Chapter 37

[Tale of Virginia.]At Rome whan that Apius,Hic ponit exemplum super eodem,1418qualiter Liuius Virginius dux excercitus Romanorum vnicam filiam pulcherimam habens cum quodam nobili viro nomine Ilicio, vt ipsam in vxorem duceret, finaliter concordauit. Set interim Apius Claudius tunc1419Imperator virginis formositatem, vt eam violaret, concupiscens, occasiones quibus matrimonium impedire, ipsamque ad sui vsum apprehendere posset, subdola conspiracione fieri coniectauit. Et cum propositum sui desiderii productis falsis testibus in iudicio Imperator habere debuisset, pater tunc ibidem presens extracto gladio filie sue pectus mortali vulnere per medium transfodit, dicens: ‘Malo michi de filia mea virginem habere mortuam, quam in sui scandalum meretricem reseruare viuentem.’Whos other name is Claudius,Was governour of the cite,Ther fell a wonder thing to seTouchende a gentil Maide, as thus,1420Whom Livius VirginiusBegeten hadde upon his wif:Men seiden that so fair a lifAs sche was noght in al the toun.This fame, which goth up and doun,5140To Claudius cam in his Ere,Wherof his thoght anon was there,Which al his herte hath set afyre,That he began the flour desireWhich longeth unto maydenhede,And sende, if that he myhte spedeThe blinde lustes of his wille.Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille,For sche stod upon Mariage;A worthi kniht of gret lignage,5150Ilicius which thanne hihte,Acorded in hire fader sihte(5350*)P. iii. 265Was, that he scholde his douhter wedde.Bot er the cause fully spedde,Hire fader, which in RomanieThe ledinge of chivalerieIn governance hath undertake,Upon a werre which was takeGoth out with al the strengthe he haddeOf men of Armes whiche he ladde:5160So was the mariage left,1421And stod upon acord til eft.The king, which herde telle of this,Hou that this Maide ordeigned isTo Mariage, thoghte an other.And hadde thilke time a brother,Which Marchus Claudius was hote,And was a man of such rioteRiht as the king himselve was:Thei tuo togedre upon this cas5170In conseil founden out this weie,1422That Marchus Claudius schal seieHou sche be weie of covenantTo his service appourtenantWas hol, and to non other man;And therupon he seith he canIn every point witnesse take,So that sche schal it noght forsake.Whan that thei hadden schape so,After the lawe which was tho,5180Whil that hir fader was absent,Sche was somouned and assent1423P. iii. 266To come in presence of the kingAnd stonde in ansuere of this thing.1424Hire frendes wisten alle welThat it was falshed everydel,And comen to the king and seiden,Upon the comun lawe and preiden,So as this noble worthi knyhtHir fader for the comun riht5190In thilke time, as was befalle,Lai for the profit of hem alleUpon the wylde feldes armed,That he ne scholde noght ben harmedNe schamed, whil that he were oute;And thus thei preiden al aboute.For al the clamour that he herde,The king upon his lust ansuerde,And yaf hem only daies tuoOf respit; for he wende tho,5200That in so schorte a time appiere1425Hire fader mihte in no manere.(5400*)Bot as therof he was deceived;For Livius hadde al conceivedThe pourpos of the king tofore,So that to Rome ayein therfore1426In alle haste he cam ridende,And lefte upon the field liggendeHis host, til that he come ayein.And thus this worthi capitein5210Appiereth redi at his day,Wher al that evere reson mayP. iii. 267Be lawe in audience he doth,So that his dowhter upon sothOf that Marchus hire hadde accusedHe hath tofore the court excused.The king, which sih his pourpos faile,And that no sleihte mihte availe,Encombred of his lustes blindeThe lawe torneth out of kinde,14275220And half in wraththe as thogh it were,In presence of hem alle thereDeceived of concupiscenceYaf for his brother the sentence,And bad him that he scholde seseThis Maide and make him wel at ese;Bot al withinne his oghne ententeHe wiste hou that the cause wente,Of that his brother hath the wyteHe was himselven forto wyte.5230Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong,Which was upon the king along,Bot ayein him was non Appel,And that the fader wiste wel:Wherof upon the tirannie,That for the lust of LecherieHis douhter scholde be deceived,And that Ilicius was weyvedUntrewly fro the Mariage,1428Riht as a Leon in his rage,5240Which of no drede set acompteAnd not what pite scholde amounte,P. iii. 268A naked swerd he pulleth oute,The which amonges al the routeHe threste thurgh his dowhter side,And al alowd this word he cride:‘Lo, take hire ther, thou wrongfull king,1429For me is levere upon this thingTo be the fader of a Maide,Thogh sche be ded, than if men saide5250That in hir lif sche were schamed1430And I therof were evele named.’(5450*)Tho bad the king men scholde aresteHis bodi, bot of thilke heste,Lich to the chaced wylde bor,The houndes whan he fieleth sor,Tothroweth and goth forth his weie,In such a wise forto seieThis worthi kniht with swerd on hondeHis weie made, and thei him wonde,5260That non of hem his strokes kepte;And thus upon his hors he lepte,And with his swerd droppende of blod,1431The which withinne his douhter stod,He cam ther as the pouer wasOf Rome, and tolde hem al the cas,And seide hem that thei myhten liere1432Upon the wrong of his matiere,1433That betre it were to redresceAt hom the grete unrihtwisnesse,5270Than forto werre in strange placeAnd lese at hom here oghne grace.P. iii. 269For thus stant every mannes lifIn jeupartie for his wifOr for his dowhter, if thei be1434Passende an other of beaute.Of this merveile which thei siheSo apparant tofore here yhe,Of that the king him hath misbore,1435Here othes thei have alle swore5280That thei wol stonde be the riht.And thus of on acord uprihtTo Rome at ones hom ayeinThei torne, and schortly forto sein,This tirannye cam to mouthe,And every man seith what he couthe,So that the prive tricherie,Which set was upon lecherie,Cam openly to mannes Ere;And that broghte in the comun feere,5290That every man the peril draddeOf him that so hem overladde.Forthi, er that it worse falle,1436Thurgh comun conseil of hem alleThei have here wrongfull king deposed,And hem in whom it was supposedThe conseil stod of his ledinge1437Be lawe unto the dom thei bringe,Wher thei receiven the penanceThat longeth to such governance.5300And thus thunchaste was chastised,Wherof thei myhte ben avised(5500*)P. iii. 270That scholden afterward governe,And be this evidence lerne,Hou it is good a king eschuieThe lust of vice and vertu suie.[Tobias and Sara.]To make an ende in this partie,Which toucheth to the PolicieHic inter alia castitatis regimen concernencia loquitur quomodo Matrimonium, cuius status Sacramentum, quasi continenciam equiperans, eciam honeste delectacionis regimine moderari debet. Et narrat in exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod illi vii.temviri, qui Sarre Raguelis filie magis propter concupiscenciam quam propter matrimonium voluptuose nupserunt, vnus post alium omnes prima nocte a demone Asmodeo singillatim iugulati interierunt.Of Chastite in special,As for conclusion final5310That every lust is to eschueBe gret ensample I mai argue:Hou in Rages a toun of MedeTher was a Mayde, and as I rede,Sarra sche hihte, and RaguelHir fader was; and so befell,Of bodi bothe and of visageWas non so fair of the lignage,To seche among hem alle, as sche;Wherof the riche of the cite,5320Of lusti folk that couden love,Assoted were upon hire love,And asken hire forto wedde.On was which ate laste spedde,Bot that was more for likinge,To have his lust, than for weddinge,As he withinne his herte caste,Which him repenteth ate laste.For so it fell the ferste nyht,That whanne he was to bedde dyht,5330As he which nothing god besechethBot al only hise lustes secheth,P. iii. 271Abedde er he was fully warmAnd wolde have take hire in his Arm,Asmod, which was a fend of helle,And serveth, as the bokes telle,1438To tempte a man of such a wise,1439Was redy there, and thilke emprise,Which he hath set upon delit,He vengeth thanne in such a plit,5340That he his necke hath writhe atuo.1440This yonge wif was sory tho,Which wiste nothing what it mente;And natheles yit thus it wenteNoght only of this ferste man,1441Bot after, riht as he began,Sexe othre of hire housebondesAsmod hath take into hise bondes,1442So that thei alle abedde deiden,Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden,5350Noght for the lawe of Mariage,Bot for that ilke fyri rage(5550*)In which that thei the lawe excede:For who that wolde taken hiedeWhat after fell in this matiere,Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere.Whan sche was wedded to Thobie,And Raphael in compainieHath tawht him hou to ben honeste,Asmod wan noght at thilke feste,5360And yit Thobie his wille hadde;For he his lust so goodly ladde,P. iii. 272That bothe lawe and kinde is served,Wherof he hath himself preserved,That he fell noght in the sentence.O which an open evidence1443Of this ensample a man mai se,That whan likinge in the degre[Chastity.]Of Mariage mai forsueie,Wel oghte him thanne in other weie5370Of lust to be the betre avised.For god the lawes hath assissedAls wel to reson as to kinde,Bot he the bestes wolde bindeOnly to lawes of nature,Bot to the mannes creatureGod yaf him reson forth withal,Wherof that he nature schalUpon the causes modefie,1444Nota.1445That he schal do no lecherie,5380And yit he schal hise lustes have.So ben the lawes bothe saveAnd every thing put out of sclandre;1446As whilom to king AlisandreThe wise Philosophre tawhte,Whan he his ferste lore cawhte,Noght only upon chastete,Bot upon alle honestete;1447Wherof a king himself mai taste,Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste5390Him oghte of reson forto be,Forth with the vertu of Pite,1448P. iii. 273Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserveToward his godd, that he preserveHim and his poeple in alle weltheOf pes, richesse, honour and heltheHier in this world and elles eke.Confessor.Mi Sone, as we tofore spiekeIn schrifte, so as thou me seidest,And for thin ese, as thou me preidest,5400Thi love throghes forto lisse,That I thee wolde telle and wisse(5600*)The forme of Aristotles lore,I have it seid, and somdiel moreOf othre ensamples, to assaieIf I thi peines myhte allaieThurgh eny thing that I can seie.1449Amans.Do wey, mi fader, I you preie:Of that ye have unto me toldI thonke you a thousendfold.5410The tales sounen in myn Ere,1450Bot yit myn herte is elleswhere,I mai miselve noght restreigne,That I nam evere in loves peine:Such lore couthe I nevere gete,Which myhte make me foryeteO point, bot if so were I slepte,1451That I my tydes ay ne kepteTo thenke of love and of his lawe;That herte can I noght withdrawe.5420Forthi, my goode fader diere,Lef al and speke of my matiere1452P. iii. 274Touchende of love, as we begonne:If that ther be oght overronneOr oght foryete or left behindeWhich falleth unto loves kinde,1453Wherof it nedeth to be schrive,Nou axeth, so that whil I liveI myhte amende that is mys.Confessor.Mi goode diere Sone, yis.5430Thi schrifte forto make plein,Ther is yit more forto seinOf love which is unavised.Bot for thou schalt be wel avisedUnto thi schrifte as it belongeth,A point which upon love hongethAnd is the laste of alle tho,I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.

[Tale of Virginia.]

At Rome whan that Apius,

Hic ponit exemplum super eodem,1418qualiter Liuius Virginius dux excercitus Romanorum vnicam filiam pulcherimam habens cum quodam nobili viro nomine Ilicio, vt ipsam in vxorem duceret, finaliter concordauit. Set interim Apius Claudius tunc1419Imperator virginis formositatem, vt eam violaret, concupiscens, occasiones quibus matrimonium impedire, ipsamque ad sui vsum apprehendere posset, subdola conspiracione fieri coniectauit. Et cum propositum sui desiderii productis falsis testibus in iudicio Imperator habere debuisset, pater tunc ibidem presens extracto gladio filie sue pectus mortali vulnere per medium transfodit, dicens: ‘Malo michi de filia mea virginem habere mortuam, quam in sui scandalum meretricem reseruare viuentem.’

Whos other name is Claudius,

Was governour of the cite,

Ther fell a wonder thing to se

Touchende a gentil Maide, as thus,1420

Whom Livius Virginius

Begeten hadde upon his wif:

Men seiden that so fair a lif

As sche was noght in al the toun.

This fame, which goth up and doun,5140

To Claudius cam in his Ere,

Wherof his thoght anon was there,

Which al his herte hath set afyre,

That he began the flour desire

Which longeth unto maydenhede,

And sende, if that he myhte spede

The blinde lustes of his wille.

Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille,

For sche stod upon Mariage;

A worthi kniht of gret lignage,5150

Ilicius which thanne hihte,

Acorded in hire fader sihte(5350*)

P. iii. 265

Was, that he scholde his douhter wedde.

Bot er the cause fully spedde,

Hire fader, which in Romanie

The ledinge of chivalerie

In governance hath undertake,

Upon a werre which was take

Goth out with al the strengthe he hadde

Of men of Armes whiche he ladde:5160

So was the mariage left,1421

And stod upon acord til eft.

The king, which herde telle of this,

Hou that this Maide ordeigned is

To Mariage, thoghte an other.

And hadde thilke time a brother,

Which Marchus Claudius was hote,

And was a man of such riote

Riht as the king himselve was:

Thei tuo togedre upon this cas5170

In conseil founden out this weie,1422

That Marchus Claudius schal seie

Hou sche be weie of covenant

To his service appourtenant

Was hol, and to non other man;

And therupon he seith he can

In every point witnesse take,

So that sche schal it noght forsake.

Whan that thei hadden schape so,

After the lawe which was tho,5180

Whil that hir fader was absent,

Sche was somouned and assent1423

P. iii. 266

To come in presence of the king

And stonde in ansuere of this thing.1424

Hire frendes wisten alle wel

That it was falshed everydel,

And comen to the king and seiden,

Upon the comun lawe and preiden,

So as this noble worthi knyht

Hir fader for the comun riht5190

In thilke time, as was befalle,

Lai for the profit of hem alle

Upon the wylde feldes armed,

That he ne scholde noght ben harmed

Ne schamed, whil that he were oute;

And thus thei preiden al aboute.

For al the clamour that he herde,

The king upon his lust ansuerde,

And yaf hem only daies tuo

Of respit; for he wende tho,5200

That in so schorte a time appiere1425

Hire fader mihte in no manere.(5400*)

Bot as therof he was deceived;

For Livius hadde al conceived

The pourpos of the king tofore,

So that to Rome ayein therfore1426

In alle haste he cam ridende,

And lefte upon the field liggende

His host, til that he come ayein.

And thus this worthi capitein5210

Appiereth redi at his day,

Wher al that evere reson may

P. iii. 267

Be lawe in audience he doth,

So that his dowhter upon soth

Of that Marchus hire hadde accused

He hath tofore the court excused.

The king, which sih his pourpos faile,

And that no sleihte mihte availe,

Encombred of his lustes blinde

The lawe torneth out of kinde,14275220

And half in wraththe as thogh it were,

In presence of hem alle there

Deceived of concupiscence

Yaf for his brother the sentence,

And bad him that he scholde sese

This Maide and make him wel at ese;

Bot al withinne his oghne entente

He wiste hou that the cause wente,

Of that his brother hath the wyte

He was himselven forto wyte.5230

Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong,

Which was upon the king along,

Bot ayein him was non Appel,

And that the fader wiste wel:

Wherof upon the tirannie,

That for the lust of Lecherie

His douhter scholde be deceived,

And that Ilicius was weyved

Untrewly fro the Mariage,1428

Riht as a Leon in his rage,5240

Which of no drede set acompte

And not what pite scholde amounte,

P. iii. 268

A naked swerd he pulleth oute,

The which amonges al the route

He threste thurgh his dowhter side,

And al alowd this word he cride:

‘Lo, take hire ther, thou wrongfull king,1429

For me is levere upon this thing

To be the fader of a Maide,

Thogh sche be ded, than if men saide5250

That in hir lif sche were schamed1430

And I therof were evele named.’(5450*)

Tho bad the king men scholde areste

His bodi, bot of thilke heste,

Lich to the chaced wylde bor,

The houndes whan he fieleth sor,

Tothroweth and goth forth his weie,

In such a wise forto seie

This worthi kniht with swerd on honde

His weie made, and thei him wonde,5260

That non of hem his strokes kepte;

And thus upon his hors he lepte,

And with his swerd droppende of blod,1431

The which withinne his douhter stod,

He cam ther as the pouer was

Of Rome, and tolde hem al the cas,

And seide hem that thei myhten liere1432

Upon the wrong of his matiere,1433

That betre it were to redresce

At hom the grete unrihtwisnesse,5270

Than forto werre in strange place

And lese at hom here oghne grace.

P. iii. 269

For thus stant every mannes lif

In jeupartie for his wif

Or for his dowhter, if thei be1434

Passende an other of beaute.

Of this merveile which thei sihe

So apparant tofore here yhe,

Of that the king him hath misbore,1435

Here othes thei have alle swore5280

That thei wol stonde be the riht.

And thus of on acord upriht

To Rome at ones hom ayein

Thei torne, and schortly forto sein,

This tirannye cam to mouthe,

And every man seith what he couthe,

So that the prive tricherie,

Which set was upon lecherie,

Cam openly to mannes Ere;

And that broghte in the comun feere,5290

That every man the peril dradde

Of him that so hem overladde.

Forthi, er that it worse falle,1436

Thurgh comun conseil of hem alle

Thei have here wrongfull king deposed,

And hem in whom it was supposed

The conseil stod of his ledinge1437

Be lawe unto the dom thei bringe,

Wher thei receiven the penance

That longeth to such governance.5300

And thus thunchaste was chastised,

Wherof thei myhte ben avised(5500*)

P. iii. 270

That scholden afterward governe,

And be this evidence lerne,

Hou it is good a king eschuie

The lust of vice and vertu suie.

[Tobias and Sara.]To make an ende in this partie,Which toucheth to the PolicieHic inter alia castitatis regimen concernencia loquitur quomodo Matrimonium, cuius status Sacramentum, quasi continenciam equiperans, eciam honeste delectacionis regimine moderari debet. Et narrat in exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod illi vii.temviri, qui Sarre Raguelis filie magis propter concupiscenciam quam propter matrimonium voluptuose nupserunt, vnus post alium omnes prima nocte a demone Asmodeo singillatim iugulati interierunt.Of Chastite in special,As for conclusion final5310That every lust is to eschueBe gret ensample I mai argue:Hou in Rages a toun of MedeTher was a Mayde, and as I rede,Sarra sche hihte, and RaguelHir fader was; and so befell,Of bodi bothe and of visageWas non so fair of the lignage,To seche among hem alle, as sche;Wherof the riche of the cite,5320Of lusti folk that couden love,Assoted were upon hire love,And asken hire forto wedde.On was which ate laste spedde,Bot that was more for likinge,To have his lust, than for weddinge,As he withinne his herte caste,Which him repenteth ate laste.For so it fell the ferste nyht,That whanne he was to bedde dyht,5330As he which nothing god besechethBot al only hise lustes secheth,P. iii. 271Abedde er he was fully warmAnd wolde have take hire in his Arm,Asmod, which was a fend of helle,And serveth, as the bokes telle,1438To tempte a man of such a wise,1439Was redy there, and thilke emprise,Which he hath set upon delit,He vengeth thanne in such a plit,5340That he his necke hath writhe atuo.1440This yonge wif was sory tho,Which wiste nothing what it mente;And natheles yit thus it wenteNoght only of this ferste man,1441Bot after, riht as he began,Sexe othre of hire housebondesAsmod hath take into hise bondes,1442So that thei alle abedde deiden,Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden,5350Noght for the lawe of Mariage,Bot for that ilke fyri rage(5550*)In which that thei the lawe excede:For who that wolde taken hiedeWhat after fell in this matiere,Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere.Whan sche was wedded to Thobie,And Raphael in compainieHath tawht him hou to ben honeste,Asmod wan noght at thilke feste,5360And yit Thobie his wille hadde;For he his lust so goodly ladde,P. iii. 272That bothe lawe and kinde is served,Wherof he hath himself preserved,That he fell noght in the sentence.O which an open evidence1443Of this ensample a man mai se,That whan likinge in the degre[Chastity.]Of Mariage mai forsueie,Wel oghte him thanne in other weie5370Of lust to be the betre avised.For god the lawes hath assissedAls wel to reson as to kinde,Bot he the bestes wolde bindeOnly to lawes of nature,Bot to the mannes creatureGod yaf him reson forth withal,Wherof that he nature schalUpon the causes modefie,1444Nota.1445That he schal do no lecherie,5380And yit he schal hise lustes have.So ben the lawes bothe saveAnd every thing put out of sclandre;1446As whilom to king AlisandreThe wise Philosophre tawhte,Whan he his ferste lore cawhte,Noght only upon chastete,Bot upon alle honestete;1447Wherof a king himself mai taste,Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste5390Him oghte of reson forto be,Forth with the vertu of Pite,1448P. iii. 273Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserveToward his godd, that he preserveHim and his poeple in alle weltheOf pes, richesse, honour and heltheHier in this world and elles eke.Confessor.Mi Sone, as we tofore spiekeIn schrifte, so as thou me seidest,And for thin ese, as thou me preidest,5400Thi love throghes forto lisse,That I thee wolde telle and wisse(5600*)The forme of Aristotles lore,I have it seid, and somdiel moreOf othre ensamples, to assaieIf I thi peines myhte allaieThurgh eny thing that I can seie.1449Amans.Do wey, mi fader, I you preie:Of that ye have unto me toldI thonke you a thousendfold.5410The tales sounen in myn Ere,1450Bot yit myn herte is elleswhere,I mai miselve noght restreigne,That I nam evere in loves peine:Such lore couthe I nevere gete,Which myhte make me foryeteO point, bot if so were I slepte,1451That I my tydes ay ne kepteTo thenke of love and of his lawe;That herte can I noght withdrawe.5420Forthi, my goode fader diere,Lef al and speke of my matiere1452P. iii. 274Touchende of love, as we begonne:If that ther be oght overronneOr oght foryete or left behindeWhich falleth unto loves kinde,1453Wherof it nedeth to be schrive,Nou axeth, so that whil I liveI myhte amende that is mys.Confessor.Mi goode diere Sone, yis.5430Thi schrifte forto make plein,Ther is yit more forto seinOf love which is unavised.Bot for thou schalt be wel avisedUnto thi schrifte as it belongeth,A point which upon love hongethAnd is the laste of alle tho,I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.

[Tobias and Sara.]

To make an ende in this partie,

Which toucheth to the Policie

Hic inter alia castitatis regimen concernencia loquitur quomodo Matrimonium, cuius status Sacramentum, quasi continenciam equiperans, eciam honeste delectacionis regimine moderari debet. Et narrat in exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod illi vii.temviri, qui Sarre Raguelis filie magis propter concupiscenciam quam propter matrimonium voluptuose nupserunt, vnus post alium omnes prima nocte a demone Asmodeo singillatim iugulati interierunt.

Of Chastite in special,

As for conclusion final5310

That every lust is to eschue

Be gret ensample I mai argue:

Hou in Rages a toun of Mede

Ther was a Mayde, and as I rede,

Sarra sche hihte, and Raguel

Hir fader was; and so befell,

Of bodi bothe and of visage

Was non so fair of the lignage,

To seche among hem alle, as sche;

Wherof the riche of the cite,5320

Of lusti folk that couden love,

Assoted were upon hire love,

And asken hire forto wedde.

On was which ate laste spedde,

Bot that was more for likinge,

To have his lust, than for weddinge,

As he withinne his herte caste,

Which him repenteth ate laste.

For so it fell the ferste nyht,

That whanne he was to bedde dyht,5330

As he which nothing god besecheth

Bot al only hise lustes secheth,

P. iii. 271

Abedde er he was fully warm

And wolde have take hire in his Arm,

Asmod, which was a fend of helle,

And serveth, as the bokes telle,1438

To tempte a man of such a wise,1439

Was redy there, and thilke emprise,

Which he hath set upon delit,

He vengeth thanne in such a plit,5340

That he his necke hath writhe atuo.1440

This yonge wif was sory tho,

Which wiste nothing what it mente;

And natheles yit thus it wente

Noght only of this ferste man,1441

Bot after, riht as he began,

Sexe othre of hire housebondes

Asmod hath take into hise bondes,1442

So that thei alle abedde deiden,

Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden,5350

Noght for the lawe of Mariage,

Bot for that ilke fyri rage(5550*)

In which that thei the lawe excede:

For who that wolde taken hiede

What after fell in this matiere,

Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere.

Whan sche was wedded to Thobie,

And Raphael in compainie

Hath tawht him hou to ben honeste,

Asmod wan noght at thilke feste,5360

And yit Thobie his wille hadde;

For he his lust so goodly ladde,

P. iii. 272

That bothe lawe and kinde is served,

Wherof he hath himself preserved,

That he fell noght in the sentence.

O which an open evidence1443

Of this ensample a man mai se,

That whan likinge in the degre

[Chastity.]

Of Mariage mai forsueie,

Wel oghte him thanne in other weie5370

Of lust to be the betre avised.

For god the lawes hath assissed

Als wel to reson as to kinde,

Bot he the bestes wolde binde

Only to lawes of nature,

Bot to the mannes creature

God yaf him reson forth withal,

Wherof that he nature schal

Upon the causes modefie,1444

Nota.1445

That he schal do no lecherie,5380

And yit he schal hise lustes have.

So ben the lawes bothe save

And every thing put out of sclandre;1446

As whilom to king Alisandre

The wise Philosophre tawhte,

Whan he his ferste lore cawhte,

Noght only upon chastete,

Bot upon alle honestete;1447

Wherof a king himself mai taste,

Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste5390

Him oghte of reson forto be,

Forth with the vertu of Pite,1448

P. iii. 273

Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserve

Toward his godd, that he preserve

Him and his poeple in alle welthe

Of pes, richesse, honour and helthe

Hier in this world and elles eke.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, as we tofore spieke

In schrifte, so as thou me seidest,

And for thin ese, as thou me preidest,5400

Thi love throghes forto lisse,

That I thee wolde telle and wisse(5600*)

The forme of Aristotles lore,

I have it seid, and somdiel more

Of othre ensamples, to assaie

If I thi peines myhte allaie

Thurgh eny thing that I can seie.1449

Amans.

Do wey, mi fader, I you preie:

Of that ye have unto me told

I thonke you a thousendfold.5410

The tales sounen in myn Ere,1450

Bot yit myn herte is elleswhere,

I mai miselve noght restreigne,

That I nam evere in loves peine:

Such lore couthe I nevere gete,

Which myhte make me foryete

O point, bot if so were I slepte,1451

That I my tydes ay ne kepte

To thenke of love and of his lawe;

That herte can I noght withdrawe.5420

Forthi, my goode fader diere,

Lef al and speke of my matiere1452

P. iii. 274

Touchende of love, as we begonne:

If that ther be oght overronne

Or oght foryete or left behinde

Which falleth unto loves kinde,1453

Wherof it nedeth to be schrive,

Nou axeth, so that whil I live

I myhte amende that is mys.

Confessor.

Mi goode diere Sone, yis.5430

Thi schrifte forto make plein,

Ther is yit more forto sein

Of love which is unavised.

Bot for thou schalt be wel avised

Unto thi schrifte as it belongeth,

A point which upon love hongeth

And is the laste of alle tho,

I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.

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