confessio amantis-第91章
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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;
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 cas 5170
In conseil founden out this weie;
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 assent
To come in presence of the king
And stonde in ansuere of this thing。
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 riht 5190
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 appiere
Hire fader mihte in no manere。
Bot as therof he was deceived;
For Livius hadde al conceived
The pourpos of the king tofore;
So that to Rome ayein therfore
In alle haste he cam ridende;
And lefte upon the field liggende
His host; til that he come ayein。
And thus this worthi capitein 5210
Appiereth redi at his day;
Wher al that evere reson may
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; 5220
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;
Riht as a Leon in his rage; 5240
Which of no drede set acompte
And not what pite scholde amounte;
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;
For me is levere upon this thing
To be the fader of a Maide;
Thogh sche be ded; that if men saide 5250
That in hir lif sche were schamed
And I therof were evele named。〃
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;
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 liere
Upon the wrong of his matiere;
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。
For thus stant every mannes lif
In jeupartie for his wif
Or for his dowhter; if thei be
Passende an other of beaute。
Of this merveile which thei sihe
So apparant tofore here yhe;
Of that the king him hath misbore;
Here othes thei have alle swore 5280
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;
Thurgh comun conseil of hem alle
Thei have here wrongfull king deposed;
And hem in whom it was supposed
The conseil stod of his ledinge
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
That scholden afterward governe;
And be this evidence lerne;
Hou it is good a king eschuie
The lust of vice and vertu suie。
To make an ende in this partie;
Which toucheth to the Policie
Of Chastite in special;
As for conclusion final 5310
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;
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;
To tempte a man of such a wise;
Was redy there; and thilke emprise;
Which he hath set upon delit;
He vengeth thanne in such a plit; 5340
That he his necke hathe writhe atuo。
This yonge wif was sory tho;
Which wiste nothing what it mente;
And natheles yit thus it wente
Noght only of this ferste man;
Bot after; riht as he began;
Sexe othre of hire housebondes
Asmod hath take into hise bondes;
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
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;
That bothe lawe and kinde is served;
Wherof he hath himself preserved;
That he fell noght in the sentence。
O which an open evidence
Of this ensample a man mai se;
That whan likinge in the degre
Of Mariage mai forsueie;
Wel oghte him thanne in other weie 5370
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;
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;
As whilom to king Alisandre
The wise Philosophre tawhte;
Whan he his ferste lore cawhte;
Noght only upon chastete;
Bot upon alle honestete;
Wherof a king himself mai taste;
Hou trewe; hou large; hou joust; hou chaste 5390
Him oghte of reson forto be;
Forth with the vertu of Pite;
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。
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
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。
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;
Bot yit min 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;
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 matiere
Touchende of love; as we begonne:
If that ther be oght overronne
Or oght foryete or left behinde
Which falleth unto loves kinde;
Wherof it nedeth to be schrive;
Nou axeth; so that whil I live
I myhte amende that is mys。
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。
Explicit Liber Septimus。
Incipit Liber Octavus
Que favet ad vicium vetus hec modo regula confert;
Nec novus e contra qui docet ordo placet。
Cecus amor dudum nondum sua lumina cepit;
Quo Venus impositum devia fallit iter。
The myhti god; which unbegunne
Stant of himself and hath begunne
Alle othre thinges at his wille;
The hevene him liste to fulfille
Of alle joie; where as he
Sit inthronized in his See;
And hath hise Angles him to serve;
Suche as him liketh to preserve;
So that thei mowe noght forsueie:
Bot Lucifer he putte aweie; 10
With al the route apostazied
Of hem that ben to him allied;
Whiche out of hevene into the helle
From Angles into fendes felle;
Wher that ther is no joie of lyht;
Bot more derk than eny nyht
The peine schal ben endeles;
And yit of fyres natheles
Ther is plente; bot thei ben blake;
Wherof no syhte mai be take。 20
Thus whan the thinges ben befalle;
That Luciferes court was falle
Wher dedly Pride hem hath conveied;
Anon forthwith it was pourveied
Thurgh him which alle thinges may;
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;
Adam and Eve bot a throwe;
So as it scholde of hem betyde;
In Paradis at thilke tyde 40
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
Upon this wofull Erthe hiere。
Metodre seith to this matiere;
As he be revelacion
It hadde upon avision; 50
Hou that