In loves cause if I schal trete,[Sacrilege of Lovers.]Ther ben of suche smale and grete:If thei no leisir fynden elles,Thei wol noght wonden for the belles,Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse;That wol thei leten overpasse.If that thei finde here love there,Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere,7040P. ii. 370And axe of god non other grace,Whyl thei ben in that holi place;Bot er thei gon som avantageTher wol thei have, and som pilageOf goodli word or of beheste,Or elles thei take ate lesteOut of hir hand or ring or glove,So nyh the weder thei wol love,618As who seith sche schal noght foryete,Nou I this tokne of hire have gete:7050Thus halwe thei the hihe feste.Such thefte mai no cherche areste,For al is leveful that hem liketh,619To whom that elles it misliketh.And ek riht in the selve kindeIn grete Cites men mai findeThis lusti folk, that make it gay,And waite upon the haliday:In cherches and in Menstres ekeThei gon the wommen forto seke,7060And wher that such on goth aboute,Tofore the faireste of the route,Wher as thei sitten alle arewe,Ther wol he most his bodi schewe,His croket kembd and theron setA Nouche with a chapelet,Or elles on of grene leves,Which late com out of the greves,Al for he scholde seme freissh.And thus he loketh on the fleissh,6207070P. ii. 371Riht as an hauk which hath a sihteUpon the foul, ther he schal lihte;(7250*)And as he were of faierie,He scheweth him tofore here yheIn holi place wher thei sitte,Al forto make here hertes flitte.His yhe nawher wole abyde,Bot loke and prie on every syde621On hire and hire, as him best lyketh:And otherwhile among he syketh;7080Thenkth on of hem, ‘That was for me,’And so ther thenken tuo or thre,And yit he loveth non of alle,Bot wher as evere his chance falle.And natheles to seie a soth,The cause why that he so dothIs forto stele an herte or tuo,Out of the cherche er that he go:And as I seide it hier above,Al is that Sacrilege of love;7090For wel mai be he stelth awayThat he nevere after yelde may.Tell me forthi, my Sone, anon,Hast thou do Sacrilege, or non,622As I have said in this manere?Confessio Amantis.Mi fader, as of this matiereI wole you tellen redelyWhat I have do; bot trewelyI mai excuse min entente,That nevere I yit to cherche wente7100P. ii. 372In such manere as ye me schryve,For no womman that is on lyve.The cause why I have it laftMai be for I unto that craftAm nothing able so to stele,Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele.623Bot yit wol I noght seie this,Whan I am ther mi ladi is,In whom lith holly mi querele,And sche to cherche or to chapele7110Wol go to matins or to messe,—That time I waite wel and gesse,To cherche I come and there I stonde,And thogh I take a bok on honde,Mi contienance is on the bok,Bot toward hire is al my lok;And if so falle that I preieUnto mi god, and somwhat seieOf Paternoster or of Crede,624Al is for that I wolde spede,7120So that mi bede in holi chercheTher mihte som miracle werche(7300*)Mi ladi herte forto chaunge,Which evere hath be to me so strange.625So that al mi devocionAnd al mi contemplacionWith al min herte and mi corageIs only set on hire ymage;And evere I waite upon the tyde.If sche loke eny thing asyde,7130P. ii. 373That I me mai of hire avise,626Anon I am with covoitiseSo smite, that me were liefTo ben in holi cherche a thief;Bot noght to stele a vestement,For that is nothing mi talent,Bot I wold stele, if that I mihte,627A glad word or a goodly syhte;And evere mi service I profre,And namly whan sche wol gon offre,7140For thanne I lede hire, if I may,For somwhat wolde I stele away.Whan I beclippe hire on the wast,Yit ate leste I stele a tast,And otherwhile ‘grant mercy’Sche seith, and so winne I therbyA lusti touch, a good word eke,Bot al the remenant to sekeIs fro mi pourpos wonder ferr.So mai I seie, as I seide er,7150In holy cherche if that I wowe,My conscience it wolde allowe,628Be so that up amendementI mihte gete assignementWher forto spede in other place:Such Sacrilege I holde a grace.And thus, mi fader, soth to seie,In cherche riht as in the weie,If I mihte oght of love take,Such hansell have I noght forsake.6297160P. ii. 374Bot finali I me confesse,Ther is in me non holinesse,whil I hire se in eny stede;630And yit, for oght that evere I dede,No Sacrilege of hire I tok,Bot if it were of word or lok,631Or elles if that I hir fredde,Whan I toward offringe hir ledde,Take therof what I take may,For elles bere I noght away:7170For thogh I wolde oght elles have,Alle othre thinges ben so save632(7350*)And kept with such a privilege,That I mai do no Sacrilege.God wot mi wille natheles,Thogh I mot nedes kepe pesAnd malgre myn so let it passe,633Mi will therto is noght the lasse,If I mihte other wise aweie.Forthi, mi fader, I you preie,7180Tell what you thenketh therupon,634If I therof have gult or non.Confessor.Thi will, mi Sone, is forto blame,The remenant is bot a game,That I have herd the telle as yit.Bot tak this lore into thi wit,That alle thing hath time and stede,The cherche serveth for the bede,The chambre is of an other speche.Bot if thou wistest of the wreche,7190P. ii. 375Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght,Thou woldest betre ben bethoght;And for thou schalt the more amende,A tale I wole on the despende.635[Tale of Paris and Helen.]To alle men, as who seith, knoweIt is, and in the world thurgh blowe,Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum. Et narrat, pro eo quod Paris Priami Regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie insula a templo Veneris Sacrilegus abduxit, illa Troie famosissima636obsidio per vniuersi637orbis climata divulgata precipue causabatur.638Ita quod huiusmodi Sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Priami omniumque suorum interitum, set eciam ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat.Hou that of Troie LamedonTo Hercules and to Jasoun,Whan toward Colchos out of GreceBe See sailende upon a piece7200Of lond of Troie reste preide,—Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide:And for thei founde him so vilein,Whan thei come into Grece ayein,With pouer that thei gete myhteTowardes Troie thei hem dyhte,And ther thei token such vengance,Wherof stant yit the remembrance;639For thei destruide king and al,And leften bot the brente wal.7210The Grecs of Troiens many sloweAnd prisoners thei toke ynowe,Among the whiche ther was on,The kinges doughter Lamedon,Esiona, that faire thing,640Which unto Thelamon the kingBe Hercules and be thassentOf al the hole parlementWas at his wille yove and granted.And thus hath Grece Troie danted,7220P. ii. 376And hom thei torne in such manere:Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere(7400*)The cause why this tale I telle,641Upon the chances that befelle.King Lamedon, which deide thus,He hadde a Sone, on Priamus,Which was noght thilke time at hom:Bot whan he herde of this, he com,And fond hou the Cite was falle,Which he began anon to walle7230And made ther a cite newe,That thei whiche othre londes kneweTho seiden, that of lym and StonIn al the world so fair was non.And on that o side of the tounThe king let maken Ylioun,642That hihe Tour, that stronge place,Which was adrad of no manaceOf quarel nor of non engin;And thogh men wolde make a Myn,7240No mannes craft it mihte aproche,For it was sett upon a roche.The walles of the toun aboute,Hem stod of al the world no doute,And after the proporcionSex gates weren of the tounOf such a forme, of such entaile,That hem to se was gret mervaile:The diches weren brode and depe,A fewe men it mihte kepe7250P. ii. 377From al the world, as semeth tho,Bot if the goddes weren fo.Gret presse unto that cite drouh,So that ther was of poeple ynouh,Of Burgeis that therinne duellen;Ther mai no mannes tunge tellenHou that cite was riche of good.643Whan al was mad and al wel stod,King Priamus tho him bethoghteWhat thei of Grece whilom wroghte,7260And what was of her swerd devoured,And hou his Soster deshonouredWith Thelamon awey was lad:And so thenkende he wax unglad,644And sette anon a parlement,To which the lordes were assent.In many a wise ther was spoke,Hou that thei mihten ben awroke,Bot ate laste nathelesThei seiden alle, ‘Acord and pes.’7270To setten either part in reste645It thoghte hem thanne for the beste(7450*)With resonable amendement;And thus was Anthenor forth sent646To axe Esionam ayein647And witen what thei wolden sein.So passeth he the See be barge648To Grece forto seie his charge,The which he seide redelyUnto the lordes by and by:7280P. ii. 378Bot where he spak in Grece aboute,He herde noght bot wordes stoute,And nameliche of Thelamon;The maiden wolde he noght forgon,He seide, for no maner thing,And bad him gon hom to his king,For there gat he non amendeFor oght he couthe do or sende.This Anthenor ayein goth homUnto his king, and whan he com,7290He tolde in Grece of that he herde,And hou that Thelamon ansuerde,And hou thei were at here above,That thei wol nouther pes ne love,Bot every man schal don his beste.Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste,The king bethoghte him al that nyht,649And erli, whan the dai was lyht,He tok conseil of this matiere;And thei acorde in this manere,7300That he withouten eny letteA certein time scholde setteOf Parlement to ben avised:650And in the wise it was devised,Of parlement he sette a day,And that was in the Monthe of Maii.This Priamus hadde in his yhteA wif, and Hecuba sche hyhte,Be whom that time ek hadde heOf Sones fyve, and douhtres thre7310P. ii. 379Besiden hem, and thritty mo,651And weren knyhtes alle tho,Bot noght upon his wif begete,Bot elles where he myhte hem geteOf wommen whiche he hadde knowe;Such was the world at thilke throwe:So that he was of children riche,As therof was noman his liche.652Of Parlement the dai was come,Ther ben the lordes alle and some;7320Tho was pronounced and pourposed,And al the cause hem was desclosed,(7500*)Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde.Thei seten alle stille and herde,And tho spak every man aboute:Ther was alegged many a doute,And many a proud word spoke also;653Bot for the moste part as tho654Thei wisten noght what was the beste,Or forto werre or forto reste.7330Bot he that was withoute fere,Hector, among the lordes thereHis tale tolde in such a wise,And seide, ‘Lordes, ye ben wise,Ye knowen this als wel as I,Above all othre most worthi655Stant nou in Grece the manhodeOf worthinesse and of knihthode;For who so wole it wel agrope,To hem belongeth al Europe,7340P. ii. 380Which is the thridde parti eveneOf al the world under the hevene;And we be bot of folk a fewe.So were it reson forto schewe656The peril, er we falle thrinne:Betre is to leve, than beginneThing which as mai noght ben achieved;He is noght wys that fint him grieved,And doth so that his grief be more;For who that loketh al tofore7350And wol noght se what is behinde,He mai fulofte hise harmes finde:Wicke is to stryve and have the worse.We have encheson forto corse,This wot I wel, and forto hateThe Greks; bot er that we debateWith hem that ben of such a myht,It is ful good that every wihtBe of himself riht wel bethoght.Bot as for me this seie I noght;7360For while that mi lif wol stonde,If that ye taken werre on honde,Falle it to beste or to the werste,657I schal miselven be the fersteTo grieven hem, what evere I may.I wol noght ones seie nayTo thing which that youre conseil demeth,For unto me wel more it quemethThe werre certes than the pes;Bot this I seie natheles,7370P. ii. 381As me belongeth forto seie.Nou schape ye the beste weie.’(7550*)Whan Hector hath seid his avis,Next after him tho spak Paris,Which was his brother, and alleideWhat him best thoghte, and thus he seide:‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong,And suffre schame is more strong,Bot we have suffred bothe tuo;And for al that yit have we do7380What so we mihte to reformeThe pes, whan we in such a forme658Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe.And thei here grete wordes bloweUpon her wrongful dedes eke;And who that wole himself noght mekeTo pes, and list no reson take,Men sein reson him wol forsake:659For in the multitude of menIs noght the strengthe, for with ten7390It hath be sen in trew querele660Ayein an hundred false dele,And had the betre of goddes grace.This hath befalle in many place;And if it like unto you alle,I wole assaie, hou so it falle,Oure enemis if I mai grieve;For I have cawht a gret believeUpon a point I wol declare.This ender day, as I gan fare6617400P. ii. 382To hunte unto the grete hert,Which was tofore myn houndes stert,And every man went on his syde662Him to poursuie, and I to rydeBegan the chace, and soth to seie,663Withinne a while out of mi weieI rod, and nyste where I was.And slep me cauhte, and on the grasBeside a welle I lay me dounTo slepe, and in a visioun6647410To me the god Mercurie cam;Goddesses thre with him he nam,Minerve, Venus and Juno,And in his hond an Appel thoHe hield of gold with lettres write:And this he dede me to wite,Hou that thei putt hem upon me,665That to the faireste of hem threOf gold that Appel scholde I yive.666With ech of hem tho was I schrive,7420And echon faire me behihte;Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte(7600*)That Appel of mi yifte gete,Sche wolde it neveremor foryete,And seide hou that in Grece londSche wolde bringe unto myn hondOf al this Erthe the faireste;So that me thoghte it for the beste,To hire and yaf that Appel tho.Thus hope I wel, if that I go,7430P. ii. 383That sche for me wol so ordeine,That thei matiere forto pleigneSchul have, er that I come ayein.Nou have ye herd that I wol sein:Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’And every man tho seide his,And sundri causes thei recorde,Bot ate laste thei acordeThat Paris schal to Grece wende,And thus the parlement tok ende.7440Cassandra, whan sche herde of this,667The which to Paris Soster is,Anon sche gan to wepe and weile,And seide, ‘Allas, what mai ous eile?Fortune with hire blinde whielNe wol noght lete ous stonde wel:For this I dar wel undertake,That if Paris his weie take,As it is seid that he schal do,We ben for evere thanne undo.’7450This, which Cassandre thanne hihte,In al the world as it berth sihte,In bokes as men finde write,Is that Sibille of whom ye wite,That alle men yit clepen sage.Whan that sche wiste of this viage,Hou Paris schal to Grece fare,No womman mihte worse fareNe sorwe more than sche dede;And riht so in the same stede7460P. ii. 384Ferde Helenus, which was hir brother,Of prophecie and such an other:And al was holde bot a jape,So that the pourpos which was schape,Or were hem lief or were hem loth,668Was holde, and into Grece gothThis Paris with his retenance.And as it fell upon his chance,Of Grece he londeth in an yle,And him was told the same whyle6697470Of folk which he began to freyne,Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne,(7650*)And ek of contres there abouteOf ladis many a lusti route,With mochel worthi poeple also.And why thei comen theder tho,The cause stod in such a wise,—For worschipe and for sacrifiseThat thei to Venus wolden make,As thei tofore hadde undertake,7480Some of good will, some of beheste,For thanne was hire hihe festeWithinne a temple which was there.Whan Paris wiste what thei were,Anon he schop his ordinanceTo gon and don his obeissanceTo Venus on hire holi day,And dede upon his beste aray.With gret richesse he him behongeth,As it to such a lord belongeth,7490P. ii. 385He was noght armed natheles,Bot as it were in lond of pes,And thus he goth forth out of SchipeAnd takth with him his felaschipe:In such manere as I you seieUnto the temple he hield his weie.Tydinge, which goth overalTo grete and smale, forth withalCom to the queenes Ere and toldeHou Paris com, and that he wolde7500Do sacrifise to Venus:And whan sche herde telle thus,She thoghte, hou that it evere be,That sche wole him abyde and se.670Forth comth Paris with glad visageInto the temple on pelrinage,Wher unto Venus the goddesseHe yifth and offreth gret richesse,And preith hir that he preie wolde.And thanne aside he gan beholde,6717510And sih wher that this ladi stod;And he forth in his freisshe modGoth ther sche was and made hir chiere,As he wel couthe in his manere,That of his wordes such plesanceSche tok, that al hire aqueintance,Als ferforth as the herte lay,He stal er that he wente away.So goth he forth and tok his leve,And thoghte, anon as it was eve,7520P. ii. 386He wolde don his Sacrilegge,That many a man it scholde abegge.(7700*)Whan he to Schipe ayein was come,To him he hath his conseil nome,And al devised the matiereIn such a wise as thou schalt hiere.Withinne nyht al privelyHis men he warneth by and by,That thei be redy armed soneFor certein thing which was to done:7530And thei anon ben redi alle,And ech on other gan to calle,And went hem out upon the stronde672And tok a pourpos ther alondeOf what thing that thei wolden do,673Toward the temple and forth thei go.So fell it, of devocionHeleine in contemplacionWith many an other worthi wihtWas in the temple and wok al nyht,7540To bidde and preie unto thymage674Of Venus, as was thanne usage;So that Paris riht as him listeInto the temple, er thei it wiste,675Com with his men al sodeinly,And alle at ones sette ascryIn hem whiche in the temple were,For tho was mochel poeple there;Bot of defense was no bote,So soffren thei that soffre mote.7550P. ii. 387Paris unto the queene wente,And hire in bothe hise armes henteWith him and with his felaschipe,And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe.676Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente,And such a wynd fortune hem sente,Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte;Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhteAnd gon hem forth toward the toun,The which cam with processioun7560Ayein Paris to sen his preie.And every man began to seieTo Paris and his felaschipeAl that thei couthen of worschipe;Was non so litel man in Troie,That he ne made merthe and joieOf that Paris hath wonne Heleine.Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peineTo Helenus and to Cassaundre;For thei it token schame and sklaundre6777570And lost of al the comun grace,That Paris out of holi place(7750*)Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif,Wherof that he schal lese his lifAnd many a worthi man therto,And al the Cite be fordo,Which nevere schal be mad ayein.And so it fell, riht as thei sein,The Sacrilege which he wroghteWas cause why the Gregois soughte7580P. ii. 388Unto the toun and it beleie,And wolden nevere parte aweie,Til what be sleihte and what be strengtheThei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe,And brent and slayn that was withinne.Now se, mi Sone, which a sinneIs Sacrilege in holy stede:Be war therfore and bidd thi bede,And do nothing in holy cherche,Bot that thou miht be reson werche.7590And ek tak hiede of Achilles,Whan he unto his love chesPolixena, that was alsoIn holi temple of Appollo,Which was the cause why he dydeAnd al his lust was leyd asyde.And Troilus upon CriseideAlso his ferste love leideIn holi place, and hou it ferde,As who seith, al the world it herde;6787600Forsake he was for Diomede,Such was of love his laste mede.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, I wolde rede,Be this ensample as thou myht rede,679Sech elles, wher thou wolt, thi grace,And war the wel in holi placeWhat thou to love do or speke,In aunter if it so be wrekeAs thou hast herd me told before.[Divisions of Avarice.]And tak good hiede also therfore7610P. ii. 389Upon what forme, of Avarice680Mor than of eny other vice,I have divided in partiesThe branches, whiche of compainiesThurghout the world in generalBen nou the leders overal,Of Covoitise and of Perjure,Of fals brocage and of Usure,Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe,681Which nevere drouh to felaschipe,7620Of Robberie and privi Stelthe,682Which don is for the worldes welthe,(7800*)Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge,Which makth the conscience agregge;Althogh it mai richesse atteigne,It floureth, bot it schal noght greineUnto the fruit of rihtwisnesse.Bot who that wolde do largesseUpon the reule as it is yive,So myhte a man in trouthe live6837630Toward his god, and ek alsoToward the world, for bothe tuoLargesse awaiteth as belongeth,To neither part that he ne wrongeth;684He kepth himself, he kepth his frendes,So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes,That he excedeth no mesure,So wel he can himself mesure:Wherof, mi Sone, thou schalt wite,So as the Philosophre hath write.7640[Prodigality and Largess.]P. ii. 390xiii.Prodegus et parcus duo sunt extrema, que largus685Est horum medius, plebis in ore bonus.Nota hic de virtute Largitatis, que ad oppositum Auaricie inter duo extrema, videlicet Parcimoniam et Prodegalitatem, specialiter consistit.Betwen the tuo extremitesOf vice stant the propretesOf vertu, and to prove it soTak Avarice and tak alsoThe vice of Prodegalite;Betwen hem Liberalite,Which is the vertu of Largesse,Stant and governeth his noblesse.For tho tuo vices in discordStonde evere, as I finde of record;7650So that betwen here tuo debatLargesse reuleth his astat.For in such wise as Avarice,As I tofore have told the vice,Thurgh streit holdinge and thurgh skarsnesseStant in contraire to Largesse,Riht so stant ProdegaliteRevers, bot noght in such degre.For so as Avarice spareth,And forto kepe his tresor careth,7660That other al his oghne and moreAyein the wise mannes loreYifth and despendeth hiere and there,So that him reccheth nevere where.While he mai borwe, he wol despende,Til ate laste he seith, ‘I wende’;Bot that is spoken al to late,For thanne is poverte ate gateP. ii. 391And takth him evene be the slieve,For erst wol he no wisdom lieve.7670And riht as Avarice is Sinne,That wolde his tresor kepe and winne,(7850*)Riht so is Prodegalite:Bot of Largesse in his degre,Which evene stant betwen the tuo,The hihe god and man alsoThe vertu ech of hem commendeth.For he himselven ferst amendeth,That overal his name spredeth,And to alle othre, where it nedeth,7680He yifth his good in such a wise,That he makth many a man arise,Which elles scholde falle lowe.Largesce mai noght ben unknowe;For what lond that he regneth inne,It mai noght faile forto winneThurgh his decerte love and grace,Wher it schal faile in other place.And thus betwen tomoche and lyte686Largesce, which is noght to wyte,7690Halt evere forth the middel weie:Bot who that torne wole aweieFro that to Prodegalite,Anon he lest the proprete687Of vertu and goth to the vice;For in such wise as AvariceLest for scarsnesse his goode name,Riht so that other is to blame,P. ii. 392Which thurgh his wast mesure excedeth,For noman wot what harm that bredeth.6887700Bot mochel joie ther betydeth,689Wher that largesse an herte guydeth:For his mesure is so governed,That he to bothe partz is lerned,To god and to the world also,He doth reson to bothe tuo.The povere folk of his almesseRelieved ben in the destresseOf thurst, of hunger and of cold;The yifte of him was nevere sold,7710Bot frely yive, and nathelesThe myhti god of his encressRewardeth him of double grace;The hevene he doth him to pourchaceAnd yifth him ek the worldes good:And thus the Cote for the hodLargesse takth, and yit no SinneHe doth, hou so that evere he winne.Lucas. Omni habenti dabitur.What man hath hors men yive him hors,And who non hath of him no fors,7720For he mai thanne on fote go;The world hath evere stonde so.Bot forto loken of the tweie,A man to go the siker weie,Beacius est dare quam accipere.690Betre is to yive than to take:With yifte a man mai frendes make,P. ii. 393Bot who that takth or gret or smal,He takth a charge forth withal,And stant noght fre til it be quit.So forto deme in mannes wit,7730It helpeth more a man to haveHis oghne good, than forto craveOf othre men and make him bounde,Wher elles he mai stonde unbounde.Seneca. Si res tue tibi non sufficiant, fac vt rebus tuis sufficias.Senec conseileth in this wise,And seith, ‘Bot if thi good suffiseUnto the liking of thi wille,Withdrawh thi lust and hold the stille,And be to thi good sufficant.’Apostolus.691Ordinata caritas incipit a seipsa.For that thing is appourtenant7740To trouthe and causeth to be freAfter the reule of charite,Which ferst beginneth of himselve.For if thou richest othre tuelve,Wherof thou schalt thiself be povere,I not what thonk thou miht recovere.Whil that a man hath good to yive,With grete routes he mai liveAnd hath his frendes overal,And everich of him telle schal.7750Therwhile he hath his fulle packe,692Thei seie, ‘A good felawe is Jacke’;Bot whanne it faileth ate laste,Anon his pris thei overcaste,For thanne is ther non other laweBot, ‘Jacke was a good felawe.’P. ii. 394Whan thei him povere and nedy se,Thei lete him passe and farwel he;Al that he wende of compainieIs thanne torned to folie.7760[Prodigality of Lovers.]Bot nou to speke in other kindeOf love, a man mai suche finde,That wher thei come in every routeThei caste and waste her love aboute,Til al here time is overgon,And thanne have thei love non:693For who that loveth overal,It is no reson that he schal(7900*)Of love have eny proprete.Forthi, mi Sone, avise thee7770If thou of love hast be to large,For such a man is noght to charge:And if it so be that thou hastDespended al thi time in wastAnd set thi love in sondri place,Though thou the substance of thi graceLese ate laste, it is no wonder;For he that put himselven under,As who seith, comun overal,He lest the love special7780Of eny on, if sche be wys;For love schal noght bere his prisBe reson, whanne it passeth on.So have I sen ful many on,694That were of love wel at ese,Whiche after felle in gret deseseP. ii. 395Thurgh wast of love, that thei spenteIn sondri places wher thei wente.Confessor.Riht so, mi Sone, I axe of theeIf thou with Prodegalite7790Hast hier and ther thi love wasted.Amans.Mi fader, nay; bot I have tastedIn many a place as I have go,And yit love I nevere on of tho,Bot forto drive forth the dai.For lieveth wel, myn herte is ayWithoute mo for everemoreAl upon on, for I nomoreDesire bot hire love al one:So make I many a prive mone,7800For wel I fiele I have despendedMi longe love and noght amendedMi sped, for oght I finde yit.If this be wast to youre wit695Of love, and Prodegalite,Nou, goode fader, demeth ye:Bot of o thing I wol me schryve,That I schal for no love thryve,Bot if hirself me wol relieve.696Confessor.Mi Sone, that I mai wel lieve:7810And natheles me semeth so,For oght that thou hast yit misdoOf time which thou hast despended,It mai with grace ben amended.For thing which mai be worth the costPer chaunce is nouther wast ne lost;P. ii. 396For what thing stant on aventure,697That can no worldes creature(7950*)Telle in certein hou it schal wende,698Til he therof mai sen an ende.7820So that I not as yit therforeIf thou, mi Sone, hast wonne or lore:For ofte time, as it is sene,699Whan Somer hath lost al his greneAnd is with Wynter wast and bare,That him is left nothing to spare,Al is recovered in a throwe;The colde wyndes overblowe,And stille be the scharpe schoures,700And soudeinliche ayein his floures7830The Somer hapneth and is riche:And so per cas thi graces liche,Mi Sone, thogh thou be nou povereOf love, yit thou miht recovere.Amans.Mi fader, certes grant merci:Ye have me tawht so redeli,That evere whil I live schalThe betre I mai be war withalOf thing which ye have seid er this.Bot overmore hou that it is,7017840Toward mi schrifte as it belongeth,To wite of othre pointz me longeth;Wherof that ye me wolden techeWith al myn herte I you beseche.
In loves cause if I schal trete,[Sacrilege of Lovers.]Ther ben of suche smale and grete:If thei no leisir fynden elles,Thei wol noght wonden for the belles,Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse;That wol thei leten overpasse.If that thei finde here love there,Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere,7040P. ii. 370And axe of god non other grace,Whyl thei ben in that holi place;Bot er thei gon som avantageTher wol thei have, and som pilageOf goodli word or of beheste,Or elles thei take ate lesteOut of hir hand or ring or glove,So nyh the weder thei wol love,618As who seith sche schal noght foryete,Nou I this tokne of hire have gete:7050Thus halwe thei the hihe feste.Such thefte mai no cherche areste,For al is leveful that hem liketh,619To whom that elles it misliketh.And ek riht in the selve kindeIn grete Cites men mai findeThis lusti folk, that make it gay,And waite upon the haliday:In cherches and in Menstres ekeThei gon the wommen forto seke,7060And wher that such on goth aboute,Tofore the faireste of the route,Wher as thei sitten alle arewe,Ther wol he most his bodi schewe,His croket kembd and theron setA Nouche with a chapelet,Or elles on of grene leves,Which late com out of the greves,Al for he scholde seme freissh.And thus he loketh on the fleissh,6207070P. ii. 371Riht as an hauk which hath a sihteUpon the foul, ther he schal lihte;(7250*)And as he were of faierie,He scheweth him tofore here yheIn holi place wher thei sitte,Al forto make here hertes flitte.His yhe nawher wole abyde,Bot loke and prie on every syde621On hire and hire, as him best lyketh:And otherwhile among he syketh;7080Thenkth on of hem, ‘That was for me,’And so ther thenken tuo or thre,And yit he loveth non of alle,Bot wher as evere his chance falle.And natheles to seie a soth,The cause why that he so dothIs forto stele an herte or tuo,Out of the cherche er that he go:And as I seide it hier above,Al is that Sacrilege of love;7090For wel mai be he stelth awayThat he nevere after yelde may.Tell me forthi, my Sone, anon,Hast thou do Sacrilege, or non,622As I have said in this manere?Confessio Amantis.Mi fader, as of this matiereI wole you tellen redelyWhat I have do; bot trewelyI mai excuse min entente,That nevere I yit to cherche wente7100P. ii. 372In such manere as ye me schryve,For no womman that is on lyve.The cause why I have it laftMai be for I unto that craftAm nothing able so to stele,Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele.623Bot yit wol I noght seie this,Whan I am ther mi ladi is,In whom lith holly mi querele,And sche to cherche or to chapele7110Wol go to matins or to messe,—That time I waite wel and gesse,To cherche I come and there I stonde,And thogh I take a bok on honde,Mi contienance is on the bok,Bot toward hire is al my lok;And if so falle that I preieUnto mi god, and somwhat seieOf Paternoster or of Crede,624Al is for that I wolde spede,7120So that mi bede in holi chercheTher mihte som miracle werche(7300*)Mi ladi herte forto chaunge,Which evere hath be to me so strange.625So that al mi devocionAnd al mi contemplacionWith al min herte and mi corageIs only set on hire ymage;And evere I waite upon the tyde.If sche loke eny thing asyde,7130P. ii. 373That I me mai of hire avise,626Anon I am with covoitiseSo smite, that me were liefTo ben in holi cherche a thief;Bot noght to stele a vestement,For that is nothing mi talent,Bot I wold stele, if that I mihte,627A glad word or a goodly syhte;And evere mi service I profre,And namly whan sche wol gon offre,7140For thanne I lede hire, if I may,For somwhat wolde I stele away.Whan I beclippe hire on the wast,Yit ate leste I stele a tast,And otherwhile ‘grant mercy’Sche seith, and so winne I therbyA lusti touch, a good word eke,Bot al the remenant to sekeIs fro mi pourpos wonder ferr.So mai I seie, as I seide er,7150In holy cherche if that I wowe,My conscience it wolde allowe,628Be so that up amendementI mihte gete assignementWher forto spede in other place:Such Sacrilege I holde a grace.And thus, mi fader, soth to seie,In cherche riht as in the weie,If I mihte oght of love take,Such hansell have I noght forsake.6297160P. ii. 374Bot finali I me confesse,Ther is in me non holinesse,whil I hire se in eny stede;630And yit, for oght that evere I dede,No Sacrilege of hire I tok,Bot if it were of word or lok,631Or elles if that I hir fredde,Whan I toward offringe hir ledde,Take therof what I take may,For elles bere I noght away:7170For thogh I wolde oght elles have,Alle othre thinges ben so save632(7350*)And kept with such a privilege,That I mai do no Sacrilege.God wot mi wille natheles,Thogh I mot nedes kepe pesAnd malgre myn so let it passe,633Mi will therto is noght the lasse,If I mihte other wise aweie.Forthi, mi fader, I you preie,7180Tell what you thenketh therupon,634If I therof have gult or non.Confessor.Thi will, mi Sone, is forto blame,The remenant is bot a game,That I have herd the telle as yit.Bot tak this lore into thi wit,That alle thing hath time and stede,The cherche serveth for the bede,The chambre is of an other speche.Bot if thou wistest of the wreche,7190P. ii. 375Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght,Thou woldest betre ben bethoght;And for thou schalt the more amende,A tale I wole on the despende.635[Tale of Paris and Helen.]To alle men, as who seith, knoweIt is, and in the world thurgh blowe,Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum. Et narrat, pro eo quod Paris Priami Regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie insula a templo Veneris Sacrilegus abduxit, illa Troie famosissima636obsidio per vniuersi637orbis climata divulgata precipue causabatur.638Ita quod huiusmodi Sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Priami omniumque suorum interitum, set eciam ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat.Hou that of Troie LamedonTo Hercules and to Jasoun,Whan toward Colchos out of GreceBe See sailende upon a piece7200Of lond of Troie reste preide,—Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide:And for thei founde him so vilein,Whan thei come into Grece ayein,With pouer that thei gete myhteTowardes Troie thei hem dyhte,And ther thei token such vengance,Wherof stant yit the remembrance;639For thei destruide king and al,And leften bot the brente wal.7210The Grecs of Troiens many sloweAnd prisoners thei toke ynowe,Among the whiche ther was on,The kinges doughter Lamedon,Esiona, that faire thing,640Which unto Thelamon the kingBe Hercules and be thassentOf al the hole parlementWas at his wille yove and granted.And thus hath Grece Troie danted,7220P. ii. 376And hom thei torne in such manere:Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere(7400*)The cause why this tale I telle,641Upon the chances that befelle.King Lamedon, which deide thus,He hadde a Sone, on Priamus,Which was noght thilke time at hom:Bot whan he herde of this, he com,And fond hou the Cite was falle,Which he began anon to walle7230And made ther a cite newe,That thei whiche othre londes kneweTho seiden, that of lym and StonIn al the world so fair was non.And on that o side of the tounThe king let maken Ylioun,642That hihe Tour, that stronge place,Which was adrad of no manaceOf quarel nor of non engin;And thogh men wolde make a Myn,7240No mannes craft it mihte aproche,For it was sett upon a roche.The walles of the toun aboute,Hem stod of al the world no doute,And after the proporcionSex gates weren of the tounOf such a forme, of such entaile,That hem to se was gret mervaile:The diches weren brode and depe,A fewe men it mihte kepe7250P. ii. 377From al the world, as semeth tho,Bot if the goddes weren fo.Gret presse unto that cite drouh,So that ther was of poeple ynouh,Of Burgeis that therinne duellen;Ther mai no mannes tunge tellenHou that cite was riche of good.643Whan al was mad and al wel stod,King Priamus tho him bethoghteWhat thei of Grece whilom wroghte,7260And what was of her swerd devoured,And hou his Soster deshonouredWith Thelamon awey was lad:And so thenkende he wax unglad,644And sette anon a parlement,To which the lordes were assent.In many a wise ther was spoke,Hou that thei mihten ben awroke,Bot ate laste nathelesThei seiden alle, ‘Acord and pes.’7270To setten either part in reste645It thoghte hem thanne for the beste(7450*)With resonable amendement;And thus was Anthenor forth sent646To axe Esionam ayein647And witen what thei wolden sein.So passeth he the See be barge648To Grece forto seie his charge,The which he seide redelyUnto the lordes by and by:7280P. ii. 378Bot where he spak in Grece aboute,He herde noght bot wordes stoute,And nameliche of Thelamon;The maiden wolde he noght forgon,He seide, for no maner thing,And bad him gon hom to his king,For there gat he non amendeFor oght he couthe do or sende.This Anthenor ayein goth homUnto his king, and whan he com,7290He tolde in Grece of that he herde,And hou that Thelamon ansuerde,And hou thei were at here above,That thei wol nouther pes ne love,Bot every man schal don his beste.Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste,The king bethoghte him al that nyht,649And erli, whan the dai was lyht,He tok conseil of this matiere;And thei acorde in this manere,7300That he withouten eny letteA certein time scholde setteOf Parlement to ben avised:650And in the wise it was devised,Of parlement he sette a day,And that was in the Monthe of Maii.This Priamus hadde in his yhteA wif, and Hecuba sche hyhte,Be whom that time ek hadde heOf Sones fyve, and douhtres thre7310P. ii. 379Besiden hem, and thritty mo,651And weren knyhtes alle tho,Bot noght upon his wif begete,Bot elles where he myhte hem geteOf wommen whiche he hadde knowe;Such was the world at thilke throwe:So that he was of children riche,As therof was noman his liche.652Of Parlement the dai was come,Ther ben the lordes alle and some;7320Tho was pronounced and pourposed,And al the cause hem was desclosed,(7500*)Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde.Thei seten alle stille and herde,And tho spak every man aboute:Ther was alegged many a doute,And many a proud word spoke also;653Bot for the moste part as tho654Thei wisten noght what was the beste,Or forto werre or forto reste.7330Bot he that was withoute fere,Hector, among the lordes thereHis tale tolde in such a wise,And seide, ‘Lordes, ye ben wise,Ye knowen this als wel as I,Above all othre most worthi655Stant nou in Grece the manhodeOf worthinesse and of knihthode;For who so wole it wel agrope,To hem belongeth al Europe,7340P. ii. 380Which is the thridde parti eveneOf al the world under the hevene;And we be bot of folk a fewe.So were it reson forto schewe656The peril, er we falle thrinne:Betre is to leve, than beginneThing which as mai noght ben achieved;He is noght wys that fint him grieved,And doth so that his grief be more;For who that loketh al tofore7350And wol noght se what is behinde,He mai fulofte hise harmes finde:Wicke is to stryve and have the worse.We have encheson forto corse,This wot I wel, and forto hateThe Greks; bot er that we debateWith hem that ben of such a myht,It is ful good that every wihtBe of himself riht wel bethoght.Bot as for me this seie I noght;7360For while that mi lif wol stonde,If that ye taken werre on honde,Falle it to beste or to the werste,657I schal miselven be the fersteTo grieven hem, what evere I may.I wol noght ones seie nayTo thing which that youre conseil demeth,For unto me wel more it quemethThe werre certes than the pes;Bot this I seie natheles,7370P. ii. 381As me belongeth forto seie.Nou schape ye the beste weie.’(7550*)Whan Hector hath seid his avis,Next after him tho spak Paris,Which was his brother, and alleideWhat him best thoghte, and thus he seide:‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong,And suffre schame is more strong,Bot we have suffred bothe tuo;And for al that yit have we do7380What so we mihte to reformeThe pes, whan we in such a forme658Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe.And thei here grete wordes bloweUpon her wrongful dedes eke;And who that wole himself noght mekeTo pes, and list no reson take,Men sein reson him wol forsake:659For in the multitude of menIs noght the strengthe, for with ten7390It hath be sen in trew querele660Ayein an hundred false dele,And had the betre of goddes grace.This hath befalle in many place;And if it like unto you alle,I wole assaie, hou so it falle,Oure enemis if I mai grieve;For I have cawht a gret believeUpon a point I wol declare.This ender day, as I gan fare6617400P. ii. 382To hunte unto the grete hert,Which was tofore myn houndes stert,And every man went on his syde662Him to poursuie, and I to rydeBegan the chace, and soth to seie,663Withinne a while out of mi weieI rod, and nyste where I was.And slep me cauhte, and on the grasBeside a welle I lay me dounTo slepe, and in a visioun6647410To me the god Mercurie cam;Goddesses thre with him he nam,Minerve, Venus and Juno,And in his hond an Appel thoHe hield of gold with lettres write:And this he dede me to wite,Hou that thei putt hem upon me,665That to the faireste of hem threOf gold that Appel scholde I yive.666With ech of hem tho was I schrive,7420And echon faire me behihte;Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte(7600*)That Appel of mi yifte gete,Sche wolde it neveremor foryete,And seide hou that in Grece londSche wolde bringe unto myn hondOf al this Erthe the faireste;So that me thoghte it for the beste,To hire and yaf that Appel tho.Thus hope I wel, if that I go,7430P. ii. 383That sche for me wol so ordeine,That thei matiere forto pleigneSchul have, er that I come ayein.Nou have ye herd that I wol sein:Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’And every man tho seide his,And sundri causes thei recorde,Bot ate laste thei acordeThat Paris schal to Grece wende,And thus the parlement tok ende.7440Cassandra, whan sche herde of this,667The which to Paris Soster is,Anon sche gan to wepe and weile,And seide, ‘Allas, what mai ous eile?Fortune with hire blinde whielNe wol noght lete ous stonde wel:For this I dar wel undertake,That if Paris his weie take,As it is seid that he schal do,We ben for evere thanne undo.’7450This, which Cassandre thanne hihte,In al the world as it berth sihte,In bokes as men finde write,Is that Sibille of whom ye wite,That alle men yit clepen sage.Whan that sche wiste of this viage,Hou Paris schal to Grece fare,No womman mihte worse fareNe sorwe more than sche dede;And riht so in the same stede7460P. ii. 384Ferde Helenus, which was hir brother,Of prophecie and such an other:And al was holde bot a jape,So that the pourpos which was schape,Or were hem lief or were hem loth,668Was holde, and into Grece gothThis Paris with his retenance.And as it fell upon his chance,Of Grece he londeth in an yle,And him was told the same whyle6697470Of folk which he began to freyne,Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne,(7650*)And ek of contres there abouteOf ladis many a lusti route,With mochel worthi poeple also.And why thei comen theder tho,The cause stod in such a wise,—For worschipe and for sacrifiseThat thei to Venus wolden make,As thei tofore hadde undertake,7480Some of good will, some of beheste,For thanne was hire hihe festeWithinne a temple which was there.Whan Paris wiste what thei were,Anon he schop his ordinanceTo gon and don his obeissanceTo Venus on hire holi day,And dede upon his beste aray.With gret richesse he him behongeth,As it to such a lord belongeth,7490P. ii. 385He was noght armed natheles,Bot as it were in lond of pes,And thus he goth forth out of SchipeAnd takth with him his felaschipe:In such manere as I you seieUnto the temple he hield his weie.Tydinge, which goth overalTo grete and smale, forth withalCom to the queenes Ere and toldeHou Paris com, and that he wolde7500Do sacrifise to Venus:And whan sche herde telle thus,She thoghte, hou that it evere be,That sche wole him abyde and se.670Forth comth Paris with glad visageInto the temple on pelrinage,Wher unto Venus the goddesseHe yifth and offreth gret richesse,And preith hir that he preie wolde.And thanne aside he gan beholde,6717510And sih wher that this ladi stod;And he forth in his freisshe modGoth ther sche was and made hir chiere,As he wel couthe in his manere,That of his wordes such plesanceSche tok, that al hire aqueintance,Als ferforth as the herte lay,He stal er that he wente away.So goth he forth and tok his leve,And thoghte, anon as it was eve,7520P. ii. 386He wolde don his Sacrilegge,That many a man it scholde abegge.(7700*)Whan he to Schipe ayein was come,To him he hath his conseil nome,And al devised the matiereIn such a wise as thou schalt hiere.Withinne nyht al privelyHis men he warneth by and by,That thei be redy armed soneFor certein thing which was to done:7530And thei anon ben redi alle,And ech on other gan to calle,And went hem out upon the stronde672And tok a pourpos ther alondeOf what thing that thei wolden do,673Toward the temple and forth thei go.So fell it, of devocionHeleine in contemplacionWith many an other worthi wihtWas in the temple and wok al nyht,7540To bidde and preie unto thymage674Of Venus, as was thanne usage;So that Paris riht as him listeInto the temple, er thei it wiste,675Com with his men al sodeinly,And alle at ones sette ascryIn hem whiche in the temple were,For tho was mochel poeple there;Bot of defense was no bote,So soffren thei that soffre mote.7550P. ii. 387Paris unto the queene wente,And hire in bothe hise armes henteWith him and with his felaschipe,And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe.676Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente,And such a wynd fortune hem sente,Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte;Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhteAnd gon hem forth toward the toun,The which cam with processioun7560Ayein Paris to sen his preie.And every man began to seieTo Paris and his felaschipeAl that thei couthen of worschipe;Was non so litel man in Troie,That he ne made merthe and joieOf that Paris hath wonne Heleine.Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peineTo Helenus and to Cassaundre;For thei it token schame and sklaundre6777570And lost of al the comun grace,That Paris out of holi place(7750*)Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif,Wherof that he schal lese his lifAnd many a worthi man therto,And al the Cite be fordo,Which nevere schal be mad ayein.And so it fell, riht as thei sein,The Sacrilege which he wroghteWas cause why the Gregois soughte7580P. ii. 388Unto the toun and it beleie,And wolden nevere parte aweie,Til what be sleihte and what be strengtheThei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe,And brent and slayn that was withinne.Now se, mi Sone, which a sinneIs Sacrilege in holy stede:Be war therfore and bidd thi bede,And do nothing in holy cherche,Bot that thou miht be reson werche.7590And ek tak hiede of Achilles,Whan he unto his love chesPolixena, that was alsoIn holi temple of Appollo,Which was the cause why he dydeAnd al his lust was leyd asyde.And Troilus upon CriseideAlso his ferste love leideIn holi place, and hou it ferde,As who seith, al the world it herde;6787600Forsake he was for Diomede,Such was of love his laste mede.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, I wolde rede,Be this ensample as thou myht rede,679Sech elles, wher thou wolt, thi grace,And war the wel in holi placeWhat thou to love do or speke,In aunter if it so be wrekeAs thou hast herd me told before.[Divisions of Avarice.]And tak good hiede also therfore7610P. ii. 389Upon what forme, of Avarice680Mor than of eny other vice,I have divided in partiesThe branches, whiche of compainiesThurghout the world in generalBen nou the leders overal,Of Covoitise and of Perjure,Of fals brocage and of Usure,Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe,681Which nevere drouh to felaschipe,7620Of Robberie and privi Stelthe,682Which don is for the worldes welthe,(7800*)Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge,Which makth the conscience agregge;Althogh it mai richesse atteigne,It floureth, bot it schal noght greineUnto the fruit of rihtwisnesse.Bot who that wolde do largesseUpon the reule as it is yive,So myhte a man in trouthe live6837630Toward his god, and ek alsoToward the world, for bothe tuoLargesse awaiteth as belongeth,To neither part that he ne wrongeth;684He kepth himself, he kepth his frendes,So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes,That he excedeth no mesure,So wel he can himself mesure:Wherof, mi Sone, thou schalt wite,So as the Philosophre hath write.7640[Prodigality and Largess.]P. ii. 390xiii.Prodegus et parcus duo sunt extrema, que largus685Est horum medius, plebis in ore bonus.Nota hic de virtute Largitatis, que ad oppositum Auaricie inter duo extrema, videlicet Parcimoniam et Prodegalitatem, specialiter consistit.Betwen the tuo extremitesOf vice stant the propretesOf vertu, and to prove it soTak Avarice and tak alsoThe vice of Prodegalite;Betwen hem Liberalite,Which is the vertu of Largesse,Stant and governeth his noblesse.For tho tuo vices in discordStonde evere, as I finde of record;7650So that betwen here tuo debatLargesse reuleth his astat.For in such wise as Avarice,As I tofore have told the vice,Thurgh streit holdinge and thurgh skarsnesseStant in contraire to Largesse,Riht so stant ProdegaliteRevers, bot noght in such degre.For so as Avarice spareth,And forto kepe his tresor careth,7660That other al his oghne and moreAyein the wise mannes loreYifth and despendeth hiere and there,So that him reccheth nevere where.While he mai borwe, he wol despende,Til ate laste he seith, ‘I wende’;Bot that is spoken al to late,For thanne is poverte ate gateP. ii. 391And takth him evene be the slieve,For erst wol he no wisdom lieve.7670And riht as Avarice is Sinne,That wolde his tresor kepe and winne,(7850*)Riht so is Prodegalite:Bot of Largesse in his degre,Which evene stant betwen the tuo,The hihe god and man alsoThe vertu ech of hem commendeth.For he himselven ferst amendeth,That overal his name spredeth,And to alle othre, where it nedeth,7680He yifth his good in such a wise,That he makth many a man arise,Which elles scholde falle lowe.Largesce mai noght ben unknowe;For what lond that he regneth inne,It mai noght faile forto winneThurgh his decerte love and grace,Wher it schal faile in other place.And thus betwen tomoche and lyte686Largesce, which is noght to wyte,7690Halt evere forth the middel weie:Bot who that torne wole aweieFro that to Prodegalite,Anon he lest the proprete687Of vertu and goth to the vice;For in such wise as AvariceLest for scarsnesse his goode name,Riht so that other is to blame,P. ii. 392Which thurgh his wast mesure excedeth,For noman wot what harm that bredeth.6887700Bot mochel joie ther betydeth,689Wher that largesse an herte guydeth:For his mesure is so governed,That he to bothe partz is lerned,To god and to the world also,He doth reson to bothe tuo.The povere folk of his almesseRelieved ben in the destresseOf thurst, of hunger and of cold;The yifte of him was nevere sold,7710Bot frely yive, and nathelesThe myhti god of his encressRewardeth him of double grace;The hevene he doth him to pourchaceAnd yifth him ek the worldes good:And thus the Cote for the hodLargesse takth, and yit no SinneHe doth, hou so that evere he winne.Lucas. Omni habenti dabitur.What man hath hors men yive him hors,And who non hath of him no fors,7720For he mai thanne on fote go;The world hath evere stonde so.Bot forto loken of the tweie,A man to go the siker weie,Beacius est dare quam accipere.690Betre is to yive than to take:With yifte a man mai frendes make,P. ii. 393Bot who that takth or gret or smal,He takth a charge forth withal,And stant noght fre til it be quit.So forto deme in mannes wit,7730It helpeth more a man to haveHis oghne good, than forto craveOf othre men and make him bounde,Wher elles he mai stonde unbounde.Seneca. Si res tue tibi non sufficiant, fac vt rebus tuis sufficias.Senec conseileth in this wise,And seith, ‘Bot if thi good suffiseUnto the liking of thi wille,Withdrawh thi lust and hold the stille,And be to thi good sufficant.’Apostolus.691Ordinata caritas incipit a seipsa.For that thing is appourtenant7740To trouthe and causeth to be freAfter the reule of charite,Which ferst beginneth of himselve.For if thou richest othre tuelve,Wherof thou schalt thiself be povere,I not what thonk thou miht recovere.Whil that a man hath good to yive,With grete routes he mai liveAnd hath his frendes overal,And everich of him telle schal.7750Therwhile he hath his fulle packe,692Thei seie, ‘A good felawe is Jacke’;Bot whanne it faileth ate laste,Anon his pris thei overcaste,For thanne is ther non other laweBot, ‘Jacke was a good felawe.’P. ii. 394Whan thei him povere and nedy se,Thei lete him passe and farwel he;Al that he wende of compainieIs thanne torned to folie.7760[Prodigality of Lovers.]Bot nou to speke in other kindeOf love, a man mai suche finde,That wher thei come in every routeThei caste and waste her love aboute,Til al here time is overgon,And thanne have thei love non:693For who that loveth overal,It is no reson that he schal(7900*)Of love have eny proprete.Forthi, mi Sone, avise thee7770If thou of love hast be to large,For such a man is noght to charge:And if it so be that thou hastDespended al thi time in wastAnd set thi love in sondri place,Though thou the substance of thi graceLese ate laste, it is no wonder;For he that put himselven under,As who seith, comun overal,He lest the love special7780Of eny on, if sche be wys;For love schal noght bere his prisBe reson, whanne it passeth on.So have I sen ful many on,694That were of love wel at ese,Whiche after felle in gret deseseP. ii. 395Thurgh wast of love, that thei spenteIn sondri places wher thei wente.Confessor.Riht so, mi Sone, I axe of theeIf thou with Prodegalite7790Hast hier and ther thi love wasted.Amans.Mi fader, nay; bot I have tastedIn many a place as I have go,And yit love I nevere on of tho,Bot forto drive forth the dai.For lieveth wel, myn herte is ayWithoute mo for everemoreAl upon on, for I nomoreDesire bot hire love al one:So make I many a prive mone,7800For wel I fiele I have despendedMi longe love and noght amendedMi sped, for oght I finde yit.If this be wast to youre wit695Of love, and Prodegalite,Nou, goode fader, demeth ye:Bot of o thing I wol me schryve,That I schal for no love thryve,Bot if hirself me wol relieve.696Confessor.Mi Sone, that I mai wel lieve:7810And natheles me semeth so,For oght that thou hast yit misdoOf time which thou hast despended,It mai with grace ben amended.For thing which mai be worth the costPer chaunce is nouther wast ne lost;P. ii. 396For what thing stant on aventure,697That can no worldes creature(7950*)Telle in certein hou it schal wende,698Til he therof mai sen an ende.7820So that I not as yit therforeIf thou, mi Sone, hast wonne or lore:For ofte time, as it is sene,699Whan Somer hath lost al his greneAnd is with Wynter wast and bare,That him is left nothing to spare,Al is recovered in a throwe;The colde wyndes overblowe,And stille be the scharpe schoures,700And soudeinliche ayein his floures7830The Somer hapneth and is riche:And so per cas thi graces liche,Mi Sone, thogh thou be nou povereOf love, yit thou miht recovere.Amans.Mi fader, certes grant merci:Ye have me tawht so redeli,That evere whil I live schalThe betre I mai be war withalOf thing which ye have seid er this.Bot overmore hou that it is,7017840Toward mi schrifte as it belongeth,To wite of othre pointz me longeth;Wherof that ye me wolden techeWith al myn herte I you beseche.
In loves cause if I schal trete,[Sacrilege of Lovers.]Ther ben of suche smale and grete:If thei no leisir fynden elles,Thei wol noght wonden for the belles,Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse;That wol thei leten overpasse.If that thei finde here love there,Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere,7040P. ii. 370And axe of god non other grace,Whyl thei ben in that holi place;Bot er thei gon som avantageTher wol thei have, and som pilageOf goodli word or of beheste,Or elles thei take ate lesteOut of hir hand or ring or glove,So nyh the weder thei wol love,618As who seith sche schal noght foryete,Nou I this tokne of hire have gete:7050Thus halwe thei the hihe feste.Such thefte mai no cherche areste,For al is leveful that hem liketh,619To whom that elles it misliketh.And ek riht in the selve kindeIn grete Cites men mai findeThis lusti folk, that make it gay,And waite upon the haliday:In cherches and in Menstres ekeThei gon the wommen forto seke,7060And wher that such on goth aboute,Tofore the faireste of the route,Wher as thei sitten alle arewe,Ther wol he most his bodi schewe,His croket kembd and theron setA Nouche with a chapelet,Or elles on of grene leves,Which late com out of the greves,Al for he scholde seme freissh.And thus he loketh on the fleissh,6207070P. ii. 371Riht as an hauk which hath a sihteUpon the foul, ther he schal lihte;(7250*)And as he were of faierie,He scheweth him tofore here yheIn holi place wher thei sitte,Al forto make here hertes flitte.His yhe nawher wole abyde,Bot loke and prie on every syde621On hire and hire, as him best lyketh:And otherwhile among he syketh;7080Thenkth on of hem, ‘That was for me,’And so ther thenken tuo or thre,And yit he loveth non of alle,Bot wher as evere his chance falle.And natheles to seie a soth,The cause why that he so dothIs forto stele an herte or tuo,Out of the cherche er that he go:And as I seide it hier above,Al is that Sacrilege of love;7090For wel mai be he stelth awayThat he nevere after yelde may.Tell me forthi, my Sone, anon,Hast thou do Sacrilege, or non,622As I have said in this manere?Confessio Amantis.Mi fader, as of this matiereI wole you tellen redelyWhat I have do; bot trewelyI mai excuse min entente,That nevere I yit to cherche wente7100P. ii. 372In such manere as ye me schryve,For no womman that is on lyve.The cause why I have it laftMai be for I unto that craftAm nothing able so to stele,Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele.623Bot yit wol I noght seie this,Whan I am ther mi ladi is,In whom lith holly mi querele,And sche to cherche or to chapele7110Wol go to matins or to messe,—That time I waite wel and gesse,To cherche I come and there I stonde,And thogh I take a bok on honde,Mi contienance is on the bok,Bot toward hire is al my lok;And if so falle that I preieUnto mi god, and somwhat seieOf Paternoster or of Crede,624Al is for that I wolde spede,7120So that mi bede in holi chercheTher mihte som miracle werche(7300*)Mi ladi herte forto chaunge,Which evere hath be to me so strange.625So that al mi devocionAnd al mi contemplacionWith al min herte and mi corageIs only set on hire ymage;And evere I waite upon the tyde.If sche loke eny thing asyde,7130P. ii. 373That I me mai of hire avise,626Anon I am with covoitiseSo smite, that me were liefTo ben in holi cherche a thief;Bot noght to stele a vestement,For that is nothing mi talent,Bot I wold stele, if that I mihte,627A glad word or a goodly syhte;And evere mi service I profre,And namly whan sche wol gon offre,7140For thanne I lede hire, if I may,For somwhat wolde I stele away.Whan I beclippe hire on the wast,Yit ate leste I stele a tast,And otherwhile ‘grant mercy’Sche seith, and so winne I therbyA lusti touch, a good word eke,Bot al the remenant to sekeIs fro mi pourpos wonder ferr.So mai I seie, as I seide er,7150In holy cherche if that I wowe,My conscience it wolde allowe,628Be so that up amendementI mihte gete assignementWher forto spede in other place:Such Sacrilege I holde a grace.And thus, mi fader, soth to seie,In cherche riht as in the weie,If I mihte oght of love take,Such hansell have I noght forsake.6297160P. ii. 374Bot finali I me confesse,Ther is in me non holinesse,whil I hire se in eny stede;630And yit, for oght that evere I dede,No Sacrilege of hire I tok,Bot if it were of word or lok,631Or elles if that I hir fredde,Whan I toward offringe hir ledde,Take therof what I take may,For elles bere I noght away:7170For thogh I wolde oght elles have,Alle othre thinges ben so save632(7350*)And kept with such a privilege,That I mai do no Sacrilege.God wot mi wille natheles,Thogh I mot nedes kepe pesAnd malgre myn so let it passe,633Mi will therto is noght the lasse,If I mihte other wise aweie.Forthi, mi fader, I you preie,7180Tell what you thenketh therupon,634If I therof have gult or non.Confessor.Thi will, mi Sone, is forto blame,The remenant is bot a game,That I have herd the telle as yit.Bot tak this lore into thi wit,That alle thing hath time and stede,The cherche serveth for the bede,The chambre is of an other speche.Bot if thou wistest of the wreche,7190P. ii. 375Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght,Thou woldest betre ben bethoght;And for thou schalt the more amende,A tale I wole on the despende.635
In loves cause if I schal trete,
[Sacrilege of Lovers.]
Ther ben of suche smale and grete:
If thei no leisir fynden elles,
Thei wol noght wonden for the belles,
Ne thogh thei sen the Prest at masse;
That wol thei leten overpasse.
If that thei finde here love there,
Thei stonde and tellen in hire Ere,7040
P. ii. 370
And axe of god non other grace,
Whyl thei ben in that holi place;
Bot er thei gon som avantage
Ther wol thei have, and som pilage
Of goodli word or of beheste,
Or elles thei take ate leste
Out of hir hand or ring or glove,
So nyh the weder thei wol love,618
As who seith sche schal noght foryete,
Nou I this tokne of hire have gete:7050
Thus halwe thei the hihe feste.
Such thefte mai no cherche areste,
For al is leveful that hem liketh,619
To whom that elles it misliketh.
And ek riht in the selve kinde
In grete Cites men mai finde
This lusti folk, that make it gay,
And waite upon the haliday:
In cherches and in Menstres eke
Thei gon the wommen forto seke,7060
And wher that such on goth aboute,
Tofore the faireste of the route,
Wher as thei sitten alle arewe,
Ther wol he most his bodi schewe,
His croket kembd and theron set
A Nouche with a chapelet,
Or elles on of grene leves,
Which late com out of the greves,
Al for he scholde seme freissh.
And thus he loketh on the fleissh,6207070
P. ii. 371
Riht as an hauk which hath a sihte
Upon the foul, ther he schal lihte;(7250*)
And as he were of faierie,
He scheweth him tofore here yhe
In holi place wher thei sitte,
Al forto make here hertes flitte.
His yhe nawher wole abyde,
Bot loke and prie on every syde621
On hire and hire, as him best lyketh:
And otherwhile among he syketh;7080
Thenkth on of hem, ‘That was for me,’
And so ther thenken tuo or thre,
And yit he loveth non of alle,
Bot wher as evere his chance falle.
And natheles to seie a soth,
The cause why that he so doth
Is forto stele an herte or tuo,
Out of the cherche er that he go:
And as I seide it hier above,
Al is that Sacrilege of love;7090
For wel mai be he stelth away
That he nevere after yelde may.
Tell me forthi, my Sone, anon,
Hast thou do Sacrilege, or non,622
As I have said in this manere?
Confessio Amantis.
Mi fader, as of this matiere
I wole you tellen redely
What I have do; bot trewely
I mai excuse min entente,
That nevere I yit to cherche wente7100
P. ii. 372
In such manere as ye me schryve,
For no womman that is on lyve.
The cause why I have it laft
Mai be for I unto that craft
Am nothing able so to stele,
Thogh ther be wommen noght so fele.623
Bot yit wol I noght seie this,
Whan I am ther mi ladi is,
In whom lith holly mi querele,
And sche to cherche or to chapele7110
Wol go to matins or to messe,—
That time I waite wel and gesse,
To cherche I come and there I stonde,
And thogh I take a bok on honde,
Mi contienance is on the bok,
Bot toward hire is al my lok;
And if so falle that I preie
Unto mi god, and somwhat seie
Of Paternoster or of Crede,624
Al is for that I wolde spede,7120
So that mi bede in holi cherche
Ther mihte som miracle werche(7300*)
Mi ladi herte forto chaunge,
Which evere hath be to me so strange.625
So that al mi devocion
And al mi contemplacion
With al min herte and mi corage
Is only set on hire ymage;
And evere I waite upon the tyde.
If sche loke eny thing asyde,7130
P. ii. 373
That I me mai of hire avise,626
Anon I am with covoitise
So smite, that me were lief
To ben in holi cherche a thief;
Bot noght to stele a vestement,
For that is nothing mi talent,
Bot I wold stele, if that I mihte,627
A glad word or a goodly syhte;
And evere mi service I profre,
And namly whan sche wol gon offre,7140
For thanne I lede hire, if I may,
For somwhat wolde I stele away.
Whan I beclippe hire on the wast,
Yit ate leste I stele a tast,
And otherwhile ‘grant mercy’
Sche seith, and so winne I therby
A lusti touch, a good word eke,
Bot al the remenant to seke
Is fro mi pourpos wonder ferr.
So mai I seie, as I seide er,7150
In holy cherche if that I wowe,
My conscience it wolde allowe,628
Be so that up amendement
I mihte gete assignement
Wher forto spede in other place:
Such Sacrilege I holde a grace.
And thus, mi fader, soth to seie,
In cherche riht as in the weie,
If I mihte oght of love take,
Such hansell have I noght forsake.6297160
P. ii. 374
Bot finali I me confesse,
Ther is in me non holinesse,
whil I hire se in eny stede;630
And yit, for oght that evere I dede,
No Sacrilege of hire I tok,
Bot if it were of word or lok,631
Or elles if that I hir fredde,
Whan I toward offringe hir ledde,
Take therof what I take may,
For elles bere I noght away:7170
For thogh I wolde oght elles have,
Alle othre thinges ben so save632(7350*)
And kept with such a privilege,
That I mai do no Sacrilege.
God wot mi wille natheles,
Thogh I mot nedes kepe pes
And malgre myn so let it passe,633
Mi will therto is noght the lasse,
If I mihte other wise aweie.
Forthi, mi fader, I you preie,7180
Tell what you thenketh therupon,634
If I therof have gult or non.
Confessor.
Thi will, mi Sone, is forto blame,
The remenant is bot a game,
That I have herd the telle as yit.
Bot tak this lore into thi wit,
That alle thing hath time and stede,
The cherche serveth for the bede,
The chambre is of an other speche.
Bot if thou wistest of the wreche,7190
P. ii. 375
Hou Sacrilege it hath aboght,
Thou woldest betre ben bethoght;
And for thou schalt the more amende,
A tale I wole on the despende.635
[Tale of Paris and Helen.]To alle men, as who seith, knoweIt is, and in the world thurgh blowe,Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum. Et narrat, pro eo quod Paris Priami Regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie insula a templo Veneris Sacrilegus abduxit, illa Troie famosissima636obsidio per vniuersi637orbis climata divulgata precipue causabatur.638Ita quod huiusmodi Sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Priami omniumque suorum interitum, set eciam ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat.Hou that of Troie LamedonTo Hercules and to Jasoun,Whan toward Colchos out of GreceBe See sailende upon a piece7200Of lond of Troie reste preide,—Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide:And for thei founde him so vilein,Whan thei come into Grece ayein,With pouer that thei gete myhteTowardes Troie thei hem dyhte,And ther thei token such vengance,Wherof stant yit the remembrance;639For thei destruide king and al,And leften bot the brente wal.7210The Grecs of Troiens many sloweAnd prisoners thei toke ynowe,Among the whiche ther was on,The kinges doughter Lamedon,Esiona, that faire thing,640Which unto Thelamon the kingBe Hercules and be thassentOf al the hole parlementWas at his wille yove and granted.And thus hath Grece Troie danted,7220P. ii. 376And hom thei torne in such manere:Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere(7400*)The cause why this tale I telle,641Upon the chances that befelle.King Lamedon, which deide thus,He hadde a Sone, on Priamus,Which was noght thilke time at hom:Bot whan he herde of this, he com,And fond hou the Cite was falle,Which he began anon to walle7230And made ther a cite newe,That thei whiche othre londes kneweTho seiden, that of lym and StonIn al the world so fair was non.And on that o side of the tounThe king let maken Ylioun,642That hihe Tour, that stronge place,Which was adrad of no manaceOf quarel nor of non engin;And thogh men wolde make a Myn,7240No mannes craft it mihte aproche,For it was sett upon a roche.The walles of the toun aboute,Hem stod of al the world no doute,And after the proporcionSex gates weren of the tounOf such a forme, of such entaile,That hem to se was gret mervaile:The diches weren brode and depe,A fewe men it mihte kepe7250P. ii. 377From al the world, as semeth tho,Bot if the goddes weren fo.Gret presse unto that cite drouh,So that ther was of poeple ynouh,Of Burgeis that therinne duellen;Ther mai no mannes tunge tellenHou that cite was riche of good.643Whan al was mad and al wel stod,King Priamus tho him bethoghteWhat thei of Grece whilom wroghte,7260And what was of her swerd devoured,And hou his Soster deshonouredWith Thelamon awey was lad:And so thenkende he wax unglad,644And sette anon a parlement,To which the lordes were assent.In many a wise ther was spoke,Hou that thei mihten ben awroke,Bot ate laste nathelesThei seiden alle, ‘Acord and pes.’7270To setten either part in reste645It thoghte hem thanne for the beste(7450*)With resonable amendement;And thus was Anthenor forth sent646To axe Esionam ayein647And witen what thei wolden sein.So passeth he the See be barge648To Grece forto seie his charge,The which he seide redelyUnto the lordes by and by:7280P. ii. 378Bot where he spak in Grece aboute,He herde noght bot wordes stoute,And nameliche of Thelamon;The maiden wolde he noght forgon,He seide, for no maner thing,And bad him gon hom to his king,For there gat he non amendeFor oght he couthe do or sende.This Anthenor ayein goth homUnto his king, and whan he com,7290He tolde in Grece of that he herde,And hou that Thelamon ansuerde,And hou thei were at here above,That thei wol nouther pes ne love,Bot every man schal don his beste.Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste,The king bethoghte him al that nyht,649And erli, whan the dai was lyht,He tok conseil of this matiere;And thei acorde in this manere,7300That he withouten eny letteA certein time scholde setteOf Parlement to ben avised:650And in the wise it was devised,Of parlement he sette a day,And that was in the Monthe of Maii.This Priamus hadde in his yhteA wif, and Hecuba sche hyhte,Be whom that time ek hadde heOf Sones fyve, and douhtres thre7310P. ii. 379Besiden hem, and thritty mo,651And weren knyhtes alle tho,Bot noght upon his wif begete,Bot elles where he myhte hem geteOf wommen whiche he hadde knowe;Such was the world at thilke throwe:So that he was of children riche,As therof was noman his liche.652Of Parlement the dai was come,Ther ben the lordes alle and some;7320Tho was pronounced and pourposed,And al the cause hem was desclosed,(7500*)Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde.Thei seten alle stille and herde,And tho spak every man aboute:Ther was alegged many a doute,And many a proud word spoke also;653Bot for the moste part as tho654Thei wisten noght what was the beste,Or forto werre or forto reste.7330Bot he that was withoute fere,Hector, among the lordes thereHis tale tolde in such a wise,And seide, ‘Lordes, ye ben wise,Ye knowen this als wel as I,Above all othre most worthi655Stant nou in Grece the manhodeOf worthinesse and of knihthode;For who so wole it wel agrope,To hem belongeth al Europe,7340P. ii. 380Which is the thridde parti eveneOf al the world under the hevene;And we be bot of folk a fewe.So were it reson forto schewe656The peril, er we falle thrinne:Betre is to leve, than beginneThing which as mai noght ben achieved;He is noght wys that fint him grieved,And doth so that his grief be more;For who that loketh al tofore7350And wol noght se what is behinde,He mai fulofte hise harmes finde:Wicke is to stryve and have the worse.We have encheson forto corse,This wot I wel, and forto hateThe Greks; bot er that we debateWith hem that ben of such a myht,It is ful good that every wihtBe of himself riht wel bethoght.Bot as for me this seie I noght;7360For while that mi lif wol stonde,If that ye taken werre on honde,Falle it to beste or to the werste,657I schal miselven be the fersteTo grieven hem, what evere I may.I wol noght ones seie nayTo thing which that youre conseil demeth,For unto me wel more it quemethThe werre certes than the pes;Bot this I seie natheles,7370P. ii. 381As me belongeth forto seie.Nou schape ye the beste weie.’(7550*)Whan Hector hath seid his avis,Next after him tho spak Paris,Which was his brother, and alleideWhat him best thoghte, and thus he seide:‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong,And suffre schame is more strong,Bot we have suffred bothe tuo;And for al that yit have we do7380What so we mihte to reformeThe pes, whan we in such a forme658Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe.And thei here grete wordes bloweUpon her wrongful dedes eke;And who that wole himself noght mekeTo pes, and list no reson take,Men sein reson him wol forsake:659For in the multitude of menIs noght the strengthe, for with ten7390It hath be sen in trew querele660Ayein an hundred false dele,And had the betre of goddes grace.This hath befalle in many place;And if it like unto you alle,I wole assaie, hou so it falle,Oure enemis if I mai grieve;For I have cawht a gret believeUpon a point I wol declare.This ender day, as I gan fare6617400P. ii. 382To hunte unto the grete hert,Which was tofore myn houndes stert,And every man went on his syde662Him to poursuie, and I to rydeBegan the chace, and soth to seie,663Withinne a while out of mi weieI rod, and nyste where I was.And slep me cauhte, and on the grasBeside a welle I lay me dounTo slepe, and in a visioun6647410To me the god Mercurie cam;Goddesses thre with him he nam,Minerve, Venus and Juno,And in his hond an Appel thoHe hield of gold with lettres write:And this he dede me to wite,Hou that thei putt hem upon me,665That to the faireste of hem threOf gold that Appel scholde I yive.666With ech of hem tho was I schrive,7420And echon faire me behihte;Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte(7600*)That Appel of mi yifte gete,Sche wolde it neveremor foryete,And seide hou that in Grece londSche wolde bringe unto myn hondOf al this Erthe the faireste;So that me thoghte it for the beste,To hire and yaf that Appel tho.Thus hope I wel, if that I go,7430P. ii. 383That sche for me wol so ordeine,That thei matiere forto pleigneSchul have, er that I come ayein.Nou have ye herd that I wol sein:Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’And every man tho seide his,And sundri causes thei recorde,Bot ate laste thei acordeThat Paris schal to Grece wende,And thus the parlement tok ende.7440Cassandra, whan sche herde of this,667The which to Paris Soster is,Anon sche gan to wepe and weile,And seide, ‘Allas, what mai ous eile?Fortune with hire blinde whielNe wol noght lete ous stonde wel:For this I dar wel undertake,That if Paris his weie take,As it is seid that he schal do,We ben for evere thanne undo.’7450This, which Cassandre thanne hihte,In al the world as it berth sihte,In bokes as men finde write,Is that Sibille of whom ye wite,That alle men yit clepen sage.Whan that sche wiste of this viage,Hou Paris schal to Grece fare,No womman mihte worse fareNe sorwe more than sche dede;And riht so in the same stede7460P. ii. 384Ferde Helenus, which was hir brother,Of prophecie and such an other:And al was holde bot a jape,So that the pourpos which was schape,Or were hem lief or were hem loth,668Was holde, and into Grece gothThis Paris with his retenance.And as it fell upon his chance,Of Grece he londeth in an yle,And him was told the same whyle6697470Of folk which he began to freyne,Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne,(7650*)And ek of contres there abouteOf ladis many a lusti route,With mochel worthi poeple also.And why thei comen theder tho,The cause stod in such a wise,—For worschipe and for sacrifiseThat thei to Venus wolden make,As thei tofore hadde undertake,7480Some of good will, some of beheste,For thanne was hire hihe festeWithinne a temple which was there.Whan Paris wiste what thei were,Anon he schop his ordinanceTo gon and don his obeissanceTo Venus on hire holi day,And dede upon his beste aray.With gret richesse he him behongeth,As it to such a lord belongeth,7490P. ii. 385He was noght armed natheles,Bot as it were in lond of pes,And thus he goth forth out of SchipeAnd takth with him his felaschipe:In such manere as I you seieUnto the temple he hield his weie.Tydinge, which goth overalTo grete and smale, forth withalCom to the queenes Ere and toldeHou Paris com, and that he wolde7500Do sacrifise to Venus:And whan sche herde telle thus,She thoghte, hou that it evere be,That sche wole him abyde and se.670Forth comth Paris with glad visageInto the temple on pelrinage,Wher unto Venus the goddesseHe yifth and offreth gret richesse,And preith hir that he preie wolde.And thanne aside he gan beholde,6717510And sih wher that this ladi stod;And he forth in his freisshe modGoth ther sche was and made hir chiere,As he wel couthe in his manere,That of his wordes such plesanceSche tok, that al hire aqueintance,Als ferforth as the herte lay,He stal er that he wente away.So goth he forth and tok his leve,And thoghte, anon as it was eve,7520P. ii. 386He wolde don his Sacrilegge,That many a man it scholde abegge.(7700*)Whan he to Schipe ayein was come,To him he hath his conseil nome,And al devised the matiereIn such a wise as thou schalt hiere.Withinne nyht al privelyHis men he warneth by and by,That thei be redy armed soneFor certein thing which was to done:7530And thei anon ben redi alle,And ech on other gan to calle,And went hem out upon the stronde672And tok a pourpos ther alondeOf what thing that thei wolden do,673Toward the temple and forth thei go.So fell it, of devocionHeleine in contemplacionWith many an other worthi wihtWas in the temple and wok al nyht,7540To bidde and preie unto thymage674Of Venus, as was thanne usage;So that Paris riht as him listeInto the temple, er thei it wiste,675Com with his men al sodeinly,And alle at ones sette ascryIn hem whiche in the temple were,For tho was mochel poeple there;Bot of defense was no bote,So soffren thei that soffre mote.7550P. ii. 387Paris unto the queene wente,And hire in bothe hise armes henteWith him and with his felaschipe,And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe.676Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente,And such a wynd fortune hem sente,Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte;Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhteAnd gon hem forth toward the toun,The which cam with processioun7560Ayein Paris to sen his preie.And every man began to seieTo Paris and his felaschipeAl that thei couthen of worschipe;Was non so litel man in Troie,That he ne made merthe and joieOf that Paris hath wonne Heleine.Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peineTo Helenus and to Cassaundre;For thei it token schame and sklaundre6777570And lost of al the comun grace,That Paris out of holi place(7750*)Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif,Wherof that he schal lese his lifAnd many a worthi man therto,And al the Cite be fordo,Which nevere schal be mad ayein.And so it fell, riht as thei sein,The Sacrilege which he wroghteWas cause why the Gregois soughte7580P. ii. 388Unto the toun and it beleie,And wolden nevere parte aweie,Til what be sleihte and what be strengtheThei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe,And brent and slayn that was withinne.Now se, mi Sone, which a sinneIs Sacrilege in holy stede:Be war therfore and bidd thi bede,And do nothing in holy cherche,Bot that thou miht be reson werche.7590And ek tak hiede of Achilles,Whan he unto his love chesPolixena, that was alsoIn holi temple of Appollo,Which was the cause why he dydeAnd al his lust was leyd asyde.And Troilus upon CriseideAlso his ferste love leideIn holi place, and hou it ferde,As who seith, al the world it herde;6787600Forsake he was for Diomede,Such was of love his laste mede.Confessor.Forthi, mi Sone, I wolde rede,Be this ensample as thou myht rede,679Sech elles, wher thou wolt, thi grace,And war the wel in holi placeWhat thou to love do or speke,In aunter if it so be wrekeAs thou hast herd me told before.[Divisions of Avarice.]And tak good hiede also therfore7610P. ii. 389Upon what forme, of Avarice680Mor than of eny other vice,I have divided in partiesThe branches, whiche of compainiesThurghout the world in generalBen nou the leders overal,Of Covoitise and of Perjure,Of fals brocage and of Usure,Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe,681Which nevere drouh to felaschipe,7620Of Robberie and privi Stelthe,682Which don is for the worldes welthe,(7800*)Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge,Which makth the conscience agregge;Althogh it mai richesse atteigne,It floureth, bot it schal noght greineUnto the fruit of rihtwisnesse.Bot who that wolde do largesseUpon the reule as it is yive,So myhte a man in trouthe live6837630Toward his god, and ek alsoToward the world, for bothe tuoLargesse awaiteth as belongeth,To neither part that he ne wrongeth;684He kepth himself, he kepth his frendes,So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes,That he excedeth no mesure,So wel he can himself mesure:Wherof, mi Sone, thou schalt wite,So as the Philosophre hath write.7640
[Tale of Paris and Helen.]
To alle men, as who seith, knowe
It is, and in the world thurgh blowe,
Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum. Et narrat, pro eo quod Paris Priami Regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie insula a templo Veneris Sacrilegus abduxit, illa Troie famosissima636obsidio per vniuersi637orbis climata divulgata precipue causabatur.638Ita quod huiusmodi Sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Priami omniumque suorum interitum, set eciam ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat.
Hou that of Troie Lamedon
To Hercules and to Jasoun,
Whan toward Colchos out of Grece
Be See sailende upon a piece7200
Of lond of Troie reste preide,—
Bot he hem wrathfulli congeide:
And for thei founde him so vilein,
Whan thei come into Grece ayein,
With pouer that thei gete myhte
Towardes Troie thei hem dyhte,
And ther thei token such vengance,
Wherof stant yit the remembrance;639
For thei destruide king and al,
And leften bot the brente wal.7210
The Grecs of Troiens many slowe
And prisoners thei toke ynowe,
Among the whiche ther was on,
The kinges doughter Lamedon,
Esiona, that faire thing,640
Which unto Thelamon the king
Be Hercules and be thassent
Of al the hole parlement
Was at his wille yove and granted.
And thus hath Grece Troie danted,7220
P. ii. 376
And hom thei torne in such manere:
Bot after this nou schalt thou hiere(7400*)
The cause why this tale I telle,641
Upon the chances that befelle.
King Lamedon, which deide thus,
He hadde a Sone, on Priamus,
Which was noght thilke time at hom:
Bot whan he herde of this, he com,
And fond hou the Cite was falle,
Which he began anon to walle7230
And made ther a cite newe,
That thei whiche othre londes knewe
Tho seiden, that of lym and Ston
In al the world so fair was non.
And on that o side of the toun
The king let maken Ylioun,642
That hihe Tour, that stronge place,
Which was adrad of no manace
Of quarel nor of non engin;
And thogh men wolde make a Myn,7240
No mannes craft it mihte aproche,
For it was sett upon a roche.
The walles of the toun aboute,
Hem stod of al the world no doute,
And after the proporcion
Sex gates weren of the toun
Of such a forme, of such entaile,
That hem to se was gret mervaile:
The diches weren brode and depe,
A fewe men it mihte kepe7250
P. ii. 377
From al the world, as semeth tho,
Bot if the goddes weren fo.
Gret presse unto that cite drouh,
So that ther was of poeple ynouh,
Of Burgeis that therinne duellen;
Ther mai no mannes tunge tellen
Hou that cite was riche of good.643
Whan al was mad and al wel stod,
King Priamus tho him bethoghte
What thei of Grece whilom wroghte,7260
And what was of her swerd devoured,
And hou his Soster deshonoured
With Thelamon awey was lad:
And so thenkende he wax unglad,644
And sette anon a parlement,
To which the lordes were assent.
In many a wise ther was spoke,
Hou that thei mihten ben awroke,
Bot ate laste natheles
Thei seiden alle, ‘Acord and pes.’7270
To setten either part in reste645
It thoghte hem thanne for the beste(7450*)
With resonable amendement;
And thus was Anthenor forth sent646
To axe Esionam ayein647
And witen what thei wolden sein.
So passeth he the See be barge648
To Grece forto seie his charge,
The which he seide redely
Unto the lordes by and by:7280
P. ii. 378
Bot where he spak in Grece aboute,
He herde noght bot wordes stoute,
And nameliche of Thelamon;
The maiden wolde he noght forgon,
He seide, for no maner thing,
And bad him gon hom to his king,
For there gat he non amende
For oght he couthe do or sende.
This Anthenor ayein goth hom
Unto his king, and whan he com,7290
He tolde in Grece of that he herde,
And hou that Thelamon ansuerde,
And hou thei were at here above,
That thei wol nouther pes ne love,
Bot every man schal don his beste.
Bot for men sein that nyht hath reste,
The king bethoghte him al that nyht,649
And erli, whan the dai was lyht,
He tok conseil of this matiere;
And thei acorde in this manere,7300
That he withouten eny lette
A certein time scholde sette
Of Parlement to ben avised:650
And in the wise it was devised,
Of parlement he sette a day,
And that was in the Monthe of Maii.
This Priamus hadde in his yhte
A wif, and Hecuba sche hyhte,
Be whom that time ek hadde he
Of Sones fyve, and douhtres thre7310
P. ii. 379
Besiden hem, and thritty mo,651
And weren knyhtes alle tho,
Bot noght upon his wif begete,
Bot elles where he myhte hem gete
Of wommen whiche he hadde knowe;
Such was the world at thilke throwe:
So that he was of children riche,
As therof was noman his liche.652
Of Parlement the dai was come,
Ther ben the lordes alle and some;7320
Tho was pronounced and pourposed,
And al the cause hem was desclosed,(7500*)
Hou Anthenor in Grece ferde.
Thei seten alle stille and herde,
And tho spak every man aboute:
Ther was alegged many a doute,
And many a proud word spoke also;653
Bot for the moste part as tho654
Thei wisten noght what was the beste,
Or forto werre or forto reste.7330
Bot he that was withoute fere,
Hector, among the lordes there
His tale tolde in such a wise,
And seide, ‘Lordes, ye ben wise,
Ye knowen this als wel as I,
Above all othre most worthi655
Stant nou in Grece the manhode
Of worthinesse and of knihthode;
For who so wole it wel agrope,
To hem belongeth al Europe,7340
P. ii. 380
Which is the thridde parti evene
Of al the world under the hevene;
And we be bot of folk a fewe.
So were it reson forto schewe656
The peril, er we falle thrinne:
Betre is to leve, than beginne
Thing which as mai noght ben achieved;
He is noght wys that fint him grieved,
And doth so that his grief be more;
For who that loketh al tofore7350
And wol noght se what is behinde,
He mai fulofte hise harmes finde:
Wicke is to stryve and have the worse.
We have encheson forto corse,
This wot I wel, and forto hate
The Greks; bot er that we debate
With hem that ben of such a myht,
It is ful good that every wiht
Be of himself riht wel bethoght.
Bot as for me this seie I noght;7360
For while that mi lif wol stonde,
If that ye taken werre on honde,
Falle it to beste or to the werste,657
I schal miselven be the ferste
To grieven hem, what evere I may.
I wol noght ones seie nay
To thing which that youre conseil demeth,
For unto me wel more it quemeth
The werre certes than the pes;
Bot this I seie natheles,7370
P. ii. 381
As me belongeth forto seie.
Nou schape ye the beste weie.’(7550*)
Whan Hector hath seid his avis,
Next after him tho spak Paris,
Which was his brother, and alleide
What him best thoghte, and thus he seide:
‘Strong thing it is to soffre wrong,
And suffre schame is more strong,
Bot we have suffred bothe tuo;
And for al that yit have we do7380
What so we mihte to reforme
The pes, whan we in such a forme658
Sente Anthenor, as ye wel knowe.
And thei here grete wordes blowe
Upon her wrongful dedes eke;
And who that wole himself noght meke
To pes, and list no reson take,
Men sein reson him wol forsake:659
For in the multitude of men
Is noght the strengthe, for with ten7390
It hath be sen in trew querele660
Ayein an hundred false dele,
And had the betre of goddes grace.
This hath befalle in many place;
And if it like unto you alle,
I wole assaie, hou so it falle,
Oure enemis if I mai grieve;
For I have cawht a gret believe
Upon a point I wol declare.
This ender day, as I gan fare6617400
P. ii. 382
To hunte unto the grete hert,
Which was tofore myn houndes stert,
And every man went on his syde662
Him to poursuie, and I to ryde
Began the chace, and soth to seie,663
Withinne a while out of mi weie
I rod, and nyste where I was.
And slep me cauhte, and on the gras
Beside a welle I lay me doun
To slepe, and in a visioun6647410
To me the god Mercurie cam;
Goddesses thre with him he nam,
Minerve, Venus and Juno,
And in his hond an Appel tho
He hield of gold with lettres write:
And this he dede me to wite,
Hou that thei putt hem upon me,665
That to the faireste of hem thre
Of gold that Appel scholde I yive.666
With ech of hem tho was I schrive,7420
And echon faire me behihte;
Bot Venus seide, if that sche mihte(7600*)
That Appel of mi yifte gete,
Sche wolde it neveremor foryete,
And seide hou that in Grece lond
Sche wolde bringe unto myn hond
Of al this Erthe the faireste;
So that me thoghte it for the beste,
To hire and yaf that Appel tho.
Thus hope I wel, if that I go,7430
P. ii. 383
That sche for me wol so ordeine,
That thei matiere forto pleigne
Schul have, er that I come ayein.
Nou have ye herd that I wol sein:
Sey ye what stant in youre avis.’
And every man tho seide his,
And sundri causes thei recorde,
Bot ate laste thei acorde
That Paris schal to Grece wende,
And thus the parlement tok ende.7440
Cassandra, whan sche herde of this,667
The which to Paris Soster is,
Anon sche gan to wepe and weile,
And seide, ‘Allas, what mai ous eile?
Fortune with hire blinde whiel
Ne wol noght lete ous stonde wel:
For this I dar wel undertake,
That if Paris his weie take,
As it is seid that he schal do,
We ben for evere thanne undo.’7450
This, which Cassandre thanne hihte,
In al the world as it berth sihte,
In bokes as men finde write,
Is that Sibille of whom ye wite,
That alle men yit clepen sage.
Whan that sche wiste of this viage,
Hou Paris schal to Grece fare,
No womman mihte worse fare
Ne sorwe more than sche dede;
And riht so in the same stede7460
P. ii. 384
Ferde Helenus, which was hir brother,
Of prophecie and such an other:
And al was holde bot a jape,
So that the pourpos which was schape,
Or were hem lief or were hem loth,668
Was holde, and into Grece goth
This Paris with his retenance.
And as it fell upon his chance,
Of Grece he londeth in an yle,
And him was told the same whyle6697470
Of folk which he began to freyne,
Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne,(7650*)
And ek of contres there aboute
Of ladis many a lusti route,
With mochel worthi poeple also.
And why thei comen theder tho,
The cause stod in such a wise,—
For worschipe and for sacrifise
That thei to Venus wolden make,
As thei tofore hadde undertake,7480
Some of good will, some of beheste,
For thanne was hire hihe feste
Withinne a temple which was there.
Whan Paris wiste what thei were,
Anon he schop his ordinance
To gon and don his obeissance
To Venus on hire holi day,
And dede upon his beste aray.
With gret richesse he him behongeth,
As it to such a lord belongeth,7490
P. ii. 385
He was noght armed natheles,
Bot as it were in lond of pes,
And thus he goth forth out of Schipe
And takth with him his felaschipe:
In such manere as I you seie
Unto the temple he hield his weie.
Tydinge, which goth overal
To grete and smale, forth withal
Com to the queenes Ere and tolde
Hou Paris com, and that he wolde7500
Do sacrifise to Venus:
And whan sche herde telle thus,
She thoghte, hou that it evere be,
That sche wole him abyde and se.670
Forth comth Paris with glad visage
Into the temple on pelrinage,
Wher unto Venus the goddesse
He yifth and offreth gret richesse,
And preith hir that he preie wolde.
And thanne aside he gan beholde,6717510
And sih wher that this ladi stod;
And he forth in his freisshe mod
Goth ther sche was and made hir chiere,
As he wel couthe in his manere,
That of his wordes such plesance
Sche tok, that al hire aqueintance,
Als ferforth as the herte lay,
He stal er that he wente away.
So goth he forth and tok his leve,
And thoghte, anon as it was eve,7520
P. ii. 386
He wolde don his Sacrilegge,
That many a man it scholde abegge.(7700*)
Whan he to Schipe ayein was come,
To him he hath his conseil nome,
And al devised the matiere
In such a wise as thou schalt hiere.
Withinne nyht al prively
His men he warneth by and by,
That thei be redy armed sone
For certein thing which was to done:7530
And thei anon ben redi alle,
And ech on other gan to calle,
And went hem out upon the stronde672
And tok a pourpos ther alonde
Of what thing that thei wolden do,673
Toward the temple and forth thei go.
So fell it, of devocion
Heleine in contemplacion
With many an other worthi wiht
Was in the temple and wok al nyht,7540
To bidde and preie unto thymage674
Of Venus, as was thanne usage;
So that Paris riht as him liste
Into the temple, er thei it wiste,675
Com with his men al sodeinly,
And alle at ones sette ascry
In hem whiche in the temple were,
For tho was mochel poeple there;
Bot of defense was no bote,
So soffren thei that soffre mote.7550
P. ii. 387
Paris unto the queene wente,
And hire in bothe hise armes hente
With him and with his felaschipe,
And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe.676
Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente,
And such a wynd fortune hem sente,
Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte;
Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhte
And gon hem forth toward the toun,
The which cam with processioun7560
Ayein Paris to sen his preie.
And every man began to seie
To Paris and his felaschipe
Al that thei couthen of worschipe;
Was non so litel man in Troie,
That he ne made merthe and joie
Of that Paris hath wonne Heleine.
Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peine
To Helenus and to Cassaundre;
For thei it token schame and sklaundre6777570
And lost of al the comun grace,
That Paris out of holi place(7750*)
Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif,
Wherof that he schal lese his lif
And many a worthi man therto,
And al the Cite be fordo,
Which nevere schal be mad ayein.
And so it fell, riht as thei sein,
The Sacrilege which he wroghte
Was cause why the Gregois soughte7580
P. ii. 388
Unto the toun and it beleie,
And wolden nevere parte aweie,
Til what be sleihte and what be strengthe
Thei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe,
And brent and slayn that was withinne.
Now se, mi Sone, which a sinne
Is Sacrilege in holy stede:
Be war therfore and bidd thi bede,
And do nothing in holy cherche,
Bot that thou miht be reson werche.7590
And ek tak hiede of Achilles,
Whan he unto his love ches
Polixena, that was also
In holi temple of Appollo,
Which was the cause why he dyde
And al his lust was leyd asyde.
And Troilus upon Criseide
Also his ferste love leide
In holi place, and hou it ferde,
As who seith, al the world it herde;6787600
Forsake he was for Diomede,
Such was of love his laste mede.
Confessor.
Forthi, mi Sone, I wolde rede,
Be this ensample as thou myht rede,679
Sech elles, wher thou wolt, thi grace,
And war the wel in holi place
What thou to love do or speke,
In aunter if it so be wreke
As thou hast herd me told before.
[Divisions of Avarice.]
And tak good hiede also therfore7610
P. ii. 389
Upon what forme, of Avarice680
Mor than of eny other vice,
I have divided in parties
The branches, whiche of compainies
Thurghout the world in general
Ben nou the leders overal,
Of Covoitise and of Perjure,
Of fals brocage and of Usure,
Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe,681
Which nevere drouh to felaschipe,7620
Of Robberie and privi Stelthe,682
Which don is for the worldes welthe,(7800*)
Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge,
Which makth the conscience agregge;
Althogh it mai richesse atteigne,
It floureth, bot it schal noght greine
Unto the fruit of rihtwisnesse.
Bot who that wolde do largesse
Upon the reule as it is yive,
So myhte a man in trouthe live6837630
Toward his god, and ek also
Toward the world, for bothe tuo
Largesse awaiteth as belongeth,
To neither part that he ne wrongeth;684
He kepth himself, he kepth his frendes,
So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes,
That he excedeth no mesure,
So wel he can himself mesure:
Wherof, mi Sone, thou schalt wite,
So as the Philosophre hath write.7640
[Prodigality and Largess.]P. ii. 390xiii.Prodegus et parcus duo sunt extrema, que largus685Est horum medius, plebis in ore bonus.
[Prodigality and Largess.]
P. ii. 390
xiii.Prodegus et parcus duo sunt extrema, que largus685
Est horum medius, plebis in ore bonus.
Nota hic de virtute Largitatis, que ad oppositum Auaricie inter duo extrema, videlicet Parcimoniam et Prodegalitatem, specialiter consistit.Betwen the tuo extremitesOf vice stant the propretesOf vertu, and to prove it soTak Avarice and tak alsoThe vice of Prodegalite;Betwen hem Liberalite,Which is the vertu of Largesse,Stant and governeth his noblesse.For tho tuo vices in discordStonde evere, as I finde of record;7650So that betwen here tuo debatLargesse reuleth his astat.For in such wise as Avarice,As I tofore have told the vice,Thurgh streit holdinge and thurgh skarsnesseStant in contraire to Largesse,Riht so stant ProdegaliteRevers, bot noght in such degre.For so as Avarice spareth,And forto kepe his tresor careth,7660That other al his oghne and moreAyein the wise mannes loreYifth and despendeth hiere and there,So that him reccheth nevere where.While he mai borwe, he wol despende,Til ate laste he seith, ‘I wende’;Bot that is spoken al to late,For thanne is poverte ate gateP. ii. 391And takth him evene be the slieve,For erst wol he no wisdom lieve.7670And riht as Avarice is Sinne,That wolde his tresor kepe and winne,(7850*)Riht so is Prodegalite:Bot of Largesse in his degre,Which evene stant betwen the tuo,The hihe god and man alsoThe vertu ech of hem commendeth.For he himselven ferst amendeth,That overal his name spredeth,And to alle othre, where it nedeth,7680He yifth his good in such a wise,That he makth many a man arise,Which elles scholde falle lowe.Largesce mai noght ben unknowe;For what lond that he regneth inne,It mai noght faile forto winneThurgh his decerte love and grace,Wher it schal faile in other place.And thus betwen tomoche and lyte686Largesce, which is noght to wyte,7690Halt evere forth the middel weie:Bot who that torne wole aweieFro that to Prodegalite,Anon he lest the proprete687Of vertu and goth to the vice;For in such wise as AvariceLest for scarsnesse his goode name,Riht so that other is to blame,P. ii. 392Which thurgh his wast mesure excedeth,For noman wot what harm that bredeth.6887700Bot mochel joie ther betydeth,689Wher that largesse an herte guydeth:For his mesure is so governed,That he to bothe partz is lerned,To god and to the world also,He doth reson to bothe tuo.The povere folk of his almesseRelieved ben in the destresseOf thurst, of hunger and of cold;The yifte of him was nevere sold,7710Bot frely yive, and nathelesThe myhti god of his encressRewardeth him of double grace;The hevene he doth him to pourchaceAnd yifth him ek the worldes good:And thus the Cote for the hodLargesse takth, and yit no SinneHe doth, hou so that evere he winne.Lucas. Omni habenti dabitur.What man hath hors men yive him hors,And who non hath of him no fors,7720For he mai thanne on fote go;The world hath evere stonde so.Bot forto loken of the tweie,A man to go the siker weie,Beacius est dare quam accipere.690Betre is to yive than to take:With yifte a man mai frendes make,P. ii. 393Bot who that takth or gret or smal,He takth a charge forth withal,And stant noght fre til it be quit.So forto deme in mannes wit,7730It helpeth more a man to haveHis oghne good, than forto craveOf othre men and make him bounde,Wher elles he mai stonde unbounde.Seneca. Si res tue tibi non sufficiant, fac vt rebus tuis sufficias.Senec conseileth in this wise,And seith, ‘Bot if thi good suffiseUnto the liking of thi wille,Withdrawh thi lust and hold the stille,And be to thi good sufficant.’Apostolus.691Ordinata caritas incipit a seipsa.For that thing is appourtenant7740To trouthe and causeth to be freAfter the reule of charite,Which ferst beginneth of himselve.For if thou richest othre tuelve,Wherof thou schalt thiself be povere,I not what thonk thou miht recovere.Whil that a man hath good to yive,With grete routes he mai liveAnd hath his frendes overal,And everich of him telle schal.7750Therwhile he hath his fulle packe,692Thei seie, ‘A good felawe is Jacke’;Bot whanne it faileth ate laste,Anon his pris thei overcaste,For thanne is ther non other laweBot, ‘Jacke was a good felawe.’P. ii. 394Whan thei him povere and nedy se,Thei lete him passe and farwel he;Al that he wende of compainieIs thanne torned to folie.7760[Prodigality of Lovers.]Bot nou to speke in other kindeOf love, a man mai suche finde,That wher thei come in every routeThei caste and waste her love aboute,Til al here time is overgon,And thanne have thei love non:693For who that loveth overal,It is no reson that he schal(7900*)Of love have eny proprete.Forthi, mi Sone, avise thee7770If thou of love hast be to large,For such a man is noght to charge:And if it so be that thou hastDespended al thi time in wastAnd set thi love in sondri place,Though thou the substance of thi graceLese ate laste, it is no wonder;For he that put himselven under,As who seith, comun overal,He lest the love special7780Of eny on, if sche be wys;For love schal noght bere his prisBe reson, whanne it passeth on.So have I sen ful many on,694That were of love wel at ese,Whiche after felle in gret deseseP. ii. 395Thurgh wast of love, that thei spenteIn sondri places wher thei wente.Confessor.Riht so, mi Sone, I axe of theeIf thou with Prodegalite7790Hast hier and ther thi love wasted.Amans.Mi fader, nay; bot I have tastedIn many a place as I have go,And yit love I nevere on of tho,Bot forto drive forth the dai.For lieveth wel, myn herte is ayWithoute mo for everemoreAl upon on, for I nomoreDesire bot hire love al one:So make I many a prive mone,7800For wel I fiele I have despendedMi longe love and noght amendedMi sped, for oght I finde yit.If this be wast to youre wit695Of love, and Prodegalite,Nou, goode fader, demeth ye:Bot of o thing I wol me schryve,That I schal for no love thryve,Bot if hirself me wol relieve.696Confessor.Mi Sone, that I mai wel lieve:7810And natheles me semeth so,For oght that thou hast yit misdoOf time which thou hast despended,It mai with grace ben amended.For thing which mai be worth the costPer chaunce is nouther wast ne lost;P. ii. 396For what thing stant on aventure,697That can no worldes creature(7950*)Telle in certein hou it schal wende,698Til he therof mai sen an ende.7820So that I not as yit therforeIf thou, mi Sone, hast wonne or lore:For ofte time, as it is sene,699Whan Somer hath lost al his greneAnd is with Wynter wast and bare,That him is left nothing to spare,Al is recovered in a throwe;The colde wyndes overblowe,And stille be the scharpe schoures,700And soudeinliche ayein his floures7830The Somer hapneth and is riche:And so per cas thi graces liche,Mi Sone, thogh thou be nou povereOf love, yit thou miht recovere.Amans.Mi fader, certes grant merci:Ye have me tawht so redeli,That evere whil I live schalThe betre I mai be war withalOf thing which ye have seid er this.Bot overmore hou that it is,7017840Toward mi schrifte as it belongeth,To wite of othre pointz me longeth;Wherof that ye me wolden techeWith al myn herte I you beseche.
Nota hic de virtute Largitatis, que ad oppositum Auaricie inter duo extrema, videlicet Parcimoniam et Prodegalitatem, specialiter consistit.
Betwen the tuo extremites
Of vice stant the propretes
Of vertu, and to prove it so
Tak Avarice and tak also
The vice of Prodegalite;
Betwen hem Liberalite,
Which is the vertu of Largesse,
Stant and governeth his noblesse.
For tho tuo vices in discord
Stonde evere, as I finde of record;7650
So that betwen here tuo debat
Largesse reuleth his astat.
For in such wise as Avarice,
As I tofore have told the vice,
Thurgh streit holdinge and thurgh skarsnesse
Stant in contraire to Largesse,
Riht so stant Prodegalite
Revers, bot noght in such degre.
For so as Avarice spareth,
And forto kepe his tresor careth,7660
That other al his oghne and more
Ayein the wise mannes lore
Yifth and despendeth hiere and there,
So that him reccheth nevere where.
While he mai borwe, he wol despende,
Til ate laste he seith, ‘I wende’;
Bot that is spoken al to late,
For thanne is poverte ate gate
P. ii. 391
And takth him evene be the slieve,
For erst wol he no wisdom lieve.7670
And riht as Avarice is Sinne,
That wolde his tresor kepe and winne,(7850*)
Riht so is Prodegalite:
Bot of Largesse in his degre,
Which evene stant betwen the tuo,
The hihe god and man also
The vertu ech of hem commendeth.
For he himselven ferst amendeth,
That overal his name spredeth,
And to alle othre, where it nedeth,7680
He yifth his good in such a wise,
That he makth many a man arise,
Which elles scholde falle lowe.
Largesce mai noght ben unknowe;
For what lond that he regneth inne,
It mai noght faile forto winne
Thurgh his decerte love and grace,
Wher it schal faile in other place.
And thus betwen tomoche and lyte686
Largesce, which is noght to wyte,7690
Halt evere forth the middel weie:
Bot who that torne wole aweie
Fro that to Prodegalite,
Anon he lest the proprete687
Of vertu and goth to the vice;
For in such wise as Avarice
Lest for scarsnesse his goode name,
Riht so that other is to blame,
P. ii. 392
Which thurgh his wast mesure excedeth,
For noman wot what harm that bredeth.6887700
Bot mochel joie ther betydeth,689
Wher that largesse an herte guydeth:
For his mesure is so governed,
That he to bothe partz is lerned,
To god and to the world also,
He doth reson to bothe tuo.
The povere folk of his almesse
Relieved ben in the destresse
Of thurst, of hunger and of cold;
The yifte of him was nevere sold,7710
Bot frely yive, and natheles
The myhti god of his encress
Rewardeth him of double grace;
The hevene he doth him to pourchace
And yifth him ek the worldes good:
And thus the Cote for the hod
Largesse takth, and yit no Sinne
He doth, hou so that evere he winne.
Lucas. Omni habenti dabitur.
What man hath hors men yive him hors,
And who non hath of him no fors,7720
For he mai thanne on fote go;
The world hath evere stonde so.
Bot forto loken of the tweie,
A man to go the siker weie,
Beacius est dare quam accipere.690
Betre is to yive than to take:
With yifte a man mai frendes make,
P. ii. 393
Bot who that takth or gret or smal,
He takth a charge forth withal,
And stant noght fre til it be quit.
So forto deme in mannes wit,7730
It helpeth more a man to have
His oghne good, than forto crave
Of othre men and make him bounde,
Wher elles he mai stonde unbounde.
Seneca. Si res tue tibi non sufficiant, fac vt rebus tuis sufficias.
Senec conseileth in this wise,
And seith, ‘Bot if thi good suffise
Unto the liking of thi wille,
Withdrawh thi lust and hold the stille,
And be to thi good sufficant.’
Apostolus.691Ordinata caritas incipit a seipsa.
For that thing is appourtenant7740
To trouthe and causeth to be fre
After the reule of charite,
Which ferst beginneth of himselve.
For if thou richest othre tuelve,
Wherof thou schalt thiself be povere,
I not what thonk thou miht recovere.
Whil that a man hath good to yive,
With grete routes he mai live
And hath his frendes overal,
And everich of him telle schal.7750
Therwhile he hath his fulle packe,692
Thei seie, ‘A good felawe is Jacke’;
Bot whanne it faileth ate laste,
Anon his pris thei overcaste,
For thanne is ther non other lawe
Bot, ‘Jacke was a good felawe.’
P. ii. 394
Whan thei him povere and nedy se,
Thei lete him passe and farwel he;
Al that he wende of compainie
Is thanne torned to folie.7760
[Prodigality of Lovers.]
Bot nou to speke in other kinde
Of love, a man mai suche finde,
That wher thei come in every route
Thei caste and waste her love aboute,
Til al here time is overgon,
And thanne have thei love non:693
For who that loveth overal,
It is no reson that he schal(7900*)
Of love have eny proprete.
Forthi, mi Sone, avise thee7770
If thou of love hast be to large,
For such a man is noght to charge:
And if it so be that thou hast
Despended al thi time in wast
And set thi love in sondri place,
Though thou the substance of thi grace
Lese ate laste, it is no wonder;
For he that put himselven under,
As who seith, comun overal,
He lest the love special7780
Of eny on, if sche be wys;
For love schal noght bere his pris
Be reson, whanne it passeth on.
So have I sen ful many on,694
That were of love wel at ese,
Whiche after felle in gret desese
P. ii. 395
Thurgh wast of love, that thei spente
In sondri places wher thei wente.
Confessor.
Riht so, mi Sone, I axe of thee
If thou with Prodegalite7790
Hast hier and ther thi love wasted.
Amans.
Mi fader, nay; bot I have tasted
In many a place as I have go,
And yit love I nevere on of tho,
Bot forto drive forth the dai.
For lieveth wel, myn herte is ay
Withoute mo for everemore
Al upon on, for I nomore
Desire bot hire love al one:
So make I many a prive mone,7800
For wel I fiele I have despended
Mi longe love and noght amended
Mi sped, for oght I finde yit.
If this be wast to youre wit695
Of love, and Prodegalite,
Nou, goode fader, demeth ye:
Bot of o thing I wol me schryve,
That I schal for no love thryve,
Bot if hirself me wol relieve.696
Confessor.
Mi Sone, that I mai wel lieve:7810
And natheles me semeth so,
For oght that thou hast yit misdo
Of time which thou hast despended,
It mai with grace ben amended.
For thing which mai be worth the cost
Per chaunce is nouther wast ne lost;
P. ii. 396
For what thing stant on aventure,697
That can no worldes creature(7950*)
Telle in certein hou it schal wende,698
Til he therof mai sen an ende.7820
So that I not as yit therfore
If thou, mi Sone, hast wonne or lore:
For ofte time, as it is sene,699
Whan Somer hath lost al his grene
And is with Wynter wast and bare,
That him is left nothing to spare,
Al is recovered in a throwe;
The colde wyndes overblowe,
And stille be the scharpe schoures,700
And soudeinliche ayein his floures7830
The Somer hapneth and is riche:
And so per cas thi graces liche,
Mi Sone, thogh thou be nou povere
Of love, yit thou miht recovere.
Amans.
Mi fader, certes grant merci:
Ye have me tawht so redeli,
That evere whil I live schal
The betre I mai be war withal
Of thing which ye have seid er this.
Bot overmore hou that it is,7017840
Toward mi schrifte as it belongeth,
To wite of othre pointz me longeth;
Wherof that ye me wolden teche
With al myn herte I you beseche.
Explicit Liber Quintus.