Chapter 43

[The Origin of Mankind.]He made Adam the sexte dayIn Paradis, and to his makeHim liketh Eve also to make,And bad hem cresce and multiplie.For of the mannes Progenie,30Which of the womman schal be bore,The nombre of Angles which was lore,Whan thei out fro the blisse felle,He thoghte to restore, and felleIn hevene thilke holy placeWhich stod tho voide upon his grace.Bot as it is wel wiste and knowe,1455Adam and Eve bot a throwe,So as it scholde of hem betyde,In Paradis at thilke tyde40Ne duelten, and the cause why,Write in the bok of Genesi,As who seith, alle men have herd,Hou Raphael the fyri swerdIn honde tok and drof hem oute,To gete here lyves fode abouteP. iii. 277Upon this wofull Erthe hiere.Metodre seith to this matiere,1456As he be revelacionIt hadde upon avision,50Hou that Adam and Eve alsoVirgines comen bothe tuoInto the world and were aschamed,Til that nature hem hath reclamedTo love, and tauht hem thilke lore,That ferst thei keste, and overmoreThei don that is to kinde due,Wherof thei hadden fair issue.A Sone was the ferste of alle,And Chain be name thei him calle;145760Abel was after the secounde,And in the geste as it is founde,Nature so the cause ladde,Tuo douhtres ek Dame Eve hadde,The ferste cleped CalmanaWas, and that other Delbora.[Laws of Marriage.]Thus was mankinde to beginne;Forthi that time it was no SinneThe Soster forto take hire brother,Whan that ther was of chois non other:70To Chain was Calmana betake,1458And Delboram hath Abel take,1459In whom was gete nathelesOf worldes folk the ferste encres.Men sein that nede hath no lawe,And so it was be thilke daweP. iii. 278And laste into the Secounde Age,1460Til that the grete water rage,Of Noë which was seid the flod,1461The world, which thanne in Senne stod,80Hath dreint, outake lyves Eyhte.Tho was mankinde of litel weyhte;Sem, Cham, Japhet, of these thre,That ben the Sones of Noë,The world of mannes nacionInto multiplicacionWas tho restored newe ayeinSo ferforth, as the bokes sein,That of hem thre and here issueTher was so large a retenue,90Of naciouns seventy and tuo;In sondri place ech on of thoThe wyde world have enhabited.Bot as nature hem hath excited,Thei token thanne litel hiede,The brother of the SosterhiedeTo wedde wyves, til it camInto the time of Habraham.1462Whan the thridde Age was begunne,The nede tho was overrunne,1463100For ther was poeple ynouh in londe:Thanne ate ferste it cam to honde,That Sosterhode of mariageWas torned into cousinage,So that after the rihte lyneThe Cousin weddeth the cousine.P. iii. 279For Habraham, er that he deide,This charge upon his servant leide,To him and in this wise spak,That he his Sone Isaäc110Do wedde for no worldes good,Bot only to his oghne blod:Wherof this Servant, as he bad,Whan he was ded, his Sone hath ladTo Bathuel, wher he RebeckeHath wedded with the whyte necke;For sche, he wiste wel and syh,Was to the child cousine nyh.And thus as Habraham hath tawht,Whan Isaäc was god betawht,120His Sone Jacob dede also,And of Laban the dowhtres tuo,Which was his Em, he tok to wyve,And gat upon hem in his lyve,Of hire ferst which hihte Lie,Sex Sones of his Progenie,And of Rachel tuo Sones eke:The remenant was forto seke,That is to sein of foure mo,Wherof he gat on Bala tuo,130And of Zelpha he hadde ek tweie.And these tuelve, as I thee seie,Thurgh providence of god himselveBen seid the Patriarkes tuelve;Of whom, as afterward befell,The tribes tuelve of Irahel1464P. iii. 280Engendred were, and ben the sameThat of Hebreus tho hadden name,Which of Sibrede in allianceFor evere kepten thilke usance140Most comunly, til Crist was bore.Bot afterward it was forboreAmonges ous that ben baptized;For of the lawe canonizedThe Pope hath bede to the men,1465That non schal wedden of his kenNe the seconde ne the thridde.Bot thogh that holy cherche it bidde,1466So to restreigne Mariage,Ther ben yit upon loves Rage150Full manye of suche nou adayThat taken wher thei take may.For love, which is unbeseinOf alle reson, as men sein,Thurgh sotie and thurgh nycete,Of his voluptuositeHe spareth no condicionOf ken ne yit religion,Bot as a cock among the Hennes,Or as a Stalon in the Fennes,160Which goth amonges al the Stod,Riht so can he nomore good,Bot takth what thing comth next to honde.Confessor.Mi Sone, thou schalt understonde,That such delit is forto blame.Forthi if thou hast be the sameP. iii. 281To love in eny such manere,Tell forth therof and schrif thee hiere.Amans.Mi fader, nay, god wot the sothe,Mi feire is noght of such a bothe,1467170So wylde a man yit was I nevere,That of mi ken or lief or levereMe liste love in such a wise:And ek I not for what empriseI scholde assote upon a Nonne,For thogh I hadde hir love wonne,It myhte into no pris amonte,1468So therof sette I non acompte.Ye mai wel axe of this and that,Bot sothli forto telle plat,180In al this world ther is bot onThe which myn herte hath overgon;I am toward alle othre fre.Full wel, mi Sone, nou I seeConfessor.Thi word stant evere upon o place,1469Bot yit therof thou hast a grace,That thou thee myht so wel excuseOf love such as som men use,1470So as I spak of now tofore.For al such time of love is lore,190And lich unto the bitterswete;For thogh it thenke a man ferst swete,He schal wel fielen ate lasteThat it is sour and may noght laste.For as a morsell envenimed,So hath such love his lust mistimed,P. iii. 282And grete ensamples manyonA man mai finde therupon.[Examples of Incest. Caligula.]At Rome ferst if we beginne,Ther schal I finde hou of this sinne200Hic loquitur contra illos, quos Venus sui desiderii feruore inflammans ita incestuosos efficit, vt neque propriis Sororibus parcunt. Et narrat exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod Gayus Caligula tres sorores suas virgines coitu illicito opressit, deus tanti sceleris peccatum impune1471non ferens ipsum non solum ab imperio set a vita iusticia vindice priuauit.1472Narrat eciam aliud exemplum super eodem, qualiter Amon filius Dauid fatui amoris concupiscencia preuentus, sororem suam Thamar a sue virginitatis pudicicia inuitam deflorauit, propter quod et ipse a fratre suo Absolon postea interfectus, peccatum sue mortis precio inuitus redemit.An Emperour was forto blame,Gayus Caligula be name,Which of his oghne Sostres threBerefte the virginite:And whanne he hadde hem so forlein,1473As he the which was al vilein,He dede hem out of londe exile.Bot afterward withinne a whileGod hath beraft him in his ireHis lif and ek his large empire:210And thus for likinge of a throweFor evere his lust was overthrowe.Of this sotie also I finde,[Ammon.]Amon his Soster ayein kinde,Which hihte Thamar, he forlay;Bot he that lust an other dayAboghte, whan that AbsolonHis oghne brother therupon,Of that he hadde his Soster schent,Tok of that Senne vengement220And slowh him with his oghne hond:And thus thunkinde unkinde fond.[Lot and his Daughters.]And forto se more of this thing,The bible makth a knowleching,Hic narrat, qualiter Loth duas filias suas ipsis consencientibus carnali copula cognouit, duosque ex eis filios, scilicet Moab et Amon, progenuit, quorum postea generacio praua et exasperans contra populum dei in terra saltim promissionis vario grauamine quam sepius insultabat.Wherof thou miht take evidenceUpon the sothe experience.P. iii. 283Whan Lothes wif was overgonAnd schape into the salte Ston,1474As it is spoke into this day,Be bothe hise dowhtres thanne he lay,230With childe and made hem bothe grete,1475Til that nature hem wolde lete,And so the cause aboute laddeThat ech of hem a Sone hadde,Moab the ferste, and the secondeAmon, of whiche, as it is founde,Cam afterward to gret encres1476Tuo nacions: and natheles,For that the stockes were ungoode,1477The branches mihten noght be goode;240For of the false MoabitesForth with the strengthe of Amonites,Of that thei weren ferst misgete,The poeple of god was ofte upseteIn Irahel and in Judee,1478As in the bible a man mai se.Confessor.Lo thus, my Sone, as I thee seie,Thou miht thiselve be beseieOf that thou hast of othre herd:[Incest.]For evere yit it hath so ferd,250Of loves lust if so befalleThat it in other place falleThan it is of the lawe set,He which his love hath so besetMote afterward repente him sore.And every man is othres lore;P. iii. 284Of that befell in time er this1479The present time which now isMay ben enformed hou it stod,And take that him thenketh good,260And leve that which is noght so.Bot forto loke of time go,1480Hou lust of love excedeth lawe,It oghte forto be withdrawe;For every man it scholde drede,And nameliche in his Sibrede,Which torneth ofte to vengance:Wherof a tale in remembrance,Which is a long process to hiere,I thenke forto tellen hiere.270[Apollonius of Tyre.]ii.Omnibus est communis amor, set et immoderatosQui facit excessus, non reputatur amans.Sors tamen vnde Venus attractat corda, videreQue racionis erunt, non racione sinit.

[The Origin of Mankind.]

He made Adam the sexte day

In Paradis, and to his make

Him liketh Eve also to make,

And bad hem cresce and multiplie.

For of the mannes Progenie,30

Which of the womman schal be bore,

The nombre of Angles which was lore,

Whan thei out fro the blisse felle,

He thoghte to restore, and felle

In hevene thilke holy place

Which stod tho voide upon his grace.

Bot as it is wel wiste and knowe,1455

Adam and Eve bot a throwe,

So as it scholde of hem betyde,

In Paradis at thilke tyde40

Ne duelten, and the cause why,

Write in the bok of Genesi,

As who seith, alle men have herd,

Hou Raphael the fyri swerd

In honde tok and drof hem oute,

To gete here lyves fode aboute

P. iii. 277

Upon this wofull Erthe hiere.

Metodre seith to this matiere,1456

As he be revelacion

It hadde upon avision,50

Hou that Adam and Eve also

Virgines comen bothe tuo

Into the world and were aschamed,

Til that nature hem hath reclamed

To love, and tauht hem thilke lore,

That ferst thei keste, and overmore

Thei don that is to kinde due,

Wherof thei hadden fair issue.

A Sone was the ferste of alle,

And Chain be name thei him calle;145760

Abel was after the secounde,

And in the geste as it is founde,

Nature so the cause ladde,

Tuo douhtres ek Dame Eve hadde,

The ferste cleped Calmana

Was, and that other Delbora.

[Laws of Marriage.]

Thus was mankinde to beginne;

Forthi that time it was no Sinne

The Soster forto take hire brother,

Whan that ther was of chois non other:70

To Chain was Calmana betake,1458

And Delboram hath Abel take,1459

In whom was gete natheles

Of worldes folk the ferste encres.

Men sein that nede hath no lawe,

And so it was be thilke dawe

P. iii. 278

And laste into the Secounde Age,1460

Til that the grete water rage,

Of Noë which was seid the flod,1461

The world, which thanne in Senne stod,80

Hath dreint, outake lyves Eyhte.

Tho was mankinde of litel weyhte;

Sem, Cham, Japhet, of these thre,

That ben the Sones of Noë,

The world of mannes nacion

Into multiplicacion

Was tho restored newe ayein

So ferforth, as the bokes sein,

That of hem thre and here issue

Ther was so large a retenue,90

Of naciouns seventy and tuo;

In sondri place ech on of tho

The wyde world have enhabited.

Bot as nature hem hath excited,

Thei token thanne litel hiede,

The brother of the Sosterhiede

To wedde wyves, til it cam

Into the time of Habraham.1462

Whan the thridde Age was begunne,

The nede tho was overrunne,1463100

For ther was poeple ynouh in londe:

Thanne ate ferste it cam to honde,

That Sosterhode of mariage

Was torned into cousinage,

So that after the rihte lyne

The Cousin weddeth the cousine.

P. iii. 279

For Habraham, er that he deide,

This charge upon his servant leide,

To him and in this wise spak,

That he his Sone Isaäc110

Do wedde for no worldes good,

Bot only to his oghne blod:

Wherof this Servant, as he bad,

Whan he was ded, his Sone hath lad

To Bathuel, wher he Rebecke

Hath wedded with the whyte necke;

For sche, he wiste wel and syh,

Was to the child cousine nyh.

And thus as Habraham hath tawht,

Whan Isaäc was god betawht,120

His Sone Jacob dede also,

And of Laban the dowhtres tuo,

Which was his Em, he tok to wyve,

And gat upon hem in his lyve,

Of hire ferst which hihte Lie,

Sex Sones of his Progenie,

And of Rachel tuo Sones eke:

The remenant was forto seke,

That is to sein of foure mo,

Wherof he gat on Bala tuo,130

And of Zelpha he hadde ek tweie.

And these tuelve, as I thee seie,

Thurgh providence of god himselve

Ben seid the Patriarkes tuelve;

Of whom, as afterward befell,

The tribes tuelve of Irahel1464

P. iii. 280

Engendred were, and ben the same

That of Hebreus tho hadden name,

Which of Sibrede in alliance

For evere kepten thilke usance140

Most comunly, til Crist was bore.

Bot afterward it was forbore

Amonges ous that ben baptized;

For of the lawe canonized

The Pope hath bede to the men,1465

That non schal wedden of his ken

Ne the seconde ne the thridde.

Bot thogh that holy cherche it bidde,1466

So to restreigne Mariage,

Ther ben yit upon loves Rage150

Full manye of suche nou aday

That taken wher thei take may.

For love, which is unbesein

Of alle reson, as men sein,

Thurgh sotie and thurgh nycete,

Of his voluptuosite

He spareth no condicion

Of ken ne yit religion,

Bot as a cock among the Hennes,

Or as a Stalon in the Fennes,160

Which goth amonges al the Stod,

Riht so can he nomore good,

Bot takth what thing comth next to honde.

Confessor.

Mi Sone, thou schalt understonde,

That such delit is forto blame.

Forthi if thou hast be the same

P. iii. 281

To love in eny such manere,

Tell forth therof and schrif thee hiere.

Amans.

Mi fader, nay, god wot the sothe,

Mi feire is noght of such a bothe,1467170

So wylde a man yit was I nevere,

That of mi ken or lief or levere

Me liste love in such a wise:

And ek I not for what emprise

I scholde assote upon a Nonne,

For thogh I hadde hir love wonne,

It myhte into no pris amonte,1468

So therof sette I non acompte.

Ye mai wel axe of this and that,

Bot sothli forto telle plat,180

In al this world ther is bot on

The which myn herte hath overgon;

I am toward alle othre fre.

Full wel, mi Sone, nou I see

Confessor.

Thi word stant evere upon o place,1469

Bot yit therof thou hast a grace,

That thou thee myht so wel excuse

Of love such as som men use,1470

So as I spak of now tofore.

For al such time of love is lore,190

And lich unto the bitterswete;

For thogh it thenke a man ferst swete,

He schal wel fielen ate laste

That it is sour and may noght laste.

For as a morsell envenimed,

So hath such love his lust mistimed,

P. iii. 282

And grete ensamples manyon

A man mai finde therupon.

[Examples of Incest. Caligula.]At Rome ferst if we beginne,Ther schal I finde hou of this sinne200Hic loquitur contra illos, quos Venus sui desiderii feruore inflammans ita incestuosos efficit, vt neque propriis Sororibus parcunt. Et narrat exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod Gayus Caligula tres sorores suas virgines coitu illicito opressit, deus tanti sceleris peccatum impune1471non ferens ipsum non solum ab imperio set a vita iusticia vindice priuauit.1472Narrat eciam aliud exemplum super eodem, qualiter Amon filius Dauid fatui amoris concupiscencia preuentus, sororem suam Thamar a sue virginitatis pudicicia inuitam deflorauit, propter quod et ipse a fratre suo Absolon postea interfectus, peccatum sue mortis precio inuitus redemit.An Emperour was forto blame,Gayus Caligula be name,Which of his oghne Sostres threBerefte the virginite:And whanne he hadde hem so forlein,1473As he the which was al vilein,He dede hem out of londe exile.Bot afterward withinne a whileGod hath beraft him in his ireHis lif and ek his large empire:210And thus for likinge of a throweFor evere his lust was overthrowe.Of this sotie also I finde,[Ammon.]Amon his Soster ayein kinde,Which hihte Thamar, he forlay;Bot he that lust an other dayAboghte, whan that AbsolonHis oghne brother therupon,Of that he hadde his Soster schent,Tok of that Senne vengement220And slowh him with his oghne hond:And thus thunkinde unkinde fond.

[Examples of Incest. Caligula.]

At Rome ferst if we beginne,

Ther schal I finde hou of this sinne200

Hic loquitur contra illos, quos Venus sui desiderii feruore inflammans ita incestuosos efficit, vt neque propriis Sororibus parcunt. Et narrat exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod Gayus Caligula tres sorores suas virgines coitu illicito opressit, deus tanti sceleris peccatum impune1471non ferens ipsum non solum ab imperio set a vita iusticia vindice priuauit.1472Narrat eciam aliud exemplum super eodem, qualiter Amon filius Dauid fatui amoris concupiscencia preuentus, sororem suam Thamar a sue virginitatis pudicicia inuitam deflorauit, propter quod et ipse a fratre suo Absolon postea interfectus, peccatum sue mortis precio inuitus redemit.

An Emperour was forto blame,

Gayus Caligula be name,

Which of his oghne Sostres thre

Berefte the virginite:

And whanne he hadde hem so forlein,1473

As he the which was al vilein,

He dede hem out of londe exile.

Bot afterward withinne a while

God hath beraft him in his ire

His lif and ek his large empire:210

And thus for likinge of a throwe

For evere his lust was overthrowe.

Of this sotie also I finde,

[Ammon.]

Amon his Soster ayein kinde,

Which hihte Thamar, he forlay;

Bot he that lust an other day

Aboghte, whan that Absolon

His oghne brother therupon,

Of that he hadde his Soster schent,

Tok of that Senne vengement220

And slowh him with his oghne hond:

And thus thunkinde unkinde fond.

[Lot and his Daughters.]And forto se more of this thing,The bible makth a knowleching,Hic narrat, qualiter Loth duas filias suas ipsis consencientibus carnali copula cognouit, duosque ex eis filios, scilicet Moab et Amon, progenuit, quorum postea generacio praua et exasperans contra populum dei in terra saltim promissionis vario grauamine quam sepius insultabat.Wherof thou miht take evidenceUpon the sothe experience.P. iii. 283Whan Lothes wif was overgonAnd schape into the salte Ston,1474As it is spoke into this day,Be bothe hise dowhtres thanne he lay,230With childe and made hem bothe grete,1475Til that nature hem wolde lete,And so the cause aboute laddeThat ech of hem a Sone hadde,Moab the ferste, and the secondeAmon, of whiche, as it is founde,Cam afterward to gret encres1476Tuo nacions: and natheles,For that the stockes were ungoode,1477The branches mihten noght be goode;240For of the false MoabitesForth with the strengthe of Amonites,Of that thei weren ferst misgete,The poeple of god was ofte upseteIn Irahel and in Judee,1478As in the bible a man mai se.Confessor.Lo thus, my Sone, as I thee seie,Thou miht thiselve be beseieOf that thou hast of othre herd:[Incest.]For evere yit it hath so ferd,250Of loves lust if so befalleThat it in other place falleThan it is of the lawe set,He which his love hath so besetMote afterward repente him sore.And every man is othres lore;P. iii. 284Of that befell in time er this1479The present time which now isMay ben enformed hou it stod,And take that him thenketh good,260And leve that which is noght so.Bot forto loke of time go,1480Hou lust of love excedeth lawe,It oghte forto be withdrawe;For every man it scholde drede,And nameliche in his Sibrede,Which torneth ofte to vengance:Wherof a tale in remembrance,Which is a long process to hiere,I thenke forto tellen hiere.270

[Lot and his Daughters.]

And forto se more of this thing,

The bible makth a knowleching,

Hic narrat, qualiter Loth duas filias suas ipsis consencientibus carnali copula cognouit, duosque ex eis filios, scilicet Moab et Amon, progenuit, quorum postea generacio praua et exasperans contra populum dei in terra saltim promissionis vario grauamine quam sepius insultabat.

Wherof thou miht take evidence

Upon the sothe experience.

P. iii. 283

Whan Lothes wif was overgon

And schape into the salte Ston,1474

As it is spoke into this day,

Be bothe hise dowhtres thanne he lay,230

With childe and made hem bothe grete,1475

Til that nature hem wolde lete,

And so the cause aboute ladde

That ech of hem a Sone hadde,

Moab the ferste, and the seconde

Amon, of whiche, as it is founde,

Cam afterward to gret encres1476

Tuo nacions: and natheles,

For that the stockes were ungoode,1477

The branches mihten noght be goode;240

For of the false Moabites

Forth with the strengthe of Amonites,

Of that thei weren ferst misgete,

The poeple of god was ofte upsete

In Irahel and in Judee,1478

As in the bible a man mai se.

Confessor.

Lo thus, my Sone, as I thee seie,

Thou miht thiselve be beseie

Of that thou hast of othre herd:

[Incest.]

For evere yit it hath so ferd,250

Of loves lust if so befalle

That it in other place falle

Than it is of the lawe set,

He which his love hath so beset

Mote afterward repente him sore.

And every man is othres lore;

P. iii. 284

Of that befell in time er this1479

The present time which now is

May ben enformed hou it stod,

And take that him thenketh good,260

And leve that which is noght so.

Bot forto loke of time go,1480

Hou lust of love excedeth lawe,

It oghte forto be withdrawe;

For every man it scholde drede,

And nameliche in his Sibrede,

Which torneth ofte to vengance:

Wherof a tale in remembrance,

Which is a long process to hiere,

I thenke forto tellen hiere.270

[Apollonius of Tyre.]ii.Omnibus est communis amor, set et immoderatosQui facit excessus, non reputatur amans.Sors tamen vnde Venus attractat corda, videreQue racionis erunt, non racione sinit.

[Apollonius of Tyre.]

ii.Omnibus est communis amor, set et immoderatos

Qui facit excessus, non reputatur amans.

Sors tamen vnde Venus attractat corda, videre

Que racionis erunt, non racione sinit.

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