Nota, qualiter Sibeles Dearum1580Mater et origo nuncupatur.So as Saturne is sovereinOf false goddes, as thei sein,So is Sibeles of goddessesThe Moder, whom withoute gessesThe folk Payene honoure and serve,As thei the whiche hire lawe observe.1581Bot forto knowen upon thisFro when sche cam and what sche is,1140Bethincia the contre hihte,Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte;And after was Saturnes wif,Be whom thre children in hire lifSche bar, and thei were cleped thoJuno, Neptunus and Pluto,The whiche of nyce fantasieThe poeple wolde deifie.And for hire children were so,1582Sibeles thanne was also1150P. ii. 166Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calleThe moder of the goddes alle.So was that name bore forth,And yit the cause is litel worth.Iuno Dea Regnorum et diuiciarum.1583A vois unto Saturne toldeHou that his oghne Sone him scholde1584Out of his regne putte aweie;And he be cause of thilke weie,That him was schape such a fate,Sibele his wif began to hate1160And ek hire progenie bothe.And thus, whil that thei were wrothe,Be Philerem upon a daiIn his avouterie he lai,On whom he Jupiter begat;1585And thilke child was after thatWhich wroghte al that was prophecied,As it tofore is specefied:So that whan Jupiter of CreteWas king, a wif unto him mete1170The Dowhter of Sibele he tok,And that was Juno, seith the bok.1586Of his deificacionAfter the false oppinion,That have I told, so as thei meene;And for this Juno was the queene1587Of Jupiter and Soster eke,The foles unto hire sieke,And sein that sche is the goddesseOf Regnes bothe and of richesse:1180P. ii. 167And ek sche, as thei understonde,The water Nimphes hath in hondeTo leden at hire oghne heste;And whan hir list the Sky tempeste,The reinbowe is hir Messager.Lo, which a misbelieve is hier!That sche goddesse is of the SkyI wot non other cause why.Minerua Dea sapienciarum.An other goddesse is Minerve,To whom the Greks obeie and serve:1190And sche was nyh the grete layOf Triton founde, wher sche layA child forcast, bot what sche wasTher knew noman the sothe cas.Bot in Aufrique sche was leidIn the manere as I have seid,And caried fro that ilke placeInto an Yle fer in Trace,The which Palene thanne hihte,1588Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte.1200And after, for sche was so wys1589That sche fond ferst in hire avisThe cloth makinge of wolle and lyn,1590Men seiden that sche was divin,And the goddesse of SapienceThei clepen hire in that credence.Pallas Dea bellorum.1591Of the goddesse which PallasIs cleped sondri speche was.On seith hire fader was Pallant,Which in his time was geant,1210P. ii. 168A cruel man, a bataillous:An other seith hou in his housSche was the cause why he deide.And of this Pallas some ek seideThat sche was Martes wif; and soAmong the men that weren thoOf misbelieve in the rioteThe goddesse of batailles hoteShe was, and yit sche berth the name.Now loke, hou they be forto blame.1220Ceres dea frugum.1592Saturnus after his exilFro Crete cam in gret perilInto the londes of Ytaile,And ther he dede gret mervaile,Wherof his name duelleth yit.For he fond of his oghne witThe ferste craft of plowh tilinge,Of Eringe and of corn sowinge,And how men scholden sette vinesAnd of the grapes make wynes;15931230Al this he tawhte, and it fell so,His wif, the which cam with him tho,1594Was cleped Cereres be name,And for sche tawhte also the same,And was his wif that ilke throwe,As it was to the poeple knowe,Thei made of Ceres a goddesse,In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse,1595And sein that TricoloniusHire Sone goth amonges ous1240P. ii. 169And makth the corn good chep or dere,Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere;So that this wif be cause of thisGoddesse of Cornes cleped is.Diana Dea Moncium et Siluarum.1596King Jupiter, which his likingeWhilom fulfelde in alle thinge,So priveliche aboute he laddeHis lust, that he his wille haddeOf Latona, and on hire thatDiane his dowhter he begat1250Unknowen of his wif Juno.And afterward sche knew it so,1597That Latona for drede fledde1598Into an Ile, wher sche heddeHire wombe, which of childe aros.Thilke yle cleped was Delos;1599In which Diana was forthbroght,And kept so that hire lacketh noght.And after, whan sche was of Age,Sche tok non hiede of mariage,1260Bot out of mannes compaignieSche tok hire al to venerie1600In forest and in wildernesse;For ther was al hire besinesseBe daie and ek be nyhtes tydeWith arwes brode under the sideAnd bowe in honde, of which sche slowhAnd tok al that hir liste ynowhOf bestes whiche ben chacable:Wherof the Cronique of this fable1270P. ii. 170Seith that the gentils most of alleWorschipen hire and to hire calle,And the goddesse of hihe helles,Of grene trees, of freisshe welles,They clepen hire in that believe,Which that no reson mai achieve.Proserpina Dea Infernorum.Proserpina, which dowhter wasOf Cereres, befell this cas:Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile,1601Hire moder in that ilke while1280Upon hire blessinge and hire hesteBad that sche scholde ben honeste,And lerne forto weve and spinne,And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne.Bot sche caste al that lore aweie,And as sche wente hir out to pleie,1602To gadre floures in a pleine,1603And that was under the monteineOf Ethna, fell the same tydeThat Pluto cam that weie ryde,16041290And sodeinly, er sche was war,He tok hire up into his char.And as thei riden in the field,Hire grete beaute he behield,Which was so plesant in his ÿe,That forto holde in compainieHe weddeth hire and hield hire so1605To ben his wif for everemo.And as thou hast tofore herd telleHou he was cleped god of helle,1300P. ii. 171So is sche cleped the goddesseBe cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.Confessor.Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde,The Greks whilom be daies oldeHere goddes hadde in sondri wise,And thurgh the lore of here apriseThe Romeins hielden ek the same.And in the worschipe of here name1606To every godd in specialThei made a temple forth withal,1310And ech of hem his yeeres daiAttitled hadde; and of araiThe temples weren thanne ordeigned,And ek the poeple was constreignedTo come and don here sacrifice;The Prestes ek in here officeSolempne maden thilke festes.And thus the Greks lich to the bestes1607The men in stede of god honoure,Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure,1320Whil that thei were alyve hiere.And over this, as thou schalt hiere,Nota, quod dii Montium Satiri vocantur.The Greks fulfild of fantasieSein ek that of the helles hiheThe goddes ben in special,Bot of here name in generalThei hoten alle Satiri.Oreades Nimphe Montium.Ther ben of Nimphes proprelyIn the believe of hem also:Oreades thei seiden tho1330P. ii. 172Attitled ben to the monteines;1608Driades Siluarum.And for the wodes in demeynesTo kepe, tho ben Driades;1609Naiades fontium.Of freisshe welles Naiades;And of the Nimphes of the SeeNereides Marium.1610I finde a tale in proprete,Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece,Which hadde of infortune a piece,—His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle,1611So as the happes scholden falle,1340With many a gentil womman thereDreint in the salte See thei were:Wherof the Greks that time seiden,And such a name upon hem leiden,Nereïdes that thei ben hote,The Nimphes whiche that thei noteTo regne upon the stremes salte.Lo now, if this believe halte!Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle,1612In every place wher thei duelle1350Thei ben al redi obeissantAs damoiselles entendantTo the goddesses, whos servise1613Thei mote obeie in alle wise;Wherof the Greks to hem besekeWith tho that ben goddesses eke,And have in hem a gret credence.Manes dii mortuorum.1614And yit withoute experienceSalve only of illusion,Which was to hem dampnacion,1360P. ii. 173For men also that were dedeThei hadden goddes, as I rede,And tho be name Manes hihten,To whom ful gret honour thei dihten,So as the Grekes lawe seith,Which was ayein the rihte feith.Thus have I told a gret partie;Bot al the hole progenieOf goddes in that ilke timeTo long it were forto rime.1370Bot yit of that which thou hast herd,Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd,Ther is a gret diversite.Amans.Mi fader, riht so thenketh me.Bot yit o thing I you beseche,Which stant in alle mennes speche,The godd and the goddesse of love,Of whom ye nothing hier aboveHave told, ne spoken of her fare,That ye me wolden now declare1380Hou thei ferst comen to that name.1615Mi Sone, I have it left for schame,Be cause I am here oghne Prest;1616Qualiter Cupido et Venus deus et dea amoris nuncupantur.1617Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest1618Upon the schrifte of thi matiere,Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere:And understand nou wel the cas.Venus Saturnes dowhter was,Which alle danger putte aweieOf love, and fond to lust a weie;1390P. ii. 174So that of hire in sondri placeDiverse men felle into grace,And such a lusti lif sche ladde,That sche diverse children hadde,Nou on be this, nou on be that.Of hire it was that Mars beyatA child, which cleped was Armene;Of hire also cam Andragene,To whom Mercurie fader was:Anchises begat Eneas1400Of hire also, and EriconBiten begat, and therupon,Whan that sche sih ther was non other,Be Jupiter hire oghne brotherSche lay, and he begat Cupide.1619And thilke Sone upon a tyde,Whan he was come unto his Age,He hadde a wonder fair visage,And fond his Moder amourous,And he was also lecherous:1410So whan thei weren bothe al one,As he which yhen hadde noneTo se reson, his Moder kiste;And sche also, that nothing wisteBot that which unto lust belongeth,To ben hire love him underfongeth.Thus was he blind, and sche unwys:Bot natheles this cause it is,Why Cupide is the god of love,For he his moder dorste love.1420P. ii. 175And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde,Diverse loves tok in honde,Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere:1620And for sche wolde hirselve skiere,Sche made comun that desport,And sette a lawe of such a port,That every womman mihte takeWhat man hire liste, and noght forsakeTo ben als comun as sche wolde.1621Sche was the ferste also which tolde1430That wommen scholde here bodi selle;Semiramis, so as men telle,Of Venus kepte thilke aprise,And so dede in the same wiseOf Rome faire Neabole,Which liste hire bodi to rigole;Sche was to every man felawe,And hild the lust of thilke lawe,1622Which Venus of hirself began;Wherof that sche the name wan,1440Why men hire clepen the goddesseOf love and ek of gentilesse,Of worldes lust and of plesance.Se nou the foule mescreanceOf Greks in thilke time tho,Whan Venus tok hire name so.Ther was no cause under the Mone1623Of which thei hadden tho to done,Of wel or wo wher so it was,That thei ne token in that cas1450P. ii. 176A god to helpe or a goddesse.Wherof, to take mi witnesse,Nota de Epistola Dindimi Regis Bragmannorum Alexandro magno directa, vbi dicit quod Greci tunc ad corporis conseruacionem pro singulis membris singulos deos specialiter appropriari credunt.The king of Bragmans Dindimus1624Wrot unto Alisandre thus:In blaminge of the Grekes feithAnd of the misbelieve, he seithHow thei for every membre haddenA sondri god, to whom thei spraddenHere armes, and of help besoghten.Minerve for the hed thei soghten,1460For sche was wys, and of a manThe wit and reson which he canIs in the celles of the brayn,Wherof thei made hire soverain.Mercurie, which was in his dawesA gret spekere of false lawes,On him the kepinge of the tungeThei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.For Bachus was a glotoun eke,Him for the throte thei beseke,1470That he it wolde waisshen ofteWith swote drinkes and with softe.The god of schuldres and of armesWas Hercules; for he in armesThe myhtieste was to fihte,To him tho Limes they behihte.1625The god whom that thei clepen Mart1626The brest to kepe hath for his part,Forth with the herte, in his ymageThat he adresce the corage.1480P. ii. 177And of the galle the goddesse,For sche was full of hastifesse1627Of wraththe and liht to grieve also,Thei made and seide it was Juno.Cupide, which the brond afyre1628Bar in his hond, he was the Sire1629Of the Stomak, which builleth evere,Wherof the lustes ben the levere.To the goddesse Cereres,1630Which of the corn yaf hire encress1490Upon the feith that tho was take,The wombes cure was betake;And Venus thurgh the Lecherie,For which that thei hire deifie,Sche kept al doun the remenant1631To thilke office appourtenant.[Origin of Idol-worship.]Thus was dispers in sondri wiseThe misbelieve, as I devise,Nota de prima ydolorum cultura, que ex tribus precipue Statuis exorta est; quarum prima fuit illa, quam in filii sui memoriam quidam princeps nomine Cirophanes a sculptore Promotheo fabricari constituit.With many an ymage of entaile,Of suche as myhte hem noght availe;1500For thei withoute lyves chiereUnmyhti ben to se or hiereOr speke or do or elles fiele;And yit the foles to hem knele,Which is here oghne handes werk.Ha lord, hou this believe is derk,And fer fro resonable wit!And natheles thei don it yit:That was to day a ragged tre,To morwe upon his majeste1510P. ii. 178Stant in the temple wel besein.How myhte a mannes resoun seinThat such a Stock mai helpe or grieve?Bot thei that ben of such believeAnd unto suche goddes calle,It schal to hem riht so befalle,And failen ate moste nede.1632Bot if thee list to taken hiedeAnd of the ferste ymage wite,Petornius therof hath write16331520And ek Nigargorus also;And thei afferme and write so,That Promotheüs was toforeAnd fond the ferste craft therfore,And Cirophanes, as thei telle,Thurgh conseil which was take in helle,1634In remembrance of his lignage1635Let setten up the ferste ymage.Of Cirophanes seith the bok,That he for sorwe, which he tok1530Of that he sih his Sone ded,Of confort knew non other red,Bot let do make in remembranceA faire ymage of his semblanceAnd sette it in the market place,1636Which openly tofore his faceStod every dai to don him ese.And thei that thanne wolden pleseThe fader, scholden it obeie,Whan that they comen thilke weie.1540P. ii. 179Secunda Statua fuit illa, quam ad sui patris Beli culturam Rex Ninus fieri et adorari decreuit. Et sic de nomine Beli postea Bel et Belzebub ydolum accreuit.And of Ninus king of AssireI rede hou that in his empireHe was next after the secoundeOf hem that ferst ymages founde.For he riht in semblable casOf Belus, which his fader wasFro Nembroth in the rihte line,Let make of gold and Stones fineA precious ymage richeAfter his fader evene liche;1550And therupon a lawe he sette,That every man of pure detteWith sacrifice and with truageHonoure scholde thilke ymage:So that withinne time it fell,Of Belus cam the name of Bel,Of Bel cam Belzebub, and soThe misbelieve wente tho.Tercia Statua fuit illa, que ad honorem Apis Regis Grecorum sculpta fuit, cui postea nomen Serapis imponentes, ipsum quasi deum Pagani coluerunt.The thridde ymage next to thisWas, whan the king of Grece Apis1560Was ded, thei maden a figureIn resemblance of his stature.Of this king Apis seith the bokThat Serapis his name tok,In whom thurgh long continuanceOf misbelieve a gret creanceThei hadden, and the reverenceOf Sacrifice and of encenceTo him thei made: and as thei telle,Among the wondres that befelle,1570P. ii. 180Whan Alisandre fro CandaceCam ridende, in a wilde placeUndur an hull a Cave he fond;1637And Candalus, which in that londWas bore, and was Candaces Sone,Him tolde hou that of commun woneThe goddes were in thilke cave.And he, that wolde assaie and have1638A knowlechinge if it be soth,Liht of his hors and in he goth,1580And fond therinne that he soghte:For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte,Amonges othre goddes moThat Serapis spak to him tho,Whom he sih there in gret arrai.And thus the fend fro dai to daiThe worschipe of ydolatrieDrowh forth upon the fantasieOf hem that weren thanne blindeAnd couthen noght the trouthe finde.1590Thus hast thou herd in what degreOf Grece, Egipte and of CaldeeThe misbelieves whilom stode;1639And hou so that thei be noght goodeNe trewe, yit thei sprungen oute,Wherof the wyde world abouteHis part of misbelieve tok.Til so befell, as seith the bok,That god a poeple for himselveHath chose of the lignages tuelve,1600P. ii. 181Wherof the sothe redely,As it is write in Genesi,I thenke telle in such a wiseThat it schal be to thin apprise.[iv.Belief of the Jews.]De Hebreorum seu Iudeorum Secta, quorum Sinagoga, ecclesia Cristi superueniente, defecit.After the flod, fro which NoëWas sauf, the world in his degreWas mad, as who seith, newe ayein,Of flour, of fruit, of gras, of grein,Of beste, of bridd and of mankinde,Which evere hath be to god unkinde:1610For noght withstondende al the fare,Of that this world was mad so bareAnd afterward it was restored,Among the men was nothing moredTowardes god of good lyvynge,Bot al was torned to likingeAfter the fleissh, so that foryeteWas he which yaf hem lif and mete,Of hevene and Erthe creatour.And thus cam forth the grete errour,1620That thei the hihe god ne knewe,Bot maden othre goddes newe,As thou hast herd me seid tofore:Ther was noman that time bore,1640That he ne hadde after his choisA god, to whom he yaf his vois.Wherof the misbelieve camInto the time of Habraham:1641Bot he fond out the rihte weie,Hou only that men scholde obeie1630P. ii. 182The hihe god, which weldeth al,And evere hath don and evere schal,In hevene, in Erthe and ek in helle;1642Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle.This Patriarch to his lignageForbad, that thei to non ymageEncline scholde in none wise,Bot here offrende and sacrifiseWith al the hole hertes loveUnto the mihti god above1640Thei scholden yive and to no mo:And thus in thilke time thoBegan the Secte upon this Erthe,1643Which of believes was the ferthe.Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived,So moste it nedes be received1644Of him that alle riht is inne,1645The hihe god, which wolde winneA poeple unto his oghne feith.On Habraham the ground he leith,1650And made him forto multeplieInto so gret a progenie,That thei Egipte al overspradde.1646Bot Pharao with wrong hem laddeIn servitute ayein the pes,Til god let sende MoïsesTo make the deliverance;And for his poeple gret venganceHe tok, which is to hiere a wonder.The king was slain, the lond put under,1660P. ii. 183God bad the rede See divide,Which stod upriht on either side1647And yaf unto his poeple a weie,That thei on fote it passe dreie1648And gon so forth into desert:Wher forto kepe hem in covert,The daies, whan the Sonne brente,1649A large cloude hem overwente,And forto wissen hem be nyhte,A firy Piler hem alyhte.1670And whan that thei for hunger pleigne,The myhti god began to reyneManna fro hevene doun to grounde,Wherof that ech of hem hath foundeHis fode, such riht as him liste;And for thei scholde upon him triste,Riht as who sette a tonne abroche,He percede the harde roche,1650And sprong out water al at wille,That man and beste hath drunke his fille:1680And afterward he yaf the laweTo Moïses, that hem withdraweThei scholden noght fro that he bad.And in this wise thei be lad,Til thei toke in possession1651The londes of promission,Wher that Caleph and JosuëThe Marches upon such degreDeparten, after the lignageThat ech of hem as Heritage1690P. ii. 184His porpartie hath underfonge.And thus stod this believe longe,Which of prophetes was governed;And thei hadde ek the poeple lernedOf gret honour that scholde hem falle;Bot ate moste nede of alleThei faileden, whan Crist was bore.Bot hou that thei here feith have bore,1652It nedeth noght to tellen al,The matiere is so general:1700Whan Lucifer was best in heveneAnd oghte moste have stonde in evene,Towardes god he tok debat;And for that he was obstinat,And wolde noght to trouthe encline,He fell for evere into ruine:And Adam ek in Paradis,Whan he stod most in al his prisAfter thastat of Innocence,Ayein the god brak his defence1710And fell out of his place aweie:And riht be such a maner weieThe Jwes in here beste plit,1653Whan that thei scholden most parfitHave stonde upon the prophecie,1654Tho fellen thei to most folie,And him which was fro hevene come,And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome,And was among hem bore and fedd,As men that wolden noght be spedd1720P. ii. 185Of goddes Sone, with o voisThei hinge and slowhe upon the crois.Wherof the parfit of here laweFro thanne forth hem was withdrawe,So that thei stonde of no merit,Bot in truage as folk soubgitWithoute proprete of placeThei liven out of goddes grace,Dispers in alle londes oute.And thus the feith is come aboute,1730That whilom in the Jewes stod,Which is noght parfihtliche good.To speke as it is nou befalle,Ther is a feith aboven alle,In which the trouthe is comprehended,Wherof that we ben alle amended.
Nota, qualiter Sibeles Dearum1580Mater et origo nuncupatur.So as Saturne is sovereinOf false goddes, as thei sein,So is Sibeles of goddessesThe Moder, whom withoute gessesThe folk Payene honoure and serve,As thei the whiche hire lawe observe.1581Bot forto knowen upon thisFro when sche cam and what sche is,1140Bethincia the contre hihte,Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte;And after was Saturnes wif,Be whom thre children in hire lifSche bar, and thei were cleped thoJuno, Neptunus and Pluto,The whiche of nyce fantasieThe poeple wolde deifie.And for hire children were so,1582Sibeles thanne was also1150P. ii. 166Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calleThe moder of the goddes alle.So was that name bore forth,And yit the cause is litel worth.Iuno Dea Regnorum et diuiciarum.1583A vois unto Saturne toldeHou that his oghne Sone him scholde1584Out of his regne putte aweie;And he be cause of thilke weie,That him was schape such a fate,Sibele his wif began to hate1160And ek hire progenie bothe.And thus, whil that thei were wrothe,Be Philerem upon a daiIn his avouterie he lai,On whom he Jupiter begat;1585And thilke child was after thatWhich wroghte al that was prophecied,As it tofore is specefied:So that whan Jupiter of CreteWas king, a wif unto him mete1170The Dowhter of Sibele he tok,And that was Juno, seith the bok.1586Of his deificacionAfter the false oppinion,That have I told, so as thei meene;And for this Juno was the queene1587Of Jupiter and Soster eke,The foles unto hire sieke,And sein that sche is the goddesseOf Regnes bothe and of richesse:1180P. ii. 167And ek sche, as thei understonde,The water Nimphes hath in hondeTo leden at hire oghne heste;And whan hir list the Sky tempeste,The reinbowe is hir Messager.Lo, which a misbelieve is hier!That sche goddesse is of the SkyI wot non other cause why.Minerua Dea sapienciarum.An other goddesse is Minerve,To whom the Greks obeie and serve:1190And sche was nyh the grete layOf Triton founde, wher sche layA child forcast, bot what sche wasTher knew noman the sothe cas.Bot in Aufrique sche was leidIn the manere as I have seid,And caried fro that ilke placeInto an Yle fer in Trace,The which Palene thanne hihte,1588Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte.1200And after, for sche was so wys1589That sche fond ferst in hire avisThe cloth makinge of wolle and lyn,1590Men seiden that sche was divin,And the goddesse of SapienceThei clepen hire in that credence.Pallas Dea bellorum.1591Of the goddesse which PallasIs cleped sondri speche was.On seith hire fader was Pallant,Which in his time was geant,1210P. ii. 168A cruel man, a bataillous:An other seith hou in his housSche was the cause why he deide.And of this Pallas some ek seideThat sche was Martes wif; and soAmong the men that weren thoOf misbelieve in the rioteThe goddesse of batailles hoteShe was, and yit sche berth the name.Now loke, hou they be forto blame.1220Ceres dea frugum.1592Saturnus after his exilFro Crete cam in gret perilInto the londes of Ytaile,And ther he dede gret mervaile,Wherof his name duelleth yit.For he fond of his oghne witThe ferste craft of plowh tilinge,Of Eringe and of corn sowinge,And how men scholden sette vinesAnd of the grapes make wynes;15931230Al this he tawhte, and it fell so,His wif, the which cam with him tho,1594Was cleped Cereres be name,And for sche tawhte also the same,And was his wif that ilke throwe,As it was to the poeple knowe,Thei made of Ceres a goddesse,In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse,1595And sein that TricoloniusHire Sone goth amonges ous1240P. ii. 169And makth the corn good chep or dere,Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere;So that this wif be cause of thisGoddesse of Cornes cleped is.Diana Dea Moncium et Siluarum.1596King Jupiter, which his likingeWhilom fulfelde in alle thinge,So priveliche aboute he laddeHis lust, that he his wille haddeOf Latona, and on hire thatDiane his dowhter he begat1250Unknowen of his wif Juno.And afterward sche knew it so,1597That Latona for drede fledde1598Into an Ile, wher sche heddeHire wombe, which of childe aros.Thilke yle cleped was Delos;1599In which Diana was forthbroght,And kept so that hire lacketh noght.And after, whan sche was of Age,Sche tok non hiede of mariage,1260Bot out of mannes compaignieSche tok hire al to venerie1600In forest and in wildernesse;For ther was al hire besinesseBe daie and ek be nyhtes tydeWith arwes brode under the sideAnd bowe in honde, of which sche slowhAnd tok al that hir liste ynowhOf bestes whiche ben chacable:Wherof the Cronique of this fable1270P. ii. 170Seith that the gentils most of alleWorschipen hire and to hire calle,And the goddesse of hihe helles,Of grene trees, of freisshe welles,They clepen hire in that believe,Which that no reson mai achieve.Proserpina Dea Infernorum.Proserpina, which dowhter wasOf Cereres, befell this cas:Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile,1601Hire moder in that ilke while1280Upon hire blessinge and hire hesteBad that sche scholde ben honeste,And lerne forto weve and spinne,And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne.Bot sche caste al that lore aweie,And as sche wente hir out to pleie,1602To gadre floures in a pleine,1603And that was under the monteineOf Ethna, fell the same tydeThat Pluto cam that weie ryde,16041290And sodeinly, er sche was war,He tok hire up into his char.And as thei riden in the field,Hire grete beaute he behield,Which was so plesant in his ÿe,That forto holde in compainieHe weddeth hire and hield hire so1605To ben his wif for everemo.And as thou hast tofore herd telleHou he was cleped god of helle,1300P. ii. 171So is sche cleped the goddesseBe cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.Confessor.Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde,The Greks whilom be daies oldeHere goddes hadde in sondri wise,And thurgh the lore of here apriseThe Romeins hielden ek the same.And in the worschipe of here name1606To every godd in specialThei made a temple forth withal,1310And ech of hem his yeeres daiAttitled hadde; and of araiThe temples weren thanne ordeigned,And ek the poeple was constreignedTo come and don here sacrifice;The Prestes ek in here officeSolempne maden thilke festes.And thus the Greks lich to the bestes1607The men in stede of god honoure,Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure,1320Whil that thei were alyve hiere.And over this, as thou schalt hiere,Nota, quod dii Montium Satiri vocantur.The Greks fulfild of fantasieSein ek that of the helles hiheThe goddes ben in special,Bot of here name in generalThei hoten alle Satiri.Oreades Nimphe Montium.Ther ben of Nimphes proprelyIn the believe of hem also:Oreades thei seiden tho1330P. ii. 172Attitled ben to the monteines;1608Driades Siluarum.And for the wodes in demeynesTo kepe, tho ben Driades;1609Naiades fontium.Of freisshe welles Naiades;And of the Nimphes of the SeeNereides Marium.1610I finde a tale in proprete,Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece,Which hadde of infortune a piece,—His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle,1611So as the happes scholden falle,1340With many a gentil womman thereDreint in the salte See thei were:Wherof the Greks that time seiden,And such a name upon hem leiden,Nereïdes that thei ben hote,The Nimphes whiche that thei noteTo regne upon the stremes salte.Lo now, if this believe halte!Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle,1612In every place wher thei duelle1350Thei ben al redi obeissantAs damoiselles entendantTo the goddesses, whos servise1613Thei mote obeie in alle wise;Wherof the Greks to hem besekeWith tho that ben goddesses eke,And have in hem a gret credence.Manes dii mortuorum.1614And yit withoute experienceSalve only of illusion,Which was to hem dampnacion,1360P. ii. 173For men also that were dedeThei hadden goddes, as I rede,And tho be name Manes hihten,To whom ful gret honour thei dihten,So as the Grekes lawe seith,Which was ayein the rihte feith.Thus have I told a gret partie;Bot al the hole progenieOf goddes in that ilke timeTo long it were forto rime.1370Bot yit of that which thou hast herd,Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd,Ther is a gret diversite.Amans.Mi fader, riht so thenketh me.Bot yit o thing I you beseche,Which stant in alle mennes speche,The godd and the goddesse of love,Of whom ye nothing hier aboveHave told, ne spoken of her fare,That ye me wolden now declare1380Hou thei ferst comen to that name.1615Mi Sone, I have it left for schame,Be cause I am here oghne Prest;1616Qualiter Cupido et Venus deus et dea amoris nuncupantur.1617Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest1618Upon the schrifte of thi matiere,Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere:And understand nou wel the cas.Venus Saturnes dowhter was,Which alle danger putte aweieOf love, and fond to lust a weie;1390P. ii. 174So that of hire in sondri placeDiverse men felle into grace,And such a lusti lif sche ladde,That sche diverse children hadde,Nou on be this, nou on be that.Of hire it was that Mars beyatA child, which cleped was Armene;Of hire also cam Andragene,To whom Mercurie fader was:Anchises begat Eneas1400Of hire also, and EriconBiten begat, and therupon,Whan that sche sih ther was non other,Be Jupiter hire oghne brotherSche lay, and he begat Cupide.1619And thilke Sone upon a tyde,Whan he was come unto his Age,He hadde a wonder fair visage,And fond his Moder amourous,And he was also lecherous:1410So whan thei weren bothe al one,As he which yhen hadde noneTo se reson, his Moder kiste;And sche also, that nothing wisteBot that which unto lust belongeth,To ben hire love him underfongeth.Thus was he blind, and sche unwys:Bot natheles this cause it is,Why Cupide is the god of love,For he his moder dorste love.1420P. ii. 175And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde,Diverse loves tok in honde,Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere:1620And for sche wolde hirselve skiere,Sche made comun that desport,And sette a lawe of such a port,That every womman mihte takeWhat man hire liste, and noght forsakeTo ben als comun as sche wolde.1621Sche was the ferste also which tolde1430That wommen scholde here bodi selle;Semiramis, so as men telle,Of Venus kepte thilke aprise,And so dede in the same wiseOf Rome faire Neabole,Which liste hire bodi to rigole;Sche was to every man felawe,And hild the lust of thilke lawe,1622Which Venus of hirself began;Wherof that sche the name wan,1440Why men hire clepen the goddesseOf love and ek of gentilesse,Of worldes lust and of plesance.Se nou the foule mescreanceOf Greks in thilke time tho,Whan Venus tok hire name so.Ther was no cause under the Mone1623Of which thei hadden tho to done,Of wel or wo wher so it was,That thei ne token in that cas1450P. ii. 176A god to helpe or a goddesse.Wherof, to take mi witnesse,Nota de Epistola Dindimi Regis Bragmannorum Alexandro magno directa, vbi dicit quod Greci tunc ad corporis conseruacionem pro singulis membris singulos deos specialiter appropriari credunt.The king of Bragmans Dindimus1624Wrot unto Alisandre thus:In blaminge of the Grekes feithAnd of the misbelieve, he seithHow thei for every membre haddenA sondri god, to whom thei spraddenHere armes, and of help besoghten.Minerve for the hed thei soghten,1460For sche was wys, and of a manThe wit and reson which he canIs in the celles of the brayn,Wherof thei made hire soverain.Mercurie, which was in his dawesA gret spekere of false lawes,On him the kepinge of the tungeThei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.For Bachus was a glotoun eke,Him for the throte thei beseke,1470That he it wolde waisshen ofteWith swote drinkes and with softe.The god of schuldres and of armesWas Hercules; for he in armesThe myhtieste was to fihte,To him tho Limes they behihte.1625The god whom that thei clepen Mart1626The brest to kepe hath for his part,Forth with the herte, in his ymageThat he adresce the corage.1480P. ii. 177And of the galle the goddesse,For sche was full of hastifesse1627Of wraththe and liht to grieve also,Thei made and seide it was Juno.Cupide, which the brond afyre1628Bar in his hond, he was the Sire1629Of the Stomak, which builleth evere,Wherof the lustes ben the levere.To the goddesse Cereres,1630Which of the corn yaf hire encress1490Upon the feith that tho was take,The wombes cure was betake;And Venus thurgh the Lecherie,For which that thei hire deifie,Sche kept al doun the remenant1631To thilke office appourtenant.[Origin of Idol-worship.]Thus was dispers in sondri wiseThe misbelieve, as I devise,Nota de prima ydolorum cultura, que ex tribus precipue Statuis exorta est; quarum prima fuit illa, quam in filii sui memoriam quidam princeps nomine Cirophanes a sculptore Promotheo fabricari constituit.With many an ymage of entaile,Of suche as myhte hem noght availe;1500For thei withoute lyves chiereUnmyhti ben to se or hiereOr speke or do or elles fiele;And yit the foles to hem knele,Which is here oghne handes werk.Ha lord, hou this believe is derk,And fer fro resonable wit!And natheles thei don it yit:That was to day a ragged tre,To morwe upon his majeste1510P. ii. 178Stant in the temple wel besein.How myhte a mannes resoun seinThat such a Stock mai helpe or grieve?Bot thei that ben of such believeAnd unto suche goddes calle,It schal to hem riht so befalle,And failen ate moste nede.1632Bot if thee list to taken hiedeAnd of the ferste ymage wite,Petornius therof hath write16331520And ek Nigargorus also;And thei afferme and write so,That Promotheüs was toforeAnd fond the ferste craft therfore,And Cirophanes, as thei telle,Thurgh conseil which was take in helle,1634In remembrance of his lignage1635Let setten up the ferste ymage.Of Cirophanes seith the bok,That he for sorwe, which he tok1530Of that he sih his Sone ded,Of confort knew non other red,Bot let do make in remembranceA faire ymage of his semblanceAnd sette it in the market place,1636Which openly tofore his faceStod every dai to don him ese.And thei that thanne wolden pleseThe fader, scholden it obeie,Whan that they comen thilke weie.1540P. ii. 179Secunda Statua fuit illa, quam ad sui patris Beli culturam Rex Ninus fieri et adorari decreuit. Et sic de nomine Beli postea Bel et Belzebub ydolum accreuit.And of Ninus king of AssireI rede hou that in his empireHe was next after the secoundeOf hem that ferst ymages founde.For he riht in semblable casOf Belus, which his fader wasFro Nembroth in the rihte line,Let make of gold and Stones fineA precious ymage richeAfter his fader evene liche;1550And therupon a lawe he sette,That every man of pure detteWith sacrifice and with truageHonoure scholde thilke ymage:So that withinne time it fell,Of Belus cam the name of Bel,Of Bel cam Belzebub, and soThe misbelieve wente tho.Tercia Statua fuit illa, que ad honorem Apis Regis Grecorum sculpta fuit, cui postea nomen Serapis imponentes, ipsum quasi deum Pagani coluerunt.The thridde ymage next to thisWas, whan the king of Grece Apis1560Was ded, thei maden a figureIn resemblance of his stature.Of this king Apis seith the bokThat Serapis his name tok,In whom thurgh long continuanceOf misbelieve a gret creanceThei hadden, and the reverenceOf Sacrifice and of encenceTo him thei made: and as thei telle,Among the wondres that befelle,1570P. ii. 180Whan Alisandre fro CandaceCam ridende, in a wilde placeUndur an hull a Cave he fond;1637And Candalus, which in that londWas bore, and was Candaces Sone,Him tolde hou that of commun woneThe goddes were in thilke cave.And he, that wolde assaie and have1638A knowlechinge if it be soth,Liht of his hors and in he goth,1580And fond therinne that he soghte:For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte,Amonges othre goddes moThat Serapis spak to him tho,Whom he sih there in gret arrai.And thus the fend fro dai to daiThe worschipe of ydolatrieDrowh forth upon the fantasieOf hem that weren thanne blindeAnd couthen noght the trouthe finde.1590Thus hast thou herd in what degreOf Grece, Egipte and of CaldeeThe misbelieves whilom stode;1639And hou so that thei be noght goodeNe trewe, yit thei sprungen oute,Wherof the wyde world abouteHis part of misbelieve tok.Til so befell, as seith the bok,That god a poeple for himselveHath chose of the lignages tuelve,1600P. ii. 181Wherof the sothe redely,As it is write in Genesi,I thenke telle in such a wiseThat it schal be to thin apprise.[iv.Belief of the Jews.]De Hebreorum seu Iudeorum Secta, quorum Sinagoga, ecclesia Cristi superueniente, defecit.After the flod, fro which NoëWas sauf, the world in his degreWas mad, as who seith, newe ayein,Of flour, of fruit, of gras, of grein,Of beste, of bridd and of mankinde,Which evere hath be to god unkinde:1610For noght withstondende al the fare,Of that this world was mad so bareAnd afterward it was restored,Among the men was nothing moredTowardes god of good lyvynge,Bot al was torned to likingeAfter the fleissh, so that foryeteWas he which yaf hem lif and mete,Of hevene and Erthe creatour.And thus cam forth the grete errour,1620That thei the hihe god ne knewe,Bot maden othre goddes newe,As thou hast herd me seid tofore:Ther was noman that time bore,1640That he ne hadde after his choisA god, to whom he yaf his vois.Wherof the misbelieve camInto the time of Habraham:1641Bot he fond out the rihte weie,Hou only that men scholde obeie1630P. ii. 182The hihe god, which weldeth al,And evere hath don and evere schal,In hevene, in Erthe and ek in helle;1642Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle.This Patriarch to his lignageForbad, that thei to non ymageEncline scholde in none wise,Bot here offrende and sacrifiseWith al the hole hertes loveUnto the mihti god above1640Thei scholden yive and to no mo:And thus in thilke time thoBegan the Secte upon this Erthe,1643Which of believes was the ferthe.Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived,So moste it nedes be received1644Of him that alle riht is inne,1645The hihe god, which wolde winneA poeple unto his oghne feith.On Habraham the ground he leith,1650And made him forto multeplieInto so gret a progenie,That thei Egipte al overspradde.1646Bot Pharao with wrong hem laddeIn servitute ayein the pes,Til god let sende MoïsesTo make the deliverance;And for his poeple gret venganceHe tok, which is to hiere a wonder.The king was slain, the lond put under,1660P. ii. 183God bad the rede See divide,Which stod upriht on either side1647And yaf unto his poeple a weie,That thei on fote it passe dreie1648And gon so forth into desert:Wher forto kepe hem in covert,The daies, whan the Sonne brente,1649A large cloude hem overwente,And forto wissen hem be nyhte,A firy Piler hem alyhte.1670And whan that thei for hunger pleigne,The myhti god began to reyneManna fro hevene doun to grounde,Wherof that ech of hem hath foundeHis fode, such riht as him liste;And for thei scholde upon him triste,Riht as who sette a tonne abroche,He percede the harde roche,1650And sprong out water al at wille,That man and beste hath drunke his fille:1680And afterward he yaf the laweTo Moïses, that hem withdraweThei scholden noght fro that he bad.And in this wise thei be lad,Til thei toke in possession1651The londes of promission,Wher that Caleph and JosuëThe Marches upon such degreDeparten, after the lignageThat ech of hem as Heritage1690P. ii. 184His porpartie hath underfonge.And thus stod this believe longe,Which of prophetes was governed;And thei hadde ek the poeple lernedOf gret honour that scholde hem falle;Bot ate moste nede of alleThei faileden, whan Crist was bore.Bot hou that thei here feith have bore,1652It nedeth noght to tellen al,The matiere is so general:1700Whan Lucifer was best in heveneAnd oghte moste have stonde in evene,Towardes god he tok debat;And for that he was obstinat,And wolde noght to trouthe encline,He fell for evere into ruine:And Adam ek in Paradis,Whan he stod most in al his prisAfter thastat of Innocence,Ayein the god brak his defence1710And fell out of his place aweie:And riht be such a maner weieThe Jwes in here beste plit,1653Whan that thei scholden most parfitHave stonde upon the prophecie,1654Tho fellen thei to most folie,And him which was fro hevene come,And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome,And was among hem bore and fedd,As men that wolden noght be spedd1720P. ii. 185Of goddes Sone, with o voisThei hinge and slowhe upon the crois.Wherof the parfit of here laweFro thanne forth hem was withdrawe,So that thei stonde of no merit,Bot in truage as folk soubgitWithoute proprete of placeThei liven out of goddes grace,Dispers in alle londes oute.And thus the feith is come aboute,1730That whilom in the Jewes stod,Which is noght parfihtliche good.To speke as it is nou befalle,Ther is a feith aboven alle,In which the trouthe is comprehended,Wherof that we ben alle amended.
Nota, qualiter Sibeles Dearum1580Mater et origo nuncupatur.So as Saturne is sovereinOf false goddes, as thei sein,So is Sibeles of goddessesThe Moder, whom withoute gessesThe folk Payene honoure and serve,As thei the whiche hire lawe observe.1581Bot forto knowen upon thisFro when sche cam and what sche is,1140Bethincia the contre hihte,Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte;And after was Saturnes wif,Be whom thre children in hire lifSche bar, and thei were cleped thoJuno, Neptunus and Pluto,The whiche of nyce fantasieThe poeple wolde deifie.And for hire children were so,1582Sibeles thanne was also1150P. ii. 166Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calleThe moder of the goddes alle.So was that name bore forth,And yit the cause is litel worth.Iuno Dea Regnorum et diuiciarum.1583A vois unto Saturne toldeHou that his oghne Sone him scholde1584Out of his regne putte aweie;And he be cause of thilke weie,That him was schape such a fate,Sibele his wif began to hate1160And ek hire progenie bothe.And thus, whil that thei were wrothe,Be Philerem upon a daiIn his avouterie he lai,On whom he Jupiter begat;1585And thilke child was after thatWhich wroghte al that was prophecied,As it tofore is specefied:So that whan Jupiter of CreteWas king, a wif unto him mete1170The Dowhter of Sibele he tok,And that was Juno, seith the bok.1586Of his deificacionAfter the false oppinion,That have I told, so as thei meene;And for this Juno was the queene1587Of Jupiter and Soster eke,The foles unto hire sieke,And sein that sche is the goddesseOf Regnes bothe and of richesse:1180P. ii. 167And ek sche, as thei understonde,The water Nimphes hath in hondeTo leden at hire oghne heste;And whan hir list the Sky tempeste,The reinbowe is hir Messager.Lo, which a misbelieve is hier!That sche goddesse is of the SkyI wot non other cause why.Minerua Dea sapienciarum.An other goddesse is Minerve,To whom the Greks obeie and serve:1190And sche was nyh the grete layOf Triton founde, wher sche layA child forcast, bot what sche wasTher knew noman the sothe cas.Bot in Aufrique sche was leidIn the manere as I have seid,And caried fro that ilke placeInto an Yle fer in Trace,The which Palene thanne hihte,1588Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte.1200And after, for sche was so wys1589That sche fond ferst in hire avisThe cloth makinge of wolle and lyn,1590Men seiden that sche was divin,And the goddesse of SapienceThei clepen hire in that credence.Pallas Dea bellorum.1591Of the goddesse which PallasIs cleped sondri speche was.On seith hire fader was Pallant,Which in his time was geant,1210P. ii. 168A cruel man, a bataillous:An other seith hou in his housSche was the cause why he deide.And of this Pallas some ek seideThat sche was Martes wif; and soAmong the men that weren thoOf misbelieve in the rioteThe goddesse of batailles hoteShe was, and yit sche berth the name.Now loke, hou they be forto blame.1220Ceres dea frugum.1592Saturnus after his exilFro Crete cam in gret perilInto the londes of Ytaile,And ther he dede gret mervaile,Wherof his name duelleth yit.For he fond of his oghne witThe ferste craft of plowh tilinge,Of Eringe and of corn sowinge,And how men scholden sette vinesAnd of the grapes make wynes;15931230Al this he tawhte, and it fell so,His wif, the which cam with him tho,1594Was cleped Cereres be name,And for sche tawhte also the same,And was his wif that ilke throwe,As it was to the poeple knowe,Thei made of Ceres a goddesse,In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse,1595And sein that TricoloniusHire Sone goth amonges ous1240P. ii. 169And makth the corn good chep or dere,Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere;So that this wif be cause of thisGoddesse of Cornes cleped is.Diana Dea Moncium et Siluarum.1596King Jupiter, which his likingeWhilom fulfelde in alle thinge,So priveliche aboute he laddeHis lust, that he his wille haddeOf Latona, and on hire thatDiane his dowhter he begat1250Unknowen of his wif Juno.And afterward sche knew it so,1597That Latona for drede fledde1598Into an Ile, wher sche heddeHire wombe, which of childe aros.Thilke yle cleped was Delos;1599In which Diana was forthbroght,And kept so that hire lacketh noght.And after, whan sche was of Age,Sche tok non hiede of mariage,1260Bot out of mannes compaignieSche tok hire al to venerie1600In forest and in wildernesse;For ther was al hire besinesseBe daie and ek be nyhtes tydeWith arwes brode under the sideAnd bowe in honde, of which sche slowhAnd tok al that hir liste ynowhOf bestes whiche ben chacable:Wherof the Cronique of this fable1270P. ii. 170Seith that the gentils most of alleWorschipen hire and to hire calle,And the goddesse of hihe helles,Of grene trees, of freisshe welles,They clepen hire in that believe,Which that no reson mai achieve.Proserpina Dea Infernorum.Proserpina, which dowhter wasOf Cereres, befell this cas:Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile,1601Hire moder in that ilke while1280Upon hire blessinge and hire hesteBad that sche scholde ben honeste,And lerne forto weve and spinne,And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne.Bot sche caste al that lore aweie,And as sche wente hir out to pleie,1602To gadre floures in a pleine,1603And that was under the monteineOf Ethna, fell the same tydeThat Pluto cam that weie ryde,16041290And sodeinly, er sche was war,He tok hire up into his char.And as thei riden in the field,Hire grete beaute he behield,Which was so plesant in his ÿe,That forto holde in compainieHe weddeth hire and hield hire so1605To ben his wif for everemo.And as thou hast tofore herd telleHou he was cleped god of helle,1300P. ii. 171So is sche cleped the goddesseBe cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.Confessor.Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde,The Greks whilom be daies oldeHere goddes hadde in sondri wise,And thurgh the lore of here apriseThe Romeins hielden ek the same.And in the worschipe of here name1606To every godd in specialThei made a temple forth withal,1310And ech of hem his yeeres daiAttitled hadde; and of araiThe temples weren thanne ordeigned,And ek the poeple was constreignedTo come and don here sacrifice;The Prestes ek in here officeSolempne maden thilke festes.And thus the Greks lich to the bestes1607The men in stede of god honoure,Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure,1320Whil that thei were alyve hiere.And over this, as thou schalt hiere,Nota, quod dii Montium Satiri vocantur.The Greks fulfild of fantasieSein ek that of the helles hiheThe goddes ben in special,Bot of here name in generalThei hoten alle Satiri.Oreades Nimphe Montium.Ther ben of Nimphes proprelyIn the believe of hem also:Oreades thei seiden tho1330P. ii. 172Attitled ben to the monteines;1608Driades Siluarum.And for the wodes in demeynesTo kepe, tho ben Driades;1609Naiades fontium.Of freisshe welles Naiades;And of the Nimphes of the SeeNereides Marium.1610I finde a tale in proprete,Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece,Which hadde of infortune a piece,—His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle,1611So as the happes scholden falle,1340With many a gentil womman thereDreint in the salte See thei were:Wherof the Greks that time seiden,And such a name upon hem leiden,Nereïdes that thei ben hote,The Nimphes whiche that thei noteTo regne upon the stremes salte.Lo now, if this believe halte!Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle,1612In every place wher thei duelle1350Thei ben al redi obeissantAs damoiselles entendantTo the goddesses, whos servise1613Thei mote obeie in alle wise;Wherof the Greks to hem besekeWith tho that ben goddesses eke,And have in hem a gret credence.Manes dii mortuorum.1614And yit withoute experienceSalve only of illusion,Which was to hem dampnacion,1360P. ii. 173For men also that were dedeThei hadden goddes, as I rede,And tho be name Manes hihten,To whom ful gret honour thei dihten,So as the Grekes lawe seith,Which was ayein the rihte feith.Thus have I told a gret partie;Bot al the hole progenieOf goddes in that ilke timeTo long it were forto rime.1370Bot yit of that which thou hast herd,Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd,Ther is a gret diversite.Amans.Mi fader, riht so thenketh me.Bot yit o thing I you beseche,Which stant in alle mennes speche,The godd and the goddesse of love,Of whom ye nothing hier aboveHave told, ne spoken of her fare,That ye me wolden now declare1380Hou thei ferst comen to that name.1615Mi Sone, I have it left for schame,Be cause I am here oghne Prest;1616Qualiter Cupido et Venus deus et dea amoris nuncupantur.1617Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest1618Upon the schrifte of thi matiere,Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere:And understand nou wel the cas.Venus Saturnes dowhter was,Which alle danger putte aweieOf love, and fond to lust a weie;1390P. ii. 174So that of hire in sondri placeDiverse men felle into grace,And such a lusti lif sche ladde,That sche diverse children hadde,Nou on be this, nou on be that.Of hire it was that Mars beyatA child, which cleped was Armene;Of hire also cam Andragene,To whom Mercurie fader was:Anchises begat Eneas1400Of hire also, and EriconBiten begat, and therupon,Whan that sche sih ther was non other,Be Jupiter hire oghne brotherSche lay, and he begat Cupide.1619And thilke Sone upon a tyde,Whan he was come unto his Age,He hadde a wonder fair visage,And fond his Moder amourous,And he was also lecherous:1410So whan thei weren bothe al one,As he which yhen hadde noneTo se reson, his Moder kiste;And sche also, that nothing wisteBot that which unto lust belongeth,To ben hire love him underfongeth.Thus was he blind, and sche unwys:Bot natheles this cause it is,Why Cupide is the god of love,For he his moder dorste love.1420P. ii. 175And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde,Diverse loves tok in honde,Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere:1620And for sche wolde hirselve skiere,Sche made comun that desport,And sette a lawe of such a port,That every womman mihte takeWhat man hire liste, and noght forsakeTo ben als comun as sche wolde.1621Sche was the ferste also which tolde1430That wommen scholde here bodi selle;Semiramis, so as men telle,Of Venus kepte thilke aprise,And so dede in the same wiseOf Rome faire Neabole,Which liste hire bodi to rigole;Sche was to every man felawe,And hild the lust of thilke lawe,1622Which Venus of hirself began;Wherof that sche the name wan,1440Why men hire clepen the goddesseOf love and ek of gentilesse,Of worldes lust and of plesance.Se nou the foule mescreanceOf Greks in thilke time tho,Whan Venus tok hire name so.Ther was no cause under the Mone1623Of which thei hadden tho to done,Of wel or wo wher so it was,That thei ne token in that cas1450P. ii. 176A god to helpe or a goddesse.Wherof, to take mi witnesse,Nota de Epistola Dindimi Regis Bragmannorum Alexandro magno directa, vbi dicit quod Greci tunc ad corporis conseruacionem pro singulis membris singulos deos specialiter appropriari credunt.The king of Bragmans Dindimus1624Wrot unto Alisandre thus:In blaminge of the Grekes feithAnd of the misbelieve, he seithHow thei for every membre haddenA sondri god, to whom thei spraddenHere armes, and of help besoghten.Minerve for the hed thei soghten,1460For sche was wys, and of a manThe wit and reson which he canIs in the celles of the brayn,Wherof thei made hire soverain.Mercurie, which was in his dawesA gret spekere of false lawes,On him the kepinge of the tungeThei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.For Bachus was a glotoun eke,Him for the throte thei beseke,1470That he it wolde waisshen ofteWith swote drinkes and with softe.The god of schuldres and of armesWas Hercules; for he in armesThe myhtieste was to fihte,To him tho Limes they behihte.1625The god whom that thei clepen Mart1626The brest to kepe hath for his part,Forth with the herte, in his ymageThat he adresce the corage.1480P. ii. 177And of the galle the goddesse,For sche was full of hastifesse1627Of wraththe and liht to grieve also,Thei made and seide it was Juno.Cupide, which the brond afyre1628Bar in his hond, he was the Sire1629Of the Stomak, which builleth evere,Wherof the lustes ben the levere.To the goddesse Cereres,1630Which of the corn yaf hire encress1490Upon the feith that tho was take,The wombes cure was betake;And Venus thurgh the Lecherie,For which that thei hire deifie,Sche kept al doun the remenant1631To thilke office appourtenant.[Origin of Idol-worship.]Thus was dispers in sondri wiseThe misbelieve, as I devise,Nota de prima ydolorum cultura, que ex tribus precipue Statuis exorta est; quarum prima fuit illa, quam in filii sui memoriam quidam princeps nomine Cirophanes a sculptore Promotheo fabricari constituit.With many an ymage of entaile,Of suche as myhte hem noght availe;1500For thei withoute lyves chiereUnmyhti ben to se or hiereOr speke or do or elles fiele;And yit the foles to hem knele,Which is here oghne handes werk.Ha lord, hou this believe is derk,And fer fro resonable wit!And natheles thei don it yit:That was to day a ragged tre,To morwe upon his majeste1510P. ii. 178Stant in the temple wel besein.How myhte a mannes resoun seinThat such a Stock mai helpe or grieve?Bot thei that ben of such believeAnd unto suche goddes calle,It schal to hem riht so befalle,And failen ate moste nede.1632Bot if thee list to taken hiedeAnd of the ferste ymage wite,Petornius therof hath write16331520And ek Nigargorus also;And thei afferme and write so,That Promotheüs was toforeAnd fond the ferste craft therfore,And Cirophanes, as thei telle,Thurgh conseil which was take in helle,1634In remembrance of his lignage1635Let setten up the ferste ymage.Of Cirophanes seith the bok,That he for sorwe, which he tok1530Of that he sih his Sone ded,Of confort knew non other red,Bot let do make in remembranceA faire ymage of his semblanceAnd sette it in the market place,1636Which openly tofore his faceStod every dai to don him ese.And thei that thanne wolden pleseThe fader, scholden it obeie,Whan that they comen thilke weie.1540P. ii. 179Secunda Statua fuit illa, quam ad sui patris Beli culturam Rex Ninus fieri et adorari decreuit. Et sic de nomine Beli postea Bel et Belzebub ydolum accreuit.And of Ninus king of AssireI rede hou that in his empireHe was next after the secoundeOf hem that ferst ymages founde.For he riht in semblable casOf Belus, which his fader wasFro Nembroth in the rihte line,Let make of gold and Stones fineA precious ymage richeAfter his fader evene liche;1550And therupon a lawe he sette,That every man of pure detteWith sacrifice and with truageHonoure scholde thilke ymage:So that withinne time it fell,Of Belus cam the name of Bel,Of Bel cam Belzebub, and soThe misbelieve wente tho.Tercia Statua fuit illa, que ad honorem Apis Regis Grecorum sculpta fuit, cui postea nomen Serapis imponentes, ipsum quasi deum Pagani coluerunt.The thridde ymage next to thisWas, whan the king of Grece Apis1560Was ded, thei maden a figureIn resemblance of his stature.Of this king Apis seith the bokThat Serapis his name tok,In whom thurgh long continuanceOf misbelieve a gret creanceThei hadden, and the reverenceOf Sacrifice and of encenceTo him thei made: and as thei telle,Among the wondres that befelle,1570P. ii. 180Whan Alisandre fro CandaceCam ridende, in a wilde placeUndur an hull a Cave he fond;1637And Candalus, which in that londWas bore, and was Candaces Sone,Him tolde hou that of commun woneThe goddes were in thilke cave.And he, that wolde assaie and have1638A knowlechinge if it be soth,Liht of his hors and in he goth,1580And fond therinne that he soghte:For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte,Amonges othre goddes moThat Serapis spak to him tho,Whom he sih there in gret arrai.And thus the fend fro dai to daiThe worschipe of ydolatrieDrowh forth upon the fantasieOf hem that weren thanne blindeAnd couthen noght the trouthe finde.1590Thus hast thou herd in what degreOf Grece, Egipte and of CaldeeThe misbelieves whilom stode;1639And hou so that thei be noght goodeNe trewe, yit thei sprungen oute,Wherof the wyde world abouteHis part of misbelieve tok.Til so befell, as seith the bok,That god a poeple for himselveHath chose of the lignages tuelve,1600P. ii. 181Wherof the sothe redely,As it is write in Genesi,I thenke telle in such a wiseThat it schal be to thin apprise.[iv.Belief of the Jews.]De Hebreorum seu Iudeorum Secta, quorum Sinagoga, ecclesia Cristi superueniente, defecit.After the flod, fro which NoëWas sauf, the world in his degreWas mad, as who seith, newe ayein,Of flour, of fruit, of gras, of grein,Of beste, of bridd and of mankinde,Which evere hath be to god unkinde:1610For noght withstondende al the fare,Of that this world was mad so bareAnd afterward it was restored,Among the men was nothing moredTowardes god of good lyvynge,Bot al was torned to likingeAfter the fleissh, so that foryeteWas he which yaf hem lif and mete,Of hevene and Erthe creatour.And thus cam forth the grete errour,1620That thei the hihe god ne knewe,Bot maden othre goddes newe,As thou hast herd me seid tofore:Ther was noman that time bore,1640That he ne hadde after his choisA god, to whom he yaf his vois.Wherof the misbelieve camInto the time of Habraham:1641Bot he fond out the rihte weie,Hou only that men scholde obeie1630P. ii. 182The hihe god, which weldeth al,And evere hath don and evere schal,In hevene, in Erthe and ek in helle;1642Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle.This Patriarch to his lignageForbad, that thei to non ymageEncline scholde in none wise,Bot here offrende and sacrifiseWith al the hole hertes loveUnto the mihti god above1640Thei scholden yive and to no mo:And thus in thilke time thoBegan the Secte upon this Erthe,1643Which of believes was the ferthe.Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived,So moste it nedes be received1644Of him that alle riht is inne,1645The hihe god, which wolde winneA poeple unto his oghne feith.On Habraham the ground he leith,1650And made him forto multeplieInto so gret a progenie,That thei Egipte al overspradde.1646Bot Pharao with wrong hem laddeIn servitute ayein the pes,Til god let sende MoïsesTo make the deliverance;And for his poeple gret venganceHe tok, which is to hiere a wonder.The king was slain, the lond put under,1660P. ii. 183God bad the rede See divide,Which stod upriht on either side1647And yaf unto his poeple a weie,That thei on fote it passe dreie1648And gon so forth into desert:Wher forto kepe hem in covert,The daies, whan the Sonne brente,1649A large cloude hem overwente,And forto wissen hem be nyhte,A firy Piler hem alyhte.1670And whan that thei for hunger pleigne,The myhti god began to reyneManna fro hevene doun to grounde,Wherof that ech of hem hath foundeHis fode, such riht as him liste;And for thei scholde upon him triste,Riht as who sette a tonne abroche,He percede the harde roche,1650And sprong out water al at wille,That man and beste hath drunke his fille:1680And afterward he yaf the laweTo Moïses, that hem withdraweThei scholden noght fro that he bad.And in this wise thei be lad,Til thei toke in possession1651The londes of promission,Wher that Caleph and JosuëThe Marches upon such degreDeparten, after the lignageThat ech of hem as Heritage1690P. ii. 184His porpartie hath underfonge.And thus stod this believe longe,Which of prophetes was governed;And thei hadde ek the poeple lernedOf gret honour that scholde hem falle;Bot ate moste nede of alleThei faileden, whan Crist was bore.Bot hou that thei here feith have bore,1652It nedeth noght to tellen al,The matiere is so general:1700Whan Lucifer was best in heveneAnd oghte moste have stonde in evene,Towardes god he tok debat;And for that he was obstinat,And wolde noght to trouthe encline,He fell for evere into ruine:And Adam ek in Paradis,Whan he stod most in al his prisAfter thastat of Innocence,Ayein the god brak his defence1710And fell out of his place aweie:And riht be such a maner weieThe Jwes in here beste plit,1653Whan that thei scholden most parfitHave stonde upon the prophecie,1654Tho fellen thei to most folie,And him which was fro hevene come,And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome,And was among hem bore and fedd,As men that wolden noght be spedd1720P. ii. 185Of goddes Sone, with o voisThei hinge and slowhe upon the crois.Wherof the parfit of here laweFro thanne forth hem was withdrawe,So that thei stonde of no merit,Bot in truage as folk soubgitWithoute proprete of placeThei liven out of goddes grace,Dispers in alle londes oute.And thus the feith is come aboute,1730That whilom in the Jewes stod,Which is noght parfihtliche good.To speke as it is nou befalle,Ther is a feith aboven alle,In which the trouthe is comprehended,Wherof that we ben alle amended.
Nota, qualiter Sibeles Dearum1580Mater et origo nuncupatur.
So as Saturne is soverein
Of false goddes, as thei sein,
So is Sibeles of goddesses
The Moder, whom withoute gesses
The folk Payene honoure and serve,
As thei the whiche hire lawe observe.1581
Bot forto knowen upon this
Fro when sche cam and what sche is,1140
Bethincia the contre hihte,
Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte;
And after was Saturnes wif,
Be whom thre children in hire lif
Sche bar, and thei were cleped tho
Juno, Neptunus and Pluto,
The whiche of nyce fantasie
The poeple wolde deifie.
And for hire children were so,1582
Sibeles thanne was also1150
P. ii. 166
Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calle
The moder of the goddes alle.
So was that name bore forth,
And yit the cause is litel worth.
Iuno Dea Regnorum et diuiciarum.1583
A vois unto Saturne tolde
Hou that his oghne Sone him scholde1584
Out of his regne putte aweie;
And he be cause of thilke weie,
That him was schape such a fate,
Sibele his wif began to hate1160
And ek hire progenie bothe.
And thus, whil that thei were wrothe,
Be Philerem upon a dai
In his avouterie he lai,
On whom he Jupiter begat;1585
And thilke child was after that
Which wroghte al that was prophecied,
As it tofore is specefied:
So that whan Jupiter of Crete
Was king, a wif unto him mete1170
The Dowhter of Sibele he tok,
And that was Juno, seith the bok.1586
Of his deificacion
After the false oppinion,
That have I told, so as thei meene;
And for this Juno was the queene1587
Of Jupiter and Soster eke,
The foles unto hire sieke,
And sein that sche is the goddesse
Of Regnes bothe and of richesse:1180
P. ii. 167
And ek sche, as thei understonde,
The water Nimphes hath in honde
To leden at hire oghne heste;
And whan hir list the Sky tempeste,
The reinbowe is hir Messager.
Lo, which a misbelieve is hier!
That sche goddesse is of the Sky
I wot non other cause why.
Minerua Dea sapienciarum.
An other goddesse is Minerve,
To whom the Greks obeie and serve:1190
And sche was nyh the grete lay
Of Triton founde, wher sche lay
A child forcast, bot what sche was
Ther knew noman the sothe cas.
Bot in Aufrique sche was leid
In the manere as I have seid,
And caried fro that ilke place
Into an Yle fer in Trace,
The which Palene thanne hihte,1588
Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte.1200
And after, for sche was so wys1589
That sche fond ferst in hire avis
The cloth makinge of wolle and lyn,1590
Men seiden that sche was divin,
And the goddesse of Sapience
Thei clepen hire in that credence.
Pallas Dea bellorum.1591
Of the goddesse which Pallas
Is cleped sondri speche was.
On seith hire fader was Pallant,
Which in his time was geant,1210
P. ii. 168
A cruel man, a bataillous:
An other seith hou in his hous
Sche was the cause why he deide.
And of this Pallas some ek seide
That sche was Martes wif; and so
Among the men that weren tho
Of misbelieve in the riote
The goddesse of batailles hote
She was, and yit sche berth the name.
Now loke, hou they be forto blame.1220
Ceres dea frugum.1592
Saturnus after his exil
Fro Crete cam in gret peril
Into the londes of Ytaile,
And ther he dede gret mervaile,
Wherof his name duelleth yit.
For he fond of his oghne wit
The ferste craft of plowh tilinge,
Of Eringe and of corn sowinge,
And how men scholden sette vines
And of the grapes make wynes;15931230
Al this he tawhte, and it fell so,
His wif, the which cam with him tho,1594
Was cleped Cereres be name,
And for sche tawhte also the same,
And was his wif that ilke throwe,
As it was to the poeple knowe,
Thei made of Ceres a goddesse,
In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse,1595
And sein that Tricolonius
Hire Sone goth amonges ous1240
P. ii. 169
And makth the corn good chep or dere,
Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere;
So that this wif be cause of this
Goddesse of Cornes cleped is.
Diana Dea Moncium et Siluarum.1596
King Jupiter, which his likinge
Whilom fulfelde in alle thinge,
So priveliche aboute he ladde
His lust, that he his wille hadde
Of Latona, and on hire that
Diane his dowhter he begat1250
Unknowen of his wif Juno.
And afterward sche knew it so,1597
That Latona for drede fledde1598
Into an Ile, wher sche hedde
Hire wombe, which of childe aros.
Thilke yle cleped was Delos;1599
In which Diana was forthbroght,
And kept so that hire lacketh noght.
And after, whan sche was of Age,
Sche tok non hiede of mariage,1260
Bot out of mannes compaignie
Sche tok hire al to venerie1600
In forest and in wildernesse;
For ther was al hire besinesse
Be daie and ek be nyhtes tyde
With arwes brode under the side
And bowe in honde, of which sche slowh
And tok al that hir liste ynowh
Of bestes whiche ben chacable:
Wherof the Cronique of this fable1270
P. ii. 170
Seith that the gentils most of alle
Worschipen hire and to hire calle,
And the goddesse of hihe helles,
Of grene trees, of freisshe welles,
They clepen hire in that believe,
Which that no reson mai achieve.
Proserpina Dea Infernorum.
Proserpina, which dowhter was
Of Cereres, befell this cas:
Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile,1601
Hire moder in that ilke while1280
Upon hire blessinge and hire heste
Bad that sche scholde ben honeste,
And lerne forto weve and spinne,
And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne.
Bot sche caste al that lore aweie,
And as sche wente hir out to pleie,1602
To gadre floures in a pleine,1603
And that was under the monteine
Of Ethna, fell the same tyde
That Pluto cam that weie ryde,16041290
And sodeinly, er sche was war,
He tok hire up into his char.
And as thei riden in the field,
Hire grete beaute he behield,
Which was so plesant in his ÿe,
That forto holde in compainie
He weddeth hire and hield hire so1605
To ben his wif for everemo.
And as thou hast tofore herd telle
Hou he was cleped god of helle,1300
P. ii. 171
So is sche cleped the goddesse
Be cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.
Confessor.
Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde,
The Greks whilom be daies olde
Here goddes hadde in sondri wise,
And thurgh the lore of here aprise
The Romeins hielden ek the same.
And in the worschipe of here name1606
To every godd in special
Thei made a temple forth withal,1310
And ech of hem his yeeres dai
Attitled hadde; and of arai
The temples weren thanne ordeigned,
And ek the poeple was constreigned
To come and don here sacrifice;
The Prestes ek in here office
Solempne maden thilke festes.
And thus the Greks lich to the bestes1607
The men in stede of god honoure,
Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure,1320
Whil that thei were alyve hiere.
And over this, as thou schalt hiere,
Nota, quod dii Montium Satiri vocantur.
The Greks fulfild of fantasie
Sein ek that of the helles hihe
The goddes ben in special,
Bot of here name in general
Thei hoten alle Satiri.
Oreades Nimphe Montium.
Ther ben of Nimphes proprely
In the believe of hem also:
Oreades thei seiden tho1330
P. ii. 172
Attitled ben to the monteines;1608
Driades Siluarum.
And for the wodes in demeynes
To kepe, tho ben Driades;1609
Naiades fontium.
Of freisshe welles Naiades;
And of the Nimphes of the See
Nereides Marium.1610
I finde a tale in proprete,
Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece,
Which hadde of infortune a piece,—
His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle,1611
So as the happes scholden falle,1340
With many a gentil womman there
Dreint in the salte See thei were:
Wherof the Greks that time seiden,
And such a name upon hem leiden,
Nereïdes that thei ben hote,
The Nimphes whiche that thei note
To regne upon the stremes salte.
Lo now, if this believe halte!
Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle,1612
In every place wher thei duelle1350
Thei ben al redi obeissant
As damoiselles entendant
To the goddesses, whos servise1613
Thei mote obeie in alle wise;
Wherof the Greks to hem beseke
With tho that ben goddesses eke,
And have in hem a gret credence.
Manes dii mortuorum.1614
And yit withoute experience
Salve only of illusion,
Which was to hem dampnacion,1360
P. ii. 173
For men also that were dede
Thei hadden goddes, as I rede,
And tho be name Manes hihten,
To whom ful gret honour thei dihten,
So as the Grekes lawe seith,
Which was ayein the rihte feith.
Thus have I told a gret partie;
Bot al the hole progenie
Of goddes in that ilke time
To long it were forto rime.1370
Bot yit of that which thou hast herd,
Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd,
Ther is a gret diversite.
Amans.
Mi fader, riht so thenketh me.
Bot yit o thing I you beseche,
Which stant in alle mennes speche,
The godd and the goddesse of love,
Of whom ye nothing hier above
Have told, ne spoken of her fare,
That ye me wolden now declare1380
Hou thei ferst comen to that name.1615
Mi Sone, I have it left for schame,
Be cause I am here oghne Prest;1616
Qualiter Cupido et Venus deus et dea amoris nuncupantur.1617
Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest1618
Upon the schrifte of thi matiere,
Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere:
And understand nou wel the cas.
Venus Saturnes dowhter was,
Which alle danger putte aweie
Of love, and fond to lust a weie;1390
P. ii. 174
So that of hire in sondri place
Diverse men felle into grace,
And such a lusti lif sche ladde,
That sche diverse children hadde,
Nou on be this, nou on be that.
Of hire it was that Mars beyat
A child, which cleped was Armene;
Of hire also cam Andragene,
To whom Mercurie fader was:
Anchises begat Eneas1400
Of hire also, and Ericon
Biten begat, and therupon,
Whan that sche sih ther was non other,
Be Jupiter hire oghne brother
Sche lay, and he begat Cupide.1619
And thilke Sone upon a tyde,
Whan he was come unto his Age,
He hadde a wonder fair visage,
And fond his Moder amourous,
And he was also lecherous:1410
So whan thei weren bothe al one,
As he which yhen hadde none
To se reson, his Moder kiste;
And sche also, that nothing wiste
Bot that which unto lust belongeth,
To ben hire love him underfongeth.
Thus was he blind, and sche unwys:
Bot natheles this cause it is,
Why Cupide is the god of love,
For he his moder dorste love.1420
P. ii. 175
And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde,
Diverse loves tok in honde,
Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere:1620
And for sche wolde hirselve skiere,
Sche made comun that desport,
And sette a lawe of such a port,
That every womman mihte take
What man hire liste, and noght forsake
To ben als comun as sche wolde.1621
Sche was the ferste also which tolde1430
That wommen scholde here bodi selle;
Semiramis, so as men telle,
Of Venus kepte thilke aprise,
And so dede in the same wise
Of Rome faire Neabole,
Which liste hire bodi to rigole;
Sche was to every man felawe,
And hild the lust of thilke lawe,1622
Which Venus of hirself began;
Wherof that sche the name wan,1440
Why men hire clepen the goddesse
Of love and ek of gentilesse,
Of worldes lust and of plesance.
Se nou the foule mescreance
Of Greks in thilke time tho,
Whan Venus tok hire name so.
Ther was no cause under the Mone1623
Of which thei hadden tho to done,
Of wel or wo wher so it was,
That thei ne token in that cas1450
P. ii. 176
A god to helpe or a goddesse.
Wherof, to take mi witnesse,
Nota de Epistola Dindimi Regis Bragmannorum Alexandro magno directa, vbi dicit quod Greci tunc ad corporis conseruacionem pro singulis membris singulos deos specialiter appropriari credunt.
The king of Bragmans Dindimus1624
Wrot unto Alisandre thus:
In blaminge of the Grekes feith
And of the misbelieve, he seith
How thei for every membre hadden
A sondri god, to whom thei spradden
Here armes, and of help besoghten.
Minerve for the hed thei soghten,1460
For sche was wys, and of a man
The wit and reson which he can
Is in the celles of the brayn,
Wherof thei made hire soverain.
Mercurie, which was in his dawes
A gret spekere of false lawes,
On him the kepinge of the tunge
Thei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.
For Bachus was a glotoun eke,
Him for the throte thei beseke,1470
That he it wolde waisshen ofte
With swote drinkes and with softe.
The god of schuldres and of armes
Was Hercules; for he in armes
The myhtieste was to fihte,
To him tho Limes they behihte.1625
The god whom that thei clepen Mart1626
The brest to kepe hath for his part,
Forth with the herte, in his ymage
That he adresce the corage.1480
P. ii. 177
And of the galle the goddesse,
For sche was full of hastifesse1627
Of wraththe and liht to grieve also,
Thei made and seide it was Juno.
Cupide, which the brond afyre1628
Bar in his hond, he was the Sire1629
Of the Stomak, which builleth evere,
Wherof the lustes ben the levere.
To the goddesse Cereres,1630
Which of the corn yaf hire encress1490
Upon the feith that tho was take,
The wombes cure was betake;
And Venus thurgh the Lecherie,
For which that thei hire deifie,
Sche kept al doun the remenant1631
To thilke office appourtenant.
[Origin of Idol-worship.]
Thus was dispers in sondri wise
The misbelieve, as I devise,
Nota de prima ydolorum cultura, que ex tribus precipue Statuis exorta est; quarum prima fuit illa, quam in filii sui memoriam quidam princeps nomine Cirophanes a sculptore Promotheo fabricari constituit.
With many an ymage of entaile,
Of suche as myhte hem noght availe;1500
For thei withoute lyves chiere
Unmyhti ben to se or hiere
Or speke or do or elles fiele;
And yit the foles to hem knele,
Which is here oghne handes werk.
Ha lord, hou this believe is derk,
And fer fro resonable wit!
And natheles thei don it yit:
That was to day a ragged tre,
To morwe upon his majeste1510
P. ii. 178
Stant in the temple wel besein.
How myhte a mannes resoun sein
That such a Stock mai helpe or grieve?
Bot thei that ben of such believe
And unto suche goddes calle,
It schal to hem riht so befalle,
And failen ate moste nede.1632
Bot if thee list to taken hiede
And of the ferste ymage wite,
Petornius therof hath write16331520
And ek Nigargorus also;
And thei afferme and write so,
That Promotheüs was tofore
And fond the ferste craft therfore,
And Cirophanes, as thei telle,
Thurgh conseil which was take in helle,1634
In remembrance of his lignage1635
Let setten up the ferste ymage.
Of Cirophanes seith the bok,
That he for sorwe, which he tok1530
Of that he sih his Sone ded,
Of confort knew non other red,
Bot let do make in remembrance
A faire ymage of his semblance
And sette it in the market place,1636
Which openly tofore his face
Stod every dai to don him ese.
And thei that thanne wolden plese
The fader, scholden it obeie,
Whan that they comen thilke weie.1540
P. ii. 179
Secunda Statua fuit illa, quam ad sui patris Beli culturam Rex Ninus fieri et adorari decreuit. Et sic de nomine Beli postea Bel et Belzebub ydolum accreuit.
And of Ninus king of Assire
I rede hou that in his empire
He was next after the secounde
Of hem that ferst ymages founde.
For he riht in semblable cas
Of Belus, which his fader was
Fro Nembroth in the rihte line,
Let make of gold and Stones fine
A precious ymage riche
After his fader evene liche;1550
And therupon a lawe he sette,
That every man of pure dette
With sacrifice and with truage
Honoure scholde thilke ymage:
So that withinne time it fell,
Of Belus cam the name of Bel,
Of Bel cam Belzebub, and so
The misbelieve wente tho.
Tercia Statua fuit illa, que ad honorem Apis Regis Grecorum sculpta fuit, cui postea nomen Serapis imponentes, ipsum quasi deum Pagani coluerunt.
The thridde ymage next to this
Was, whan the king of Grece Apis1560
Was ded, thei maden a figure
In resemblance of his stature.
Of this king Apis seith the bok
That Serapis his name tok,
In whom thurgh long continuance
Of misbelieve a gret creance
Thei hadden, and the reverence
Of Sacrifice and of encence
To him thei made: and as thei telle,
Among the wondres that befelle,1570
P. ii. 180
Whan Alisandre fro Candace
Cam ridende, in a wilde place
Undur an hull a Cave he fond;1637
And Candalus, which in that lond
Was bore, and was Candaces Sone,
Him tolde hou that of commun wone
The goddes were in thilke cave.
And he, that wolde assaie and have1638
A knowlechinge if it be soth,
Liht of his hors and in he goth,1580
And fond therinne that he soghte:
For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte,
Amonges othre goddes mo
That Serapis spak to him tho,
Whom he sih there in gret arrai.
And thus the fend fro dai to dai
The worschipe of ydolatrie
Drowh forth upon the fantasie
Of hem that weren thanne blinde
And couthen noght the trouthe finde.1590
Thus hast thou herd in what degre
Of Grece, Egipte and of Caldee
The misbelieves whilom stode;1639
And hou so that thei be noght goode
Ne trewe, yit thei sprungen oute,
Wherof the wyde world aboute
His part of misbelieve tok.
Til so befell, as seith the bok,
That god a poeple for himselve
Hath chose of the lignages tuelve,1600
P. ii. 181
Wherof the sothe redely,
As it is write in Genesi,
I thenke telle in such a wise
That it schal be to thin apprise.
[iv.Belief of the Jews.]
De Hebreorum seu Iudeorum Secta, quorum Sinagoga, ecclesia Cristi superueniente, defecit.
After the flod, fro which Noë
Was sauf, the world in his degre
Was mad, as who seith, newe ayein,
Of flour, of fruit, of gras, of grein,
Of beste, of bridd and of mankinde,
Which evere hath be to god unkinde:1610
For noght withstondende al the fare,
Of that this world was mad so bare
And afterward it was restored,
Among the men was nothing mored
Towardes god of good lyvynge,
Bot al was torned to likinge
After the fleissh, so that foryete
Was he which yaf hem lif and mete,
Of hevene and Erthe creatour.
And thus cam forth the grete errour,1620
That thei the hihe god ne knewe,
Bot maden othre goddes newe,
As thou hast herd me seid tofore:
Ther was noman that time bore,1640
That he ne hadde after his chois
A god, to whom he yaf his vois.
Wherof the misbelieve cam
Into the time of Habraham:1641
Bot he fond out the rihte weie,
Hou only that men scholde obeie1630
P. ii. 182
The hihe god, which weldeth al,
And evere hath don and evere schal,
In hevene, in Erthe and ek in helle;1642
Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle.
This Patriarch to his lignage
Forbad, that thei to non ymage
Encline scholde in none wise,
Bot here offrende and sacrifise
With al the hole hertes love
Unto the mihti god above1640
Thei scholden yive and to no mo:
And thus in thilke time tho
Began the Secte upon this Erthe,1643
Which of believes was the ferthe.
Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived,
So moste it nedes be received1644
Of him that alle riht is inne,1645
The hihe god, which wolde winne
A poeple unto his oghne feith.
On Habraham the ground he leith,1650
And made him forto multeplie
Into so gret a progenie,
That thei Egipte al overspradde.1646
Bot Pharao with wrong hem ladde
In servitute ayein the pes,
Til god let sende Moïses
To make the deliverance;
And for his poeple gret vengance
He tok, which is to hiere a wonder.
The king was slain, the lond put under,1660
P. ii. 183
God bad the rede See divide,
Which stod upriht on either side1647
And yaf unto his poeple a weie,
That thei on fote it passe dreie1648
And gon so forth into desert:
Wher forto kepe hem in covert,
The daies, whan the Sonne brente,1649
A large cloude hem overwente,
And forto wissen hem be nyhte,
A firy Piler hem alyhte.1670
And whan that thei for hunger pleigne,
The myhti god began to reyne
Manna fro hevene doun to grounde,
Wherof that ech of hem hath founde
His fode, such riht as him liste;
And for thei scholde upon him triste,
Riht as who sette a tonne abroche,
He percede the harde roche,1650
And sprong out water al at wille,
That man and beste hath drunke his fille:1680
And afterward he yaf the lawe
To Moïses, that hem withdrawe
Thei scholden noght fro that he bad.
And in this wise thei be lad,
Til thei toke in possession1651
The londes of promission,
Wher that Caleph and Josuë
The Marches upon such degre
Departen, after the lignage
That ech of hem as Heritage1690
P. ii. 184
His porpartie hath underfonge.
And thus stod this believe longe,
Which of prophetes was governed;
And thei hadde ek the poeple lerned
Of gret honour that scholde hem falle;
Bot ate moste nede of alle
Thei faileden, whan Crist was bore.
Bot hou that thei here feith have bore,1652
It nedeth noght to tellen al,
The matiere is so general:1700
Whan Lucifer was best in hevene
And oghte moste have stonde in evene,
Towardes god he tok debat;
And for that he was obstinat,
And wolde noght to trouthe encline,
He fell for evere into ruine:
And Adam ek in Paradis,
Whan he stod most in al his pris
After thastat of Innocence,
Ayein the god brak his defence1710
And fell out of his place aweie:
And riht be such a maner weie
The Jwes in here beste plit,1653
Whan that thei scholden most parfit
Have stonde upon the prophecie,1654
Tho fellen thei to most folie,
And him which was fro hevene come,
And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome,
And was among hem bore and fedd,
As men that wolden noght be spedd1720
P. ii. 185
Of goddes Sone, with o vois
Thei hinge and slowhe upon the crois.
Wherof the parfit of here lawe
Fro thanne forth hem was withdrawe,
So that thei stonde of no merit,
Bot in truage as folk soubgit
Withoute proprete of place
Thei liven out of goddes grace,
Dispers in alle londes oute.
And thus the feith is come aboute,1730
That whilom in the Jewes stod,
Which is noght parfihtliche good.
To speke as it is nou befalle,
Ther is a feith aboven alle,
In which the trouthe is comprehended,
Wherof that we ben alle amended.