[Tale of Vulcan and Venus.]Ovide wrot of manye thinges,Among the whiche in his wrytingesHe tolde a tale in Poesie,Which toucheth unto Jelousie,Upon a certein cas of love.Hic ponit exemplum contra istos maritos quos Ialousia maculauit. Et narrat qualiter Vulcanus, cuius vxor Venus extitit, suspicionem inter ipsam et Martem concipiens, eorum gestus diligencius explorabat: vnde contigit quod ipse quadam vice ambos inter se pariter amplexantes in lecto nudos inuenit, et exclamans omnem cetum deorum et dearum ad tantum spectaculum conuocauit: super quo tamen derisum pocius quam remedium a tota cohorte consecutus est.Among the goddes alle above640It fell at thilke time thus:The god of fyr, which VulcanusIs hote, and hath a craft forthwithAssigned, forto be the SmithP. ii. 149Of Jupiter, and his figureBothe of visage and of statureIs lothly and malgracious,Bot yit he hath withinne his housAs for the likynge of his lif1521The faire Venus to his wif.650Bot Mars, which of batailles isThe god, an yhe hadde unto this:As he which was chivalerous,It fell him to ben amerous,1522And thoghte it was a gret piteTo se so lusti on as scheBe coupled with so lourde a wiht:So that his peine day and nyhtHe dede, if he hire winne myhte;1523And sche, which hadde a good insihte1524660Toward so noble a knyhtli lord,In love fell of his acord.Ther lacketh noght bot time and place,That he nys siker of hire grace:Bot whan tuo hertes falle in on,So wys await was nevere non,That at som time thei ne mete;And thus this faire lusti sweteWith Mars hath ofte compaignie.Bot thilke unkynde Jelousie,670Which everemor the herte opposeth,1525Makth Vulcanus that he supposethThat it is noght wel overal,And to himself he seide, he schalP. ii. 150Aspie betre, if that he may;And so it fell upon a day,That he this thing so slyhli ledde,He fond hem bothe tuo abeddeAl warm, echon with other naked.And he with craft al redy maked680Of stronge chenes hath hem bounde,1526As he togedre hem hadde founde,And lefte hem bothe ligge so,And gan to clepe and crie thoUnto the goddes al aboute;And thei assembled in a routeCome alle at ones forto se.Bot none amendes hadde he,Bot was rebuked hiere and thereOf hem that loves frendes were;690And seiden that he was to blame,1527For if ther fell him eny schame,It was thurgh his misgovernance:And thus he loste contienance,This god, and let his cause falle;And thei to skorne him lowhen alle,And losen Mars out of hise bondes.Wherof these erthli housebondes1528For evere myhte ensample take,If such a chaunce hem overtake:700For Vulcanus his wif bewreide,The blame upon himself he leide,1529Wherof his schame was the more;Which oghte forto ben a loreP. ii. 151For every man that liveth hiere,To reulen him in this matiere.Thogh such an happ of love asterte,Yit scholde he noght apointe his herteWith Jelousie of that is wroght,Bot feigne, as thogh he wiste it noght:710For if he lete it overpasse,The sclaundre schal be wel the lasse,And he the more in ese stonde.For this thou myht wel understonde,That where a man schal nedes lese,The lesteharm is forto chese.Bot Jelousie of his untristMakth that full many an harm arist,Which elles scholde noght arise;And if a man him wolde avise720Of that befell to Vulcanus,Him oghte of reson thenke thus,That sithe a god therof was schamed,Wel scholde an erthli man be blamedTo take upon him such a vice.Confessor.Forthi, my Sone, in thin officeBe war that thou be noght jelous,Which ofte time hath schent the hous.Amans.Mi fader, this ensample is hard,Hou such thing to the heveneward730Among the goddes myhte falle:For ther is bot o god of alle,Which is the lord of hevene and helle.Bot if it like you to telleP. ii. 152Hou suche goddes come aplace,Ye mihten mochel thonk pourchace,For I schal be wel tawht withal.Confessor.Mi Sone, it is thus overalWith hem that stonden misbelieved,That suche goddes ben believed:740In sondri place sondri wiseAmonges hem whiche are unwiseTher is betaken of credence;Wherof that I the differenceIn the manere as it is writeSchal do the pleinly forto wite.[The Gods of the Nations.]ii.Gentibus illusis signantur templa deorum,1530Vnde deos cecos nacio ceca colit.Nulla creatori racio facit esse creatumEquiperans, quod adhuc iura pagana fouent.1531[i.Belief of the Chaldeans.]Er Crist was bore among ous hiere,Of the believes that tho wereQuia secundum Poetarum fabulas in huius libelli locis quam pluribus nomina et gestus deorum falsorum intitulantur, quorum infidelitas vt Cristianis clarius innotescat, intendit de ipsorum origine secundum varias Paganorum Sectas scribere consequenter. Et primo de Secta Chaldeorum tractare proponit.In foure formes thus it was.Thei of Caldee as in this cas750Hadde a believe be hemselve,Which stod upon the signes tuelve,Forth ek with the Planetes sevene,Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene.Of sondri constellacionIn here ymaginacionWith sondri kerf and pourtretureThei made of goddes the figure.In thelementz and ek alsoThei hadden a believe tho;760P. ii. 153And al was that unresonable:For thelementz ben servicableTo man, and ofte of Accidence,As men mai se thexperience,1532Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie;So mai no mannes reson seieThat thei ben god in eny wise.And ek, if men hem wel avise,The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe,That be hem lieve or be hem lothe,770Thei soffre; and what thing is passibleTo ben a god is impossible.Et nota1533quod Nembroth quartus a Noe ignem tanquam deum in Chaldea primus adorari decreuit.These elementz ben creatures,So ben these hevenly figures,Wherof mai wel be justefiedThat thei mai noght be deified:And who that takth awey thonourWhich due is to the creatour,And yifth it to the creature,He doth to gret a forsfaiture.780Bot of Caldee natheles1534Upon this feith, thogh it be les,Thei holde affermed the creance;So that of helle the penance,[ii.Belief of the Egyptians.]As folk which stant out of believe,They schull receive, as we believe.1535De Secta Egipciorum.1536Of the Caldeus lo in this wise1537Stant the believe out of assisse:Bot in Egipte worst of alleThe feith is fals, hou so it falle;790P. ii. 154For thei diverse bestes thereHonoure, as thogh thei goddes were:1538And natheles yit forth withalThre goddes most in specialThei have, forth with a goddesse,1539In whom is al here sikernesse.Tho goddes be yit cleped thus,Orus, Typhon and Isirus:Thei were brethren alle thre,And the goddesse in hir degre800Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte,Whom Isirus forlai be nyhteAnd hield hire after as his wif.So it befell that upon strifTyphon hath Isre his brother slain,Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn,And he his fader deth to herteSo tok, that it mai noght asterteThat he Typhon after ne slowh,Whan he was ripe of age ynowh.810Bot yit thegipcienes trowe1540For al this errour, which thei knowe,That these brethren ben of myhtTo sette and kepe Egipte upriht,And overthrowe, if that hem like.Bot Ysis, as seith the Cronique,Fro Grece into Egipte cam,And sche thanne upon honde namTo teche hem forto sowe and eere,Which noman knew tofore there.820P. ii. 155And whan thegipcienes syhe1541The fieldes fulle afore here yhe,And that the loud began to greine,Which whilom hadde be bareigne,—For therthe bar after the kindeHis due charge,—this I finde,That sche of berthe the goddesseIs cleped, so that in destresseThe wommen there upon childingeTo hire clepe, and here offringe830Thei beren, whan that thei ben lyhte.Lo, hou Egipte al out of syhte[iii.Belief of the Greeks.]Fro resoun stant in misbelieve1542For lacke of lore, as I believe.De Secta Grecorum.1543Among the Greks, out of the weieAs thei that reson putte aweie,1544Ther was, as the Cronique seith,Of misbelieve an other feith,That thei here goddes and goddesses,As who seith, token al to gesses840Of suche as weren full of vice,To whom thei made here sacrifice.The hihe god, so as thei seide,To whom thei most worschipe leide,Nota qualiter Saturnus deorum summus appellatur.Saturnus hihte, and king of CreteHe hadde be; bot of his seteHe was put doun, as he which stodIn frenesie, and was so wod,That fro his wif, which Rea hihte,Hise oghne children he to plihte,1545850P. ii. 156And eet hem of his comun wone.Bot Jupiter, which was his SoneAnd of full age, his fader bondAnd kutte of with his oghne hondHise genitals, whiche als so fasteInto the depe See he caste;Wherof the Greks afferme and seie,Thus whan thei were caste aweie,Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde.And of Saturne also I finde860How afterward into an yleThis Jupiter him dede exile,1546Wher that he stod in gret meschief.Lo, which a god thei maden chief!And sithen that such on was he,Which stod most hihe in his degre1547Among the goddes, thou miht knowe,These othre, that ben more lowe,Ben litel worth, as it is founde.Iupiter deus deliciarum.For Jupiter was the secounde,870Which Juno hadde unto his wif;And yit a lechour al his lifHe was, and in avouterieHe wroghte many a tricherie;And for he was so full of vices,Thei cleped him god of delices:Of whom, if thou wolt more wite,Ovide the Poete hath write.Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo,Saturne and Jupiter also,880P. ii. 157Thei have, althogh thei be to blame,Attitled to here oghne name.Mars deus belli.Mars was an other in that lawe,The which in Dace was forthdrawe,Of whom the clerk VegeciusWrot in his bok, and tolde thus,Hou he into Ytaile cam,And such fortune ther he nam,That he a Maiden hath oppressed,Which in hire ordre was professed,890As sche which was the PrioresseIn Vestes temple the goddesse,So was sche wel the mor to blame.1548Dame Ylia this ladi nameMen clepe, and ek sche was alsoThe kinges dowhter that was tho,Which Mynitor be name hihte.So that ayein the lawes ryhteMars thilke time upon hire thatRemus and Romulus begat,900Whiche after, whan thei come in Age,1549Of knihthode and of vassellageYtaile al hol thei overcomeAnd foundeden the grete Rome;In Armes and of such empriseThei weren, that in thilke wiseHere fader Mars for the mervaileThe god was cleped of bataille.Thei were his children bothe tuo,Thurgh hem he tok his name so,910P. ii. 158Ther was non other cause why:And yit a Sterre upon the SkyHe hath unto his name applied,In which that he is signified.Appollo deus Sapiencie.1550An other god thei hadden eke,To whom for conseil thei beseke,The which was brother to Venus,Appollo men him clepe thus.He was an Hunte upon the helles,Ther was with him no vertu elles,920Wherof that enye bokes karpe,Bot only that he couthe harpe;Which whanne he walked over londe,1551Fulofte time he tok on honde,To gete him with his sustienance,For lacke of other pourveance.And otherwhile of his falshedeHe feignede him to conne arede1552Of thing which after scholde falle;Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle930He hath the lewed folk deceived,So that the betre he was received.Lo now, thurgh what creacionHe hath deificacion,And cleped is the god of witTo suche as be the foles yit.1553Mercurius deus Mercatorum et furtorum.1554An other god, to whom thei soghte,Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghteWhat thing he stal, ne whom he slowh.1555Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh,940P. ii. 159That whanne he wolde himself transforme,Fulofte time he tok the formeOf womman and his oghne lefte;So dede he wel the more thefte.A gret spekere in alle thingesHe was also, and of lesingesAn Auctour, that men wiste nonAn other such as he was on.1556And yit thei maden of this thiefA god, which was unto hem lief,950And clepede him in tho believes1557The god of Marchantz and of thieves.Bot yit a sterre upon the heveneHe hath of the planetes sevene.Vulcanus deus Ignis.But Vulcanus, of whom I spak,He hadde a courbe upon the bak,And therto he was hepehalt:Of whom thou understonde schalt,He was a schrewe in al his youthe,And he non other vertu couthe960Of craft to helpe himselve with,Bot only that he was a SmithWith Jupiter, which in his forgeDiverse thinges made him forge;So wot I noght for what desirThei clepen him the god of fyr.Eolus deus ventorum.1558King of Cizile YpolitusA Sone hadde, and EolusHe hihte, and of his fader grantHe hield be weie of covenant970P. ii. 160The governance of every yleWhich was longende unto Cizile,Of hem that fro the lond foreinLeie open to the wynd al plein.And fro thilke iles to the londeFulofte cam the wynd to honde:After the name of him forthiThe wyndes cleped EoliTho were, and he the god of wynd.1559Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd!980The king of Crete Jupiter,Neptunus deus maris.1560The same which I spak of er,Unto his brother, which NeptuneWas hote, it list him to comunePart of his good, so that be SchipeHe mad him strong of the lordschipe1561Of al the See in tho parties;1562Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes,And the strange yles al aboute1563He wan, that every man hath doute990Upon his marche forto saile;For he anon hem wolde assaile1564And robbe what thing that thei ladden,His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden.Wherof the comun vois arosIn every lond, that such a losHe cawhte, al nere it worth a stre,That he was cleped of the SeeThe god be name, and yit he isWith hem that so believe amis.1000P. ii. 161This Neptune ek was thilke also,Which was the ferste foundour thoOf noble Troie, and he forthiWas wel the more lete by.Pan deus nature.The loresman of the Schepherdes,And ek of hem that ben netherdes,1565Was of Archade and hihte Pan:Of whom hath spoke many a man;For in the wode of Nonarcigne,1566Enclosed with the tres of Pigne,1010And on the Mont of ParasieHe hadde of bestes the baillie,And ek benethe in the valleie,1567Wher thilke rivere, as men seie,Which Ladon hihte, made his cours,He was the chief of governoursOf hem that kepten tame bestes,Wherof thei maken yit the festesIn the Cite Stinfalides.And forth withal yit natheles1020He tawhte men the forthdrawingeOf bestaile, and ek the makingeOf Oxen, and of hors the same,Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame:Of foules ek, so as we finde,Ful many a soubtiel craft of kindeHe fond, which noman knew tofore.Men dede him worschipe ek therfore,That he the ferste in thilke londWas which the melodie fond1030P. ii. 162Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe,With double pipes forto pipe;Therof he yaf the ferste lore,Til afterward men couthe more.To every craft for mannes helpeHe hadde a redi wit to helpeThurgh naturel experience:And thus the nyce reverenceOf foles, whan that he was ded,The fot hath torned to the hed,1040And clepen him god of nature,For so thei maden his figure.Bachus deus vini.An other god, so as thei fiele,Which Jupiter upon SameleBegat in his avouterie,Whom, forto hide his lecherie,That non therof schal take kepe,In a Montaigne forto kepe,Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde,He sende, in bokes as I finde:15681050And he be name Bachus hihte,Which afterward, whan that he mihte,A wastour was, and al his renteIn wyn and bordel he despente.Bot yit, al were he wonder badde,Among the Greks a name he hadde;Thei cleped him the god of wyn,And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.1569Esculapius deus medicine.1570Ther was yit EsculapiusA godd in thilke time as thus.1060P. ii. 163His craft stod upon Surgerie,Bot for the lust of lecherie,That he to Daires dowhter drowh,It fell that Jupiter him slowh:And yit thei made him noght forthi1571A god, and was no cause why.In Rome he was long time alsoA god among the Romeins tho;For, as he seide, of his presenceTher was destruid a pestilence,1070Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente,And that Appollo with hem sente1572This Esculapius his Sone,Among the Romeins forto wone.And there he duelte for a while,Til afterward into that yle,Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth,Where al his lyf that he sojornethAmong the Greks, til that he deide.And thei upon him thanne leide1080His name, and god of medicineHe hatte after that ilke line.Hercules deus fortitudinis.1573An other god of HerculesThei made, which was nathelesA man, bot that he was so strong,In al this world that brod and longSo myhti was noman as he.Merveiles tuelve in his degre,As it was couth in sondri londes,He dede with hise oghne hondes1090P. ii. 164Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe,The whiche horrible were and lothe,Bot he with strengthe hem overcam:Wherof so gret a pris he nam,That thei him clepe amonges alleThe god of strengthe, and to him calle.And yit ther is no reson inne,For he a man was full of sinne,Which proved was upon his ende,For in a rage himself he brende;1100And such a cruel mannes dedeAcordeth nothing with godhede.Pluto deus Inferni.1574Thei hadde of goddes yit an other,Which Pluto hihte, and was the brotherOf Jupiter, and he fro youthe1575With every word which cam to mouthe,Of eny thing whan he was wroth,1576He wolde swere his commun oth,Be Lethen and be Flegeton,1577Be Cochitum and Acheron,1110The whiche, after the bokes telle,Ben the chief flodes of the helle:1578Be Segne and Stige he swor also,That ben the depe Pettes tuoOf helle the most principal.Pluto these othes overalSwor of his commun custummance,Til it befell upon a chance,That he for Jupiteres sake1579Unto the goddes let do make1120P. ii. 165A sacrifice, and for that dedeOn of the pettes for his medeIn helle, of which I spak of er,Was granted him; and thus he therUpon the fortune of this thingThe name tok of helle king.Lo, these goddes and wel moAmong the Greks thei hadden tho,And of goddesses manyon,Whos names thou schalt hiere anon,1130And in what wise thei deceivenThe foles whiche here feith receiven.
[Tale of Vulcan and Venus.]Ovide wrot of manye thinges,Among the whiche in his wrytingesHe tolde a tale in Poesie,Which toucheth unto Jelousie,Upon a certein cas of love.Hic ponit exemplum contra istos maritos quos Ialousia maculauit. Et narrat qualiter Vulcanus, cuius vxor Venus extitit, suspicionem inter ipsam et Martem concipiens, eorum gestus diligencius explorabat: vnde contigit quod ipse quadam vice ambos inter se pariter amplexantes in lecto nudos inuenit, et exclamans omnem cetum deorum et dearum ad tantum spectaculum conuocauit: super quo tamen derisum pocius quam remedium a tota cohorte consecutus est.Among the goddes alle above640It fell at thilke time thus:The god of fyr, which VulcanusIs hote, and hath a craft forthwithAssigned, forto be the SmithP. ii. 149Of Jupiter, and his figureBothe of visage and of statureIs lothly and malgracious,Bot yit he hath withinne his housAs for the likynge of his lif1521The faire Venus to his wif.650Bot Mars, which of batailles isThe god, an yhe hadde unto this:As he which was chivalerous,It fell him to ben amerous,1522And thoghte it was a gret piteTo se so lusti on as scheBe coupled with so lourde a wiht:So that his peine day and nyhtHe dede, if he hire winne myhte;1523And sche, which hadde a good insihte1524660Toward so noble a knyhtli lord,In love fell of his acord.Ther lacketh noght bot time and place,That he nys siker of hire grace:Bot whan tuo hertes falle in on,So wys await was nevere non,That at som time thei ne mete;And thus this faire lusti sweteWith Mars hath ofte compaignie.Bot thilke unkynde Jelousie,670Which everemor the herte opposeth,1525Makth Vulcanus that he supposethThat it is noght wel overal,And to himself he seide, he schalP. ii. 150Aspie betre, if that he may;And so it fell upon a day,That he this thing so slyhli ledde,He fond hem bothe tuo abeddeAl warm, echon with other naked.And he with craft al redy maked680Of stronge chenes hath hem bounde,1526As he togedre hem hadde founde,And lefte hem bothe ligge so,And gan to clepe and crie thoUnto the goddes al aboute;And thei assembled in a routeCome alle at ones forto se.Bot none amendes hadde he,Bot was rebuked hiere and thereOf hem that loves frendes were;690And seiden that he was to blame,1527For if ther fell him eny schame,It was thurgh his misgovernance:And thus he loste contienance,This god, and let his cause falle;And thei to skorne him lowhen alle,And losen Mars out of hise bondes.Wherof these erthli housebondes1528For evere myhte ensample take,If such a chaunce hem overtake:700For Vulcanus his wif bewreide,The blame upon himself he leide,1529Wherof his schame was the more;Which oghte forto ben a loreP. ii. 151For every man that liveth hiere,To reulen him in this matiere.Thogh such an happ of love asterte,Yit scholde he noght apointe his herteWith Jelousie of that is wroght,Bot feigne, as thogh he wiste it noght:710For if he lete it overpasse,The sclaundre schal be wel the lasse,And he the more in ese stonde.For this thou myht wel understonde,That where a man schal nedes lese,The lesteharm is forto chese.Bot Jelousie of his untristMakth that full many an harm arist,Which elles scholde noght arise;And if a man him wolde avise720Of that befell to Vulcanus,Him oghte of reson thenke thus,That sithe a god therof was schamed,Wel scholde an erthli man be blamedTo take upon him such a vice.Confessor.Forthi, my Sone, in thin officeBe war that thou be noght jelous,Which ofte time hath schent the hous.Amans.Mi fader, this ensample is hard,Hou such thing to the heveneward730Among the goddes myhte falle:For ther is bot o god of alle,Which is the lord of hevene and helle.Bot if it like you to telleP. ii. 152Hou suche goddes come aplace,Ye mihten mochel thonk pourchace,For I schal be wel tawht withal.Confessor.Mi Sone, it is thus overalWith hem that stonden misbelieved,That suche goddes ben believed:740In sondri place sondri wiseAmonges hem whiche are unwiseTher is betaken of credence;Wherof that I the differenceIn the manere as it is writeSchal do the pleinly forto wite.[The Gods of the Nations.]ii.Gentibus illusis signantur templa deorum,1530Vnde deos cecos nacio ceca colit.Nulla creatori racio facit esse creatumEquiperans, quod adhuc iura pagana fouent.1531[i.Belief of the Chaldeans.]Er Crist was bore among ous hiere,Of the believes that tho wereQuia secundum Poetarum fabulas in huius libelli locis quam pluribus nomina et gestus deorum falsorum intitulantur, quorum infidelitas vt Cristianis clarius innotescat, intendit de ipsorum origine secundum varias Paganorum Sectas scribere consequenter. Et primo de Secta Chaldeorum tractare proponit.In foure formes thus it was.Thei of Caldee as in this cas750Hadde a believe be hemselve,Which stod upon the signes tuelve,Forth ek with the Planetes sevene,Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene.Of sondri constellacionIn here ymaginacionWith sondri kerf and pourtretureThei made of goddes the figure.In thelementz and ek alsoThei hadden a believe tho;760P. ii. 153And al was that unresonable:For thelementz ben servicableTo man, and ofte of Accidence,As men mai se thexperience,1532Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie;So mai no mannes reson seieThat thei ben god in eny wise.And ek, if men hem wel avise,The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe,That be hem lieve or be hem lothe,770Thei soffre; and what thing is passibleTo ben a god is impossible.Et nota1533quod Nembroth quartus a Noe ignem tanquam deum in Chaldea primus adorari decreuit.These elementz ben creatures,So ben these hevenly figures,Wherof mai wel be justefiedThat thei mai noght be deified:And who that takth awey thonourWhich due is to the creatour,And yifth it to the creature,He doth to gret a forsfaiture.780Bot of Caldee natheles1534Upon this feith, thogh it be les,Thei holde affermed the creance;So that of helle the penance,[ii.Belief of the Egyptians.]As folk which stant out of believe,They schull receive, as we believe.1535De Secta Egipciorum.1536Of the Caldeus lo in this wise1537Stant the believe out of assisse:Bot in Egipte worst of alleThe feith is fals, hou so it falle;790P. ii. 154For thei diverse bestes thereHonoure, as thogh thei goddes were:1538And natheles yit forth withalThre goddes most in specialThei have, forth with a goddesse,1539In whom is al here sikernesse.Tho goddes be yit cleped thus,Orus, Typhon and Isirus:Thei were brethren alle thre,And the goddesse in hir degre800Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte,Whom Isirus forlai be nyhteAnd hield hire after as his wif.So it befell that upon strifTyphon hath Isre his brother slain,Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn,And he his fader deth to herteSo tok, that it mai noght asterteThat he Typhon after ne slowh,Whan he was ripe of age ynowh.810Bot yit thegipcienes trowe1540For al this errour, which thei knowe,That these brethren ben of myhtTo sette and kepe Egipte upriht,And overthrowe, if that hem like.Bot Ysis, as seith the Cronique,Fro Grece into Egipte cam,And sche thanne upon honde namTo teche hem forto sowe and eere,Which noman knew tofore there.820P. ii. 155And whan thegipcienes syhe1541The fieldes fulle afore here yhe,And that the loud began to greine,Which whilom hadde be bareigne,—For therthe bar after the kindeHis due charge,—this I finde,That sche of berthe the goddesseIs cleped, so that in destresseThe wommen there upon childingeTo hire clepe, and here offringe830Thei beren, whan that thei ben lyhte.Lo, hou Egipte al out of syhte[iii.Belief of the Greeks.]Fro resoun stant in misbelieve1542For lacke of lore, as I believe.De Secta Grecorum.1543Among the Greks, out of the weieAs thei that reson putte aweie,1544Ther was, as the Cronique seith,Of misbelieve an other feith,That thei here goddes and goddesses,As who seith, token al to gesses840Of suche as weren full of vice,To whom thei made here sacrifice.The hihe god, so as thei seide,To whom thei most worschipe leide,Nota qualiter Saturnus deorum summus appellatur.Saturnus hihte, and king of CreteHe hadde be; bot of his seteHe was put doun, as he which stodIn frenesie, and was so wod,That fro his wif, which Rea hihte,Hise oghne children he to plihte,1545850P. ii. 156And eet hem of his comun wone.Bot Jupiter, which was his SoneAnd of full age, his fader bondAnd kutte of with his oghne hondHise genitals, whiche als so fasteInto the depe See he caste;Wherof the Greks afferme and seie,Thus whan thei were caste aweie,Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde.And of Saturne also I finde860How afterward into an yleThis Jupiter him dede exile,1546Wher that he stod in gret meschief.Lo, which a god thei maden chief!And sithen that such on was he,Which stod most hihe in his degre1547Among the goddes, thou miht knowe,These othre, that ben more lowe,Ben litel worth, as it is founde.Iupiter deus deliciarum.For Jupiter was the secounde,870Which Juno hadde unto his wif;And yit a lechour al his lifHe was, and in avouterieHe wroghte many a tricherie;And for he was so full of vices,Thei cleped him god of delices:Of whom, if thou wolt more wite,Ovide the Poete hath write.Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo,Saturne and Jupiter also,880P. ii. 157Thei have, althogh thei be to blame,Attitled to here oghne name.Mars deus belli.Mars was an other in that lawe,The which in Dace was forthdrawe,Of whom the clerk VegeciusWrot in his bok, and tolde thus,Hou he into Ytaile cam,And such fortune ther he nam,That he a Maiden hath oppressed,Which in hire ordre was professed,890As sche which was the PrioresseIn Vestes temple the goddesse,So was sche wel the mor to blame.1548Dame Ylia this ladi nameMen clepe, and ek sche was alsoThe kinges dowhter that was tho,Which Mynitor be name hihte.So that ayein the lawes ryhteMars thilke time upon hire thatRemus and Romulus begat,900Whiche after, whan thei come in Age,1549Of knihthode and of vassellageYtaile al hol thei overcomeAnd foundeden the grete Rome;In Armes and of such empriseThei weren, that in thilke wiseHere fader Mars for the mervaileThe god was cleped of bataille.Thei were his children bothe tuo,Thurgh hem he tok his name so,910P. ii. 158Ther was non other cause why:And yit a Sterre upon the SkyHe hath unto his name applied,In which that he is signified.Appollo deus Sapiencie.1550An other god thei hadden eke,To whom for conseil thei beseke,The which was brother to Venus,Appollo men him clepe thus.He was an Hunte upon the helles,Ther was with him no vertu elles,920Wherof that enye bokes karpe,Bot only that he couthe harpe;Which whanne he walked over londe,1551Fulofte time he tok on honde,To gete him with his sustienance,For lacke of other pourveance.And otherwhile of his falshedeHe feignede him to conne arede1552Of thing which after scholde falle;Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle930He hath the lewed folk deceived,So that the betre he was received.Lo now, thurgh what creacionHe hath deificacion,And cleped is the god of witTo suche as be the foles yit.1553Mercurius deus Mercatorum et furtorum.1554An other god, to whom thei soghte,Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghteWhat thing he stal, ne whom he slowh.1555Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh,940P. ii. 159That whanne he wolde himself transforme,Fulofte time he tok the formeOf womman and his oghne lefte;So dede he wel the more thefte.A gret spekere in alle thingesHe was also, and of lesingesAn Auctour, that men wiste nonAn other such as he was on.1556And yit thei maden of this thiefA god, which was unto hem lief,950And clepede him in tho believes1557The god of Marchantz and of thieves.Bot yit a sterre upon the heveneHe hath of the planetes sevene.Vulcanus deus Ignis.But Vulcanus, of whom I spak,He hadde a courbe upon the bak,And therto he was hepehalt:Of whom thou understonde schalt,He was a schrewe in al his youthe,And he non other vertu couthe960Of craft to helpe himselve with,Bot only that he was a SmithWith Jupiter, which in his forgeDiverse thinges made him forge;So wot I noght for what desirThei clepen him the god of fyr.Eolus deus ventorum.1558King of Cizile YpolitusA Sone hadde, and EolusHe hihte, and of his fader grantHe hield be weie of covenant970P. ii. 160The governance of every yleWhich was longende unto Cizile,Of hem that fro the lond foreinLeie open to the wynd al plein.And fro thilke iles to the londeFulofte cam the wynd to honde:After the name of him forthiThe wyndes cleped EoliTho were, and he the god of wynd.1559Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd!980The king of Crete Jupiter,Neptunus deus maris.1560The same which I spak of er,Unto his brother, which NeptuneWas hote, it list him to comunePart of his good, so that be SchipeHe mad him strong of the lordschipe1561Of al the See in tho parties;1562Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes,And the strange yles al aboute1563He wan, that every man hath doute990Upon his marche forto saile;For he anon hem wolde assaile1564And robbe what thing that thei ladden,His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden.Wherof the comun vois arosIn every lond, that such a losHe cawhte, al nere it worth a stre,That he was cleped of the SeeThe god be name, and yit he isWith hem that so believe amis.1000P. ii. 161This Neptune ek was thilke also,Which was the ferste foundour thoOf noble Troie, and he forthiWas wel the more lete by.Pan deus nature.The loresman of the Schepherdes,And ek of hem that ben netherdes,1565Was of Archade and hihte Pan:Of whom hath spoke many a man;For in the wode of Nonarcigne,1566Enclosed with the tres of Pigne,1010And on the Mont of ParasieHe hadde of bestes the baillie,And ek benethe in the valleie,1567Wher thilke rivere, as men seie,Which Ladon hihte, made his cours,He was the chief of governoursOf hem that kepten tame bestes,Wherof thei maken yit the festesIn the Cite Stinfalides.And forth withal yit natheles1020He tawhte men the forthdrawingeOf bestaile, and ek the makingeOf Oxen, and of hors the same,Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame:Of foules ek, so as we finde,Ful many a soubtiel craft of kindeHe fond, which noman knew tofore.Men dede him worschipe ek therfore,That he the ferste in thilke londWas which the melodie fond1030P. ii. 162Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe,With double pipes forto pipe;Therof he yaf the ferste lore,Til afterward men couthe more.To every craft for mannes helpeHe hadde a redi wit to helpeThurgh naturel experience:And thus the nyce reverenceOf foles, whan that he was ded,The fot hath torned to the hed,1040And clepen him god of nature,For so thei maden his figure.Bachus deus vini.An other god, so as thei fiele,Which Jupiter upon SameleBegat in his avouterie,Whom, forto hide his lecherie,That non therof schal take kepe,In a Montaigne forto kepe,Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde,He sende, in bokes as I finde:15681050And he be name Bachus hihte,Which afterward, whan that he mihte,A wastour was, and al his renteIn wyn and bordel he despente.Bot yit, al were he wonder badde,Among the Greks a name he hadde;Thei cleped him the god of wyn,And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.1569Esculapius deus medicine.1570Ther was yit EsculapiusA godd in thilke time as thus.1060P. ii. 163His craft stod upon Surgerie,Bot for the lust of lecherie,That he to Daires dowhter drowh,It fell that Jupiter him slowh:And yit thei made him noght forthi1571A god, and was no cause why.In Rome he was long time alsoA god among the Romeins tho;For, as he seide, of his presenceTher was destruid a pestilence,1070Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente,And that Appollo with hem sente1572This Esculapius his Sone,Among the Romeins forto wone.And there he duelte for a while,Til afterward into that yle,Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth,Where al his lyf that he sojornethAmong the Greks, til that he deide.And thei upon him thanne leide1080His name, and god of medicineHe hatte after that ilke line.Hercules deus fortitudinis.1573An other god of HerculesThei made, which was nathelesA man, bot that he was so strong,In al this world that brod and longSo myhti was noman as he.Merveiles tuelve in his degre,As it was couth in sondri londes,He dede with hise oghne hondes1090P. ii. 164Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe,The whiche horrible were and lothe,Bot he with strengthe hem overcam:Wherof so gret a pris he nam,That thei him clepe amonges alleThe god of strengthe, and to him calle.And yit ther is no reson inne,For he a man was full of sinne,Which proved was upon his ende,For in a rage himself he brende;1100And such a cruel mannes dedeAcordeth nothing with godhede.Pluto deus Inferni.1574Thei hadde of goddes yit an other,Which Pluto hihte, and was the brotherOf Jupiter, and he fro youthe1575With every word which cam to mouthe,Of eny thing whan he was wroth,1576He wolde swere his commun oth,Be Lethen and be Flegeton,1577Be Cochitum and Acheron,1110The whiche, after the bokes telle,Ben the chief flodes of the helle:1578Be Segne and Stige he swor also,That ben the depe Pettes tuoOf helle the most principal.Pluto these othes overalSwor of his commun custummance,Til it befell upon a chance,That he for Jupiteres sake1579Unto the goddes let do make1120P. ii. 165A sacrifice, and for that dedeOn of the pettes for his medeIn helle, of which I spak of er,Was granted him; and thus he therUpon the fortune of this thingThe name tok of helle king.Lo, these goddes and wel moAmong the Greks thei hadden tho,And of goddesses manyon,Whos names thou schalt hiere anon,1130And in what wise thei deceivenThe foles whiche here feith receiven.
[Tale of Vulcan and Venus.]Ovide wrot of manye thinges,Among the whiche in his wrytingesHe tolde a tale in Poesie,Which toucheth unto Jelousie,Upon a certein cas of love.Hic ponit exemplum contra istos maritos quos Ialousia maculauit. Et narrat qualiter Vulcanus, cuius vxor Venus extitit, suspicionem inter ipsam et Martem concipiens, eorum gestus diligencius explorabat: vnde contigit quod ipse quadam vice ambos inter se pariter amplexantes in lecto nudos inuenit, et exclamans omnem cetum deorum et dearum ad tantum spectaculum conuocauit: super quo tamen derisum pocius quam remedium a tota cohorte consecutus est.Among the goddes alle above640It fell at thilke time thus:The god of fyr, which VulcanusIs hote, and hath a craft forthwithAssigned, forto be the SmithP. ii. 149Of Jupiter, and his figureBothe of visage and of statureIs lothly and malgracious,Bot yit he hath withinne his housAs for the likynge of his lif1521The faire Venus to his wif.650Bot Mars, which of batailles isThe god, an yhe hadde unto this:As he which was chivalerous,It fell him to ben amerous,1522And thoghte it was a gret piteTo se so lusti on as scheBe coupled with so lourde a wiht:So that his peine day and nyhtHe dede, if he hire winne myhte;1523And sche, which hadde a good insihte1524660Toward so noble a knyhtli lord,In love fell of his acord.Ther lacketh noght bot time and place,That he nys siker of hire grace:Bot whan tuo hertes falle in on,So wys await was nevere non,That at som time thei ne mete;And thus this faire lusti sweteWith Mars hath ofte compaignie.Bot thilke unkynde Jelousie,670Which everemor the herte opposeth,1525Makth Vulcanus that he supposethThat it is noght wel overal,And to himself he seide, he schalP. ii. 150Aspie betre, if that he may;And so it fell upon a day,That he this thing so slyhli ledde,He fond hem bothe tuo abeddeAl warm, echon with other naked.And he with craft al redy maked680Of stronge chenes hath hem bounde,1526As he togedre hem hadde founde,And lefte hem bothe ligge so,And gan to clepe and crie thoUnto the goddes al aboute;And thei assembled in a routeCome alle at ones forto se.Bot none amendes hadde he,Bot was rebuked hiere and thereOf hem that loves frendes were;690And seiden that he was to blame,1527For if ther fell him eny schame,It was thurgh his misgovernance:And thus he loste contienance,This god, and let his cause falle;And thei to skorne him lowhen alle,And losen Mars out of hise bondes.Wherof these erthli housebondes1528For evere myhte ensample take,If such a chaunce hem overtake:700For Vulcanus his wif bewreide,The blame upon himself he leide,1529Wherof his schame was the more;Which oghte forto ben a loreP. ii. 151For every man that liveth hiere,To reulen him in this matiere.Thogh such an happ of love asterte,Yit scholde he noght apointe his herteWith Jelousie of that is wroght,Bot feigne, as thogh he wiste it noght:710For if he lete it overpasse,The sclaundre schal be wel the lasse,And he the more in ese stonde.For this thou myht wel understonde,That where a man schal nedes lese,The lesteharm is forto chese.Bot Jelousie of his untristMakth that full many an harm arist,Which elles scholde noght arise;And if a man him wolde avise720Of that befell to Vulcanus,Him oghte of reson thenke thus,That sithe a god therof was schamed,Wel scholde an erthli man be blamedTo take upon him such a vice.Confessor.Forthi, my Sone, in thin officeBe war that thou be noght jelous,Which ofte time hath schent the hous.Amans.Mi fader, this ensample is hard,Hou such thing to the heveneward730Among the goddes myhte falle:For ther is bot o god of alle,Which is the lord of hevene and helle.Bot if it like you to telleP. ii. 152Hou suche goddes come aplace,Ye mihten mochel thonk pourchace,For I schal be wel tawht withal.Confessor.Mi Sone, it is thus overalWith hem that stonden misbelieved,That suche goddes ben believed:740In sondri place sondri wiseAmonges hem whiche are unwiseTher is betaken of credence;Wherof that I the differenceIn the manere as it is writeSchal do the pleinly forto wite.
[Tale of Vulcan and Venus.]
Ovide wrot of manye thinges,
Among the whiche in his wrytinges
He tolde a tale in Poesie,
Which toucheth unto Jelousie,
Upon a certein cas of love.
Hic ponit exemplum contra istos maritos quos Ialousia maculauit. Et narrat qualiter Vulcanus, cuius vxor Venus extitit, suspicionem inter ipsam et Martem concipiens, eorum gestus diligencius explorabat: vnde contigit quod ipse quadam vice ambos inter se pariter amplexantes in lecto nudos inuenit, et exclamans omnem cetum deorum et dearum ad tantum spectaculum conuocauit: super quo tamen derisum pocius quam remedium a tota cohorte consecutus est.
Among the goddes alle above640
It fell at thilke time thus:
The god of fyr, which Vulcanus
Is hote, and hath a craft forthwith
Assigned, forto be the Smith
P. ii. 149
Of Jupiter, and his figure
Bothe of visage and of stature
Is lothly and malgracious,
Bot yit he hath withinne his hous
As for the likynge of his lif1521
The faire Venus to his wif.650
Bot Mars, which of batailles is
The god, an yhe hadde unto this:
As he which was chivalerous,
It fell him to ben amerous,1522
And thoghte it was a gret pite
To se so lusti on as sche
Be coupled with so lourde a wiht:
So that his peine day and nyht
He dede, if he hire winne myhte;1523
And sche, which hadde a good insihte1524660
Toward so noble a knyhtli lord,
In love fell of his acord.
Ther lacketh noght bot time and place,
That he nys siker of hire grace:
Bot whan tuo hertes falle in on,
So wys await was nevere non,
That at som time thei ne mete;
And thus this faire lusti swete
With Mars hath ofte compaignie.
Bot thilke unkynde Jelousie,670
Which everemor the herte opposeth,1525
Makth Vulcanus that he supposeth
That it is noght wel overal,
And to himself he seide, he schal
P. ii. 150
Aspie betre, if that he may;
And so it fell upon a day,
That he this thing so slyhli ledde,
He fond hem bothe tuo abedde
Al warm, echon with other naked.
And he with craft al redy maked680
Of stronge chenes hath hem bounde,1526
As he togedre hem hadde founde,
And lefte hem bothe ligge so,
And gan to clepe and crie tho
Unto the goddes al aboute;
And thei assembled in a route
Come alle at ones forto se.
Bot none amendes hadde he,
Bot was rebuked hiere and there
Of hem that loves frendes were;690
And seiden that he was to blame,1527
For if ther fell him eny schame,
It was thurgh his misgovernance:
And thus he loste contienance,
This god, and let his cause falle;
And thei to skorne him lowhen alle,
And losen Mars out of hise bondes.
Wherof these erthli housebondes1528
For evere myhte ensample take,
If such a chaunce hem overtake:700
For Vulcanus his wif bewreide,
The blame upon himself he leide,1529
Wherof his schame was the more;
Which oghte forto ben a lore
P. ii. 151
For every man that liveth hiere,
To reulen him in this matiere.
Thogh such an happ of love asterte,
Yit scholde he noght apointe his herte
With Jelousie of that is wroght,
Bot feigne, as thogh he wiste it noght:710
For if he lete it overpasse,
The sclaundre schal be wel the lasse,
And he the more in ese stonde.
For this thou myht wel understonde,
That where a man schal nedes lese,
The lesteharm is forto chese.
Bot Jelousie of his untrist
Makth that full many an harm arist,
Which elles scholde noght arise;
And if a man him wolde avise720
Of that befell to Vulcanus,
Him oghte of reson thenke thus,
That sithe a god therof was schamed,
Wel scholde an erthli man be blamed
To take upon him such a vice.
Confessor.
Forthi, my Sone, in thin office
Be war that thou be noght jelous,
Which ofte time hath schent the hous.
Amans.
Mi fader, this ensample is hard,
Hou such thing to the heveneward730
Among the goddes myhte falle:
For ther is bot o god of alle,
Which is the lord of hevene and helle.
Bot if it like you to telle
P. ii. 152
Hou suche goddes come aplace,
Ye mihten mochel thonk pourchace,
For I schal be wel tawht withal.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, it is thus overal
With hem that stonden misbelieved,
That suche goddes ben believed:740
In sondri place sondri wise
Amonges hem whiche are unwise
Ther is betaken of credence;
Wherof that I the difference
In the manere as it is write
Schal do the pleinly forto wite.
[The Gods of the Nations.]ii.Gentibus illusis signantur templa deorum,1530Vnde deos cecos nacio ceca colit.Nulla creatori racio facit esse creatumEquiperans, quod adhuc iura pagana fouent.1531
[The Gods of the Nations.]
ii.Gentibus illusis signantur templa deorum,1530
Vnde deos cecos nacio ceca colit.
Nulla creatori racio facit esse creatum
Equiperans, quod adhuc iura pagana fouent.1531
[i.Belief of the Chaldeans.]Er Crist was bore among ous hiere,Of the believes that tho wereQuia secundum Poetarum fabulas in huius libelli locis quam pluribus nomina et gestus deorum falsorum intitulantur, quorum infidelitas vt Cristianis clarius innotescat, intendit de ipsorum origine secundum varias Paganorum Sectas scribere consequenter. Et primo de Secta Chaldeorum tractare proponit.In foure formes thus it was.Thei of Caldee as in this cas750Hadde a believe be hemselve,Which stod upon the signes tuelve,Forth ek with the Planetes sevene,Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene.Of sondri constellacionIn here ymaginacionWith sondri kerf and pourtretureThei made of goddes the figure.In thelementz and ek alsoThei hadden a believe tho;760P. ii. 153And al was that unresonable:For thelementz ben servicableTo man, and ofte of Accidence,As men mai se thexperience,1532Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie;So mai no mannes reson seieThat thei ben god in eny wise.And ek, if men hem wel avise,The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe,That be hem lieve or be hem lothe,770Thei soffre; and what thing is passibleTo ben a god is impossible.Et nota1533quod Nembroth quartus a Noe ignem tanquam deum in Chaldea primus adorari decreuit.These elementz ben creatures,So ben these hevenly figures,Wherof mai wel be justefiedThat thei mai noght be deified:And who that takth awey thonourWhich due is to the creatour,And yifth it to the creature,He doth to gret a forsfaiture.780Bot of Caldee natheles1534Upon this feith, thogh it be les,Thei holde affermed the creance;So that of helle the penance,[ii.Belief of the Egyptians.]As folk which stant out of believe,They schull receive, as we believe.1535De Secta Egipciorum.1536Of the Caldeus lo in this wise1537Stant the believe out of assisse:Bot in Egipte worst of alleThe feith is fals, hou so it falle;790P. ii. 154For thei diverse bestes thereHonoure, as thogh thei goddes were:1538And natheles yit forth withalThre goddes most in specialThei have, forth with a goddesse,1539In whom is al here sikernesse.Tho goddes be yit cleped thus,Orus, Typhon and Isirus:Thei were brethren alle thre,And the goddesse in hir degre800Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte,Whom Isirus forlai be nyhteAnd hield hire after as his wif.So it befell that upon strifTyphon hath Isre his brother slain,Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn,And he his fader deth to herteSo tok, that it mai noght asterteThat he Typhon after ne slowh,Whan he was ripe of age ynowh.810Bot yit thegipcienes trowe1540For al this errour, which thei knowe,That these brethren ben of myhtTo sette and kepe Egipte upriht,And overthrowe, if that hem like.Bot Ysis, as seith the Cronique,Fro Grece into Egipte cam,And sche thanne upon honde namTo teche hem forto sowe and eere,Which noman knew tofore there.820P. ii. 155And whan thegipcienes syhe1541The fieldes fulle afore here yhe,And that the loud began to greine,Which whilom hadde be bareigne,—For therthe bar after the kindeHis due charge,—this I finde,That sche of berthe the goddesseIs cleped, so that in destresseThe wommen there upon childingeTo hire clepe, and here offringe830Thei beren, whan that thei ben lyhte.Lo, hou Egipte al out of syhte[iii.Belief of the Greeks.]Fro resoun stant in misbelieve1542For lacke of lore, as I believe.De Secta Grecorum.1543Among the Greks, out of the weieAs thei that reson putte aweie,1544Ther was, as the Cronique seith,Of misbelieve an other feith,That thei here goddes and goddesses,As who seith, token al to gesses840Of suche as weren full of vice,To whom thei made here sacrifice.The hihe god, so as thei seide,To whom thei most worschipe leide,Nota qualiter Saturnus deorum summus appellatur.Saturnus hihte, and king of CreteHe hadde be; bot of his seteHe was put doun, as he which stodIn frenesie, and was so wod,That fro his wif, which Rea hihte,Hise oghne children he to plihte,1545850P. ii. 156And eet hem of his comun wone.Bot Jupiter, which was his SoneAnd of full age, his fader bondAnd kutte of with his oghne hondHise genitals, whiche als so fasteInto the depe See he caste;Wherof the Greks afferme and seie,Thus whan thei were caste aweie,Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde.And of Saturne also I finde860How afterward into an yleThis Jupiter him dede exile,1546Wher that he stod in gret meschief.Lo, which a god thei maden chief!And sithen that such on was he,Which stod most hihe in his degre1547Among the goddes, thou miht knowe,These othre, that ben more lowe,Ben litel worth, as it is founde.Iupiter deus deliciarum.For Jupiter was the secounde,870Which Juno hadde unto his wif;And yit a lechour al his lifHe was, and in avouterieHe wroghte many a tricherie;And for he was so full of vices,Thei cleped him god of delices:Of whom, if thou wolt more wite,Ovide the Poete hath write.Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo,Saturne and Jupiter also,880P. ii. 157Thei have, althogh thei be to blame,Attitled to here oghne name.Mars deus belli.Mars was an other in that lawe,The which in Dace was forthdrawe,Of whom the clerk VegeciusWrot in his bok, and tolde thus,Hou he into Ytaile cam,And such fortune ther he nam,That he a Maiden hath oppressed,Which in hire ordre was professed,890As sche which was the PrioresseIn Vestes temple the goddesse,So was sche wel the mor to blame.1548Dame Ylia this ladi nameMen clepe, and ek sche was alsoThe kinges dowhter that was tho,Which Mynitor be name hihte.So that ayein the lawes ryhteMars thilke time upon hire thatRemus and Romulus begat,900Whiche after, whan thei come in Age,1549Of knihthode and of vassellageYtaile al hol thei overcomeAnd foundeden the grete Rome;In Armes and of such empriseThei weren, that in thilke wiseHere fader Mars for the mervaileThe god was cleped of bataille.Thei were his children bothe tuo,Thurgh hem he tok his name so,910P. ii. 158Ther was non other cause why:And yit a Sterre upon the SkyHe hath unto his name applied,In which that he is signified.Appollo deus Sapiencie.1550An other god thei hadden eke,To whom for conseil thei beseke,The which was brother to Venus,Appollo men him clepe thus.He was an Hunte upon the helles,Ther was with him no vertu elles,920Wherof that enye bokes karpe,Bot only that he couthe harpe;Which whanne he walked over londe,1551Fulofte time he tok on honde,To gete him with his sustienance,For lacke of other pourveance.And otherwhile of his falshedeHe feignede him to conne arede1552Of thing which after scholde falle;Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle930He hath the lewed folk deceived,So that the betre he was received.Lo now, thurgh what creacionHe hath deificacion,And cleped is the god of witTo suche as be the foles yit.1553Mercurius deus Mercatorum et furtorum.1554An other god, to whom thei soghte,Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghteWhat thing he stal, ne whom he slowh.1555Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh,940P. ii. 159That whanne he wolde himself transforme,Fulofte time he tok the formeOf womman and his oghne lefte;So dede he wel the more thefte.A gret spekere in alle thingesHe was also, and of lesingesAn Auctour, that men wiste nonAn other such as he was on.1556And yit thei maden of this thiefA god, which was unto hem lief,950And clepede him in tho believes1557The god of Marchantz and of thieves.Bot yit a sterre upon the heveneHe hath of the planetes sevene.Vulcanus deus Ignis.But Vulcanus, of whom I spak,He hadde a courbe upon the bak,And therto he was hepehalt:Of whom thou understonde schalt,He was a schrewe in al his youthe,And he non other vertu couthe960Of craft to helpe himselve with,Bot only that he was a SmithWith Jupiter, which in his forgeDiverse thinges made him forge;So wot I noght for what desirThei clepen him the god of fyr.Eolus deus ventorum.1558King of Cizile YpolitusA Sone hadde, and EolusHe hihte, and of his fader grantHe hield be weie of covenant970P. ii. 160The governance of every yleWhich was longende unto Cizile,Of hem that fro the lond foreinLeie open to the wynd al plein.And fro thilke iles to the londeFulofte cam the wynd to honde:After the name of him forthiThe wyndes cleped EoliTho were, and he the god of wynd.1559Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd!980The king of Crete Jupiter,Neptunus deus maris.1560The same which I spak of er,Unto his brother, which NeptuneWas hote, it list him to comunePart of his good, so that be SchipeHe mad him strong of the lordschipe1561Of al the See in tho parties;1562Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes,And the strange yles al aboute1563He wan, that every man hath doute990Upon his marche forto saile;For he anon hem wolde assaile1564And robbe what thing that thei ladden,His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden.Wherof the comun vois arosIn every lond, that such a losHe cawhte, al nere it worth a stre,That he was cleped of the SeeThe god be name, and yit he isWith hem that so believe amis.1000P. ii. 161This Neptune ek was thilke also,Which was the ferste foundour thoOf noble Troie, and he forthiWas wel the more lete by.Pan deus nature.The loresman of the Schepherdes,And ek of hem that ben netherdes,1565Was of Archade and hihte Pan:Of whom hath spoke many a man;For in the wode of Nonarcigne,1566Enclosed with the tres of Pigne,1010And on the Mont of ParasieHe hadde of bestes the baillie,And ek benethe in the valleie,1567Wher thilke rivere, as men seie,Which Ladon hihte, made his cours,He was the chief of governoursOf hem that kepten tame bestes,Wherof thei maken yit the festesIn the Cite Stinfalides.And forth withal yit natheles1020He tawhte men the forthdrawingeOf bestaile, and ek the makingeOf Oxen, and of hors the same,Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame:Of foules ek, so as we finde,Ful many a soubtiel craft of kindeHe fond, which noman knew tofore.Men dede him worschipe ek therfore,That he the ferste in thilke londWas which the melodie fond1030P. ii. 162Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe,With double pipes forto pipe;Therof he yaf the ferste lore,Til afterward men couthe more.To every craft for mannes helpeHe hadde a redi wit to helpeThurgh naturel experience:And thus the nyce reverenceOf foles, whan that he was ded,The fot hath torned to the hed,1040And clepen him god of nature,For so thei maden his figure.Bachus deus vini.An other god, so as thei fiele,Which Jupiter upon SameleBegat in his avouterie,Whom, forto hide his lecherie,That non therof schal take kepe,In a Montaigne forto kepe,Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde,He sende, in bokes as I finde:15681050And he be name Bachus hihte,Which afterward, whan that he mihte,A wastour was, and al his renteIn wyn and bordel he despente.Bot yit, al were he wonder badde,Among the Greks a name he hadde;Thei cleped him the god of wyn,And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.1569Esculapius deus medicine.1570Ther was yit EsculapiusA godd in thilke time as thus.1060P. ii. 163His craft stod upon Surgerie,Bot for the lust of lecherie,That he to Daires dowhter drowh,It fell that Jupiter him slowh:And yit thei made him noght forthi1571A god, and was no cause why.In Rome he was long time alsoA god among the Romeins tho;For, as he seide, of his presenceTher was destruid a pestilence,1070Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente,And that Appollo with hem sente1572This Esculapius his Sone,Among the Romeins forto wone.And there he duelte for a while,Til afterward into that yle,Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth,Where al his lyf that he sojornethAmong the Greks, til that he deide.And thei upon him thanne leide1080His name, and god of medicineHe hatte after that ilke line.Hercules deus fortitudinis.1573An other god of HerculesThei made, which was nathelesA man, bot that he was so strong,In al this world that brod and longSo myhti was noman as he.Merveiles tuelve in his degre,As it was couth in sondri londes,He dede with hise oghne hondes1090P. ii. 164Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe,The whiche horrible were and lothe,Bot he with strengthe hem overcam:Wherof so gret a pris he nam,That thei him clepe amonges alleThe god of strengthe, and to him calle.And yit ther is no reson inne,For he a man was full of sinne,Which proved was upon his ende,For in a rage himself he brende;1100And such a cruel mannes dedeAcordeth nothing with godhede.Pluto deus Inferni.1574Thei hadde of goddes yit an other,Which Pluto hihte, and was the brotherOf Jupiter, and he fro youthe1575With every word which cam to mouthe,Of eny thing whan he was wroth,1576He wolde swere his commun oth,Be Lethen and be Flegeton,1577Be Cochitum and Acheron,1110The whiche, after the bokes telle,Ben the chief flodes of the helle:1578Be Segne and Stige he swor also,That ben the depe Pettes tuoOf helle the most principal.Pluto these othes overalSwor of his commun custummance,Til it befell upon a chance,That he for Jupiteres sake1579Unto the goddes let do make1120P. ii. 165A sacrifice, and for that dedeOn of the pettes for his medeIn helle, of which I spak of er,Was granted him; and thus he therUpon the fortune of this thingThe name tok of helle king.Lo, these goddes and wel moAmong the Greks thei hadden tho,And of goddesses manyon,Whos names thou schalt hiere anon,1130And in what wise thei deceivenThe foles whiche here feith receiven.
[i.Belief of the Chaldeans.]
Er Crist was bore among ous hiere,
Of the believes that tho were
Quia secundum Poetarum fabulas in huius libelli locis quam pluribus nomina et gestus deorum falsorum intitulantur, quorum infidelitas vt Cristianis clarius innotescat, intendit de ipsorum origine secundum varias Paganorum Sectas scribere consequenter. Et primo de Secta Chaldeorum tractare proponit.
In foure formes thus it was.
Thei of Caldee as in this cas750
Hadde a believe be hemselve,
Which stod upon the signes tuelve,
Forth ek with the Planetes sevene,
Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene.
Of sondri constellacion
In here ymaginacion
With sondri kerf and pourtreture
Thei made of goddes the figure.
In thelementz and ek also
Thei hadden a believe tho;760
P. ii. 153
And al was that unresonable:
For thelementz ben servicable
To man, and ofte of Accidence,
As men mai se thexperience,1532
Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie;
So mai no mannes reson seie
That thei ben god in eny wise.
And ek, if men hem wel avise,
The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe,
That be hem lieve or be hem lothe,770
Thei soffre; and what thing is passible
To ben a god is impossible.
Et nota1533quod Nembroth quartus a Noe ignem tanquam deum in Chaldea primus adorari decreuit.
These elementz ben creatures,
So ben these hevenly figures,
Wherof mai wel be justefied
That thei mai noght be deified:
And who that takth awey thonour
Which due is to the creatour,
And yifth it to the creature,
He doth to gret a forsfaiture.780
Bot of Caldee natheles1534
Upon this feith, thogh it be les,
Thei holde affermed the creance;
So that of helle the penance,
[ii.Belief of the Egyptians.]
As folk which stant out of believe,
They schull receive, as we believe.1535
De Secta Egipciorum.1536
Of the Caldeus lo in this wise1537
Stant the believe out of assisse:
Bot in Egipte worst of alle
The feith is fals, hou so it falle;790
P. ii. 154
For thei diverse bestes there
Honoure, as thogh thei goddes were:1538
And natheles yit forth withal
Thre goddes most in special
Thei have, forth with a goddesse,1539
In whom is al here sikernesse.
Tho goddes be yit cleped thus,
Orus, Typhon and Isirus:
Thei were brethren alle thre,
And the goddesse in hir degre800
Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte,
Whom Isirus forlai be nyhte
And hield hire after as his wif.
So it befell that upon strif
Typhon hath Isre his brother slain,
Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn,
And he his fader deth to herte
So tok, that it mai noght asterte
That he Typhon after ne slowh,
Whan he was ripe of age ynowh.810
Bot yit thegipcienes trowe1540
For al this errour, which thei knowe,
That these brethren ben of myht
To sette and kepe Egipte upriht,
And overthrowe, if that hem like.
Bot Ysis, as seith the Cronique,
Fro Grece into Egipte cam,
And sche thanne upon honde nam
To teche hem forto sowe and eere,
Which noman knew tofore there.820
P. ii. 155
And whan thegipcienes syhe1541
The fieldes fulle afore here yhe,
And that the loud began to greine,
Which whilom hadde be bareigne,—
For therthe bar after the kinde
His due charge,—this I finde,
That sche of berthe the goddesse
Is cleped, so that in destresse
The wommen there upon childinge
To hire clepe, and here offringe830
Thei beren, whan that thei ben lyhte.
Lo, hou Egipte al out of syhte
[iii.Belief of the Greeks.]
Fro resoun stant in misbelieve1542
For lacke of lore, as I believe.
De Secta Grecorum.1543
Among the Greks, out of the weie
As thei that reson putte aweie,1544
Ther was, as the Cronique seith,
Of misbelieve an other feith,
That thei here goddes and goddesses,
As who seith, token al to gesses840
Of suche as weren full of vice,
To whom thei made here sacrifice.
The hihe god, so as thei seide,
To whom thei most worschipe leide,
Nota qualiter Saturnus deorum summus appellatur.
Saturnus hihte, and king of Crete
He hadde be; bot of his sete
He was put doun, as he which stod
In frenesie, and was so wod,
That fro his wif, which Rea hihte,
Hise oghne children he to plihte,1545850
P. ii. 156
And eet hem of his comun wone.
Bot Jupiter, which was his Sone
And of full age, his fader bond
And kutte of with his oghne hond
Hise genitals, whiche als so faste
Into the depe See he caste;
Wherof the Greks afferme and seie,
Thus whan thei were caste aweie,
Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde.
And of Saturne also I finde860
How afterward into an yle
This Jupiter him dede exile,1546
Wher that he stod in gret meschief.
Lo, which a god thei maden chief!
And sithen that such on was he,
Which stod most hihe in his degre1547
Among the goddes, thou miht knowe,
These othre, that ben more lowe,
Ben litel worth, as it is founde.
Iupiter deus deliciarum.
For Jupiter was the secounde,870
Which Juno hadde unto his wif;
And yit a lechour al his lif
He was, and in avouterie
He wroghte many a tricherie;
And for he was so full of vices,
Thei cleped him god of delices:
Of whom, if thou wolt more wite,
Ovide the Poete hath write.
Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo,
Saturne and Jupiter also,880
P. ii. 157
Thei have, althogh thei be to blame,
Attitled to here oghne name.
Mars deus belli.
Mars was an other in that lawe,
The which in Dace was forthdrawe,
Of whom the clerk Vegecius
Wrot in his bok, and tolde thus,
Hou he into Ytaile cam,
And such fortune ther he nam,
That he a Maiden hath oppressed,
Which in hire ordre was professed,890
As sche which was the Prioresse
In Vestes temple the goddesse,
So was sche wel the mor to blame.1548
Dame Ylia this ladi name
Men clepe, and ek sche was also
The kinges dowhter that was tho,
Which Mynitor be name hihte.
So that ayein the lawes ryhte
Mars thilke time upon hire that
Remus and Romulus begat,900
Whiche after, whan thei come in Age,1549
Of knihthode and of vassellage
Ytaile al hol thei overcome
And foundeden the grete Rome;
In Armes and of such emprise
Thei weren, that in thilke wise
Here fader Mars for the mervaile
The god was cleped of bataille.
Thei were his children bothe tuo,
Thurgh hem he tok his name so,910
P. ii. 158
Ther was non other cause why:
And yit a Sterre upon the Sky
He hath unto his name applied,
In which that he is signified.
Appollo deus Sapiencie.1550
An other god thei hadden eke,
To whom for conseil thei beseke,
The which was brother to Venus,
Appollo men him clepe thus.
He was an Hunte upon the helles,
Ther was with him no vertu elles,920
Wherof that enye bokes karpe,
Bot only that he couthe harpe;
Which whanne he walked over londe,1551
Fulofte time he tok on honde,
To gete him with his sustienance,
For lacke of other pourveance.
And otherwhile of his falshede
He feignede him to conne arede1552
Of thing which after scholde falle;
Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle930
He hath the lewed folk deceived,
So that the betre he was received.
Lo now, thurgh what creacion
He hath deificacion,
And cleped is the god of wit
To suche as be the foles yit.1553
Mercurius deus Mercatorum et furtorum.1554
An other god, to whom thei soghte,
Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghte
What thing he stal, ne whom he slowh.1555
Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh,940
P. ii. 159
That whanne he wolde himself transforme,
Fulofte time he tok the forme
Of womman and his oghne lefte;
So dede he wel the more thefte.
A gret spekere in alle thinges
He was also, and of lesinges
An Auctour, that men wiste non
An other such as he was on.1556
And yit thei maden of this thief
A god, which was unto hem lief,950
And clepede him in tho believes1557
The god of Marchantz and of thieves.
Bot yit a sterre upon the hevene
He hath of the planetes sevene.
Vulcanus deus Ignis.
But Vulcanus, of whom I spak,
He hadde a courbe upon the bak,
And therto he was hepehalt:
Of whom thou understonde schalt,
He was a schrewe in al his youthe,
And he non other vertu couthe960
Of craft to helpe himselve with,
Bot only that he was a Smith
With Jupiter, which in his forge
Diverse thinges made him forge;
So wot I noght for what desir
Thei clepen him the god of fyr.
Eolus deus ventorum.1558
King of Cizile Ypolitus
A Sone hadde, and Eolus
He hihte, and of his fader grant
He hield be weie of covenant970
P. ii. 160
The governance of every yle
Which was longende unto Cizile,
Of hem that fro the lond forein
Leie open to the wynd al plein.
And fro thilke iles to the londe
Fulofte cam the wynd to honde:
After the name of him forthi
The wyndes cleped Eoli
Tho were, and he the god of wynd.1559
Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd!980
The king of Crete Jupiter,
Neptunus deus maris.1560
The same which I spak of er,
Unto his brother, which Neptune
Was hote, it list him to comune
Part of his good, so that be Schipe
He mad him strong of the lordschipe1561
Of al the See in tho parties;1562
Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes,
And the strange yles al aboute1563
He wan, that every man hath doute990
Upon his marche forto saile;
For he anon hem wolde assaile1564
And robbe what thing that thei ladden,
His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden.
Wherof the comun vois aros
In every lond, that such a los
He cawhte, al nere it worth a stre,
That he was cleped of the See
The god be name, and yit he is
With hem that so believe amis.1000
P. ii. 161
This Neptune ek was thilke also,
Which was the ferste foundour tho
Of noble Troie, and he forthi
Was wel the more lete by.
Pan deus nature.
The loresman of the Schepherdes,
And ek of hem that ben netherdes,1565
Was of Archade and hihte Pan:
Of whom hath spoke many a man;
For in the wode of Nonarcigne,1566
Enclosed with the tres of Pigne,1010
And on the Mont of Parasie
He hadde of bestes the baillie,
And ek benethe in the valleie,1567
Wher thilke rivere, as men seie,
Which Ladon hihte, made his cours,
He was the chief of governours
Of hem that kepten tame bestes,
Wherof thei maken yit the festes
In the Cite Stinfalides.
And forth withal yit natheles1020
He tawhte men the forthdrawinge
Of bestaile, and ek the makinge
Of Oxen, and of hors the same,
Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame:
Of foules ek, so as we finde,
Ful many a soubtiel craft of kinde
He fond, which noman knew tofore.
Men dede him worschipe ek therfore,
That he the ferste in thilke lond
Was which the melodie fond1030
P. ii. 162
Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe,
With double pipes forto pipe;
Therof he yaf the ferste lore,
Til afterward men couthe more.
To every craft for mannes helpe
He hadde a redi wit to helpe
Thurgh naturel experience:
And thus the nyce reverence
Of foles, whan that he was ded,
The fot hath torned to the hed,1040
And clepen him god of nature,
For so thei maden his figure.
Bachus deus vini.
An other god, so as thei fiele,
Which Jupiter upon Samele
Begat in his avouterie,
Whom, forto hide his lecherie,
That non therof schal take kepe,
In a Montaigne forto kepe,
Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde,
He sende, in bokes as I finde:15681050
And he be name Bachus hihte,
Which afterward, whan that he mihte,
A wastour was, and al his rente
In wyn and bordel he despente.
Bot yit, al were he wonder badde,
Among the Greks a name he hadde;
Thei cleped him the god of wyn,
And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.1569
Esculapius deus medicine.1570
Ther was yit Esculapius
A godd in thilke time as thus.1060
P. ii. 163
His craft stod upon Surgerie,
Bot for the lust of lecherie,
That he to Daires dowhter drowh,
It fell that Jupiter him slowh:
And yit thei made him noght forthi1571
A god, and was no cause why.
In Rome he was long time also
A god among the Romeins tho;
For, as he seide, of his presence
Ther was destruid a pestilence,1070
Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente,
And that Appollo with hem sente1572
This Esculapius his Sone,
Among the Romeins forto wone.
And there he duelte for a while,
Til afterward into that yle,
Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth,
Where al his lyf that he sojorneth
Among the Greks, til that he deide.
And thei upon him thanne leide1080
His name, and god of medicine
He hatte after that ilke line.
Hercules deus fortitudinis.1573
An other god of Hercules
Thei made, which was natheles
A man, bot that he was so strong,
In al this world that brod and long
So myhti was noman as he.
Merveiles tuelve in his degre,
As it was couth in sondri londes,
He dede with hise oghne hondes1090
P. ii. 164
Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe,
The whiche horrible were and lothe,
Bot he with strengthe hem overcam:
Wherof so gret a pris he nam,
That thei him clepe amonges alle
The god of strengthe, and to him calle.
And yit ther is no reson inne,
For he a man was full of sinne,
Which proved was upon his ende,
For in a rage himself he brende;1100
And such a cruel mannes dede
Acordeth nothing with godhede.
Pluto deus Inferni.1574
Thei hadde of goddes yit an other,
Which Pluto hihte, and was the brother
Of Jupiter, and he fro youthe1575
With every word which cam to mouthe,
Of eny thing whan he was wroth,1576
He wolde swere his commun oth,
Be Lethen and be Flegeton,1577
Be Cochitum and Acheron,1110
The whiche, after the bokes telle,
Ben the chief flodes of the helle:1578
Be Segne and Stige he swor also,
That ben the depe Pettes tuo
Of helle the most principal.
Pluto these othes overal
Swor of his commun custummance,
Til it befell upon a chance,
That he for Jupiteres sake1579
Unto the goddes let do make1120
P. ii. 165
A sacrifice, and for that dede
On of the pettes for his mede
In helle, of which I spak of er,
Was granted him; and thus he ther
Upon the fortune of this thing
The name tok of helle king.
Lo, these goddes and wel mo
Among the Greks thei hadden tho,
And of goddesses manyon,
Whos names thou schalt hiere anon,1130
And in what wise thei deceiven
The foles whiche here feith receiven.