond ferst also the clergie.2400Cadmus the lettres of GregoisFerst made upon his oghne chois.Theges of thing which schal befalle,He was the ferste Augurre of alle:And Philemon be the visageFond to descrive the corage.Cladyns, Esdras and Sulpices,1312Termegis, Pandulf, Frigidilles,Menander, Ephiloquorus,Solins, Pandas and Josephus2410The ferste were of Enditours,Of old Cronique and ek auctours:And Heredot in his scienceOf metre, of rime and of cadence1313The ferste was of which men note.And of Musique also the noteIn mannes vois or softe or scharpe,That fond Jubal; and of the harpeThe merie soun, which is to like,That fond Poulins forth with phisique.2420P. ii. 83Zenzis fond ferst the pourtreture,And Promotheüs the Sculpture;After what forme that hem thoghte,The resemblance anon thei wroghte.Tubal in Iren and in StelFond ferst the forge and wroghte it wel:And Jadahel, as seith the bok,Ferst made Net and fisshes tok:Of huntynge ek he fond the chace,Which now is knowe in many place:2430A tente of cloth with corde and stakeHe sette up ferst and dede it make.Verconius of cokerie1314Ferst made the delicacie.The craft Minerve of wolle fondAnd made cloth hire oghne hond;And Delbora made it of lyn:Tho wommen were of great engyn.Bot thing which yifth ous mete and drinkeAnd doth the labourer to swinke2440To tile lond and sette vines,Wherof the cornes and the wynesBen sustenance to mankinde,In olde bokes as I finde,Saturnus of his oghne witHath founde ferst, and more yitOf Chapmanhode he fond the weie,And ek to coigne the moneieOf sondri metall, as it is,He was the ferste man of this.2450P. ii. 84Bot hou that metall cam a placeThurgh mannes wit and goddes graceThe route of Philosophres wiseControeveden be sondri wise,Ferst forto gete it out of Myne,And after forto trie and fyne.[Alchemy.]And also with gret diligenceNota de Alconomia.Thei founden thilke experience,Which cleped is Alconomie,Wherof the Selver multeplie2460Thei made and ek the gold also.And forto telle hou it is so,Of bodies sevene in specialWith foure spiritz joynt withalStant the substance of this matiere.The bodies whiche I speke of hiereOf the Planetes ben begonne:The gold is titled to the Sonne,The mone of Selver hath his part,And Iren that stant upon Mart,2470The Led after Satorne groweth,And Jupiter the Bras bestoweth,The Coper set is to Venus,And to his part MercuriusHath the quikselver, as it falleth,The which, after the bok it calleth,Is ferst of thilke fowre named1315Of Spiritz, whiche ben proclamed;And the spirit which is secoundeIn Sal Armoniak is founde:2480P. ii. 85The thridde spirit Sulphur is;The ferthe suiende after thisArcennicum be name is hote.With blowinge and with fyres hoteIn these thinges, whiche I seie,Thei worchen be diverse weie.For as the philosophre toldeOf gold and selver, thei ben holdeTuo principal extremites,To whiche alle othre be degres2490Of the metalls ben acordant,And so thurgh kinde resemblant,That what man couthe aweie takeThe rust, of which thei waxen blake,And the savour and the hardnesse,Thei scholden take the liknesseOf gold or Selver parfitly.Bot forto worche it sikirly,Betwen the corps and the spirit,Er that the metall be parfit,2500In sevene formes it is set;1316Of alle and if that on be let,The remenant mai noght availe,Bot otherwise it mai noght faile.For thei be whom this art was foundeTo every point a certain boundeOrdeignen, that a man mai findeThis craft is wroght be weie of kinde,So that ther is no fallas inne.Bot what man that this werk beginne,2510P. ii. 86He mot awaite at every tyde,So that nothing be left aside,1317Ferst of the distillacion,Forth with the congelacion,Solucion, descencion,And kepe in his entencionThe point of sublimacion,And forth with calcinacionOf veray approbacionDo that ther be fixacion2520With tempred hetes of the fyr,Til he the parfit ElixirOf thilke philosophres StonMai gete, of which that many on1318Of Philosophres whilom write.And if thou wolt the names witeOf thilke Ston with othre tuo,Whiche as the clerkes maden tho,So as the bokes it recorden,The kinde of hem I schal recorden.2530[The Three Stones of the Philosophers.]These olde Philosophres wyse1319Be weie of kinde in sondri wiseThre Stones maden thurgh clergie.Nota de tribus lapidibus, quos philosophi composuerunt, quorum primus dicitur lapis vegetabilis, qui sanitatem conseruat, secundus dicitur lapis animalis, qui membra1320et virtutes sencibiles fortificat, tercius dicitur lapis mineralis, qui omnia metalla purificat et in suum perfectum naturali potencia deducit.The ferste, if I schal specefie,1321Waslapis vegetabilis,1322Of which the propre vertu isTo mannes hele forto serve,As forto kepe and to preserve1323The bodi fro siknesses alle,Til deth of kinde upon him falle.2540P. ii. 87The Ston seconde I thee behoteIslapis animalishote,The whos vertu is propre and cowthFor Ere and yhe and nase and mouth,Wherof a man mai hiere and seAnd smelle and taste in his degre,And forto fiele and forto goIt helpeth man of bothe tuo:The wittes fyve he underfongethTo kepe, as it to him belongeth.2550The thridde Ston in specialBe name is cleped Minerall,Which the metalls of every MineAttempreth, til that thei ben fyne,And pureth hem be such a weie,1324That al the vice goth aweie1325Of rust, of stink and of hardnesse:And whan thei ben of such clennesse,This Mineral, so as I finde,Transformeth al the ferste kynde2560And makth hem able to conceiveThurgh his vertu, and to receive1326Bothe in substance and in figureOf gold and selver the nature.For thei tuo ben thextremetes,1327To whiche after the propretesHath every metal his desir,With help and confort of the fyrForth with this Ston, as it is seid,1328Which to the Sonne and Mone is leid;2570P. ii. 88For to the rede and to the whyteThis Ston hath pouer to profite.It makth multiplicaciounOf gold, and the fixaciounIt causeth, and of his habitHe doth the werk to be parfit1329Of thilke Elixer which men calleAlconomie, as is befalle1330To hem that whilom weren wise.Bot now it stant al otherwise;2580Thei speken faste of thilke Ston,Bot hou to make it, nou wot nonAfter the sothe experience.And natheles gret diligenceThei setten upon thilke dede,And spille more than thei spede;For allewey thei finde a lette,1331Which bringeth in poverte and detteTo hem that riche were afore:The lost is had, the lucre is lore,2590To gete a pound thei spenden fyve;I not hou such a craft schal thryveIn the manere as it is used:It were betre be refusedThan forto worchen upon weeneIn thing which stant noght as thei weene.Bot noght forthi, who that it knewe,The science of himself is treweUpon the forme as it was founded,Wherof the names yit ben grounded2600P. ii. 89Of hem that ferste it founden oute;And thus the fame goth abouteTo suche as soghten besinesseOf vertu and of worthinesse.Of whom if I the names calle,[The First Alchemists.]Hermes was on the ferste of alle,To whom this art is most applied;Geber therof was magnefied,And Ortolan and Morien,1332Among the whiche is Avicen,2610Which fond and wrot a gret partieThe practique of Alconomie;Whos bokes, pleinli as thei stondeUpon this craft, fewe understonde;Bot yit to put hem in assai1333Ther ben full manye now aday,That knowen litel what thei meene.It is noght on to wite and weene;In forme of wordes thei it trete,Bot yit they failen of beyete,13342620For of tomoche or of tolyteTher is algate founde a wyte,So that thei folwe noght the lyneOf the parfite medicine,Which grounded is upon nature.Bot thei that writen the scriptureOf Grek, Arabe and of Caldee,1335Thei were of such AuctoriteThat thei ferst founden out the weie1336Of al that thou hast herd me seie;2630P. ii. 90Wherof the Cronique of her loreSchal stonde in pris for everemore.[Letters and Language.]Bot toward oure Marches hiere,Of the Latins if thou wolt hiere,Of hem that whilom vertuousWere and therto laborious,Carmente made of hire enginThe ferste lettres of Latin,Of which the tunge Romein cam,Wherof that Aristarchus nam2640Forth with Donat and Dindimus1337The ferste reule of Scole, as thus,1338How that Latin schal be componedAnd in what wise it schal be soned,That every word in his degreSchal stonde upon congruite.And thilke time at Rome alsoWas Tullius with Cithero,That writen upon Rethorike,Hou that men schal the wordes pike13392650After the forme of eloquence,Which is, men sein, a gret prudence:And after that out of HebreuJerom, which the langage kneu,The Bible, in which the lawe is closed,Into Latin he hath transposed;And many an other writere ekOut of Caldee, Arabe and GrekWith gret labour the bokes wiseTranslateden. And otherwise2660P. ii. 91The Latins of hemself alsoHere studie at thilke time so1340With gret travaile of Scole tokeIn sondri forme forto boke,That we mai take here evidencesUpon the lore of the Sciences,Of craftes bothe and of clergie;Among the whiche in PoesieTo the lovers Ovide wrotAnd tawhte, if love be to hot,2670In what manere it scholde akiele.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, if that thou fieleThat love wringe thee to sore,Behold Ovide and take his lore.1341Amans.My fader, if thei mihte spedeMi love, I wolde his bokes rede;1342And if thei techen to restreigneMi love, it were an ydel peineTo lerne a thing which mai noght be.For lich unto the greene tree,2680If that men toke his rote aweie,1343Riht so myn herte scholde deie,If that mi love be withdrawe.Wherof touchende unto this saweThere is bot only to poursuieMi love, and ydelschipe eschuie.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, soth to seie,If ther be siker eny weieTo love, thou hast seid the beste:For who that wolde have al his reste2690P. ii. 92And do no travail at the nede,It is no resoun that he spedeIn loves cause forto winne;For he which dar nothing beginne,I not what thing he scholde achieve.Bot overthis thou schalt believe,So as it sit thee wel to knowe,That ther ben othre vices slowe,Whiche unto love don gret lette,If thou thin herte upon hem sette.2700[vi.Somnolence.]viii.Perdit homo causam linquens sua iura sopori,Et quasi dimidium pars sua mortis habet.Est in amore vigil Venus, et quod habet vigilantiObsequium thalamis fert vigilata suis.Toward the Slowe progenieTher is yit on of compaignie,Hic loquitur de Sompnolencia, que Accidie1344Cameraria dicta est, cuius natura semimortua alicuius negocii vigilias obseruare soporifero1345torpore recusat: vnde quatenus amorem concernit Confessor Amanti diligencius opponit.And he is cleped Sompnolence,Which doth to Slouthe his reverence,As he which is his Chamberlein,That many an hundrid time hath leinTo slepe, whan he scholde wake.He hath with love trewes take,That wake who so wake wile,If he mai couche a doun his bile,13462710He hath al wowed what him list;1347That ofte he goth to bedde unkist,And seith that for no DruerieHe wol noght leve his sluggardie.For thogh noman it wole allowe,To slepe levere than to woweP. ii. 93Is his manere, and thus on nyhtes,Whan that he seth the lusti knyhtesRevelen, wher these wommen are,Awey he skulketh as an hare,2720And goth to bedde and leith him softe,And of his Slouthe he dremeth ofteHou that he stiketh in the Myr,And hou he sitteth be the fyrAnd claweth on his bare schanckes,And hou he clymbeth up the banckesAnd falleth into Slades depe.Bot thanne who so toke kepe,Whanne he is falle in such a drem,Riht as a Schip ayein the Strem,2730He routeth with a slepi noise,And brustleth as a monkes froise,Whanne it is throwe into the Panne.And otherwhile sielde whanneThat he mai dreme a lusti swevene,Him thenkth as thogh he were in heveneAnd as the world were holi his:And thanne he spekth of that and this,And makth his exposicionAfter the disposicion2740Of that he wolde, and in such wiseHe doth to love all his service;I not what thonk he schal deserve.1348Bot, Sone, if thou wolt love serve,1349I rede that thou do noght so.Confessio Amantis.Ha, goode fader, certes no.P. ii. 94I hadde levere be mi trowthe,Er I were set an such a sloutheAnd beere such a slepi snoute,Bothe yhen of myn hed were oute.2750For me were betre fulli die,Thanne I of such a slugardieHadde eny name, god me schilde;For whan mi moder was with childe,And I lay in hire wombe clos,I wolde rathere Atropos,Which is goddesse of alle deth,Anon as I hadde eny breth,Me hadde fro mi Moder cast.Bot now I am nothing agast,13502760[The Lover’s Wakefulness.]I thonke godd; for Lachesis,Ne Cloto, which hire felawe is,Me schopen no such destine,Whan thei at mi nativiteMy weerdes setten as thei wolde;Bot thei me schopen that I scholdeEschuie of slep the truandise,So that I hope in such a wiseTo love forto ben excused,That I no Sompnolence have used.2770For certes, fader Genius,Yit into nou it hath be thus,At alle time if it befelle1351So that I mihte come and duelleIn place ther my ladi were,I was noght slow ne slepi there:P. ii. 95For thanne I dar wel undertake,That whanne hir list on nyhtes wakeIn chambre as to carole and daunce,Me thenkth I mai me more avaunce,2780If I mai gon upon hir hond,Thanne if I wonne a kinges lond.For whanne I mai hire hand beclippe,With such gladnesse I daunce and skippe,Me thenkth I touche noght the flor;The Ro, which renneth on the Mor,Is thanne noght so lyht as I:So mow ye witen wel forthi,1352That for the time slep I hate.And whanne it falleth othergate,2790So that hire like noght to daunce,Bot on the Dees to caste chaunce1353Or axe of love som demande,Or elles that hir list comaundeTo rede and here of Troilus,Riht as sche wole or so or thus,1354I am al redi to consente.And if so is that I mai henteSomtime among a good leisir,So as I dar of mi desir2800I telle a part; bot whanne I preie,Anon sche bidt me go mi weie1355And seith it is ferr in the nyht;And I swere it is even liht.Bot as it falleth ate laste,Ther mai no worldes joie laste,P. ii. 96So mot I nedes fro hire wendeAnd of my wachche make an ende:And if sche thanne hiede toke,Hou pitousliche on hire I loke,2810Whan that I schal my leve take,Hire oghte of mercy forto slakeHire daunger, which seith evere nay.Bot he seith often, ‘Have good day,’That loth is forto take his leve:Therfore, while I mai beleve,I tarie forth the nyht along,For it is noght on me alongTo slep that I so sone go,Til that I mot algate so;2820And thanne I bidde godd hire se,And so doun knelende on mi kne1356I take leve, and if I schal,I kisse hire, and go forth withal.And otherwhile, if that I dore,Er I come fulli to the Dore,1357I torne ayein and feigne a thing,As thogh I hadde lost a RingOr somwhat elles, for I woldeKisse hire eftsones, if I scholde,2830Bot selden is that I so spede.And whanne I se that I mot nedeDeparten, I departe, and thanne1358With al myn herte I curse and banneThat evere slep was mad for yhe;For, as me thenkth, I mihte dryheP. ii. 97Withoute slep to waken evere,So that I scholde noght dissevereFro hire, in whom is al my liht:And thanne I curse also the nyht2840With al the will of mi corage,And seie, ‘Awey, thou blake ymage,Which of thi derke cloudy faceMakst al the worldes lyht deface,And causest unto slep a weie,Be which I mot nou gon aweie1359Out of mi ladi compaignie.O slepi nyht, I thee defie,And wolde that thou leye in presseWith Proserpine the goddesse2850And with Pluto the helle king:For til I se the daies spring,I sette slep noght at a risshe.’And with that word I sike and wisshe,And seie, ‘Ha, whi ne were it day?For yit mi ladi thanne I mayBeholde, thogh I do nomore.’And efte I thenke forthermore,To som man hou the niht doth ese,Whan he hath thing that mai him plese13602860The longe nyhtes be his side,Where as I faile and go beside.Bot slep, I not wherof it serveth,Of which noman his thonk deservethTo gete him love in eny place,Bot is an hindrere of his graceP. ii. 98And makth him ded as for a throwe,1361Riht as a Stok were overthrowe.And so, mi fader, in this wiseThe slepi nyhtes I despise,2870And evere amiddes of mi taleI thenke upon the nyhtingale,Which slepeth noght be weie of kindeFor love, in bokes as I finde.Thus ate laste I go to bedde,And yit min herte lith to weddeWith hire, wher as I cam fro;Thogh I departe, he wol noght so,Ther is no lock mai schette him oute,Him nedeth noght to gon aboute,2880That perce mai the harde wall;Thus is he with hire overall,That be hire lief, or be hire loth,Into hire bedd myn herte goth,And softly takth hire in his armAnd fieleth hou that sche is warm,And wissheth that his body wereTo fiele that he fieleth there.And thus miselven I tormente,Til that the dede slep me hente:2890[Dreams.]Bot thanne be a thousand scoreWelmore than I was toforeI am tormented in mi slep,Bot that I dreme is noght of schep;For I ne thenke noght on wulle,Bot I am drecched to the fulleP. ii. 99Of love, that I have to kepe,That nou I lawhe and nou I wepe,And nou I lese and nou I winne,And nou I ende and nou beginne.2900And otherwhile I dreme and meteThat I al one with hire meteAnd that Danger is left behinde;And thanne in slep such joie I finde,That I ne bede nevere awake.Bot after, whanne I hiede take,And schal arise upon the morwe,Thanne is al torned into sorwe,Noght for the cause I schal arise,Bot for I mette in such a wise,2910And ate laste I am bethoghtThat al is vein and helpeth noght:Bot yit me thenketh be my willeI wolde have leie and slepe stille,To meten evere of such a swevene,For thanne I hadde a slepi hevene.Confessor.Mi Sone, and for thou tellest so;A man mai finde of time agoThat many a swevene hath be certein,Al be it so, that som men sein2920That swevenes ben of no credence.Bot forto schewe in evidenceThat thei fulofte sothe thingesBetokne, I thenke in my wrytingesTo telle a tale therupon,Which fell be olde daies gon.
[Uses of Labour.]P. ii. 81vii.Expedit in manibus labor, vt de cotidianis1307Actibus ac vita viuere possit homo.Set qui doctrine causa fert mente labores,Preualet et merita perpetuata parat.
[Uses of Labour.]
P. ii. 81
vii.Expedit in manibus labor, vt de cotidianis1307
Actibus ac vita viuere possit homo.
Set qui doctrine causa fert mente labores,
Preualet et merita perpetuata parat.
Of every wisdom the parfitThe hyhe god of his spiritHic loquitur contra ociosos quoscumque, et maxime contra istos, qui excellentis prudencie ingenium habentes absque fructu operum torpescunt. Et ponit exemplum de diligencia predecessorum, qui ad tocius humani generis doctrinam et auxilium suis continuis laboribus1308et studiis, gracia mediante diuina, artes et sciencias primitus inuenerunt.Yaf to the men in Erthe hiereUpon the forme and the matiereOf that he wolde make hem wise:And thus cam in the ferste appriseOf bokes and of alle goodeThurgh hem that whilom understode2370The lore which to hem was yive,Wherof these othre, that now live,Ben every day to lerne newe.Bot er the time that men siewe,And that the labour forth it broghte,Ther was no corn, thogh men it soghte,In non of al the fieldes oute;1309And er the wisdom cam abouteOf hem that ferst the bokes write,This mai wel every wys man wite,2380Ther was gret labour ek also.Thus was non ydel of the tuo,That on the plogh hath undertakeWith labour which the hond hath take,That other tok to studie and muse,As he which wolde noght refuseThe labour of hise wittes alle.And in this wise it is befalle,Of labour which that thei begunneWe be now tawht of that we kunne:2390P. ii. 82Here besinesse is yit so seene,1310That it stant evere alyche greene;Al be it so the bodi deie,The name of hem schal nevere aweie.[Discoverers and Inventors.]In the Croniqes as I finde,Cham, whos labour is yit in minde,Was he which ferst the lettres fond1311And wrot in Hebreu with his hond:Of naturel PhilosophieHe fond ferst also the clergie.2400Cadmus the lettres of GregoisFerst made upon his oghne chois.Theges of thing which schal befalle,He was the ferste Augurre of alle:And Philemon be the visageFond to descrive the corage.Cladyns, Esdras and Sulpices,1312Termegis, Pandulf, Frigidilles,Menander, Ephiloquorus,Solins, Pandas and Josephus2410The ferste were of Enditours,Of old Cronique and ek auctours:And Heredot in his scienceOf metre, of rime and of cadence1313The ferste was of which men note.And of Musique also the noteIn mannes vois or softe or scharpe,That fond Jubal; and of the harpeThe merie soun, which is to like,That fond Poulins forth with phisique.2420P. ii. 83Zenzis fond ferst the pourtreture,And Promotheüs the Sculpture;After what forme that hem thoghte,The resemblance anon thei wroghte.Tubal in Iren and in StelFond ferst the forge and wroghte it wel:And Jadahel, as seith the bok,Ferst made Net and fisshes tok:Of huntynge ek he fond the chace,Which now is knowe in many place:2430A tente of cloth with corde and stakeHe sette up ferst and dede it make.Verconius of cokerie1314Ferst made the delicacie.The craft Minerve of wolle fondAnd made cloth hire oghne hond;And Delbora made it of lyn:Tho wommen were of great engyn.Bot thing which yifth ous mete and drinkeAnd doth the labourer to swinke2440To tile lond and sette vines,Wherof the cornes and the wynesBen sustenance to mankinde,In olde bokes as I finde,Saturnus of his oghne witHath founde ferst, and more yitOf Chapmanhode he fond the weie,And ek to coigne the moneieOf sondri metall, as it is,He was the ferste man of this.2450P. ii. 84Bot hou that metall cam a placeThurgh mannes wit and goddes graceThe route of Philosophres wiseControeveden be sondri wise,Ferst forto gete it out of Myne,And after forto trie and fyne.[Alchemy.]And also with gret diligenceNota de Alconomia.Thei founden thilke experience,Which cleped is Alconomie,Wherof the Selver multeplie2460Thei made and ek the gold also.And forto telle hou it is so,Of bodies sevene in specialWith foure spiritz joynt withalStant the substance of this matiere.The bodies whiche I speke of hiereOf the Planetes ben begonne:The gold is titled to the Sonne,The mone of Selver hath his part,And Iren that stant upon Mart,2470The Led after Satorne groweth,And Jupiter the Bras bestoweth,The Coper set is to Venus,And to his part MercuriusHath the quikselver, as it falleth,The which, after the bok it calleth,Is ferst of thilke fowre named1315Of Spiritz, whiche ben proclamed;And the spirit which is secoundeIn Sal Armoniak is founde:2480P. ii. 85The thridde spirit Sulphur is;The ferthe suiende after thisArcennicum be name is hote.With blowinge and with fyres hoteIn these thinges, whiche I seie,Thei worchen be diverse weie.For as the philosophre toldeOf gold and selver, thei ben holdeTuo principal extremites,To whiche alle othre be degres2490Of the metalls ben acordant,And so thurgh kinde resemblant,That what man couthe aweie takeThe rust, of which thei waxen blake,And the savour and the hardnesse,Thei scholden take the liknesseOf gold or Selver parfitly.Bot forto worche it sikirly,Betwen the corps and the spirit,Er that the metall be parfit,2500In sevene formes it is set;1316Of alle and if that on be let,The remenant mai noght availe,Bot otherwise it mai noght faile.For thei be whom this art was foundeTo every point a certain boundeOrdeignen, that a man mai findeThis craft is wroght be weie of kinde,So that ther is no fallas inne.Bot what man that this werk beginne,2510P. ii. 86He mot awaite at every tyde,So that nothing be left aside,1317Ferst of the distillacion,Forth with the congelacion,Solucion, descencion,And kepe in his entencionThe point of sublimacion,And forth with calcinacionOf veray approbacionDo that ther be fixacion2520With tempred hetes of the fyr,Til he the parfit ElixirOf thilke philosophres StonMai gete, of which that many on1318Of Philosophres whilom write.And if thou wolt the names witeOf thilke Ston with othre tuo,Whiche as the clerkes maden tho,So as the bokes it recorden,The kinde of hem I schal recorden.2530
Of every wisdom the parfit
The hyhe god of his spirit
Hic loquitur contra ociosos quoscumque, et maxime contra istos, qui excellentis prudencie ingenium habentes absque fructu operum torpescunt. Et ponit exemplum de diligencia predecessorum, qui ad tocius humani generis doctrinam et auxilium suis continuis laboribus1308et studiis, gracia mediante diuina, artes et sciencias primitus inuenerunt.
Yaf to the men in Erthe hiere
Upon the forme and the matiere
Of that he wolde make hem wise:
And thus cam in the ferste apprise
Of bokes and of alle goode
Thurgh hem that whilom understode2370
The lore which to hem was yive,
Wherof these othre, that now live,
Ben every day to lerne newe.
Bot er the time that men siewe,
And that the labour forth it broghte,
Ther was no corn, thogh men it soghte,
In non of al the fieldes oute;1309
And er the wisdom cam aboute
Of hem that ferst the bokes write,
This mai wel every wys man wite,2380
Ther was gret labour ek also.
Thus was non ydel of the tuo,
That on the plogh hath undertake
With labour which the hond hath take,
That other tok to studie and muse,
As he which wolde noght refuse
The labour of hise wittes alle.
And in this wise it is befalle,
Of labour which that thei begunne
We be now tawht of that we kunne:2390
P. ii. 82
Here besinesse is yit so seene,1310
That it stant evere alyche greene;
Al be it so the bodi deie,
The name of hem schal nevere aweie.
[Discoverers and Inventors.]
In the Croniqes as I finde,
Cham, whos labour is yit in minde,
Was he which ferst the lettres fond1311
And wrot in Hebreu with his hond:
Of naturel Philosophie
He fond ferst also the clergie.2400
Cadmus the lettres of Gregois
Ferst made upon his oghne chois.
Theges of thing which schal befalle,
He was the ferste Augurre of alle:
And Philemon be the visage
Fond to descrive the corage.
Cladyns, Esdras and Sulpices,1312
Termegis, Pandulf, Frigidilles,
Menander, Ephiloquorus,
Solins, Pandas and Josephus2410
The ferste were of Enditours,
Of old Cronique and ek auctours:
And Heredot in his science
Of metre, of rime and of cadence1313
The ferste was of which men note.
And of Musique also the note
In mannes vois or softe or scharpe,
That fond Jubal; and of the harpe
The merie soun, which is to like,
That fond Poulins forth with phisique.2420
P. ii. 83
Zenzis fond ferst the pourtreture,
And Promotheüs the Sculpture;
After what forme that hem thoghte,
The resemblance anon thei wroghte.
Tubal in Iren and in Stel
Fond ferst the forge and wroghte it wel:
And Jadahel, as seith the bok,
Ferst made Net and fisshes tok:
Of huntynge ek he fond the chace,
Which now is knowe in many place:2430
A tente of cloth with corde and stake
He sette up ferst and dede it make.
Verconius of cokerie1314
Ferst made the delicacie.
The craft Minerve of wolle fond
And made cloth hire oghne hond;
And Delbora made it of lyn:
Tho wommen were of great engyn.
Bot thing which yifth ous mete and drinke
And doth the labourer to swinke2440
To tile lond and sette vines,
Wherof the cornes and the wynes
Ben sustenance to mankinde,
In olde bokes as I finde,
Saturnus of his oghne wit
Hath founde ferst, and more yit
Of Chapmanhode he fond the weie,
And ek to coigne the moneie
Of sondri metall, as it is,
He was the ferste man of this.2450
P. ii. 84
Bot hou that metall cam a place
Thurgh mannes wit and goddes grace
The route of Philosophres wise
Controeveden be sondri wise,
Ferst forto gete it out of Myne,
And after forto trie and fyne.
[Alchemy.]
And also with gret diligence
Nota de Alconomia.
Thei founden thilke experience,
Which cleped is Alconomie,
Wherof the Selver multeplie2460
Thei made and ek the gold also.
And forto telle hou it is so,
Of bodies sevene in special
With foure spiritz joynt withal
Stant the substance of this matiere.
The bodies whiche I speke of hiere
Of the Planetes ben begonne:
The gold is titled to the Sonne,
The mone of Selver hath his part,
And Iren that stant upon Mart,2470
The Led after Satorne groweth,
And Jupiter the Bras bestoweth,
The Coper set is to Venus,
And to his part Mercurius
Hath the quikselver, as it falleth,
The which, after the bok it calleth,
Is ferst of thilke fowre named1315
Of Spiritz, whiche ben proclamed;
And the spirit which is secounde
In Sal Armoniak is founde:2480
P. ii. 85
The thridde spirit Sulphur is;
The ferthe suiende after this
Arcennicum be name is hote.
With blowinge and with fyres hote
In these thinges, whiche I seie,
Thei worchen be diverse weie.
For as the philosophre tolde
Of gold and selver, thei ben holde
Tuo principal extremites,
To whiche alle othre be degres2490
Of the metalls ben acordant,
And so thurgh kinde resemblant,
That what man couthe aweie take
The rust, of which thei waxen blake,
And the savour and the hardnesse,
Thei scholden take the liknesse
Of gold or Selver parfitly.
Bot forto worche it sikirly,
Betwen the corps and the spirit,
Er that the metall be parfit,2500
In sevene formes it is set;1316
Of alle and if that on be let,
The remenant mai noght availe,
Bot otherwise it mai noght faile.
For thei be whom this art was founde
To every point a certain bounde
Ordeignen, that a man mai finde
This craft is wroght be weie of kinde,
So that ther is no fallas inne.
Bot what man that this werk beginne,2510
P. ii. 86
He mot awaite at every tyde,
So that nothing be left aside,1317
Ferst of the distillacion,
Forth with the congelacion,
Solucion, descencion,
And kepe in his entencion
The point of sublimacion,
And forth with calcinacion
Of veray approbacion
Do that ther be fixacion2520
With tempred hetes of the fyr,
Til he the parfit Elixir
Of thilke philosophres Ston
Mai gete, of which that many on1318
Of Philosophres whilom write.
And if thou wolt the names wite
Of thilke Ston with othre tuo,
Whiche as the clerkes maden tho,
So as the bokes it recorden,
The kinde of hem I schal recorden.2530
[The Three Stones of the Philosophers.]These olde Philosophres wyse1319Be weie of kinde in sondri wiseThre Stones maden thurgh clergie.Nota de tribus lapidibus, quos philosophi composuerunt, quorum primus dicitur lapis vegetabilis, qui sanitatem conseruat, secundus dicitur lapis animalis, qui membra1320et virtutes sencibiles fortificat, tercius dicitur lapis mineralis, qui omnia metalla purificat et in suum perfectum naturali potencia deducit.The ferste, if I schal specefie,1321Waslapis vegetabilis,1322Of which the propre vertu isTo mannes hele forto serve,As forto kepe and to preserve1323The bodi fro siknesses alle,Til deth of kinde upon him falle.2540P. ii. 87The Ston seconde I thee behoteIslapis animalishote,The whos vertu is propre and cowthFor Ere and yhe and nase and mouth,Wherof a man mai hiere and seAnd smelle and taste in his degre,And forto fiele and forto goIt helpeth man of bothe tuo:The wittes fyve he underfongethTo kepe, as it to him belongeth.2550The thridde Ston in specialBe name is cleped Minerall,Which the metalls of every MineAttempreth, til that thei ben fyne,And pureth hem be such a weie,1324That al the vice goth aweie1325Of rust, of stink and of hardnesse:And whan thei ben of such clennesse,This Mineral, so as I finde,Transformeth al the ferste kynde2560And makth hem able to conceiveThurgh his vertu, and to receive1326Bothe in substance and in figureOf gold and selver the nature.For thei tuo ben thextremetes,1327To whiche after the propretesHath every metal his desir,With help and confort of the fyrForth with this Ston, as it is seid,1328Which to the Sonne and Mone is leid;2570P. ii. 88For to the rede and to the whyteThis Ston hath pouer to profite.It makth multiplicaciounOf gold, and the fixaciounIt causeth, and of his habitHe doth the werk to be parfit1329Of thilke Elixer which men calleAlconomie, as is befalle1330To hem that whilom weren wise.Bot now it stant al otherwise;2580Thei speken faste of thilke Ston,Bot hou to make it, nou wot nonAfter the sothe experience.And natheles gret diligenceThei setten upon thilke dede,And spille more than thei spede;For allewey thei finde a lette,1331Which bringeth in poverte and detteTo hem that riche were afore:The lost is had, the lucre is lore,2590To gete a pound thei spenden fyve;I not hou such a craft schal thryveIn the manere as it is used:It were betre be refusedThan forto worchen upon weeneIn thing which stant noght as thei weene.Bot noght forthi, who that it knewe,The science of himself is treweUpon the forme as it was founded,Wherof the names yit ben grounded2600P. ii. 89Of hem that ferste it founden oute;And thus the fame goth abouteTo suche as soghten besinesseOf vertu and of worthinesse.Of whom if I the names calle,[The First Alchemists.]Hermes was on the ferste of alle,To whom this art is most applied;Geber therof was magnefied,And Ortolan and Morien,1332Among the whiche is Avicen,2610Which fond and wrot a gret partieThe practique of Alconomie;Whos bokes, pleinli as thei stondeUpon this craft, fewe understonde;Bot yit to put hem in assai1333Ther ben full manye now aday,That knowen litel what thei meene.It is noght on to wite and weene;In forme of wordes thei it trete,Bot yit they failen of beyete,13342620For of tomoche or of tolyteTher is algate founde a wyte,So that thei folwe noght the lyneOf the parfite medicine,Which grounded is upon nature.Bot thei that writen the scriptureOf Grek, Arabe and of Caldee,1335Thei were of such AuctoriteThat thei ferst founden out the weie1336Of al that thou hast herd me seie;2630P. ii. 90Wherof the Cronique of her loreSchal stonde in pris for everemore.[Letters and Language.]Bot toward oure Marches hiere,Of the Latins if thou wolt hiere,Of hem that whilom vertuousWere and therto laborious,Carmente made of hire enginThe ferste lettres of Latin,Of which the tunge Romein cam,Wherof that Aristarchus nam2640Forth with Donat and Dindimus1337The ferste reule of Scole, as thus,1338How that Latin schal be componedAnd in what wise it schal be soned,That every word in his degreSchal stonde upon congruite.And thilke time at Rome alsoWas Tullius with Cithero,That writen upon Rethorike,Hou that men schal the wordes pike13392650After the forme of eloquence,Which is, men sein, a gret prudence:And after that out of HebreuJerom, which the langage kneu,The Bible, in which the lawe is closed,Into Latin he hath transposed;And many an other writere ekOut of Caldee, Arabe and GrekWith gret labour the bokes wiseTranslateden. And otherwise2660P. ii. 91The Latins of hemself alsoHere studie at thilke time so1340With gret travaile of Scole tokeIn sondri forme forto boke,That we mai take here evidencesUpon the lore of the Sciences,Of craftes bothe and of clergie;Among the whiche in PoesieTo the lovers Ovide wrotAnd tawhte, if love be to hot,2670In what manere it scholde akiele.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, if that thou fieleThat love wringe thee to sore,Behold Ovide and take his lore.1341Amans.My fader, if thei mihte spedeMi love, I wolde his bokes rede;1342And if thei techen to restreigneMi love, it were an ydel peineTo lerne a thing which mai noght be.For lich unto the greene tree,2680If that men toke his rote aweie,1343Riht so myn herte scholde deie,If that mi love be withdrawe.Wherof touchende unto this saweThere is bot only to poursuieMi love, and ydelschipe eschuie.Confessor.Mi goode Sone, soth to seie,If ther be siker eny weieTo love, thou hast seid the beste:For who that wolde have al his reste2690P. ii. 92And do no travail at the nede,It is no resoun that he spedeIn loves cause forto winne;For he which dar nothing beginne,I not what thing he scholde achieve.Bot overthis thou schalt believe,So as it sit thee wel to knowe,That ther ben othre vices slowe,Whiche unto love don gret lette,If thou thin herte upon hem sette.2700
[The Three Stones of the Philosophers.]
These olde Philosophres wyse1319
Be weie of kinde in sondri wise
Thre Stones maden thurgh clergie.
Nota de tribus lapidibus, quos philosophi composuerunt, quorum primus dicitur lapis vegetabilis, qui sanitatem conseruat, secundus dicitur lapis animalis, qui membra1320et virtutes sencibiles fortificat, tercius dicitur lapis mineralis, qui omnia metalla purificat et in suum perfectum naturali potencia deducit.
The ferste, if I schal specefie,1321
Waslapis vegetabilis,1322
Of which the propre vertu is
To mannes hele forto serve,
As forto kepe and to preserve1323
The bodi fro siknesses alle,
Til deth of kinde upon him falle.2540
P. ii. 87
The Ston seconde I thee behote
Islapis animalishote,
The whos vertu is propre and cowth
For Ere and yhe and nase and mouth,
Wherof a man mai hiere and se
And smelle and taste in his degre,
And forto fiele and forto go
It helpeth man of bothe tuo:
The wittes fyve he underfongeth
To kepe, as it to him belongeth.2550
The thridde Ston in special
Be name is cleped Minerall,
Which the metalls of every Mine
Attempreth, til that thei ben fyne,
And pureth hem be such a weie,1324
That al the vice goth aweie1325
Of rust, of stink and of hardnesse:
And whan thei ben of such clennesse,
This Mineral, so as I finde,
Transformeth al the ferste kynde2560
And makth hem able to conceive
Thurgh his vertu, and to receive1326
Bothe in substance and in figure
Of gold and selver the nature.
For thei tuo ben thextremetes,1327
To whiche after the propretes
Hath every metal his desir,
With help and confort of the fyr
Forth with this Ston, as it is seid,1328
Which to the Sonne and Mone is leid;2570
P. ii. 88
For to the rede and to the whyte
This Ston hath pouer to profite.
It makth multiplicacioun
Of gold, and the fixacioun
It causeth, and of his habit
He doth the werk to be parfit1329
Of thilke Elixer which men calle
Alconomie, as is befalle1330
To hem that whilom weren wise.
Bot now it stant al otherwise;2580
Thei speken faste of thilke Ston,
Bot hou to make it, nou wot non
After the sothe experience.
And natheles gret diligence
Thei setten upon thilke dede,
And spille more than thei spede;
For allewey thei finde a lette,1331
Which bringeth in poverte and dette
To hem that riche were afore:
The lost is had, the lucre is lore,2590
To gete a pound thei spenden fyve;
I not hou such a craft schal thryve
In the manere as it is used:
It were betre be refused
Than forto worchen upon weene
In thing which stant noght as thei weene.
Bot noght forthi, who that it knewe,
The science of himself is trewe
Upon the forme as it was founded,
Wherof the names yit ben grounded2600
P. ii. 89
Of hem that ferste it founden oute;
And thus the fame goth aboute
To suche as soghten besinesse
Of vertu and of worthinesse.
Of whom if I the names calle,
[The First Alchemists.]
Hermes was on the ferste of alle,
To whom this art is most applied;
Geber therof was magnefied,
And Ortolan and Morien,1332
Among the whiche is Avicen,2610
Which fond and wrot a gret partie
The practique of Alconomie;
Whos bokes, pleinli as thei stonde
Upon this craft, fewe understonde;
Bot yit to put hem in assai1333
Ther ben full manye now aday,
That knowen litel what thei meene.
It is noght on to wite and weene;
In forme of wordes thei it trete,
Bot yit they failen of beyete,13342620
For of tomoche or of tolyte
Ther is algate founde a wyte,
So that thei folwe noght the lyne
Of the parfite medicine,
Which grounded is upon nature.
Bot thei that writen the scripture
Of Grek, Arabe and of Caldee,1335
Thei were of such Auctorite
That thei ferst founden out the weie1336
Of al that thou hast herd me seie;2630
P. ii. 90
Wherof the Cronique of her lore
Schal stonde in pris for everemore.
[Letters and Language.]
Bot toward oure Marches hiere,
Of the Latins if thou wolt hiere,
Of hem that whilom vertuous
Were and therto laborious,
Carmente made of hire engin
The ferste lettres of Latin,
Of which the tunge Romein cam,
Wherof that Aristarchus nam2640
Forth with Donat and Dindimus1337
The ferste reule of Scole, as thus,1338
How that Latin schal be componed
And in what wise it schal be soned,
That every word in his degre
Schal stonde upon congruite.
And thilke time at Rome also
Was Tullius with Cithero,
That writen upon Rethorike,
Hou that men schal the wordes pike13392650
After the forme of eloquence,
Which is, men sein, a gret prudence:
And after that out of Hebreu
Jerom, which the langage kneu,
The Bible, in which the lawe is closed,
Into Latin he hath transposed;
And many an other writere ek
Out of Caldee, Arabe and Grek
With gret labour the bokes wise
Translateden. And otherwise2660
P. ii. 91
The Latins of hemself also
Here studie at thilke time so1340
With gret travaile of Scole toke
In sondri forme forto boke,
That we mai take here evidences
Upon the lore of the Sciences,
Of craftes bothe and of clergie;
Among the whiche in Poesie
To the lovers Ovide wrot
And tawhte, if love be to hot,2670
In what manere it scholde akiele.
Confessor.
Forthi, mi Sone, if that thou fiele
That love wringe thee to sore,
Behold Ovide and take his lore.1341
Amans.
My fader, if thei mihte spede
Mi love, I wolde his bokes rede;1342
And if thei techen to restreigne
Mi love, it were an ydel peine
To lerne a thing which mai noght be.
For lich unto the greene tree,2680
If that men toke his rote aweie,1343
Riht so myn herte scholde deie,
If that mi love be withdrawe.
Wherof touchende unto this sawe
There is bot only to poursuie
Mi love, and ydelschipe eschuie.
Confessor.
Mi goode Sone, soth to seie,
If ther be siker eny weie
To love, thou hast seid the beste:
For who that wolde have al his reste2690
P. ii. 92
And do no travail at the nede,
It is no resoun that he spede
In loves cause forto winne;
For he which dar nothing beginne,
I not what thing he scholde achieve.
Bot overthis thou schalt believe,
So as it sit thee wel to knowe,
That ther ben othre vices slowe,
Whiche unto love don gret lette,
If thou thin herte upon hem sette.2700
[vi.Somnolence.]viii.Perdit homo causam linquens sua iura sopori,Et quasi dimidium pars sua mortis habet.Est in amore vigil Venus, et quod habet vigilantiObsequium thalamis fert vigilata suis.
[vi.Somnolence.]
viii.Perdit homo causam linquens sua iura sopori,
Et quasi dimidium pars sua mortis habet.
Est in amore vigil Venus, et quod habet vigilanti
Obsequium thalamis fert vigilata suis.
Toward the Slowe progenieTher is yit on of compaignie,Hic loquitur de Sompnolencia, que Accidie1344Cameraria dicta est, cuius natura semimortua alicuius negocii vigilias obseruare soporifero1345torpore recusat: vnde quatenus amorem concernit Confessor Amanti diligencius opponit.And he is cleped Sompnolence,Which doth to Slouthe his reverence,As he which is his Chamberlein,That many an hundrid time hath leinTo slepe, whan he scholde wake.He hath with love trewes take,That wake who so wake wile,If he mai couche a doun his bile,13462710He hath al wowed what him list;1347That ofte he goth to bedde unkist,And seith that for no DruerieHe wol noght leve his sluggardie.For thogh noman it wole allowe,To slepe levere than to woweP. ii. 93Is his manere, and thus on nyhtes,Whan that he seth the lusti knyhtesRevelen, wher these wommen are,Awey he skulketh as an hare,2720And goth to bedde and leith him softe,And of his Slouthe he dremeth ofteHou that he stiketh in the Myr,And hou he sitteth be the fyrAnd claweth on his bare schanckes,And hou he clymbeth up the banckesAnd falleth into Slades depe.Bot thanne who so toke kepe,Whanne he is falle in such a drem,Riht as a Schip ayein the Strem,2730He routeth with a slepi noise,And brustleth as a monkes froise,Whanne it is throwe into the Panne.And otherwhile sielde whanneThat he mai dreme a lusti swevene,Him thenkth as thogh he were in heveneAnd as the world were holi his:And thanne he spekth of that and this,And makth his exposicionAfter the disposicion2740Of that he wolde, and in such wiseHe doth to love all his service;I not what thonk he schal deserve.1348Bot, Sone, if thou wolt love serve,1349I rede that thou do noght so.Confessio Amantis.Ha, goode fader, certes no.P. ii. 94I hadde levere be mi trowthe,Er I were set an such a sloutheAnd beere such a slepi snoute,Bothe yhen of myn hed were oute.2750For me were betre fulli die,Thanne I of such a slugardieHadde eny name, god me schilde;For whan mi moder was with childe,And I lay in hire wombe clos,I wolde rathere Atropos,Which is goddesse of alle deth,Anon as I hadde eny breth,Me hadde fro mi Moder cast.Bot now I am nothing agast,13502760[The Lover’s Wakefulness.]I thonke godd; for Lachesis,Ne Cloto, which hire felawe is,Me schopen no such destine,Whan thei at mi nativiteMy weerdes setten as thei wolde;Bot thei me schopen that I scholdeEschuie of slep the truandise,So that I hope in such a wiseTo love forto ben excused,That I no Sompnolence have used.2770For certes, fader Genius,Yit into nou it hath be thus,At alle time if it befelle1351So that I mihte come and duelleIn place ther my ladi were,I was noght slow ne slepi there:P. ii. 95For thanne I dar wel undertake,That whanne hir list on nyhtes wakeIn chambre as to carole and daunce,Me thenkth I mai me more avaunce,2780If I mai gon upon hir hond,Thanne if I wonne a kinges lond.For whanne I mai hire hand beclippe,With such gladnesse I daunce and skippe,Me thenkth I touche noght the flor;The Ro, which renneth on the Mor,Is thanne noght so lyht as I:So mow ye witen wel forthi,1352That for the time slep I hate.And whanne it falleth othergate,2790So that hire like noght to daunce,Bot on the Dees to caste chaunce1353Or axe of love som demande,Or elles that hir list comaundeTo rede and here of Troilus,Riht as sche wole or so or thus,1354I am al redi to consente.And if so is that I mai henteSomtime among a good leisir,So as I dar of mi desir2800I telle a part; bot whanne I preie,Anon sche bidt me go mi weie1355And seith it is ferr in the nyht;And I swere it is even liht.Bot as it falleth ate laste,Ther mai no worldes joie laste,P. ii. 96So mot I nedes fro hire wendeAnd of my wachche make an ende:And if sche thanne hiede toke,Hou pitousliche on hire I loke,2810Whan that I schal my leve take,Hire oghte of mercy forto slakeHire daunger, which seith evere nay.Bot he seith often, ‘Have good day,’That loth is forto take his leve:Therfore, while I mai beleve,I tarie forth the nyht along,For it is noght on me alongTo slep that I so sone go,Til that I mot algate so;2820And thanne I bidde godd hire se,And so doun knelende on mi kne1356I take leve, and if I schal,I kisse hire, and go forth withal.And otherwhile, if that I dore,Er I come fulli to the Dore,1357I torne ayein and feigne a thing,As thogh I hadde lost a RingOr somwhat elles, for I woldeKisse hire eftsones, if I scholde,2830Bot selden is that I so spede.And whanne I se that I mot nedeDeparten, I departe, and thanne1358With al myn herte I curse and banneThat evere slep was mad for yhe;For, as me thenkth, I mihte dryheP. ii. 97Withoute slep to waken evere,So that I scholde noght dissevereFro hire, in whom is al my liht:And thanne I curse also the nyht2840With al the will of mi corage,And seie, ‘Awey, thou blake ymage,Which of thi derke cloudy faceMakst al the worldes lyht deface,And causest unto slep a weie,Be which I mot nou gon aweie1359Out of mi ladi compaignie.O slepi nyht, I thee defie,And wolde that thou leye in presseWith Proserpine the goddesse2850And with Pluto the helle king:For til I se the daies spring,I sette slep noght at a risshe.’And with that word I sike and wisshe,And seie, ‘Ha, whi ne were it day?For yit mi ladi thanne I mayBeholde, thogh I do nomore.’And efte I thenke forthermore,To som man hou the niht doth ese,Whan he hath thing that mai him plese13602860The longe nyhtes be his side,Where as I faile and go beside.Bot slep, I not wherof it serveth,Of which noman his thonk deservethTo gete him love in eny place,Bot is an hindrere of his graceP. ii. 98And makth him ded as for a throwe,1361Riht as a Stok were overthrowe.And so, mi fader, in this wiseThe slepi nyhtes I despise,2870And evere amiddes of mi taleI thenke upon the nyhtingale,Which slepeth noght be weie of kindeFor love, in bokes as I finde.Thus ate laste I go to bedde,And yit min herte lith to weddeWith hire, wher as I cam fro;Thogh I departe, he wol noght so,Ther is no lock mai schette him oute,Him nedeth noght to gon aboute,2880That perce mai the harde wall;Thus is he with hire overall,That be hire lief, or be hire loth,Into hire bedd myn herte goth,And softly takth hire in his armAnd fieleth hou that sche is warm,And wissheth that his body wereTo fiele that he fieleth there.And thus miselven I tormente,Til that the dede slep me hente:2890[Dreams.]Bot thanne be a thousand scoreWelmore than I was toforeI am tormented in mi slep,Bot that I dreme is noght of schep;For I ne thenke noght on wulle,Bot I am drecched to the fulleP. ii. 99Of love, that I have to kepe,That nou I lawhe and nou I wepe,And nou I lese and nou I winne,And nou I ende and nou beginne.2900And otherwhile I dreme and meteThat I al one with hire meteAnd that Danger is left behinde;And thanne in slep such joie I finde,That I ne bede nevere awake.Bot after, whanne I hiede take,And schal arise upon the morwe,Thanne is al torned into sorwe,Noght for the cause I schal arise,Bot for I mette in such a wise,2910And ate laste I am bethoghtThat al is vein and helpeth noght:Bot yit me thenketh be my willeI wolde have leie and slepe stille,To meten evere of such a swevene,For thanne I hadde a slepi hevene.Confessor.Mi Sone, and for thou tellest so;A man mai finde of time agoThat many a swevene hath be certein,Al be it so, that som men sein2920That swevenes ben of no credence.Bot forto schewe in evidenceThat thei fulofte sothe thingesBetokne, I thenke in my wrytingesTo telle a tale therupon,Which fell be olde daies gon.
Toward the Slowe progenie
Ther is yit on of compaignie,
Hic loquitur de Sompnolencia, que Accidie1344Cameraria dicta est, cuius natura semimortua alicuius negocii vigilias obseruare soporifero1345torpore recusat: vnde quatenus amorem concernit Confessor Amanti diligencius opponit.
And he is cleped Sompnolence,
Which doth to Slouthe his reverence,
As he which is his Chamberlein,
That many an hundrid time hath lein
To slepe, whan he scholde wake.
He hath with love trewes take,
That wake who so wake wile,
If he mai couche a doun his bile,13462710
He hath al wowed what him list;1347
That ofte he goth to bedde unkist,
And seith that for no Druerie
He wol noght leve his sluggardie.
For thogh noman it wole allowe,
To slepe levere than to wowe
P. ii. 93
Is his manere, and thus on nyhtes,
Whan that he seth the lusti knyhtes
Revelen, wher these wommen are,
Awey he skulketh as an hare,2720
And goth to bedde and leith him softe,
And of his Slouthe he dremeth ofte
Hou that he stiketh in the Myr,
And hou he sitteth be the fyr
And claweth on his bare schanckes,
And hou he clymbeth up the banckes
And falleth into Slades depe.
Bot thanne who so toke kepe,
Whanne he is falle in such a drem,
Riht as a Schip ayein the Strem,2730
He routeth with a slepi noise,
And brustleth as a monkes froise,
Whanne it is throwe into the Panne.
And otherwhile sielde whanne
That he mai dreme a lusti swevene,
Him thenkth as thogh he were in hevene
And as the world were holi his:
And thanne he spekth of that and this,
And makth his exposicion
After the disposicion2740
Of that he wolde, and in such wise
He doth to love all his service;
I not what thonk he schal deserve.1348
Bot, Sone, if thou wolt love serve,1349
I rede that thou do noght so.
Confessio Amantis.
Ha, goode fader, certes no.
P. ii. 94
I hadde levere be mi trowthe,
Er I were set an such a slouthe
And beere such a slepi snoute,
Bothe yhen of myn hed were oute.2750
For me were betre fulli die,
Thanne I of such a slugardie
Hadde eny name, god me schilde;
For whan mi moder was with childe,
And I lay in hire wombe clos,
I wolde rathere Atropos,
Which is goddesse of alle deth,
Anon as I hadde eny breth,
Me hadde fro mi Moder cast.
Bot now I am nothing agast,13502760
[The Lover’s Wakefulness.]
I thonke godd; for Lachesis,
Ne Cloto, which hire felawe is,
Me schopen no such destine,
Whan thei at mi nativite
My weerdes setten as thei wolde;
Bot thei me schopen that I scholde
Eschuie of slep the truandise,
So that I hope in such a wise
To love forto ben excused,
That I no Sompnolence have used.2770
For certes, fader Genius,
Yit into nou it hath be thus,
At alle time if it befelle1351
So that I mihte come and duelle
In place ther my ladi were,
I was noght slow ne slepi there:
P. ii. 95
For thanne I dar wel undertake,
That whanne hir list on nyhtes wake
In chambre as to carole and daunce,
Me thenkth I mai me more avaunce,2780
If I mai gon upon hir hond,
Thanne if I wonne a kinges lond.
For whanne I mai hire hand beclippe,
With such gladnesse I daunce and skippe,
Me thenkth I touche noght the flor;
The Ro, which renneth on the Mor,
Is thanne noght so lyht as I:
So mow ye witen wel forthi,1352
That for the time slep I hate.
And whanne it falleth othergate,2790
So that hire like noght to daunce,
Bot on the Dees to caste chaunce1353
Or axe of love som demande,
Or elles that hir list comaunde
To rede and here of Troilus,
Riht as sche wole or so or thus,1354
I am al redi to consente.
And if so is that I mai hente
Somtime among a good leisir,
So as I dar of mi desir2800
I telle a part; bot whanne I preie,
Anon sche bidt me go mi weie1355
And seith it is ferr in the nyht;
And I swere it is even liht.
Bot as it falleth ate laste,
Ther mai no worldes joie laste,
P. ii. 96
So mot I nedes fro hire wende
And of my wachche make an ende:
And if sche thanne hiede toke,
Hou pitousliche on hire I loke,2810
Whan that I schal my leve take,
Hire oghte of mercy forto slake
Hire daunger, which seith evere nay.
Bot he seith often, ‘Have good day,’
That loth is forto take his leve:
Therfore, while I mai beleve,
I tarie forth the nyht along,
For it is noght on me along
To slep that I so sone go,
Til that I mot algate so;2820
And thanne I bidde godd hire se,
And so doun knelende on mi kne1356
I take leve, and if I schal,
I kisse hire, and go forth withal.
And otherwhile, if that I dore,
Er I come fulli to the Dore,1357
I torne ayein and feigne a thing,
As thogh I hadde lost a Ring
Or somwhat elles, for I wolde
Kisse hire eftsones, if I scholde,2830
Bot selden is that I so spede.
And whanne I se that I mot nede
Departen, I departe, and thanne1358
With al myn herte I curse and banne
That evere slep was mad for yhe;
For, as me thenkth, I mihte dryhe
P. ii. 97
Withoute slep to waken evere,
So that I scholde noght dissevere
Fro hire, in whom is al my liht:
And thanne I curse also the nyht2840
With al the will of mi corage,
And seie, ‘Awey, thou blake ymage,
Which of thi derke cloudy face
Makst al the worldes lyht deface,
And causest unto slep a weie,
Be which I mot nou gon aweie1359
Out of mi ladi compaignie.
O slepi nyht, I thee defie,
And wolde that thou leye in presse
With Proserpine the goddesse2850
And with Pluto the helle king:
For til I se the daies spring,
I sette slep noght at a risshe.’
And with that word I sike and wisshe,
And seie, ‘Ha, whi ne were it day?
For yit mi ladi thanne I may
Beholde, thogh I do nomore.’
And efte I thenke forthermore,
To som man hou the niht doth ese,
Whan he hath thing that mai him plese13602860
The longe nyhtes be his side,
Where as I faile and go beside.
Bot slep, I not wherof it serveth,
Of which noman his thonk deserveth
To gete him love in eny place,
Bot is an hindrere of his grace
P. ii. 98
And makth him ded as for a throwe,1361
Riht as a Stok were overthrowe.
And so, mi fader, in this wise
The slepi nyhtes I despise,2870
And evere amiddes of mi tale
I thenke upon the nyhtingale,
Which slepeth noght be weie of kinde
For love, in bokes as I finde.
Thus ate laste I go to bedde,
And yit min herte lith to wedde
With hire, wher as I cam fro;
Thogh I departe, he wol noght so,
Ther is no lock mai schette him oute,
Him nedeth noght to gon aboute,2880
That perce mai the harde wall;
Thus is he with hire overall,
That be hire lief, or be hire loth,
Into hire bedd myn herte goth,
And softly takth hire in his arm
And fieleth hou that sche is warm,
And wissheth that his body were
To fiele that he fieleth there.
And thus miselven I tormente,
Til that the dede slep me hente:2890
[Dreams.]
Bot thanne be a thousand score
Welmore than I was tofore
I am tormented in mi slep,
Bot that I dreme is noght of schep;
For I ne thenke noght on wulle,
Bot I am drecched to the fulle
P. ii. 99
Of love, that I have to kepe,
That nou I lawhe and nou I wepe,
And nou I lese and nou I winne,
And nou I ende and nou beginne.2900
And otherwhile I dreme and mete
That I al one with hire mete
And that Danger is left behinde;
And thanne in slep such joie I finde,
That I ne bede nevere awake.
Bot after, whanne I hiede take,
And schal arise upon the morwe,
Thanne is al torned into sorwe,
Noght for the cause I schal arise,
Bot for I mette in such a wise,2910
And ate laste I am bethoght
That al is vein and helpeth noght:
Bot yit me thenketh be my wille
I wolde have leie and slepe stille,
To meten evere of such a swevene,
For thanne I hadde a slepi hevene.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, and for thou tellest so;
A man mai finde of time ago
That many a swevene hath be certein,
Al be it so, that som men sein2920
That swevenes ben of no credence.
Bot forto schewe in evidence
That thei fulofte sothe thinges
Betokne, I thenke in my wrytinges
To telle a tale therupon,
Which fell be olde daies gon.