[Tale of Babio and Croceus.]Skarsnesse and love acorden nevere,For every thing is wel the levere,Whan that a man hath boght it diere:Hic loquitur contra istos, qui Auaricia stricti largitatis beneficium in amoris causa confundunt. Et ponit exemplum, qualiter Croceus largus et hillaris Babionem292auarum et tenacem de amore Viole, que pulcherrima fuit, donis largissimis circumuenit.And forto speke in this matiere,For sparinge of a litel costFulofte time a man hath lostThe large cote for the hod.What man that scars is of his good291And wol noght yive, he schal noght take:With yifte a man mai undertake4790The hihe god to plese and queme,With yifte a man the world mai deme;293P. ii. 288For every creature bore,If thou him yive, is glad therfore,And every gladschipe, as I finde,Is confort unto loves kindeAnd causeth ofte a man to spede.So was he wys that ferst yaf mede,For mede kepeth love in house;Bot wher the men ben coveitouse4800And sparen forto yive a part,Thei knowe noght Cupides art:For his fortune and his apriseDesdeigneth alle coveitiseAnd hateth alle nygardie.And forto loke of this partie,A soth ensample, hou it is so,I finde write of Babio;294Which hadde a love at his menage,Ther was non fairere of hire age,4810And hihte Viola be name;Which full of youthe and ful of gameWas of hirself, and large and fre,Bot such an other chinche as he295Men wisten noght in al the lond,And hadde affaited to his hondHis servant, the which Spodius296Was hote. And in this wise thus297The worldes good of sufficanceWas had, bot likinge and plesance,4820Of that belongeth to richesseOf love, stod in gret destresse;P. ii. 289So that this yonge lusty wyhtOf thing which fell to loves rihtWas evele served overal,That sche was wo bego withal,Til that Cupide and Venus ekeA medicine for the sekeOrdeigne wolden in this cas.So as fortune thanne was,4830Of love upon the destineIt fell, riht as it scholde be,A freissh, a fre, a frendly manThat noght of Avarice can,Which Croceus be name hihte,Toward this swete caste his sihte,And ther sche was cam in presence.Sche sih him large of his despence,And amorous and glad of chiere,So that hir liketh wel to hiere4840The goodly wordes whiche he seide;And therupon of love he preide,Of love was al that he mente,To love and for sche scholde assente,He yaf hire yiftes evere among.Bot for men sein that mede is strong,It was wel seene at thilke tyde;For as it scholde of ryht betyde,This Viola largesce hath takeAnd the nygard sche hath forsake:4850Of Babio sche wol no more,298For he was grucchende everemore,P. ii. 290Ther was with him non other fareBot forto prinche and forto spare,Of worldes muk to gete encress.So goth the wrecche loveles,299Bejaped for his Skarcete,And he that large was and freAnd sette his herte to despende,This Croceus, the bowe bende,4860Which Venus tok him forto holde,And schotte als ofte as evere he wolde.300Lo, thus departeth love his lawe,That what man wol noght be felaweTo yive and spende, as I thee telle,He is noght worthi forto duelleIn loves court to be relieved.Forthi, my Sone, if I be lieved,301Thou schalt be large of thi despence.Amans.Mi fader, in mi conscience4870If ther be eny thing amis,I wol amende it after this,302Toward mi love namely.Confessor.Mi Sone, wel and redelyThou seist, so that wel paid withalI am, and forthere if I schalUnto thi schrifte specefie303Of Avarices progenieWhat vice suieth after this,Thou schalt have wonder hou it is,4880Among the folk in eny regneThat such a vice myhte regne,P. ii. 291Which is comun at alle assaies,As men mai finde nou adaies.[Ingratitude.]vii.Cuncta creatura, deus et qui cuncta creauit,Dampnant ingrati dicta que facta viri.304Non dolor alonge stat, quo sibi talis amicam305Traxit, et in fine deserit esse suam.The vice lik unto the fend,Which nevere yit was mannes frend,And cleped is Unkindeschipe,Hic loquitur super illa aborta specie Auaricie, que Ingratitudo, dicta est, cuius condicionem non solum creator, set eciam cuncte creature abhominabilem detestantur.Of covine and of felaschipeWith Avarice he is withholde.Him thenkth he scholde noght ben holde4890Unto the moder which him bar;Of him mai nevere man be war,He wol noght knowe the merite,For that he wolde it noght aquite;Which in this world is mochel used,And fewe ben therof excused.To telle of him is endeles,Bot this I seie natheles,Wher as this vice comth to londe,Ther takth noman his thonk on honde;4900Thogh he with alle his myhtes serve,He schal of him no thonk deserve.He takth what eny man wol yive,Bot whil he hath o day to live,He wol nothing rewarde ayein;He gruccheth forto yive o grein,Wher he hath take a berne full.That makth a kinde herte dull,P. ii. 292To sette his trust in such frendschipe,Ther as he fint no kindeschipe;4910And forto speke wordes pleine,Thus hiere I many a man compleigne,That nou on daies thou schalt findeAt nede fewe frendes kinde;What thou hast don for hem tofore,It is foryete, as it were lore.The bokes speken of this vice,And telle hou god of his justice,Be weie of kinde and ek natureAnd every lifissh creature,3064920The lawe also, who that it kan,307Thei dampnen an unkinde man.It is al on to seie unkindeAs thing which don is ayein kinde,For it with kinde nevere stodA man to yelden evel for good.For who that wolde taken hede,A beste is glad of a good dede,And loveth thilke creatureAfter the lawe of his nature4930Which doth him ese. And forto seOf this matiere Auctorite,Fulofte time it hath befalle;Wherof a tale amonges alle,Which is of olde ensamplerie,308I thenke forto specefie.[Tale of Adrian and Bardus.]To speke of an unkinde man,I finde hou whilom Adrian,P. ii. 293Of Rome which a gret lord was,Hic dicit qualiter bestie in suis beneficiis hominem ingratum naturaliter precellunt. Et ponit exemplum de Adriano Rome Cenatore, qui in quadam Foresta venacionibus insistens, dum predam persequeretur, in Cisternam profundam nescia familia corruit: vbi superueniens quidam pauper nomine Bardus, immissa cordula, putans hominem extraxisse, primo Simeam extraxit, secundo Serpentem, tercio Adrianum, qui pauperem despiciens aliquid ei pro benefacto reddere recusabat. Set tam Serpens quam Simea gratuita beneuolencia ipsum311singulis donis sufficienter remunerarent.Upon a day as he per cas4940To wode in his huntinge wente,It hapneth at a soudein wente,309After his chace as he poursuieth,Thurgh happ, the which noman eschuieth,310He fell unwar into a pet,Wher that it mihte noght be let.The pet was dep and he fell lowe,That of his men non myhte knoweWher he becam, for non was nyh,Which of his fall the meschief syh.4950And thus al one ther he layClepende and criende al the dayFor socour and deliverance,Til ayein Eve it fell per chance,A while er it began to nyhte,A povere man, which Bardus hihte,Cam forth walkende with his asse,And hadde gadred him a tasseOf grene stickes and of dreieTo selle, who that wolde hem beie,4960As he which hadde no liflode,Bot whanne he myhte such a lodeTo toune with his Asse carie.And as it fell him forto tarieThat ilke time nyh the pet,And hath the trusse faste knet,He herde a vois, which cride dimme,And he his Ere to the brimmeP. ii. 294Hath leid, and herde it was a man,Which seide, ‘Ha, help hier Adrian,4970And I wol yiven half mi good.’The povere man this understod,As he that wolde gladly winne,And to this lord which was withinneHe spak and seide, ‘If I thee save,What sikernesse schal I haveOf covenant, that afterwardThou wolt me yive such rewardAs thou behihtest nou tofore?’That other hath his othes swore4980Be hevene and be the goddes alle,312If that it myhte so befalleThat he out of the pet him broghte,Of all the goodes whiche he oghte313He schal have evene halvendel.This Bardus seide he wolde wel;And with this word his Asse anonHe let untrusse, and theruponDoun goth the corde into the pet,314To which he hath at ende knet4990A staf, wherby, he seide, he woldeThat Adrian him scholde holde.Bot it was tho per chance falle,Into that pet was also falle315An Ape, which at thilke throwe,Whan that the corde cam doun lowe,Al sodeinli therto he skipteAnd it in bothe hise armes clipte.P. ii. 295And Bardus with his Asse anonHim hath updrawe, and he is gon.5000But whan he sih it was an Ape,He wende al hadde ben a japeOf faierie, and sore him dradde:316And Adrian eftsone graddeFor help, and cride and preide faste,And he eftsone his corde caste;Bot whan it cam unto the grounde,A gret Serpent it hath bewounde,The which Bardus anon up drouh.And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh,5010It was fantosme, bot yit he herde317The vois, and he therto ansuerde,‘What wiht art thou in goddes name?’‘I am,’ quod Adrian, ‘the same,Whos good thou schalt have evene half.’Quod Bardus, ‘Thanne a goddes halfThe thridde time assaie I schal’:And caste his corde forth withalInto the pet, and whan it camTo him, this lord of Rome it nam,5020And therupon him hath adresced,318And with his hand fulofte blessed,And thanne he bad to Bardus hale.And he, which understod his tale,Betwen him and his Asse al softe319Hath drawe and set him up alofteWithouten harm al esely.He seith noght ones ‘grant merci,’P. ii. 296Bot strauhte him forth to the cite,And let this povere Bardus be.5030And natheles this simple manHis covenant, so as he can,Hath axed; and that other seide,If so be that he him umbreide320Of oght that hath be speke or do,321It schal ben venged on him so,That him were betre to be ded.And he can tho non other red,But on his asse ayein he casteHis trusse, and hieth homward faste:5040And whan that he cam hom to bedde,He tolde his wif hou that he spedde.Bot finaly to speke oght moreUnto this lord he dradde him sore,So that a word ne dorste he sein:322And thus upon the morwe ayein,In the manere as I recorde,Forth with his Asse and with his cordeTo gadre wode, as he dede er,He goth; and whan that he cam ner5050Unto the place where he wolde,323He hath his Ape anon beholde,Which hadde gadred al abouteOf stickes hiere and there a route,324And leide hem redy to his hond,Wherof he made his trosse and bond;Fro dai to dai and in this wiseThis Ape profreth his servise,P. ii. 297So that he hadde of wode ynouh.Upon a time and as he drouh5060Toward the wode, he sih besydeThe grete gastli Serpent glyde,Til that sche cam in his presence,And in hir kinde a reverence325Sche hath him do, and forth withalA Ston mor briht than a cristallOut of hir mouth tofore his weieSche let doun falle, and wente aweie,For that he schal noght ben adrad.Tho was this povere Bardus glad,5070Thonkende god, and to the Ston326He goth and takth it up anon,And hath gret wonder in his witHou that the beste him hath aquit,Wher that the mannes Sone hath failed,For whom he hadde most travailed.Bot al he putte in goddes hond,And torneth hom, and what he fondUnto his wif he hath it schewed;And thei, that weren bothe lewed,5080Acorden that he scholde it selle.And he no lengere wolde duelle,Bot forth anon upon the taleThe Ston he profreth to the sale;And riht as he himself it sette,The jueler anon forth fetteThe gold and made his paiement,Therof was no delaiement.P. ii. 298Thus whan this Ston was boght and sold,Homward with joie manyfold5090This Bardus goth; and whan he camHom to his hous and that he namHis gold out of his Purs, withinneHe fond his Ston also therinne,Wherof for joie his herte pleide,Unto his wif and thus he seide,‘Lo, hier my gold, lo, hier mi Ston!’His wif hath wonder therupon,And axeth him hou that mai be.‘Nou be mi trouthe I not,’ quod he,5100‘Bot I dar swere upon a bok,That to my Marchant I it tok,327And he it hadde whan I wente:So knowe I noght to what ententeIt is nou hier, bot it be grace.328Forthi tomorwe in other placeI wole it fonde forto selle,And if it wol noght with him duelle,Bot crepe into mi purs ayein,Than dar I saufly swere and sein,5110It is the vertu of the Ston.’329The morwe cam, and he is gonTo seche aboute in other stedeHis Ston to selle, and he so dede,330And lefte it with his chapman there.Bot whan that he cam elleswhere,In presence of his wif at hom,Out of his Purs and that he nomP. ii. 299His gold, he fond his Ston withal:And thus it fell him overal,5120Where he it solde in sondri place,Such was the fortune and the grace.Bot so wel may nothing ben hidd,That it nys ate laste kidd:This fame goth aboute Rome331So ferforth, that the wordes comeTo themperour Justinian;And he let sende for the man,332And axede him hou that it was.And Bardus tolde him al the cas,3335130Hou that the worm and ek the beste,334Althogh thei maden no beheste,His travail hadden wel aquit;Bot he which hadde a mannes wit,335And made his covenant be moutheAnd swor therto al that he coutheTo parte and yiven half his good,Hath nou foryete hou that it stod,As he which wol no trouthe holde.This Emperour al that he tolde5140Hath herd, and thilke unkindenesseHe seide he wolde himself redresse.And thus in court of juggementThis Adrian was thanne assent,And the querele in audience336Declared was in the presenceOf themperour and many mo;Wherof was mochel speche thoP. ii. 300And gret wondringe among the press.Bot ate laste natheles5150For the partie which hath pleignedThe lawe hath diemed and ordeignedBe hem that were avised wel,That he schal have the halvendelThurghout of Adrianes good.And thus of thilke unkinde blodStant the memoire into this day,337Wherof that every wysman may338Ensamplen him, and take in mynde339[Ingratitude.]What schame it is to ben unkinde;5160Ayein the which reson debateth,And every creature it hateth.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, in thin officeI rede fle that ilke vice.For riht as the Cronique seithOf Adrian, hou he his feithForyat for worldes covoitise,Fulofte in such a maner wiseOf lovers nou a man mai seFull manye that unkinde be:5170For wel behote and evele lasteThat is here lif; for ate laste,Whan that thei have here wille do,Here love is after sone ago.What seist thou, Sone, to this cas?Amans.Mi fader, I wol seie Helas,That evere such a man was bore,Which whan he hath his trouthe suoreP. ii. 301And hath of love what he wolde,That he at eny time scholde3405180Evere after in his herte findeTo falsen and to ben unkinde.Bot, fader, as touchende of me,I mai noght stonde in that degre;For I tok nevere of love why,That I ne mai wel go therbyAnd do my profit elles where,For eny sped I finde there.I dar wel thenken al aboute,Bot I ne dar noght speke it oute;5190And if I dorste, I wolde pleigne,That sche for whom I soffre peineAnd love hir evere aliche hote,That nouther yive ne behoteIn rewardinge of mi serviseIt list hire in no maner wise.I wol noght say that sche is kinde,And forto sai sche is unkinde,That dar I noght; bot god above,341Which demeth every herte of love,5200He wot that on myn oghne sideSchal non unkindeschipe abide:If it schal with mi ladi duelle,Therof dar I nomore telle.342Nou, goode fader, as it is,Tell me what thenketh you of this.Confessor.Mi Sone, of that unkindeschipe,The which toward thi ladischipeP. ii. 302Thou pleignest, for sche wol thee noght,Thou art to blamen of that thoght.3435210For it mai be that thi desir,Thogh it brenne evere as doth the fyr,Per cas to hire honour missit,Or elles time com noght yit,Which standt upon thi destine:344Forthi, mi Sone, I rede thee,Thenk wel, what evere the befalle;For noman hath his lustes alle.Bot as thou toldest me beforeThat thou to love art noght forswore,5220And hast don non unkindenesse,Thou miht therof thi grace blesse:And lef noght that continuance;For ther mai be no such grevanceTo love, as is unkindeschipe.345Wherof to kepe thi worschipe,So as these olde bokes tale,I schal thee telle a redi tale:Nou herkne and be wel war therby,For I wol telle it openly.5230[Tale of Theseus and Ariadne.]Mynos, as telleth the Poete,The which whilom was king of Crete,A Sone hadde and AndrocheeHic ponit exemplum contra viros amori ingratos. Et narrat qualiter Theseus Cadmi filius, consilio suffultus347Adriagne Regis Mynos filie, in domo que laborinthus dicitur Minotaurum vicit:348vnde Theseus Adriagne sponsalia certissime promittens ipsam vna cum Fedra sorore sua a Creta secum nauigio duxit. Set statim postea oblito gratitudinis beneficio Adriagnam ipsum saluantem in insula Chio spretam post tergum reliquit; et Fedram Athenis sibi sponsatam ingratus coronauit.He hihte: and so befell that heUnto Athenes forto lereWas send, and so he bar him there,346For that he was of hih lignage,Such pride he tok in his corage,P. ii. 303That he foryeten hath the Scoles,And in riote among the foles5240He dede manye thinges wronge;And useth thilke lif so longe,349Til ate laste of that he wroghteHe fond the meschief which he soghte,Wherof it fell that he was slain.His fader, which it herde sain,Was wroth, and al that evere he mihte,Of men of Armes he him dighte350A strong pouer, and forth he wenteUnto Athenys, where he brenteThe pleine contre al aboute:5250The Cites stode of him in doute,As thei that no defence hadde351Ayein the pouer which he ladde.Egeüs, which was there king,His conseil tok upon this thing,For he was thanne in the Cite:So that of pes into treteeBetwen Mynos and EgeüsThei felle, and ben acorded thus;5260That king Mynos fro yer to yeereReceive schal, as thou schalt here,Out of Athenys for truageOf men that were of myhti AgePersones nyne, of whiche he schalHis wille don in specialFor vengance of his Sones deth.Non other grace ther ne geth,P. ii. 304Bot forto take the juise;And that was don in such a wise,5270Which stod upon a wonder cas.For thilke time so it was,Wherof that men yit rede and singe,King Mynos hadde in his kepingeA cruel Monstre, as seith the geste:For he was half man and half beste,And Minotaurus he was hote,352Which was begete in a rioteUpon Pasiphe, his oghne wif,Whil he was oute upon the strif5280Of thilke grete Siege at Troie.353Bot sche, which lost hath alle joie,354Whan that sche syh this Monstre bore,Bad men ordeigne anon therfore:And fell that ilke time thus,Ther was a Clerk, on Dedalus,Which hadde ben of hire assentOf that hir world was so miswent;355And he made of his oghne wit,Wherof the remembrance is yit,5290For Minotaure such an hous,Which was so strange and merveilous,That what man that withinne wente,Ther was so many a sondri wente,That he ne scholde noght come oute,But gon amased al aboute.And in this hous to loke and wardeWas Minotaurus put in warde,P. ii. 305That what lif that therinne cam,356Or man or beste, he overcam5300And slow, and fedde him therupon;And in this wise many on357Out of Athenys for truageDevoured weren in that rage.For every yeer thei schope hem so,Thei of Athenys, er thei goToward that ilke wofull chance,As it was set in ordinance,358Upon fortune here lot thei caste;Til that Theseüs ate laste,5310Which was the kinges Sone there,Amonges othre that ther wereIn thilke yeer, as it befell,The lot upon his chance fell.He was a worthi kniht withalle;And whan he sih this chance falle,359He ferde as thogh he tok non hiede,Bot al that evere he mihte spiede,With him and with his felaschipeForth into Crete he goth be Schipe;5320Wher that the king Mynos he soghte,360And profreth all that he him oghteUpon the point of here acord.This sterne king, this cruel lordTok every day on of the Nyne,And put him to the discipline361Of Minotaure, to be devoured;Bot Theseüs was so favoured,P. ii. 306That he was kept til ate laste.And in the meene while he caste5330What thing him were best to do:And fell that Adriagne tho,Which was the dowhter of Mynos,And hadde herd the worthi losOf Theseüs and of his myht,And syh he was a lusti kniht,Hire hole herte on him sche leide,And he also of love hir preide,So ferforth that thei were al on.And sche ordeigneth thanne anon5340In what manere he scholde him save,362And schop so that sche dede him haveA clue of thred, of which withinneFerst ate dore he schal beginneWith him to take that on ende,That whan he wolde ayeinward wende,363He mihte go the same weie.And over this, so as I seie,Of pich sche tok him a pelote,364The which he scholde into the throte5350Of Minotaure caste rihte:Such wepne also for him sche dighte,That he be reson mai noght faileTo make an ende of his bataile;For sche him tawhte in sondri wise,Til he was knowe of thilke emprise,Hou he this beste schulde quelle.365And thus, schort tale forto telle,P. ii. 307So as this Maide him hadde tawht,366Theseüs with this Monstre fawht,5360Smot of his hed, the which he nam,And be the thred, so as he cam,He goth ayein, til he were oute.Tho was gret wonder al aboute:367Mynos the tribut hath relessed,And so was al the werre cessedBetwen Athene and hem of Crete.Bot now to speke of thilke suete,Whos beaute was withoute wane,This faire Maiden Adriane,5370Whan that sche sih Theseüs sound,Was nevere yit upon the ground368A gladder wyht than sche was tho.Theseüs duelte a dai or tuoWher that Mynos gret chiere him dede:Theseüs in a prive stedeHath with this Maiden spoke and rouned,That sche to him was abandounedIn al that evere that sche couthe,So that of thilke lusty youthe5380Al prively betwen hem tweieThe ferste flour he tok aweie.For he so faire tho behihteThat evere, whil he live mihte,He scholde hire take for his wif,And as his oghne hertes lifHe scholde hire love and trouthe bere;369And sche, which mihte noght forbere,P. ii. 308So sore loveth him ayein,That what as evere he wolde sein5390With al hire herte sche believeth.And thus his pourpos he achieveth,So that assured of his troutheWith him sche wente, and that was routhe.Fedra hire yonger Soster eke,A lusti Maide, a sobre, a meke,Fulfild of alle curtesie,For Sosterhode and compainieOf love, which was hem betuene,To sen hire Soster mad a queene,5400Hire fader lefte and forth sche wenteWith him, which al his ferste ententeForyat withinne a litel throwe,So that it was al overthrowe,Whan sche best wende it scholde stonde.The Schip was blowe fro the londe,Wherin that thei seilende were;This Adriagne hath mochel fereOf that the wynd so loude bleu,As sche which of the See ne kneu,5410And preide forto reste a whyle.370And so fell that upon an yle,Which Chyo hihte, thei ben drive,Where he to hire his leve hath yiveThat sche schal londe and take hire reste.Bot that was nothing for the beste:For whan sche was to londe broght,Sche, which that time thoghte noghtP. ii. 309Bot alle trouthe, and tok no kepe,Hath leid hire softe forto slepe,5420As sche which longe hath ben forwacched;Bot certes sche was evele macchedAnd fer from alle loves kinde;For more than the beste unkindeTheseüs, which no trouthe kepte,Whil that this yonge ladi slepte,Fulfild of his unkindeschipe371Hath al foryete the goodschipeWhich Adriane him hadde do,And bad unto the Schipmen tho3725430Hale up the seil and noght abyde,And forth he goth the same tydeToward Athene, and hire alondeHe lefte, which lay nyh the strondeSlepende, til that sche awok.Bot whan that sche cast up hire lokToward the stronde and sih no wyht,Hire herte was so sore aflyht,373That sche ne wiste what to thinke;Bot drouh hire to the water brinke,5440Wher sche behield the See at large.Sche sih no Schip, sche sih no bargeAls ferforth as sche mihte kenne:‘Ha lord,’ sche seide, ‘which a Senne,As al the world schal after hiere,Upon this woful womman hiereThis worthi kniht hath don and wroght!I wende I hadde his love boght,P. ii. 310And so deserved ate nede,374Whan that he stod upon his drede,5450And ek the love he me behihte.It is gret wonder hou he mihteTowardes me nou ben unkinde,And so to lete out of his myndeThing which he seide his oghne mouth.Bot after this whan it is couth375And drawe into the worldes fame,376It schal ben hindringe of his name:For wel he wot and so wot I,He yaf his trouthe bodily,5460That he myn honour scholde kepe.’And with that word sche gan to wepe,And sorweth more than ynouh:Hire faire tresces sche todrouh,377And with hirself tok such a strif,378That sche betwen the deth and lif379Swounende lay fulofte among.380And al was this on him along,Which was to love unkinde so,Wherof the wrong schal everemo5470Stonde in Cronique of remembrance.And ek it asketh a venganceTo ben unkinde in loves cas,So as Theseüs thanne was,Al thogh he were a noble kniht;For he the lawe of loves rihtForfeted hath in alle weie,That Adriagne he putte aweie,P. ii. 311Which was a gret unkinde dede:And after this, so as I rede,3815480Fedra, the which hir Soster is,He tok in stede of hire, and thisFel afterward to mochel teene.For thilke vice of which I meene,Unkindeschipe, where it falleth,The trouthe of mannes herte it palleth,That he can no good dede aquite:So mai he stonde of no meriteTowardes god, and ek alsoMen clepen him the worldes fo;5490For he nomore than the fendUnto non other man is frend,Bot al toward himself al one.Forthi, mi Sone, in thi personeThis vice above alle othre fle.Mi fader, as ye techen me,I thenke don in this matiere.Bot over this nou wolde I hiere,Wherof I schal me schryve more.Mi goode Sone, and for thi lore,3825500After the reule of coveitiseI schal the proprete deviseOf every vice by and by.Nou herkne and be welwar therby.
[Tale of Babio and Croceus.]Skarsnesse and love acorden nevere,For every thing is wel the levere,Whan that a man hath boght it diere:Hic loquitur contra istos, qui Auaricia stricti largitatis beneficium in amoris causa confundunt. Et ponit exemplum, qualiter Croceus largus et hillaris Babionem292auarum et tenacem de amore Viole, que pulcherrima fuit, donis largissimis circumuenit.And forto speke in this matiere,For sparinge of a litel costFulofte time a man hath lostThe large cote for the hod.What man that scars is of his good291And wol noght yive, he schal noght take:With yifte a man mai undertake4790The hihe god to plese and queme,With yifte a man the world mai deme;293P. ii. 288For every creature bore,If thou him yive, is glad therfore,And every gladschipe, as I finde,Is confort unto loves kindeAnd causeth ofte a man to spede.So was he wys that ferst yaf mede,For mede kepeth love in house;Bot wher the men ben coveitouse4800And sparen forto yive a part,Thei knowe noght Cupides art:For his fortune and his apriseDesdeigneth alle coveitiseAnd hateth alle nygardie.And forto loke of this partie,A soth ensample, hou it is so,I finde write of Babio;294Which hadde a love at his menage,Ther was non fairere of hire age,4810And hihte Viola be name;Which full of youthe and ful of gameWas of hirself, and large and fre,Bot such an other chinche as he295Men wisten noght in al the lond,And hadde affaited to his hondHis servant, the which Spodius296Was hote. And in this wise thus297The worldes good of sufficanceWas had, bot likinge and plesance,4820Of that belongeth to richesseOf love, stod in gret destresse;P. ii. 289So that this yonge lusty wyhtOf thing which fell to loves rihtWas evele served overal,That sche was wo bego withal,Til that Cupide and Venus ekeA medicine for the sekeOrdeigne wolden in this cas.So as fortune thanne was,4830Of love upon the destineIt fell, riht as it scholde be,A freissh, a fre, a frendly manThat noght of Avarice can,Which Croceus be name hihte,Toward this swete caste his sihte,And ther sche was cam in presence.Sche sih him large of his despence,And amorous and glad of chiere,So that hir liketh wel to hiere4840The goodly wordes whiche he seide;And therupon of love he preide,Of love was al that he mente,To love and for sche scholde assente,He yaf hire yiftes evere among.Bot for men sein that mede is strong,It was wel seene at thilke tyde;For as it scholde of ryht betyde,This Viola largesce hath takeAnd the nygard sche hath forsake:4850Of Babio sche wol no more,298For he was grucchende everemore,P. ii. 290Ther was with him non other fareBot forto prinche and forto spare,Of worldes muk to gete encress.So goth the wrecche loveles,299Bejaped for his Skarcete,And he that large was and freAnd sette his herte to despende,This Croceus, the bowe bende,4860Which Venus tok him forto holde,And schotte als ofte as evere he wolde.300Lo, thus departeth love his lawe,That what man wol noght be felaweTo yive and spende, as I thee telle,He is noght worthi forto duelleIn loves court to be relieved.Forthi, my Sone, if I be lieved,301Thou schalt be large of thi despence.Amans.Mi fader, in mi conscience4870If ther be eny thing amis,I wol amende it after this,302Toward mi love namely.Confessor.Mi Sone, wel and redelyThou seist, so that wel paid withalI am, and forthere if I schalUnto thi schrifte specefie303Of Avarices progenieWhat vice suieth after this,Thou schalt have wonder hou it is,4880Among the folk in eny regneThat such a vice myhte regne,P. ii. 291Which is comun at alle assaies,As men mai finde nou adaies.[Ingratitude.]vii.Cuncta creatura, deus et qui cuncta creauit,Dampnant ingrati dicta que facta viri.304Non dolor alonge stat, quo sibi talis amicam305Traxit, et in fine deserit esse suam.The vice lik unto the fend,Which nevere yit was mannes frend,And cleped is Unkindeschipe,Hic loquitur super illa aborta specie Auaricie, que Ingratitudo, dicta est, cuius condicionem non solum creator, set eciam cuncte creature abhominabilem detestantur.Of covine and of felaschipeWith Avarice he is withholde.Him thenkth he scholde noght ben holde4890Unto the moder which him bar;Of him mai nevere man be war,He wol noght knowe the merite,For that he wolde it noght aquite;Which in this world is mochel used,And fewe ben therof excused.To telle of him is endeles,Bot this I seie natheles,Wher as this vice comth to londe,Ther takth noman his thonk on honde;4900Thogh he with alle his myhtes serve,He schal of him no thonk deserve.He takth what eny man wol yive,Bot whil he hath o day to live,He wol nothing rewarde ayein;He gruccheth forto yive o grein,Wher he hath take a berne full.That makth a kinde herte dull,P. ii. 292To sette his trust in such frendschipe,Ther as he fint no kindeschipe;4910And forto speke wordes pleine,Thus hiere I many a man compleigne,That nou on daies thou schalt findeAt nede fewe frendes kinde;What thou hast don for hem tofore,It is foryete, as it were lore.The bokes speken of this vice,And telle hou god of his justice,Be weie of kinde and ek natureAnd every lifissh creature,3064920The lawe also, who that it kan,307Thei dampnen an unkinde man.It is al on to seie unkindeAs thing which don is ayein kinde,For it with kinde nevere stodA man to yelden evel for good.For who that wolde taken hede,A beste is glad of a good dede,And loveth thilke creatureAfter the lawe of his nature4930Which doth him ese. And forto seOf this matiere Auctorite,Fulofte time it hath befalle;Wherof a tale amonges alle,Which is of olde ensamplerie,308I thenke forto specefie.[Tale of Adrian and Bardus.]To speke of an unkinde man,I finde hou whilom Adrian,P. ii. 293Of Rome which a gret lord was,Hic dicit qualiter bestie in suis beneficiis hominem ingratum naturaliter precellunt. Et ponit exemplum de Adriano Rome Cenatore, qui in quadam Foresta venacionibus insistens, dum predam persequeretur, in Cisternam profundam nescia familia corruit: vbi superueniens quidam pauper nomine Bardus, immissa cordula, putans hominem extraxisse, primo Simeam extraxit, secundo Serpentem, tercio Adrianum, qui pauperem despiciens aliquid ei pro benefacto reddere recusabat. Set tam Serpens quam Simea gratuita beneuolencia ipsum311singulis donis sufficienter remunerarent.Upon a day as he per cas4940To wode in his huntinge wente,It hapneth at a soudein wente,309After his chace as he poursuieth,Thurgh happ, the which noman eschuieth,310He fell unwar into a pet,Wher that it mihte noght be let.The pet was dep and he fell lowe,That of his men non myhte knoweWher he becam, for non was nyh,Which of his fall the meschief syh.4950And thus al one ther he layClepende and criende al the dayFor socour and deliverance,Til ayein Eve it fell per chance,A while er it began to nyhte,A povere man, which Bardus hihte,Cam forth walkende with his asse,And hadde gadred him a tasseOf grene stickes and of dreieTo selle, who that wolde hem beie,4960As he which hadde no liflode,Bot whanne he myhte such a lodeTo toune with his Asse carie.And as it fell him forto tarieThat ilke time nyh the pet,And hath the trusse faste knet,He herde a vois, which cride dimme,And he his Ere to the brimmeP. ii. 294Hath leid, and herde it was a man,Which seide, ‘Ha, help hier Adrian,4970And I wol yiven half mi good.’The povere man this understod,As he that wolde gladly winne,And to this lord which was withinneHe spak and seide, ‘If I thee save,What sikernesse schal I haveOf covenant, that afterwardThou wolt me yive such rewardAs thou behihtest nou tofore?’That other hath his othes swore4980Be hevene and be the goddes alle,312If that it myhte so befalleThat he out of the pet him broghte,Of all the goodes whiche he oghte313He schal have evene halvendel.This Bardus seide he wolde wel;And with this word his Asse anonHe let untrusse, and theruponDoun goth the corde into the pet,314To which he hath at ende knet4990A staf, wherby, he seide, he woldeThat Adrian him scholde holde.Bot it was tho per chance falle,Into that pet was also falle315An Ape, which at thilke throwe,Whan that the corde cam doun lowe,Al sodeinli therto he skipteAnd it in bothe hise armes clipte.P. ii. 295And Bardus with his Asse anonHim hath updrawe, and he is gon.5000But whan he sih it was an Ape,He wende al hadde ben a japeOf faierie, and sore him dradde:316And Adrian eftsone graddeFor help, and cride and preide faste,And he eftsone his corde caste;Bot whan it cam unto the grounde,A gret Serpent it hath bewounde,The which Bardus anon up drouh.And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh,5010It was fantosme, bot yit he herde317The vois, and he therto ansuerde,‘What wiht art thou in goddes name?’‘I am,’ quod Adrian, ‘the same,Whos good thou schalt have evene half.’Quod Bardus, ‘Thanne a goddes halfThe thridde time assaie I schal’:And caste his corde forth withalInto the pet, and whan it camTo him, this lord of Rome it nam,5020And therupon him hath adresced,318And with his hand fulofte blessed,And thanne he bad to Bardus hale.And he, which understod his tale,Betwen him and his Asse al softe319Hath drawe and set him up alofteWithouten harm al esely.He seith noght ones ‘grant merci,’P. ii. 296Bot strauhte him forth to the cite,And let this povere Bardus be.5030And natheles this simple manHis covenant, so as he can,Hath axed; and that other seide,If so be that he him umbreide320Of oght that hath be speke or do,321It schal ben venged on him so,That him were betre to be ded.And he can tho non other red,But on his asse ayein he casteHis trusse, and hieth homward faste:5040And whan that he cam hom to bedde,He tolde his wif hou that he spedde.Bot finaly to speke oght moreUnto this lord he dradde him sore,So that a word ne dorste he sein:322And thus upon the morwe ayein,In the manere as I recorde,Forth with his Asse and with his cordeTo gadre wode, as he dede er,He goth; and whan that he cam ner5050Unto the place where he wolde,323He hath his Ape anon beholde,Which hadde gadred al abouteOf stickes hiere and there a route,324And leide hem redy to his hond,Wherof he made his trosse and bond;Fro dai to dai and in this wiseThis Ape profreth his servise,P. ii. 297So that he hadde of wode ynouh.Upon a time and as he drouh5060Toward the wode, he sih besydeThe grete gastli Serpent glyde,Til that sche cam in his presence,And in hir kinde a reverence325Sche hath him do, and forth withalA Ston mor briht than a cristallOut of hir mouth tofore his weieSche let doun falle, and wente aweie,For that he schal noght ben adrad.Tho was this povere Bardus glad,5070Thonkende god, and to the Ston326He goth and takth it up anon,And hath gret wonder in his witHou that the beste him hath aquit,Wher that the mannes Sone hath failed,For whom he hadde most travailed.Bot al he putte in goddes hond,And torneth hom, and what he fondUnto his wif he hath it schewed;And thei, that weren bothe lewed,5080Acorden that he scholde it selle.And he no lengere wolde duelle,Bot forth anon upon the taleThe Ston he profreth to the sale;And riht as he himself it sette,The jueler anon forth fetteThe gold and made his paiement,Therof was no delaiement.P. ii. 298Thus whan this Ston was boght and sold,Homward with joie manyfold5090This Bardus goth; and whan he camHom to his hous and that he namHis gold out of his Purs, withinneHe fond his Ston also therinne,Wherof for joie his herte pleide,Unto his wif and thus he seide,‘Lo, hier my gold, lo, hier mi Ston!’His wif hath wonder therupon,And axeth him hou that mai be.‘Nou be mi trouthe I not,’ quod he,5100‘Bot I dar swere upon a bok,That to my Marchant I it tok,327And he it hadde whan I wente:So knowe I noght to what ententeIt is nou hier, bot it be grace.328Forthi tomorwe in other placeI wole it fonde forto selle,And if it wol noght with him duelle,Bot crepe into mi purs ayein,Than dar I saufly swere and sein,5110It is the vertu of the Ston.’329The morwe cam, and he is gonTo seche aboute in other stedeHis Ston to selle, and he so dede,330And lefte it with his chapman there.Bot whan that he cam elleswhere,In presence of his wif at hom,Out of his Purs and that he nomP. ii. 299His gold, he fond his Ston withal:And thus it fell him overal,5120Where he it solde in sondri place,Such was the fortune and the grace.Bot so wel may nothing ben hidd,That it nys ate laste kidd:This fame goth aboute Rome331So ferforth, that the wordes comeTo themperour Justinian;And he let sende for the man,332And axede him hou that it was.And Bardus tolde him al the cas,3335130Hou that the worm and ek the beste,334Althogh thei maden no beheste,His travail hadden wel aquit;Bot he which hadde a mannes wit,335And made his covenant be moutheAnd swor therto al that he coutheTo parte and yiven half his good,Hath nou foryete hou that it stod,As he which wol no trouthe holde.This Emperour al that he tolde5140Hath herd, and thilke unkindenesseHe seide he wolde himself redresse.And thus in court of juggementThis Adrian was thanne assent,And the querele in audience336Declared was in the presenceOf themperour and many mo;Wherof was mochel speche thoP. ii. 300And gret wondringe among the press.Bot ate laste natheles5150For the partie which hath pleignedThe lawe hath diemed and ordeignedBe hem that were avised wel,That he schal have the halvendelThurghout of Adrianes good.And thus of thilke unkinde blodStant the memoire into this day,337Wherof that every wysman may338Ensamplen him, and take in mynde339[Ingratitude.]What schame it is to ben unkinde;5160Ayein the which reson debateth,And every creature it hateth.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, in thin officeI rede fle that ilke vice.For riht as the Cronique seithOf Adrian, hou he his feithForyat for worldes covoitise,Fulofte in such a maner wiseOf lovers nou a man mai seFull manye that unkinde be:5170For wel behote and evele lasteThat is here lif; for ate laste,Whan that thei have here wille do,Here love is after sone ago.What seist thou, Sone, to this cas?Amans.Mi fader, I wol seie Helas,That evere such a man was bore,Which whan he hath his trouthe suoreP. ii. 301And hath of love what he wolde,That he at eny time scholde3405180Evere after in his herte findeTo falsen and to ben unkinde.Bot, fader, as touchende of me,I mai noght stonde in that degre;For I tok nevere of love why,That I ne mai wel go therbyAnd do my profit elles where,For eny sped I finde there.I dar wel thenken al aboute,Bot I ne dar noght speke it oute;5190And if I dorste, I wolde pleigne,That sche for whom I soffre peineAnd love hir evere aliche hote,That nouther yive ne behoteIn rewardinge of mi serviseIt list hire in no maner wise.I wol noght say that sche is kinde,And forto sai sche is unkinde,That dar I noght; bot god above,341Which demeth every herte of love,5200He wot that on myn oghne sideSchal non unkindeschipe abide:If it schal with mi ladi duelle,Therof dar I nomore telle.342Nou, goode fader, as it is,Tell me what thenketh you of this.Confessor.Mi Sone, of that unkindeschipe,The which toward thi ladischipeP. ii. 302Thou pleignest, for sche wol thee noght,Thou art to blamen of that thoght.3435210For it mai be that thi desir,Thogh it brenne evere as doth the fyr,Per cas to hire honour missit,Or elles time com noght yit,Which standt upon thi destine:344Forthi, mi Sone, I rede thee,Thenk wel, what evere the befalle;For noman hath his lustes alle.Bot as thou toldest me beforeThat thou to love art noght forswore,5220And hast don non unkindenesse,Thou miht therof thi grace blesse:And lef noght that continuance;For ther mai be no such grevanceTo love, as is unkindeschipe.345Wherof to kepe thi worschipe,So as these olde bokes tale,I schal thee telle a redi tale:Nou herkne and be wel war therby,For I wol telle it openly.5230[Tale of Theseus and Ariadne.]Mynos, as telleth the Poete,The which whilom was king of Crete,A Sone hadde and AndrocheeHic ponit exemplum contra viros amori ingratos. Et narrat qualiter Theseus Cadmi filius, consilio suffultus347Adriagne Regis Mynos filie, in domo que laborinthus dicitur Minotaurum vicit:348vnde Theseus Adriagne sponsalia certissime promittens ipsam vna cum Fedra sorore sua a Creta secum nauigio duxit. Set statim postea oblito gratitudinis beneficio Adriagnam ipsum saluantem in insula Chio spretam post tergum reliquit; et Fedram Athenis sibi sponsatam ingratus coronauit.He hihte: and so befell that heUnto Athenes forto lereWas send, and so he bar him there,346For that he was of hih lignage,Such pride he tok in his corage,P. ii. 303That he foryeten hath the Scoles,And in riote among the foles5240He dede manye thinges wronge;And useth thilke lif so longe,349Til ate laste of that he wroghteHe fond the meschief which he soghte,Wherof it fell that he was slain.His fader, which it herde sain,Was wroth, and al that evere he mihte,Of men of Armes he him dighte350A strong pouer, and forth he wenteUnto Athenys, where he brenteThe pleine contre al aboute:5250The Cites stode of him in doute,As thei that no defence hadde351Ayein the pouer which he ladde.Egeüs, which was there king,His conseil tok upon this thing,For he was thanne in the Cite:So that of pes into treteeBetwen Mynos and EgeüsThei felle, and ben acorded thus;5260That king Mynos fro yer to yeereReceive schal, as thou schalt here,Out of Athenys for truageOf men that were of myhti AgePersones nyne, of whiche he schalHis wille don in specialFor vengance of his Sones deth.Non other grace ther ne geth,P. ii. 304Bot forto take the juise;And that was don in such a wise,5270Which stod upon a wonder cas.For thilke time so it was,Wherof that men yit rede and singe,King Mynos hadde in his kepingeA cruel Monstre, as seith the geste:For he was half man and half beste,And Minotaurus he was hote,352Which was begete in a rioteUpon Pasiphe, his oghne wif,Whil he was oute upon the strif5280Of thilke grete Siege at Troie.353Bot sche, which lost hath alle joie,354Whan that sche syh this Monstre bore,Bad men ordeigne anon therfore:And fell that ilke time thus,Ther was a Clerk, on Dedalus,Which hadde ben of hire assentOf that hir world was so miswent;355And he made of his oghne wit,Wherof the remembrance is yit,5290For Minotaure such an hous,Which was so strange and merveilous,That what man that withinne wente,Ther was so many a sondri wente,That he ne scholde noght come oute,But gon amased al aboute.And in this hous to loke and wardeWas Minotaurus put in warde,P. ii. 305That what lif that therinne cam,356Or man or beste, he overcam5300And slow, and fedde him therupon;And in this wise many on357Out of Athenys for truageDevoured weren in that rage.For every yeer thei schope hem so,Thei of Athenys, er thei goToward that ilke wofull chance,As it was set in ordinance,358Upon fortune here lot thei caste;Til that Theseüs ate laste,5310Which was the kinges Sone there,Amonges othre that ther wereIn thilke yeer, as it befell,The lot upon his chance fell.He was a worthi kniht withalle;And whan he sih this chance falle,359He ferde as thogh he tok non hiede,Bot al that evere he mihte spiede,With him and with his felaschipeForth into Crete he goth be Schipe;5320Wher that the king Mynos he soghte,360And profreth all that he him oghteUpon the point of here acord.This sterne king, this cruel lordTok every day on of the Nyne,And put him to the discipline361Of Minotaure, to be devoured;Bot Theseüs was so favoured,P. ii. 306That he was kept til ate laste.And in the meene while he caste5330What thing him were best to do:And fell that Adriagne tho,Which was the dowhter of Mynos,And hadde herd the worthi losOf Theseüs and of his myht,And syh he was a lusti kniht,Hire hole herte on him sche leide,And he also of love hir preide,So ferforth that thei were al on.And sche ordeigneth thanne anon5340In what manere he scholde him save,362And schop so that sche dede him haveA clue of thred, of which withinneFerst ate dore he schal beginneWith him to take that on ende,That whan he wolde ayeinward wende,363He mihte go the same weie.And over this, so as I seie,Of pich sche tok him a pelote,364The which he scholde into the throte5350Of Minotaure caste rihte:Such wepne also for him sche dighte,That he be reson mai noght faileTo make an ende of his bataile;For sche him tawhte in sondri wise,Til he was knowe of thilke emprise,Hou he this beste schulde quelle.365And thus, schort tale forto telle,P. ii. 307So as this Maide him hadde tawht,366Theseüs with this Monstre fawht,5360Smot of his hed, the which he nam,And be the thred, so as he cam,He goth ayein, til he were oute.Tho was gret wonder al aboute:367Mynos the tribut hath relessed,And so was al the werre cessedBetwen Athene and hem of Crete.Bot now to speke of thilke suete,Whos beaute was withoute wane,This faire Maiden Adriane,5370Whan that sche sih Theseüs sound,Was nevere yit upon the ground368A gladder wyht than sche was tho.Theseüs duelte a dai or tuoWher that Mynos gret chiere him dede:Theseüs in a prive stedeHath with this Maiden spoke and rouned,That sche to him was abandounedIn al that evere that sche couthe,So that of thilke lusty youthe5380Al prively betwen hem tweieThe ferste flour he tok aweie.For he so faire tho behihteThat evere, whil he live mihte,He scholde hire take for his wif,And as his oghne hertes lifHe scholde hire love and trouthe bere;369And sche, which mihte noght forbere,P. ii. 308So sore loveth him ayein,That what as evere he wolde sein5390With al hire herte sche believeth.And thus his pourpos he achieveth,So that assured of his troutheWith him sche wente, and that was routhe.Fedra hire yonger Soster eke,A lusti Maide, a sobre, a meke,Fulfild of alle curtesie,For Sosterhode and compainieOf love, which was hem betuene,To sen hire Soster mad a queene,5400Hire fader lefte and forth sche wenteWith him, which al his ferste ententeForyat withinne a litel throwe,So that it was al overthrowe,Whan sche best wende it scholde stonde.The Schip was blowe fro the londe,Wherin that thei seilende were;This Adriagne hath mochel fereOf that the wynd so loude bleu,As sche which of the See ne kneu,5410And preide forto reste a whyle.370And so fell that upon an yle,Which Chyo hihte, thei ben drive,Where he to hire his leve hath yiveThat sche schal londe and take hire reste.Bot that was nothing for the beste:For whan sche was to londe broght,Sche, which that time thoghte noghtP. ii. 309Bot alle trouthe, and tok no kepe,Hath leid hire softe forto slepe,5420As sche which longe hath ben forwacched;Bot certes sche was evele macchedAnd fer from alle loves kinde;For more than the beste unkindeTheseüs, which no trouthe kepte,Whil that this yonge ladi slepte,Fulfild of his unkindeschipe371Hath al foryete the goodschipeWhich Adriane him hadde do,And bad unto the Schipmen tho3725430Hale up the seil and noght abyde,And forth he goth the same tydeToward Athene, and hire alondeHe lefte, which lay nyh the strondeSlepende, til that sche awok.Bot whan that sche cast up hire lokToward the stronde and sih no wyht,Hire herte was so sore aflyht,373That sche ne wiste what to thinke;Bot drouh hire to the water brinke,5440Wher sche behield the See at large.Sche sih no Schip, sche sih no bargeAls ferforth as sche mihte kenne:‘Ha lord,’ sche seide, ‘which a Senne,As al the world schal after hiere,Upon this woful womman hiereThis worthi kniht hath don and wroght!I wende I hadde his love boght,P. ii. 310And so deserved ate nede,374Whan that he stod upon his drede,5450And ek the love he me behihte.It is gret wonder hou he mihteTowardes me nou ben unkinde,And so to lete out of his myndeThing which he seide his oghne mouth.Bot after this whan it is couth375And drawe into the worldes fame,376It schal ben hindringe of his name:For wel he wot and so wot I,He yaf his trouthe bodily,5460That he myn honour scholde kepe.’And with that word sche gan to wepe,And sorweth more than ynouh:Hire faire tresces sche todrouh,377And with hirself tok such a strif,378That sche betwen the deth and lif379Swounende lay fulofte among.380And al was this on him along,Which was to love unkinde so,Wherof the wrong schal everemo5470Stonde in Cronique of remembrance.And ek it asketh a venganceTo ben unkinde in loves cas,So as Theseüs thanne was,Al thogh he were a noble kniht;For he the lawe of loves rihtForfeted hath in alle weie,That Adriagne he putte aweie,P. ii. 311Which was a gret unkinde dede:And after this, so as I rede,3815480Fedra, the which hir Soster is,He tok in stede of hire, and thisFel afterward to mochel teene.For thilke vice of which I meene,Unkindeschipe, where it falleth,The trouthe of mannes herte it palleth,That he can no good dede aquite:So mai he stonde of no meriteTowardes god, and ek alsoMen clepen him the worldes fo;5490For he nomore than the fendUnto non other man is frend,Bot al toward himself al one.Forthi, mi Sone, in thi personeThis vice above alle othre fle.Mi fader, as ye techen me,I thenke don in this matiere.Bot over this nou wolde I hiere,Wherof I schal me schryve more.Mi goode Sone, and for thi lore,3825500After the reule of coveitiseI schal the proprete deviseOf every vice by and by.Nou herkne and be welwar therby.
[Tale of Babio and Croceus.]Skarsnesse and love acorden nevere,For every thing is wel the levere,Whan that a man hath boght it diere:Hic loquitur contra istos, qui Auaricia stricti largitatis beneficium in amoris causa confundunt. Et ponit exemplum, qualiter Croceus largus et hillaris Babionem292auarum et tenacem de amore Viole, que pulcherrima fuit, donis largissimis circumuenit.And forto speke in this matiere,For sparinge of a litel costFulofte time a man hath lostThe large cote for the hod.What man that scars is of his good291And wol noght yive, he schal noght take:With yifte a man mai undertake4790The hihe god to plese and queme,With yifte a man the world mai deme;293P. ii. 288For every creature bore,If thou him yive, is glad therfore,And every gladschipe, as I finde,Is confort unto loves kindeAnd causeth ofte a man to spede.So was he wys that ferst yaf mede,For mede kepeth love in house;Bot wher the men ben coveitouse4800And sparen forto yive a part,Thei knowe noght Cupides art:For his fortune and his apriseDesdeigneth alle coveitiseAnd hateth alle nygardie.And forto loke of this partie,A soth ensample, hou it is so,I finde write of Babio;294Which hadde a love at his menage,Ther was non fairere of hire age,4810And hihte Viola be name;Which full of youthe and ful of gameWas of hirself, and large and fre,Bot such an other chinche as he295Men wisten noght in al the lond,And hadde affaited to his hondHis servant, the which Spodius296Was hote. And in this wise thus297The worldes good of sufficanceWas had, bot likinge and plesance,4820Of that belongeth to richesseOf love, stod in gret destresse;P. ii. 289So that this yonge lusty wyhtOf thing which fell to loves rihtWas evele served overal,That sche was wo bego withal,Til that Cupide and Venus ekeA medicine for the sekeOrdeigne wolden in this cas.So as fortune thanne was,4830Of love upon the destineIt fell, riht as it scholde be,A freissh, a fre, a frendly manThat noght of Avarice can,Which Croceus be name hihte,Toward this swete caste his sihte,And ther sche was cam in presence.Sche sih him large of his despence,And amorous and glad of chiere,So that hir liketh wel to hiere4840The goodly wordes whiche he seide;And therupon of love he preide,Of love was al that he mente,To love and for sche scholde assente,He yaf hire yiftes evere among.Bot for men sein that mede is strong,It was wel seene at thilke tyde;For as it scholde of ryht betyde,This Viola largesce hath takeAnd the nygard sche hath forsake:4850Of Babio sche wol no more,298For he was grucchende everemore,P. ii. 290Ther was with him non other fareBot forto prinche and forto spare,Of worldes muk to gete encress.So goth the wrecche loveles,299Bejaped for his Skarcete,And he that large was and freAnd sette his herte to despende,This Croceus, the bowe bende,4860Which Venus tok him forto holde,And schotte als ofte as evere he wolde.300Lo, thus departeth love his lawe,That what man wol noght be felaweTo yive and spende, as I thee telle,He is noght worthi forto duelleIn loves court to be relieved.Forthi, my Sone, if I be lieved,301Thou schalt be large of thi despence.Amans.Mi fader, in mi conscience4870If ther be eny thing amis,I wol amende it after this,302Toward mi love namely.Confessor.Mi Sone, wel and redelyThou seist, so that wel paid withalI am, and forthere if I schalUnto thi schrifte specefie303Of Avarices progenieWhat vice suieth after this,Thou schalt have wonder hou it is,4880Among the folk in eny regneThat such a vice myhte regne,P. ii. 291Which is comun at alle assaies,As men mai finde nou adaies.
[Tale of Babio and Croceus.]
Skarsnesse and love acorden nevere,
For every thing is wel the levere,
Whan that a man hath boght it diere:
Hic loquitur contra istos, qui Auaricia stricti largitatis beneficium in amoris causa confundunt. Et ponit exemplum, qualiter Croceus largus et hillaris Babionem292auarum et tenacem de amore Viole, que pulcherrima fuit, donis largissimis circumuenit.
And forto speke in this matiere,
For sparinge of a litel cost
Fulofte time a man hath lost
The large cote for the hod.
What man that scars is of his good291
And wol noght yive, he schal noght take:
With yifte a man mai undertake4790
The hihe god to plese and queme,
With yifte a man the world mai deme;293
P. ii. 288
For every creature bore,
If thou him yive, is glad therfore,
And every gladschipe, as I finde,
Is confort unto loves kinde
And causeth ofte a man to spede.
So was he wys that ferst yaf mede,
For mede kepeth love in house;
Bot wher the men ben coveitouse4800
And sparen forto yive a part,
Thei knowe noght Cupides art:
For his fortune and his aprise
Desdeigneth alle coveitise
And hateth alle nygardie.
And forto loke of this partie,
A soth ensample, hou it is so,
I finde write of Babio;294
Which hadde a love at his menage,
Ther was non fairere of hire age,4810
And hihte Viola be name;
Which full of youthe and ful of game
Was of hirself, and large and fre,
Bot such an other chinche as he295
Men wisten noght in al the lond,
And hadde affaited to his hond
His servant, the which Spodius296
Was hote. And in this wise thus297
The worldes good of sufficance
Was had, bot likinge and plesance,4820
Of that belongeth to richesse
Of love, stod in gret destresse;
P. ii. 289
So that this yonge lusty wyht
Of thing which fell to loves riht
Was evele served overal,
That sche was wo bego withal,
Til that Cupide and Venus eke
A medicine for the seke
Ordeigne wolden in this cas.
So as fortune thanne was,4830
Of love upon the destine
It fell, riht as it scholde be,
A freissh, a fre, a frendly man
That noght of Avarice can,
Which Croceus be name hihte,
Toward this swete caste his sihte,
And ther sche was cam in presence.
Sche sih him large of his despence,
And amorous and glad of chiere,
So that hir liketh wel to hiere4840
The goodly wordes whiche he seide;
And therupon of love he preide,
Of love was al that he mente,
To love and for sche scholde assente,
He yaf hire yiftes evere among.
Bot for men sein that mede is strong,
It was wel seene at thilke tyde;
For as it scholde of ryht betyde,
This Viola largesce hath take
And the nygard sche hath forsake:4850
Of Babio sche wol no more,298
For he was grucchende everemore,
P. ii. 290
Ther was with him non other fare
Bot forto prinche and forto spare,
Of worldes muk to gete encress.
So goth the wrecche loveles,299
Bejaped for his Skarcete,
And he that large was and fre
And sette his herte to despende,
This Croceus, the bowe bende,4860
Which Venus tok him forto holde,
And schotte als ofte as evere he wolde.300
Lo, thus departeth love his lawe,
That what man wol noght be felawe
To yive and spende, as I thee telle,
He is noght worthi forto duelle
In loves court to be relieved.
Forthi, my Sone, if I be lieved,301
Thou schalt be large of thi despence.
Amans.
Mi fader, in mi conscience4870
If ther be eny thing amis,
I wol amende it after this,302
Toward mi love namely.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, wel and redely
Thou seist, so that wel paid withal
I am, and forthere if I schal
Unto thi schrifte specefie303
Of Avarices progenie
What vice suieth after this,
Thou schalt have wonder hou it is,4880
Among the folk in eny regne
That such a vice myhte regne,
P. ii. 291
Which is comun at alle assaies,
As men mai finde nou adaies.
[Ingratitude.]vii.Cuncta creatura, deus et qui cuncta creauit,Dampnant ingrati dicta que facta viri.304Non dolor alonge stat, quo sibi talis amicam305Traxit, et in fine deserit esse suam.
[Ingratitude.]
vii.Cuncta creatura, deus et qui cuncta creauit,
Dampnant ingrati dicta que facta viri.304
Non dolor alonge stat, quo sibi talis amicam305
Traxit, et in fine deserit esse suam.
The vice lik unto the fend,Which nevere yit was mannes frend,And cleped is Unkindeschipe,Hic loquitur super illa aborta specie Auaricie, que Ingratitudo, dicta est, cuius condicionem non solum creator, set eciam cuncte creature abhominabilem detestantur.Of covine and of felaschipeWith Avarice he is withholde.Him thenkth he scholde noght ben holde4890Unto the moder which him bar;Of him mai nevere man be war,He wol noght knowe the merite,For that he wolde it noght aquite;Which in this world is mochel used,And fewe ben therof excused.To telle of him is endeles,Bot this I seie natheles,Wher as this vice comth to londe,Ther takth noman his thonk on honde;4900Thogh he with alle his myhtes serve,He schal of him no thonk deserve.He takth what eny man wol yive,Bot whil he hath o day to live,He wol nothing rewarde ayein;He gruccheth forto yive o grein,Wher he hath take a berne full.That makth a kinde herte dull,P. ii. 292To sette his trust in such frendschipe,Ther as he fint no kindeschipe;4910And forto speke wordes pleine,Thus hiere I many a man compleigne,That nou on daies thou schalt findeAt nede fewe frendes kinde;What thou hast don for hem tofore,It is foryete, as it were lore.The bokes speken of this vice,And telle hou god of his justice,Be weie of kinde and ek natureAnd every lifissh creature,3064920The lawe also, who that it kan,307Thei dampnen an unkinde man.It is al on to seie unkindeAs thing which don is ayein kinde,For it with kinde nevere stodA man to yelden evel for good.For who that wolde taken hede,A beste is glad of a good dede,And loveth thilke creatureAfter the lawe of his nature4930Which doth him ese. And forto seOf this matiere Auctorite,Fulofte time it hath befalle;Wherof a tale amonges alle,Which is of olde ensamplerie,308I thenke forto specefie.
The vice lik unto the fend,
Which nevere yit was mannes frend,
And cleped is Unkindeschipe,
Hic loquitur super illa aborta specie Auaricie, que Ingratitudo, dicta est, cuius condicionem non solum creator, set eciam cuncte creature abhominabilem detestantur.
Of covine and of felaschipe
With Avarice he is withholde.
Him thenkth he scholde noght ben holde4890
Unto the moder which him bar;
Of him mai nevere man be war,
He wol noght knowe the merite,
For that he wolde it noght aquite;
Which in this world is mochel used,
And fewe ben therof excused.
To telle of him is endeles,
Bot this I seie natheles,
Wher as this vice comth to londe,
Ther takth noman his thonk on honde;4900
Thogh he with alle his myhtes serve,
He schal of him no thonk deserve.
He takth what eny man wol yive,
Bot whil he hath o day to live,
He wol nothing rewarde ayein;
He gruccheth forto yive o grein,
Wher he hath take a berne full.
That makth a kinde herte dull,
P. ii. 292
To sette his trust in such frendschipe,
Ther as he fint no kindeschipe;4910
And forto speke wordes pleine,
Thus hiere I many a man compleigne,
That nou on daies thou schalt finde
At nede fewe frendes kinde;
What thou hast don for hem tofore,
It is foryete, as it were lore.
The bokes speken of this vice,
And telle hou god of his justice,
Be weie of kinde and ek nature
And every lifissh creature,3064920
The lawe also, who that it kan,307
Thei dampnen an unkinde man.
It is al on to seie unkinde
As thing which don is ayein kinde,
For it with kinde nevere stod
A man to yelden evel for good.
For who that wolde taken hede,
A beste is glad of a good dede,
And loveth thilke creature
After the lawe of his nature4930
Which doth him ese. And forto se
Of this matiere Auctorite,
Fulofte time it hath befalle;
Wherof a tale amonges alle,
Which is of olde ensamplerie,308
I thenke forto specefie.
[Tale of Adrian and Bardus.]To speke of an unkinde man,I finde hou whilom Adrian,P. ii. 293Of Rome which a gret lord was,Hic dicit qualiter bestie in suis beneficiis hominem ingratum naturaliter precellunt. Et ponit exemplum de Adriano Rome Cenatore, qui in quadam Foresta venacionibus insistens, dum predam persequeretur, in Cisternam profundam nescia familia corruit: vbi superueniens quidam pauper nomine Bardus, immissa cordula, putans hominem extraxisse, primo Simeam extraxit, secundo Serpentem, tercio Adrianum, qui pauperem despiciens aliquid ei pro benefacto reddere recusabat. Set tam Serpens quam Simea gratuita beneuolencia ipsum311singulis donis sufficienter remunerarent.Upon a day as he per cas4940To wode in his huntinge wente,It hapneth at a soudein wente,309After his chace as he poursuieth,Thurgh happ, the which noman eschuieth,310He fell unwar into a pet,Wher that it mihte noght be let.The pet was dep and he fell lowe,That of his men non myhte knoweWher he becam, for non was nyh,Which of his fall the meschief syh.4950And thus al one ther he layClepende and criende al the dayFor socour and deliverance,Til ayein Eve it fell per chance,A while er it began to nyhte,A povere man, which Bardus hihte,Cam forth walkende with his asse,And hadde gadred him a tasseOf grene stickes and of dreieTo selle, who that wolde hem beie,4960As he which hadde no liflode,Bot whanne he myhte such a lodeTo toune with his Asse carie.And as it fell him forto tarieThat ilke time nyh the pet,And hath the trusse faste knet,He herde a vois, which cride dimme,And he his Ere to the brimmeP. ii. 294Hath leid, and herde it was a man,Which seide, ‘Ha, help hier Adrian,4970And I wol yiven half mi good.’The povere man this understod,As he that wolde gladly winne,And to this lord which was withinneHe spak and seide, ‘If I thee save,What sikernesse schal I haveOf covenant, that afterwardThou wolt me yive such rewardAs thou behihtest nou tofore?’That other hath his othes swore4980Be hevene and be the goddes alle,312If that it myhte so befalleThat he out of the pet him broghte,Of all the goodes whiche he oghte313He schal have evene halvendel.This Bardus seide he wolde wel;And with this word his Asse anonHe let untrusse, and theruponDoun goth the corde into the pet,314To which he hath at ende knet4990A staf, wherby, he seide, he woldeThat Adrian him scholde holde.Bot it was tho per chance falle,Into that pet was also falle315An Ape, which at thilke throwe,Whan that the corde cam doun lowe,Al sodeinli therto he skipteAnd it in bothe hise armes clipte.P. ii. 295And Bardus with his Asse anonHim hath updrawe, and he is gon.5000But whan he sih it was an Ape,He wende al hadde ben a japeOf faierie, and sore him dradde:316And Adrian eftsone graddeFor help, and cride and preide faste,And he eftsone his corde caste;Bot whan it cam unto the grounde,A gret Serpent it hath bewounde,The which Bardus anon up drouh.And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh,5010It was fantosme, bot yit he herde317The vois, and he therto ansuerde,‘What wiht art thou in goddes name?’‘I am,’ quod Adrian, ‘the same,Whos good thou schalt have evene half.’Quod Bardus, ‘Thanne a goddes halfThe thridde time assaie I schal’:And caste his corde forth withalInto the pet, and whan it camTo him, this lord of Rome it nam,5020And therupon him hath adresced,318And with his hand fulofte blessed,And thanne he bad to Bardus hale.And he, which understod his tale,Betwen him and his Asse al softe319Hath drawe and set him up alofteWithouten harm al esely.He seith noght ones ‘grant merci,’P. ii. 296Bot strauhte him forth to the cite,And let this povere Bardus be.5030And natheles this simple manHis covenant, so as he can,Hath axed; and that other seide,If so be that he him umbreide320Of oght that hath be speke or do,321It schal ben venged on him so,That him were betre to be ded.And he can tho non other red,But on his asse ayein he casteHis trusse, and hieth homward faste:5040And whan that he cam hom to bedde,He tolde his wif hou that he spedde.Bot finaly to speke oght moreUnto this lord he dradde him sore,So that a word ne dorste he sein:322And thus upon the morwe ayein,In the manere as I recorde,Forth with his Asse and with his cordeTo gadre wode, as he dede er,He goth; and whan that he cam ner5050Unto the place where he wolde,323He hath his Ape anon beholde,Which hadde gadred al abouteOf stickes hiere and there a route,324And leide hem redy to his hond,Wherof he made his trosse and bond;Fro dai to dai and in this wiseThis Ape profreth his servise,P. ii. 297So that he hadde of wode ynouh.Upon a time and as he drouh5060Toward the wode, he sih besydeThe grete gastli Serpent glyde,Til that sche cam in his presence,And in hir kinde a reverence325Sche hath him do, and forth withalA Ston mor briht than a cristallOut of hir mouth tofore his weieSche let doun falle, and wente aweie,For that he schal noght ben adrad.Tho was this povere Bardus glad,5070Thonkende god, and to the Ston326He goth and takth it up anon,And hath gret wonder in his witHou that the beste him hath aquit,Wher that the mannes Sone hath failed,For whom he hadde most travailed.Bot al he putte in goddes hond,And torneth hom, and what he fondUnto his wif he hath it schewed;And thei, that weren bothe lewed,5080Acorden that he scholde it selle.And he no lengere wolde duelle,Bot forth anon upon the taleThe Ston he profreth to the sale;And riht as he himself it sette,The jueler anon forth fetteThe gold and made his paiement,Therof was no delaiement.P. ii. 298Thus whan this Ston was boght and sold,Homward with joie manyfold5090This Bardus goth; and whan he camHom to his hous and that he namHis gold out of his Purs, withinneHe fond his Ston also therinne,Wherof for joie his herte pleide,Unto his wif and thus he seide,‘Lo, hier my gold, lo, hier mi Ston!’His wif hath wonder therupon,And axeth him hou that mai be.‘Nou be mi trouthe I not,’ quod he,5100‘Bot I dar swere upon a bok,That to my Marchant I it tok,327And he it hadde whan I wente:So knowe I noght to what ententeIt is nou hier, bot it be grace.328Forthi tomorwe in other placeI wole it fonde forto selle,And if it wol noght with him duelle,Bot crepe into mi purs ayein,Than dar I saufly swere and sein,5110It is the vertu of the Ston.’329The morwe cam, and he is gonTo seche aboute in other stedeHis Ston to selle, and he so dede,330And lefte it with his chapman there.Bot whan that he cam elleswhere,In presence of his wif at hom,Out of his Purs and that he nomP. ii. 299His gold, he fond his Ston withal:And thus it fell him overal,5120Where he it solde in sondri place,Such was the fortune and the grace.Bot so wel may nothing ben hidd,That it nys ate laste kidd:This fame goth aboute Rome331So ferforth, that the wordes comeTo themperour Justinian;And he let sende for the man,332And axede him hou that it was.And Bardus tolde him al the cas,3335130Hou that the worm and ek the beste,334Althogh thei maden no beheste,His travail hadden wel aquit;Bot he which hadde a mannes wit,335And made his covenant be moutheAnd swor therto al that he coutheTo parte and yiven half his good,Hath nou foryete hou that it stod,As he which wol no trouthe holde.This Emperour al that he tolde5140Hath herd, and thilke unkindenesseHe seide he wolde himself redresse.And thus in court of juggementThis Adrian was thanne assent,And the querele in audience336Declared was in the presenceOf themperour and many mo;Wherof was mochel speche thoP. ii. 300And gret wondringe among the press.Bot ate laste natheles5150For the partie which hath pleignedThe lawe hath diemed and ordeignedBe hem that were avised wel,That he schal have the halvendelThurghout of Adrianes good.And thus of thilke unkinde blodStant the memoire into this day,337Wherof that every wysman may338Ensamplen him, and take in mynde339[Ingratitude.]What schame it is to ben unkinde;5160Ayein the which reson debateth,And every creature it hateth.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, in thin officeI rede fle that ilke vice.For riht as the Cronique seithOf Adrian, hou he his feithForyat for worldes covoitise,Fulofte in such a maner wiseOf lovers nou a man mai seFull manye that unkinde be:5170For wel behote and evele lasteThat is here lif; for ate laste,Whan that thei have here wille do,Here love is after sone ago.What seist thou, Sone, to this cas?Amans.Mi fader, I wol seie Helas,That evere such a man was bore,Which whan he hath his trouthe suoreP. ii. 301And hath of love what he wolde,That he at eny time scholde3405180Evere after in his herte findeTo falsen and to ben unkinde.Bot, fader, as touchende of me,I mai noght stonde in that degre;For I tok nevere of love why,That I ne mai wel go therbyAnd do my profit elles where,For eny sped I finde there.I dar wel thenken al aboute,Bot I ne dar noght speke it oute;5190And if I dorste, I wolde pleigne,That sche for whom I soffre peineAnd love hir evere aliche hote,That nouther yive ne behoteIn rewardinge of mi serviseIt list hire in no maner wise.I wol noght say that sche is kinde,And forto sai sche is unkinde,That dar I noght; bot god above,341Which demeth every herte of love,5200He wot that on myn oghne sideSchal non unkindeschipe abide:If it schal with mi ladi duelle,Therof dar I nomore telle.342Nou, goode fader, as it is,Tell me what thenketh you of this.Confessor.Mi Sone, of that unkindeschipe,The which toward thi ladischipeP. ii. 302Thou pleignest, for sche wol thee noght,Thou art to blamen of that thoght.3435210For it mai be that thi desir,Thogh it brenne evere as doth the fyr,Per cas to hire honour missit,Or elles time com noght yit,Which standt upon thi destine:344Forthi, mi Sone, I rede thee,Thenk wel, what evere the befalle;For noman hath his lustes alle.Bot as thou toldest me beforeThat thou to love art noght forswore,5220And hast don non unkindenesse,Thou miht therof thi grace blesse:And lef noght that continuance;For ther mai be no such grevanceTo love, as is unkindeschipe.345Wherof to kepe thi worschipe,So as these olde bokes tale,I schal thee telle a redi tale:Nou herkne and be wel war therby,For I wol telle it openly.5230
[Tale of Adrian and Bardus.]
To speke of an unkinde man,
I finde hou whilom Adrian,
P. ii. 293
Of Rome which a gret lord was,
Hic dicit qualiter bestie in suis beneficiis hominem ingratum naturaliter precellunt. Et ponit exemplum de Adriano Rome Cenatore, qui in quadam Foresta venacionibus insistens, dum predam persequeretur, in Cisternam profundam nescia familia corruit: vbi superueniens quidam pauper nomine Bardus, immissa cordula, putans hominem extraxisse, primo Simeam extraxit, secundo Serpentem, tercio Adrianum, qui pauperem despiciens aliquid ei pro benefacto reddere recusabat. Set tam Serpens quam Simea gratuita beneuolencia ipsum311singulis donis sufficienter remunerarent.
Upon a day as he per cas4940
To wode in his huntinge wente,
It hapneth at a soudein wente,309
After his chace as he poursuieth,
Thurgh happ, the which noman eschuieth,310
He fell unwar into a pet,
Wher that it mihte noght be let.
The pet was dep and he fell lowe,
That of his men non myhte knowe
Wher he becam, for non was nyh,
Which of his fall the meschief syh.4950
And thus al one ther he lay
Clepende and criende al the day
For socour and deliverance,
Til ayein Eve it fell per chance,
A while er it began to nyhte,
A povere man, which Bardus hihte,
Cam forth walkende with his asse,
And hadde gadred him a tasse
Of grene stickes and of dreie
To selle, who that wolde hem beie,4960
As he which hadde no liflode,
Bot whanne he myhte such a lode
To toune with his Asse carie.
And as it fell him forto tarie
That ilke time nyh the pet,
And hath the trusse faste knet,
He herde a vois, which cride dimme,
And he his Ere to the brimme
P. ii. 294
Hath leid, and herde it was a man,
Which seide, ‘Ha, help hier Adrian,4970
And I wol yiven half mi good.’
The povere man this understod,
As he that wolde gladly winne,
And to this lord which was withinne
He spak and seide, ‘If I thee save,
What sikernesse schal I have
Of covenant, that afterward
Thou wolt me yive such reward
As thou behihtest nou tofore?’
That other hath his othes swore4980
Be hevene and be the goddes alle,312
If that it myhte so befalle
That he out of the pet him broghte,
Of all the goodes whiche he oghte313
He schal have evene halvendel.
This Bardus seide he wolde wel;
And with this word his Asse anon
He let untrusse, and therupon
Doun goth the corde into the pet,314
To which he hath at ende knet4990
A staf, wherby, he seide, he wolde
That Adrian him scholde holde.
Bot it was tho per chance falle,
Into that pet was also falle315
An Ape, which at thilke throwe,
Whan that the corde cam doun lowe,
Al sodeinli therto he skipte
And it in bothe hise armes clipte.
P. ii. 295
And Bardus with his Asse anon
Him hath updrawe, and he is gon.5000
But whan he sih it was an Ape,
He wende al hadde ben a jape
Of faierie, and sore him dradde:316
And Adrian eftsone gradde
For help, and cride and preide faste,
And he eftsone his corde caste;
Bot whan it cam unto the grounde,
A gret Serpent it hath bewounde,
The which Bardus anon up drouh.
And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh,5010
It was fantosme, bot yit he herde317
The vois, and he therto ansuerde,
‘What wiht art thou in goddes name?’
‘I am,’ quod Adrian, ‘the same,
Whos good thou schalt have evene half.’
Quod Bardus, ‘Thanne a goddes half
The thridde time assaie I schal’:
And caste his corde forth withal
Into the pet, and whan it cam
To him, this lord of Rome it nam,5020
And therupon him hath adresced,318
And with his hand fulofte blessed,
And thanne he bad to Bardus hale.
And he, which understod his tale,
Betwen him and his Asse al softe319
Hath drawe and set him up alofte
Withouten harm al esely.
He seith noght ones ‘grant merci,’
P. ii. 296
Bot strauhte him forth to the cite,
And let this povere Bardus be.5030
And natheles this simple man
His covenant, so as he can,
Hath axed; and that other seide,
If so be that he him umbreide320
Of oght that hath be speke or do,321
It schal ben venged on him so,
That him were betre to be ded.
And he can tho non other red,
But on his asse ayein he caste
His trusse, and hieth homward faste:5040
And whan that he cam hom to bedde,
He tolde his wif hou that he spedde.
Bot finaly to speke oght more
Unto this lord he dradde him sore,
So that a word ne dorste he sein:322
And thus upon the morwe ayein,
In the manere as I recorde,
Forth with his Asse and with his corde
To gadre wode, as he dede er,
He goth; and whan that he cam ner5050
Unto the place where he wolde,323
He hath his Ape anon beholde,
Which hadde gadred al aboute
Of stickes hiere and there a route,324
And leide hem redy to his hond,
Wherof he made his trosse and bond;
Fro dai to dai and in this wise
This Ape profreth his servise,
P. ii. 297
So that he hadde of wode ynouh.
Upon a time and as he drouh5060
Toward the wode, he sih besyde
The grete gastli Serpent glyde,
Til that sche cam in his presence,
And in hir kinde a reverence325
Sche hath him do, and forth withal
A Ston mor briht than a cristall
Out of hir mouth tofore his weie
Sche let doun falle, and wente aweie,
For that he schal noght ben adrad.
Tho was this povere Bardus glad,5070
Thonkende god, and to the Ston326
He goth and takth it up anon,
And hath gret wonder in his wit
Hou that the beste him hath aquit,
Wher that the mannes Sone hath failed,
For whom he hadde most travailed.
Bot al he putte in goddes hond,
And torneth hom, and what he fond
Unto his wif he hath it schewed;
And thei, that weren bothe lewed,5080
Acorden that he scholde it selle.
And he no lengere wolde duelle,
Bot forth anon upon the tale
The Ston he profreth to the sale;
And riht as he himself it sette,
The jueler anon forth fette
The gold and made his paiement,
Therof was no delaiement.
P. ii. 298
Thus whan this Ston was boght and sold,
Homward with joie manyfold5090
This Bardus goth; and whan he cam
Hom to his hous and that he nam
His gold out of his Purs, withinne
He fond his Ston also therinne,
Wherof for joie his herte pleide,
Unto his wif and thus he seide,
‘Lo, hier my gold, lo, hier mi Ston!’
His wif hath wonder therupon,
And axeth him hou that mai be.
‘Nou be mi trouthe I not,’ quod he,5100
‘Bot I dar swere upon a bok,
That to my Marchant I it tok,327
And he it hadde whan I wente:
So knowe I noght to what entente
It is nou hier, bot it be grace.328
Forthi tomorwe in other place
I wole it fonde forto selle,
And if it wol noght with him duelle,
Bot crepe into mi purs ayein,
Than dar I saufly swere and sein,5110
It is the vertu of the Ston.’329
The morwe cam, and he is gon
To seche aboute in other stede
His Ston to selle, and he so dede,330
And lefte it with his chapman there.
Bot whan that he cam elleswhere,
In presence of his wif at hom,
Out of his Purs and that he nom
P. ii. 299
His gold, he fond his Ston withal:
And thus it fell him overal,5120
Where he it solde in sondri place,
Such was the fortune and the grace.
Bot so wel may nothing ben hidd,
That it nys ate laste kidd:
This fame goth aboute Rome331
So ferforth, that the wordes come
To themperour Justinian;
And he let sende for the man,332
And axede him hou that it was.
And Bardus tolde him al the cas,3335130
Hou that the worm and ek the beste,334
Althogh thei maden no beheste,
His travail hadden wel aquit;
Bot he which hadde a mannes wit,335
And made his covenant be mouthe
And swor therto al that he couthe
To parte and yiven half his good,
Hath nou foryete hou that it stod,
As he which wol no trouthe holde.
This Emperour al that he tolde5140
Hath herd, and thilke unkindenesse
He seide he wolde himself redresse.
And thus in court of juggement
This Adrian was thanne assent,
And the querele in audience336
Declared was in the presence
Of themperour and many mo;
Wherof was mochel speche tho
P. ii. 300
And gret wondringe among the press.
Bot ate laste natheles5150
For the partie which hath pleigned
The lawe hath diemed and ordeigned
Be hem that were avised wel,
That he schal have the halvendel
Thurghout of Adrianes good.
And thus of thilke unkinde blod
Stant the memoire into this day,337
Wherof that every wysman may338
Ensamplen him, and take in mynde339
[Ingratitude.]
What schame it is to ben unkinde;5160
Ayein the which reson debateth,
And every creature it hateth.
Confessor.
Forthi, mi Sone, in thin office
I rede fle that ilke vice.
For riht as the Cronique seith
Of Adrian, hou he his feith
Foryat for worldes covoitise,
Fulofte in such a maner wise
Of lovers nou a man mai se
Full manye that unkinde be:5170
For wel behote and evele laste
That is here lif; for ate laste,
Whan that thei have here wille do,
Here love is after sone ago.
What seist thou, Sone, to this cas?
Amans.
Mi fader, I wol seie Helas,
That evere such a man was bore,
Which whan he hath his trouthe suore
P. ii. 301
And hath of love what he wolde,
That he at eny time scholde3405180
Evere after in his herte finde
To falsen and to ben unkinde.
Bot, fader, as touchende of me,
I mai noght stonde in that degre;
For I tok nevere of love why,
That I ne mai wel go therby
And do my profit elles where,
For eny sped I finde there.
I dar wel thenken al aboute,
Bot I ne dar noght speke it oute;5190
And if I dorste, I wolde pleigne,
That sche for whom I soffre peine
And love hir evere aliche hote,
That nouther yive ne behote
In rewardinge of mi servise
It list hire in no maner wise.
I wol noght say that sche is kinde,
And forto sai sche is unkinde,
That dar I noght; bot god above,341
Which demeth every herte of love,5200
He wot that on myn oghne side
Schal non unkindeschipe abide:
If it schal with mi ladi duelle,
Therof dar I nomore telle.342
Nou, goode fader, as it is,
Tell me what thenketh you of this.
Confessor.
Mi Sone, of that unkindeschipe,
The which toward thi ladischipe
P. ii. 302
Thou pleignest, for sche wol thee noght,
Thou art to blamen of that thoght.3435210
For it mai be that thi desir,
Thogh it brenne evere as doth the fyr,
Per cas to hire honour missit,
Or elles time com noght yit,
Which standt upon thi destine:344
Forthi, mi Sone, I rede thee,
Thenk wel, what evere the befalle;
For noman hath his lustes alle.
Bot as thou toldest me before
That thou to love art noght forswore,5220
And hast don non unkindenesse,
Thou miht therof thi grace blesse:
And lef noght that continuance;
For ther mai be no such grevance
To love, as is unkindeschipe.345
Wherof to kepe thi worschipe,
So as these olde bokes tale,
I schal thee telle a redi tale:
Nou herkne and be wel war therby,
For I wol telle it openly.5230
[Tale of Theseus and Ariadne.]Mynos, as telleth the Poete,The which whilom was king of Crete,A Sone hadde and AndrocheeHic ponit exemplum contra viros amori ingratos. Et narrat qualiter Theseus Cadmi filius, consilio suffultus347Adriagne Regis Mynos filie, in domo que laborinthus dicitur Minotaurum vicit:348vnde Theseus Adriagne sponsalia certissime promittens ipsam vna cum Fedra sorore sua a Creta secum nauigio duxit. Set statim postea oblito gratitudinis beneficio Adriagnam ipsum saluantem in insula Chio spretam post tergum reliquit; et Fedram Athenis sibi sponsatam ingratus coronauit.He hihte: and so befell that heUnto Athenes forto lereWas send, and so he bar him there,346For that he was of hih lignage,Such pride he tok in his corage,P. ii. 303That he foryeten hath the Scoles,And in riote among the foles5240He dede manye thinges wronge;And useth thilke lif so longe,349Til ate laste of that he wroghteHe fond the meschief which he soghte,Wherof it fell that he was slain.His fader, which it herde sain,Was wroth, and al that evere he mihte,Of men of Armes he him dighte350A strong pouer, and forth he wenteUnto Athenys, where he brenteThe pleine contre al aboute:5250The Cites stode of him in doute,As thei that no defence hadde351Ayein the pouer which he ladde.Egeüs, which was there king,His conseil tok upon this thing,For he was thanne in the Cite:So that of pes into treteeBetwen Mynos and EgeüsThei felle, and ben acorded thus;5260That king Mynos fro yer to yeereReceive schal, as thou schalt here,Out of Athenys for truageOf men that were of myhti AgePersones nyne, of whiche he schalHis wille don in specialFor vengance of his Sones deth.Non other grace ther ne geth,P. ii. 304Bot forto take the juise;And that was don in such a wise,5270Which stod upon a wonder cas.For thilke time so it was,Wherof that men yit rede and singe,King Mynos hadde in his kepingeA cruel Monstre, as seith the geste:For he was half man and half beste,And Minotaurus he was hote,352Which was begete in a rioteUpon Pasiphe, his oghne wif,Whil he was oute upon the strif5280Of thilke grete Siege at Troie.353Bot sche, which lost hath alle joie,354Whan that sche syh this Monstre bore,Bad men ordeigne anon therfore:And fell that ilke time thus,Ther was a Clerk, on Dedalus,Which hadde ben of hire assentOf that hir world was so miswent;355And he made of his oghne wit,Wherof the remembrance is yit,5290For Minotaure such an hous,Which was so strange and merveilous,That what man that withinne wente,Ther was so many a sondri wente,That he ne scholde noght come oute,But gon amased al aboute.And in this hous to loke and wardeWas Minotaurus put in warde,P. ii. 305That what lif that therinne cam,356Or man or beste, he overcam5300And slow, and fedde him therupon;And in this wise many on357Out of Athenys for truageDevoured weren in that rage.For every yeer thei schope hem so,Thei of Athenys, er thei goToward that ilke wofull chance,As it was set in ordinance,358Upon fortune here lot thei caste;Til that Theseüs ate laste,5310Which was the kinges Sone there,Amonges othre that ther wereIn thilke yeer, as it befell,The lot upon his chance fell.He was a worthi kniht withalle;And whan he sih this chance falle,359He ferde as thogh he tok non hiede,Bot al that evere he mihte spiede,With him and with his felaschipeForth into Crete he goth be Schipe;5320Wher that the king Mynos he soghte,360And profreth all that he him oghteUpon the point of here acord.This sterne king, this cruel lordTok every day on of the Nyne,And put him to the discipline361Of Minotaure, to be devoured;Bot Theseüs was so favoured,P. ii. 306That he was kept til ate laste.And in the meene while he caste5330What thing him were best to do:And fell that Adriagne tho,Which was the dowhter of Mynos,And hadde herd the worthi losOf Theseüs and of his myht,And syh he was a lusti kniht,Hire hole herte on him sche leide,And he also of love hir preide,So ferforth that thei were al on.And sche ordeigneth thanne anon5340In what manere he scholde him save,362And schop so that sche dede him haveA clue of thred, of which withinneFerst ate dore he schal beginneWith him to take that on ende,That whan he wolde ayeinward wende,363He mihte go the same weie.And over this, so as I seie,Of pich sche tok him a pelote,364The which he scholde into the throte5350Of Minotaure caste rihte:Such wepne also for him sche dighte,That he be reson mai noght faileTo make an ende of his bataile;For sche him tawhte in sondri wise,Til he was knowe of thilke emprise,Hou he this beste schulde quelle.365And thus, schort tale forto telle,P. ii. 307So as this Maide him hadde tawht,366Theseüs with this Monstre fawht,5360Smot of his hed, the which he nam,And be the thred, so as he cam,He goth ayein, til he were oute.Tho was gret wonder al aboute:367Mynos the tribut hath relessed,And so was al the werre cessedBetwen Athene and hem of Crete.Bot now to speke of thilke suete,Whos beaute was withoute wane,This faire Maiden Adriane,5370Whan that sche sih Theseüs sound,Was nevere yit upon the ground368A gladder wyht than sche was tho.Theseüs duelte a dai or tuoWher that Mynos gret chiere him dede:Theseüs in a prive stedeHath with this Maiden spoke and rouned,That sche to him was abandounedIn al that evere that sche couthe,So that of thilke lusty youthe5380Al prively betwen hem tweieThe ferste flour he tok aweie.For he so faire tho behihteThat evere, whil he live mihte,He scholde hire take for his wif,And as his oghne hertes lifHe scholde hire love and trouthe bere;369And sche, which mihte noght forbere,P. ii. 308So sore loveth him ayein,That what as evere he wolde sein5390With al hire herte sche believeth.And thus his pourpos he achieveth,So that assured of his troutheWith him sche wente, and that was routhe.Fedra hire yonger Soster eke,A lusti Maide, a sobre, a meke,Fulfild of alle curtesie,For Sosterhode and compainieOf love, which was hem betuene,To sen hire Soster mad a queene,5400Hire fader lefte and forth sche wenteWith him, which al his ferste ententeForyat withinne a litel throwe,So that it was al overthrowe,Whan sche best wende it scholde stonde.The Schip was blowe fro the londe,Wherin that thei seilende were;This Adriagne hath mochel fereOf that the wynd so loude bleu,As sche which of the See ne kneu,5410And preide forto reste a whyle.370And so fell that upon an yle,Which Chyo hihte, thei ben drive,Where he to hire his leve hath yiveThat sche schal londe and take hire reste.Bot that was nothing for the beste:For whan sche was to londe broght,Sche, which that time thoghte noghtP. ii. 309Bot alle trouthe, and tok no kepe,Hath leid hire softe forto slepe,5420As sche which longe hath ben forwacched;Bot certes sche was evele macchedAnd fer from alle loves kinde;For more than the beste unkindeTheseüs, which no trouthe kepte,Whil that this yonge ladi slepte,Fulfild of his unkindeschipe371Hath al foryete the goodschipeWhich Adriane him hadde do,And bad unto the Schipmen tho3725430Hale up the seil and noght abyde,And forth he goth the same tydeToward Athene, and hire alondeHe lefte, which lay nyh the strondeSlepende, til that sche awok.Bot whan that sche cast up hire lokToward the stronde and sih no wyht,Hire herte was so sore aflyht,373That sche ne wiste what to thinke;Bot drouh hire to the water brinke,5440Wher sche behield the See at large.Sche sih no Schip, sche sih no bargeAls ferforth as sche mihte kenne:‘Ha lord,’ sche seide, ‘which a Senne,As al the world schal after hiere,Upon this woful womman hiereThis worthi kniht hath don and wroght!I wende I hadde his love boght,P. ii. 310And so deserved ate nede,374Whan that he stod upon his drede,5450And ek the love he me behihte.It is gret wonder hou he mihteTowardes me nou ben unkinde,And so to lete out of his myndeThing which he seide his oghne mouth.Bot after this whan it is couth375And drawe into the worldes fame,376It schal ben hindringe of his name:For wel he wot and so wot I,He yaf his trouthe bodily,5460That he myn honour scholde kepe.’And with that word sche gan to wepe,And sorweth more than ynouh:Hire faire tresces sche todrouh,377And with hirself tok such a strif,378That sche betwen the deth and lif379Swounende lay fulofte among.380And al was this on him along,Which was to love unkinde so,Wherof the wrong schal everemo5470Stonde in Cronique of remembrance.And ek it asketh a venganceTo ben unkinde in loves cas,So as Theseüs thanne was,Al thogh he were a noble kniht;For he the lawe of loves rihtForfeted hath in alle weie,That Adriagne he putte aweie,P. ii. 311Which was a gret unkinde dede:And after this, so as I rede,3815480Fedra, the which hir Soster is,He tok in stede of hire, and thisFel afterward to mochel teene.For thilke vice of which I meene,Unkindeschipe, where it falleth,The trouthe of mannes herte it palleth,That he can no good dede aquite:So mai he stonde of no meriteTowardes god, and ek alsoMen clepen him the worldes fo;5490For he nomore than the fendUnto non other man is frend,Bot al toward himself al one.Forthi, mi Sone, in thi personeThis vice above alle othre fle.Mi fader, as ye techen me,I thenke don in this matiere.Bot over this nou wolde I hiere,Wherof I schal me schryve more.Mi goode Sone, and for thi lore,3825500After the reule of coveitiseI schal the proprete deviseOf every vice by and by.Nou herkne and be welwar therby.
[Tale of Theseus and Ariadne.]
Mynos, as telleth the Poete,
The which whilom was king of Crete,
A Sone hadde and Androchee
Hic ponit exemplum contra viros amori ingratos. Et narrat qualiter Theseus Cadmi filius, consilio suffultus347Adriagne Regis Mynos filie, in domo que laborinthus dicitur Minotaurum vicit:348vnde Theseus Adriagne sponsalia certissime promittens ipsam vna cum Fedra sorore sua a Creta secum nauigio duxit. Set statim postea oblito gratitudinis beneficio Adriagnam ipsum saluantem in insula Chio spretam post tergum reliquit; et Fedram Athenis sibi sponsatam ingratus coronauit.
He hihte: and so befell that he
Unto Athenes forto lere
Was send, and so he bar him there,346
For that he was of hih lignage,
Such pride he tok in his corage,
P. ii. 303
That he foryeten hath the Scoles,
And in riote among the foles5240
He dede manye thinges wronge;
And useth thilke lif so longe,349
Til ate laste of that he wroghte
He fond the meschief which he soghte,
Wherof it fell that he was slain.
His fader, which it herde sain,
Was wroth, and al that evere he mihte,
Of men of Armes he him dighte350
A strong pouer, and forth he wente
Unto Athenys, where he brente
The pleine contre al aboute:5250
The Cites stode of him in doute,
As thei that no defence hadde351
Ayein the pouer which he ladde.
Egeüs, which was there king,
His conseil tok upon this thing,
For he was thanne in the Cite:
So that of pes into tretee
Betwen Mynos and Egeüs
Thei felle, and ben acorded thus;5260
That king Mynos fro yer to yeere
Receive schal, as thou schalt here,
Out of Athenys for truage
Of men that were of myhti Age
Persones nyne, of whiche he schal
His wille don in special
For vengance of his Sones deth.
Non other grace ther ne geth,
P. ii. 304
Bot forto take the juise;
And that was don in such a wise,5270
Which stod upon a wonder cas.
For thilke time so it was,
Wherof that men yit rede and singe,
King Mynos hadde in his kepinge
A cruel Monstre, as seith the geste:
For he was half man and half beste,
And Minotaurus he was hote,352
Which was begete in a riote
Upon Pasiphe, his oghne wif,
Whil he was oute upon the strif5280
Of thilke grete Siege at Troie.353
Bot sche, which lost hath alle joie,354
Whan that sche syh this Monstre bore,
Bad men ordeigne anon therfore:
And fell that ilke time thus,
Ther was a Clerk, on Dedalus,
Which hadde ben of hire assent
Of that hir world was so miswent;355
And he made of his oghne wit,
Wherof the remembrance is yit,5290
For Minotaure such an hous,
Which was so strange and merveilous,
That what man that withinne wente,
Ther was so many a sondri wente,
That he ne scholde noght come oute,
But gon amased al aboute.
And in this hous to loke and warde
Was Minotaurus put in warde,
P. ii. 305
That what lif that therinne cam,356
Or man or beste, he overcam5300
And slow, and fedde him therupon;
And in this wise many on357
Out of Athenys for truage
Devoured weren in that rage.
For every yeer thei schope hem so,
Thei of Athenys, er thei go
Toward that ilke wofull chance,
As it was set in ordinance,358
Upon fortune here lot thei caste;
Til that Theseüs ate laste,5310
Which was the kinges Sone there,
Amonges othre that ther were
In thilke yeer, as it befell,
The lot upon his chance fell.
He was a worthi kniht withalle;
And whan he sih this chance falle,359
He ferde as thogh he tok non hiede,
Bot al that evere he mihte spiede,
With him and with his felaschipe
Forth into Crete he goth be Schipe;5320
Wher that the king Mynos he soghte,360
And profreth all that he him oghte
Upon the point of here acord.
This sterne king, this cruel lord
Tok every day on of the Nyne,
And put him to the discipline361
Of Minotaure, to be devoured;
Bot Theseüs was so favoured,
P. ii. 306
That he was kept til ate laste.
And in the meene while he caste5330
What thing him were best to do:
And fell that Adriagne tho,
Which was the dowhter of Mynos,
And hadde herd the worthi los
Of Theseüs and of his myht,
And syh he was a lusti kniht,
Hire hole herte on him sche leide,
And he also of love hir preide,
So ferforth that thei were al on.
And sche ordeigneth thanne anon5340
In what manere he scholde him save,362
And schop so that sche dede him have
A clue of thred, of which withinne
Ferst ate dore he schal beginne
With him to take that on ende,
That whan he wolde ayeinward wende,363
He mihte go the same weie.
And over this, so as I seie,
Of pich sche tok him a pelote,364
The which he scholde into the throte5350
Of Minotaure caste rihte:
Such wepne also for him sche dighte,
That he be reson mai noght faile
To make an ende of his bataile;
For sche him tawhte in sondri wise,
Til he was knowe of thilke emprise,
Hou he this beste schulde quelle.365
And thus, schort tale forto telle,
P. ii. 307
So as this Maide him hadde tawht,366
Theseüs with this Monstre fawht,5360
Smot of his hed, the which he nam,
And be the thred, so as he cam,
He goth ayein, til he were oute.
Tho was gret wonder al aboute:367
Mynos the tribut hath relessed,
And so was al the werre cessed
Betwen Athene and hem of Crete.
Bot now to speke of thilke suete,
Whos beaute was withoute wane,
This faire Maiden Adriane,5370
Whan that sche sih Theseüs sound,
Was nevere yit upon the ground368
A gladder wyht than sche was tho.
Theseüs duelte a dai or tuo
Wher that Mynos gret chiere him dede:
Theseüs in a prive stede
Hath with this Maiden spoke and rouned,
That sche to him was abandouned
In al that evere that sche couthe,
So that of thilke lusty youthe5380
Al prively betwen hem tweie
The ferste flour he tok aweie.
For he so faire tho behihte
That evere, whil he live mihte,
He scholde hire take for his wif,
And as his oghne hertes lif
He scholde hire love and trouthe bere;369
And sche, which mihte noght forbere,
P. ii. 308
So sore loveth him ayein,
That what as evere he wolde sein5390
With al hire herte sche believeth.
And thus his pourpos he achieveth,
So that assured of his trouthe
With him sche wente, and that was routhe.
Fedra hire yonger Soster eke,
A lusti Maide, a sobre, a meke,
Fulfild of alle curtesie,
For Sosterhode and compainie
Of love, which was hem betuene,
To sen hire Soster mad a queene,5400
Hire fader lefte and forth sche wente
With him, which al his ferste entente
Foryat withinne a litel throwe,
So that it was al overthrowe,
Whan sche best wende it scholde stonde.
The Schip was blowe fro the londe,
Wherin that thei seilende were;
This Adriagne hath mochel fere
Of that the wynd so loude bleu,
As sche which of the See ne kneu,5410
And preide forto reste a whyle.370
And so fell that upon an yle,
Which Chyo hihte, thei ben drive,
Where he to hire his leve hath yive
That sche schal londe and take hire reste.
Bot that was nothing for the beste:
For whan sche was to londe broght,
Sche, which that time thoghte noght
P. ii. 309
Bot alle trouthe, and tok no kepe,
Hath leid hire softe forto slepe,5420
As sche which longe hath ben forwacched;
Bot certes sche was evele macched
And fer from alle loves kinde;
For more than the beste unkinde
Theseüs, which no trouthe kepte,
Whil that this yonge ladi slepte,
Fulfild of his unkindeschipe371
Hath al foryete the goodschipe
Which Adriane him hadde do,
And bad unto the Schipmen tho3725430
Hale up the seil and noght abyde,
And forth he goth the same tyde
Toward Athene, and hire alonde
He lefte, which lay nyh the stronde
Slepende, til that sche awok.
Bot whan that sche cast up hire lok
Toward the stronde and sih no wyht,
Hire herte was so sore aflyht,373
That sche ne wiste what to thinke;
Bot drouh hire to the water brinke,5440
Wher sche behield the See at large.
Sche sih no Schip, sche sih no barge
Als ferforth as sche mihte kenne:
‘Ha lord,’ sche seide, ‘which a Senne,
As al the world schal after hiere,
Upon this woful womman hiere
This worthi kniht hath don and wroght!
I wende I hadde his love boght,
P. ii. 310
And so deserved ate nede,374
Whan that he stod upon his drede,5450
And ek the love he me behihte.
It is gret wonder hou he mihte
Towardes me nou ben unkinde,
And so to lete out of his mynde
Thing which he seide his oghne mouth.
Bot after this whan it is couth375
And drawe into the worldes fame,376
It schal ben hindringe of his name:
For wel he wot and so wot I,
He yaf his trouthe bodily,5460
That he myn honour scholde kepe.’
And with that word sche gan to wepe,
And sorweth more than ynouh:
Hire faire tresces sche todrouh,377
And with hirself tok such a strif,378
That sche betwen the deth and lif379
Swounende lay fulofte among.380
And al was this on him along,
Which was to love unkinde so,
Wherof the wrong schal everemo5470
Stonde in Cronique of remembrance.
And ek it asketh a vengance
To ben unkinde in loves cas,
So as Theseüs thanne was,
Al thogh he were a noble kniht;
For he the lawe of loves riht
Forfeted hath in alle weie,
That Adriagne he putte aweie,
P. ii. 311
Which was a gret unkinde dede:
And after this, so as I rede,3815480
Fedra, the which hir Soster is,
He tok in stede of hire, and this
Fel afterward to mochel teene.
For thilke vice of which I meene,
Unkindeschipe, where it falleth,
The trouthe of mannes herte it palleth,
That he can no good dede aquite:
So mai he stonde of no merite
Towardes god, and ek also
Men clepen him the worldes fo;5490
For he nomore than the fend
Unto non other man is frend,
Bot al toward himself al one.
Forthi, mi Sone, in thi persone
This vice above alle othre fle.
Mi fader, as ye techen me,
I thenke don in this matiere.
Bot over this nou wolde I hiere,
Wherof I schal me schryve more.
Mi goode Sone, and for thi lore,3825500
After the reule of coveitise
I schal the proprete devise
Of every vice by and by.
Nou herkne and be welwar therby.