confessio amantis-第3章
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And thanne a newe schal beginne；
Fro which a man schal nevere twinne； 660
Or al to peine or al to pes
That world schal lasten endeles。
Lo thus expondeth Daniel
The kynges swevene faire and wel
In Babiloyne the Cite；
Wher that the wiseste of Caldee
Ne cowthen wite what it mente；
Bot he tolde al the hol entente；
As in partie it is befalle。
Of gold the ferste regne of alle 670
Was in that kinges time tho；
And laste manye daies so；
Therwhiles that the Monarchie
Of al the world in that partie
To Babiloyne was soubgit；
And hield him stille in such a plit；
Til that the world began diverse：
And that was whan the king of Perse；
Which Cirus hyhte； ayein the pes
Forth with his Sone Cambises 680
Of Babiloine al that Empire；
Ryht as thei wolde hemself desire；
Put under in subjeccioun
And tok it in possessioun；
And slayn was Baltazar the king；
Which loste his regne and al his thing。
And thus whan thei it hadde wonne；
The world of Selver was begonne
And that of gold was passed oute：
And in this wise it goth aboute 690
In to the Regne of Darius；
And thanne it fell to Perse thus；
That Alisaundre put hem under；
Which wroghte of armes many a wonder；
So that the Monarchie lefte
With Grecs； and here astat uplefte；
And Persiens gon under fote；
So soffre thei that nedes mote。
And tho the world began of Bras；
And that of selver ended was； 700
Bot for the time thus it laste；
Til it befell that ate laste
This king； whan that his day was come；
With strengthe of deth was overcome。
And natheles yet er he dyde；
He schop his Regnes to divide
To knyhtes whiche him hadde served；
And after that thei have deserved
Yaf the conquestes that he wan；
Wherof gret werre tho began 710
Among hem that the Regnes hadde；
Thurgh proud Envie which hem ladde；
Til it befell ayein hem thus：
The noble Cesar Julius；
Which tho was king of Rome lond；
With gret bataille and with strong hond
Al Grece； Perse and ek Caldee
Wan and put under； so that he
Noght al only of thorient
Bot al the Marche of thoccident 720
Governeth under his empire；
As he that was hol lord and Sire；
And hield thurgh his chivalerie
Of al this world the Monarchie；
And was the ferste of that honour
Which tok the name of Emperour。
Wher Rome thanne wolde assaille；
Ther myhte nothing contrevaille；
Bot every contre moste obeie：
Tho goth the Regne of Bras aweie； 730
And comen is the world of Stiel；
And stod above upon the whiel。
As Stiel is hardest in his kynde
Above alle othre that men finde
Of Metals； such was Rome tho
The myhtieste； and laste so
Long time amonges the Romeins
Til thei become so vileins；
That the fals Emperour Leo
With Constantin his Sone also 740
The patrimoine and the richesse；
Which to Silvestre in pure almesse
The ferste Constantinus lefte；
Fro holy cherche thei berefte。
Bot Adrian； which Pope was；
And syh the meschief of this cas；
Goth in to France forto pleigne；
And preith the grete Charlemeine；
For Cristes sake and Soule hele
That he wol take the querele 750
Of holy cherche in his defence。
And Charles for the reverence
Of god the cause hath undertake；
And with his host the weie take
Over the Montz of Lombardie；
Of Rome and al the tirandie
With blodi swerd he overcom；
And the Cite with strengthe nom；
In such a wise and there he wroghte；
That holy cherche ayein he broghte 760
Into franchise； and doth restore
The Popes lost； and yaf him more：
And thus whan he his god hath served；
He tok； as he wel hath deserved；
The Diademe and was coroned。
Of Rome and thus was abandoned
Thempire； which cam nevere ayein
Into the hond of no Romein；
Bot a long time it stod so stille
Under the Frensche kynges wille； 770
Til that fortune hir whiel so ladde；
That afterward Lombardz it hadde；
Noght be the swerd； bot be soffrance
Of him that tho was kyng of France；
Which Karle Calvus cleped was；
And he resigneth in this cas
Thempire of Rome unto Lowis
His Cousin； which a Lombard is。
And so hit laste into the yeer
Of Albert and of Berenger； 780
Bot thanne upon dissencioun
Thei felle； and in divisioun
Among hemself that were grete；
So that thei loste the beyete
Of worschipe and of worldes pes。
Bot in proverbe natheles
Men sein； ful selden is that welthe
Can soffre his oghne astat in helthe；
And that was on the Lombardz sene；
Such comun strif was hem betwene 790
Thurgh coveitise and thurgh Envie；
That every man drowh his partie；
Which myhte leden eny route；
Withinne Burgh and ek withoute：
The comun ryht hath no felawe；
So that the governance of lawe
Was lost； and for necessite；
Of that thei stode in such degre
Al only thurgh divisioun；
Hem nedeth in conclusioun 800
Of strange londes help beside。
And thus for thei hemself divide
And stonden out of reule unevene；
Of Alemaine Princes sevene
Thei chose in this condicioun；
That upon here eleccioun
Thempire of Rome scholde stonde。
And thus thei lefte it out of honde
For lacke of grace； and it forsoke；
That Alemans upon hem toke： 810
And to confermen here astat；
Of that thei founden in debat
Thei token the possessioun
After the composicioun
Among hemself； and therupon
Thei made an Emperour anon；
Whos name as the Cronique telleth
Was Othes； and so forth it duelleth；
Fro thilke day yit unto this
Thempire of Rome hath ben and is 820
To thalemans。 And in this wise；
As ye tofore have herd divise
How Daniel the swevene expondeth
Of that ymage； on whom he foundeth
The world which after scholde falle；
Come is the laste tokne of alle；
Upon the feet of Erthe and Stiel
So stant this world now everydiel
Departed； which began riht tho；
Whan Rome was divided so： 830
And that is forto rewe sore；
For alway siththe more and more
The world empeireth every day。
Wherof the sothe schewe may；
At Rome ferst if we beginne：
The wall and al the Cit withinne
Stant in ruine and in decas；
The feld is wher the Paleis was；
The toun is wast； and overthat；
If we beholde thilke astat 840
Which whilom was of the Romeins；
Of knyhthode and of Citezeins；
To peise now with that beforn；
The chaf is take for the corn；
As forto speke of Romes myht：
Unethes stant ther oght upryht
Of worschipe or of worldes good；
As it before tyme stod。
And why the worschipe is aweie；
If that a man the sothe seie； 850
The cause hath ben divisioun；
Which moder of confusioun
Is wher sche cometh overal；
Noght only of the temporal
Bot of the spirital also。
The dede proeveth it is so；
And hath do many day er this；
Thurgh venym which that medled is
In holy cherche of erthly thing：
For Crist himself makth knowleching 860
That noman may togedre serve
God and the world； bot if he swerve
Froward that on and stonde unstable；
And Cristes word may noght be fable。
The thing so open is at ije；
It nedeth noght to specefie
Or speke oght more in this matiere；
Bot in this wise a man mai lere
Hou that the world is gon aboute；
The which welnyh is wered oute； 870
After the forme of that figure
Which Daniel in his scripture
Expondeth； as tofore is told。
Of Bras； of Selver and of Gold
The world is passed and agon；
And now upon his olde ton
It stant of brutel Erthe and Stiel；
The whiche acorden nevere a diel；
So mot it nedes swerve aside
As thing the which men sen divide。 880
Thapostel writ unto ous alle
And seith that upon ous is falle
Thende of the world； so may we knowe；
This ymage is nyh overthrowe；
Be which this world was signified；
That whilom was so magnefied；
And now is old and fieble and vil；
Full of meschief and of peril；
And stant divided ek also
Lich to the feet that were so； 890
As I tolde of the Statue above。
And this men sen； thurgh lacke of love
Where as the lond divided is；
It mot algate fare amis：
And now to loke on every side；
A man may se the world divide；
The werres ben so general
Among the cristene overal；
That every man now secheth wreche；
And yet these clerkes alday preche 900
And sein； good dede may non be
Which stant noght upon charite：
I not hou charite may stonde；
Wher dedly werre is take on honde。
Bot al this wo is cause of man；
The which that wit and reson can；
And that in tokne and in witnesse
That ilke ymage bar liknesse
Of man and of non other beste。
For ferst unto the mannes heste 910
Was every creature ordeined；
Bot afterward it was restreigned：
Whan that he fell； thei fellen eke；
Whan he wax sek； thei woxen seke；
For as the man hath passioun
Of seknesse； in comparisoun
So soffren othre creatures。
Lo； ferst the hevenly figures；
The Sonne and Mone eclipsen bothe；
And ben with mannes senne wrothe； 920
The purest Eir for Senne alofte
Hath ben and is corrupt fulofte；
Right now the hyhe wyndes blowe；
And anon after thei ben lowe；
Now clowdy and now clier it is：
So may it proeven wel be this；
A mannes Senne is forto hate；
Which makth the welkne to debate。
And forto se the proprete
Of every thyng in his degree； 930
Benethe forth among ous hiere
Al stant aliche in this matiere：
The See now ebbeth； now it floweth；
The lond now welketh； now it groweth；
Now be the Trees with leves grene；
Now thei be bare and nothing sene；
Now be the lusti somer floures；
Now be the stormy wynter shoures；
Now be the daies； now the nyhtes；
So stant ther nothing al upryhtes； 940
Now it is lyht； now it is derk；
And thus stant al the worldes werk
After the disposicioun
Of man and his condicioun。
Forthi Gregoire in his Moral
Seith that a man in special
The lasse world is properly：
And that he proeveth redely；
For man of Soule resonable
Is to an Angel resemblable； 950
And lich to beste he hath fielinge；
And lich to Trees he hath growinge；
The Stones ben and so is he：
Thus of his propre qualite
The man； as telleth the clergie；
Is as a world in his partie；
And whan this litel world mistorneth；
The grete world al overtorneth。
The Lond； the See； the firmament；
Thei axen alle jugement 960
Ayein the man and make him werre：
Therwhile himself stant out of herre；
The remenant wol noght acorde：
And in this wise； as I recorde；
The man is cause of alle wo；
Why this world is divided so。
Division； the gospell seith；
On hous upon another leith；
Til that the Regne al overthrowe：
And thus may every man wel knowe； 970
Division aboven alle
Is thing which makth the world to falle；
And evere hath do sith it began。
It may ferst proeve upon a man；
The which； for his complexioun
Is mad upon divisioun
Of cold； of hot； of moist； of drye；
He mot be verray kynde dye：
For the contraire of his astat
Stant evermore in such debat； 980
Til that o part be overcome；
Ther may no final pes be nome。
Bot other wise； if a man were
Mad al togedre of o matiere
Withouten interrupcioun；
Ther scholde no corrupcioun
Engendre upon that unite：
Bot for ther is diversite
Withinne himself； he may noght laste；
That he ne deieth ate laste。 990
Bot in a man yit over this
Full gret divisioun ther is；
Thurgh which that he is evere in strif；
Whil that him lasteth eny lif：
The bodi and the Soule also
Among hem ben divided so；
That what thing that the body hateth
The soule loveth and debateth；
Bot natheles fulofte is sene
Of werre which is hem betwene 1000
The fieble hath wonne the victoire。
And who so drawth into memoire
What hath befal
