<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=420401" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>Confessio Amantis. Explicit Liber Primus</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Incipit Liber Secundus</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Inuidie culpa magis est attrita dolore,<br>Nam sua mens nullo tempore leta manet:<br>Quo gaudent alii, dolet ille, nec vnus amicus<br>Est, cui de puro comoda velle facit.<br>Proximitatis honor sua corda veretur, et omnis<br>Est sibi leticia sic aliena dolor.<br>Hoc etenim vicium quam sepe repugnat amanti,<br>Non sibi, set reliquis, dum fauet ipsa Venus.<br>Est amor ex proprio motu fantasticus, et que<br>Gaudia fert alius, credit obesse sibi.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Now after Pride the secounde<br>Ther is, which many a woful stounde<br>Towardes othre berth aboute<br>Withinne himself and noght withoute;<br>For in his thoght he brenneth evere,<br>Whan that he wot an other levere<br>Or more vertuous than he,<br>Which passeth him in his degre;<br>Therof he takth his maladie:<br>That vice is cleped hot Envie. <br>Forthi, my Sone, if it be so<br>Thou art or hast ben on of tho,<br>As forto speke in loves cas,<br>If evere yit thin herte was<br>Sek of an other mannes hele?<br>So god avance my querele,<br>Mi fader, ye, a thousend sithe:<br>Whanne I have sen an other blithe<br>Of love, and hadde a goodly chiere,<br>Ethna, which brenneth yer be yere, <br>Was thanne noght so hot as I<br>Of thilke Sor which prively<br>Min hertes thoght withinne brenneth.<br>The Schip which on the wawes renneth,<br>And is forstormed and forblowe,<br>Is noght more peined for a throwe<br>Than I am thanne, whanne I se<br>An other which that passeth me<br>In that fortune of loves yifte.<br>Bot, fader, this I telle in schrifte, <br>That is nowher bot in o place;<br>For who that lese or finde grace<br>In other stede, it mai noght grieve:<br>Bot this ye mai riht wel believe,<br>Toward mi ladi that I serve,<br>Thogh that I wiste forto sterve,<br>Min herte is full of such sotie,<br>That I myself mai noght chastie.<br>Whan I the Court se of Cupide<br>Aproche unto my ladi side <br>Of hem that lusti ben and freisshe,-<br>Thogh it availe hem noght a reisshe,<br>Bot only that thei ben in speche,-<br>My sorwe is thanne noght to seche:<br>Bot whan thei rounen in hire Ere,<br>Than groweth al my moste fere,<br>And namly whan thei talen longe;<br>My sorwes thanne be so stronge<br>Of that I se hem wel at ese,<br>I can noght telle my desese. <br>Bot, Sire, as of my ladi selve,<br>Thogh sche have wowers ten or twelve,<br>For no mistrust I have of hire<br>Me grieveth noght, for certes, Sire,<br>I trowe, in al this world to seche,<br>Nis womman that in dede and speche<br>Woll betre avise hire what sche doth,<br>Ne betre, forto seie a soth,<br>Kepe hire honour ate alle tide,<br>And yit get hire a thank beside. <br>Bot natheles I am beknowe,<br>That whanne I se at eny throwe,<br>Or elles if I mai it hiere,<br>That sche make eny man good chiere,<br>Thogh I therof have noght to done,<br>Mi thought wol entermette him sone.<br>For thogh I be miselve strange,<br>Envie makth myn herte change,<br>That I am sorghfully bestad<br>Of that I se an other glad <br>With hire; bot of other alle,<br>Of love what so mai befalle,<br>Or that he faile or that he spede,<br>Therof take I bot litel heede.<br>Now have I seid, my fader, al<br>As of this point in special,<br>Als ferforthli as I have wist.<br>Now axeth further what you list.<br>Mi Sone, er I axe eny more,<br>I thenke somdiel for thi lore <br>Telle an ensample of this matiere<br>Touchende Envie, as thou schalt hiere.<br>Write in Civile this I finde:<br>Thogh it be noght the houndes kinde<br>To ete chaf, yit wol he werne<br>An Oxe which comth to the berne,<br>Therof to taken eny fode.<br>And thus, who that it understode,<br>It stant of love in many place:<br>Who that is out of loves grace <br>And mai himselven noght availe,<br>He wolde an other scholde faile;<br>And if he may put eny lette,<br>He doth al that he mai to lette.<br>Wherof I finde, as thou schalt wite,<br>To this pourpos a tale write.<br>Ther ben of suche mo than twelve,<br>That ben noght able as of hemselve<br>To gete love, and for Envie<br>Upon alle othre thei aspie; <br>And for hem lacketh that thei wolde,<br>Thei kepte that non other scholde<br>Touchende of love his cause spede:<br>Wherof a gret ensample I rede,<br>Which unto this matiere acordeth,<br>As Ovide in his bok recordeth,<br>How Poliphemus whilom wroghte,<br>Whan that he Galathee besoghte<br>Of love, which he mai noght lacche.<br>That made him forto waite and wacche <br>Be alle weies how it ferde,<br>Til ate laste he knew and herde<br>How that an other hadde leve<br>To love there as he mot leve,<br>As forto speke of eny sped:<br>So that he knew non other red,<br>Bot forto wayten upon alle,<br>Til he may se the chance falle<br>That he hire love myhte grieve,<br>Which he himself mai noght achieve. <br>This Galathee, seith the Poete,<br>Above alle othre was unmete<br>Of beaute, that men thanne knewe,<br>And hadde a lusti love and trewe,<br>A Bacheler in his degree,<br>Riht such an other as was sche,<br>On whom sche hath hire herte set,<br>So that it myhte noght be let<br>For yifte ne for no beheste,<br>That sche ne was al at his heste. <br>This yonge knyht Acis was hote,<br>Which hire ayeinward als so hote<br>Al only loveth and nomo.<br>Hierof was Poliphemus wo<br>Thurgh pure Envie, and evere aspide,<br>And waiteth upon every side,<br>Whan he togedre myhte se<br>This yonge Acis with Galathe.<br>So longe he waiteth to and fro,<br>Til ate laste he fond hem tuo, <br>In prive place wher thei stode<br>To speke and have here wordes goode.<br>The place wher as he hem syh,<br>It was under a banke nyh<br>The grete See, and he above<br>Stod and behield the lusti love<br>Which ech of hem to other made<br>With goodly chiere and wordes glade,<br>That al his herte hath set afyre<br>Of pure Envie: and as a fyre <br>Which fleth out of a myhti bowe,<br>Aweie he fledde for a throwe,<br>As he that was for love wod,<br>Whan that he sih how that it stod.<br>This Polipheme a Geant was;<br>And whan he sih the sothe cas,<br>How Galathee him hath forsake<br>And Acis to hire love take,<br>His herte mai it noght forbere<br>That he ne roreth lich a Bere; <br>And as it were a wilde beste,<br>The whom no reson mihte areste,<br>He ran Ethna the hell aboute,<br>Wher nevere yit the fyr was oute,<br>Fulfild of sorghe and gret desese,<br>That he syh Acis wel at ese.<br>Til ate laste he him bethoghte,<br>As he which al Envie soghte,<br>And torneth to the banke ayein,<br>Wher he with Galathee hath seyn <br>Acis, whom that he thoghte grieve,<br>Thogh he himself mai noght relieve.<br>This Geant with his ruide myht<br>Part of the banke he schof doun riht,<br>The which evene upon Acis fell,<br>So that with fallinge of this hell<br>This Poliphemus Acis slowh,<br>Wherof sche made sorwe ynowh.<br>And as sche fledde fro the londe,<br>Neptunus tok hire into honde <br>And kept hire in so sauf a place<br>Fro Polipheme and his manace,<br>That he with al his false Envie<br>Ne mihte atteigne hir compaignie.<br>This Galathee of whom I speke,<br>That of hirself mai noght be wreke,<br>Withouten eny semblant feigned<br>Sche hath hire loves deth compleigned,<br>And with hire sorwe and with hire wo<br>Sche hath the goddes moeved so, <br>That thei of pite and of grace<br>Have Acis in the same place,<br>Ther he lai ded, into a welle<br>Transformed, as the bokes telle,<br>With freisshe stremes and with cliere,<br>As he whilom with lusti chiere<br>Was freissh his love forto qweme.<br>And with this ruide Polipheme<br>For his Envie and for his hate<br>Thei were wrothe. And thus algate, <br>Mi Sone, thou myht understonde,<br>That if thou wolt in grace stonde<br>With love, thou most leve Envie:<br>And as thou wolt for thi partie<br>Toward thi love stonde fre,<br>So most thou soffre an other be,<br>What so befalle upon the chaunce:<br>For it is an unwys vengance,<br>Which to non other man is lief,<br>And is unto himselve grief. <br>Mi fader, this ensample is good;<br>Bot how so evere that it stod<br>With Poliphemes love as tho,<br>It schal noght stonde with me so,<br>To worchen eny felonie<br>In love for no such Envie.<br>Forthi if ther oght elles be,<br>Now axeth forth, in what degre<br>It is, and I me schal confesse<br>With schrifte unto youre holinesse. <br>Mi goode Sone, yit ther is<br>A vice revers unto this,<br>Which envious takth his gladnesse<br>Of that he seth the hevinesse<br>Of othre men: for his welfare<br>Is whanne he wot an other care:<br>Of that an other hath a fall,<br>He thenkth himself arist withal.<br>Such is the gladschipe of Envie<br>In worldes thing, and in partie <br>Fulofte times ek also<br>In loves cause it stant riht so.<br>If thou, my Sone, hast joie had,<br>Whan thou an other sihe unglad,<br>Schrif the therof. Mi fader, yis:<br>I am beknowe unto you this.<br>Of these lovers that loven streyte,<br>And for that point which thei coveite<br>Ben poursuiantz fro yeer to yere<br>In loves Court, whan I may hiere <br>How that thei clymbe upon the whel,<br>And whan thei wene al schal be wel,<br>Thei ben doun throwen ate laste,<br>Thanne am I fedd of that thei faste,<br>And lawhe of that I se hem loure;<br>And thus of that thei brewe soure<br>I drinke swete, and am wel esed<br>Of that I wot thei ben desesed.<br>Bot this which I you telle hiere<br>Is only for my lady diere; <br>That for non other that I knowe<br>Me reccheth noght who overthrowe,<br>Ne who that stonde in love upriht:<br>Bot be he squier, be he knyht,<br>Which to my ladiward poursuieth,<br>The more he lest of that he suieth,<br>The mor me thenketh that I winne,<br>And am the more glad withinne<br>Of that I wot him sorwe endure.<br>For evere upon such aventure <br>It is a confort, as men sein,<br>To him the which is wo besein<br>To sen an other in his peine,<br>So that thei bothe mai compleigne.<br>Wher I miself mai noght availe<br>To sen an other man travaile,<br>I am riht glad if he be let;<br>And thogh I fare noght the bet,<br>His sorwe is to myn herte a game:<br>Whan that I knowe it is the same <br>Which to mi ladi stant enclined,<br>And hath his love noght termined,<br>I am riht joifull in my thoght.<br>If such Envie grieveth oght,<br>As I beknowe me coupable,<br>Ye that be wys and resonable,<br>Mi fader, telleth youre avis.<br>Mi Sone, Envie into no pris<br>Of such a forme, I understonde,<br>Ne mihte be no resoun stonde <br>For this Envie hath such a kinde,<br>That he wole sette himself behinde<br>To hindre with an othre wyht,<br>And gladly lese his oghne riht<br>To make an other lesen his.<br>And forto knowe how it so is,<br>A tale lich to this matiere<br>I thenke telle, if thou wolt hiere,<br>To schewe proprely the vice<br>Of this Envie and the malice. <br>Of Jupiter this finde I write,<br>How whilom that he wolde wite<br>Upon the pleigntes whiche he herde,<br>Among the men how that it ferde,<br>As of here wrong condicion<br>To do justificacion:<br>And for that cause doun he sente<br>An Angel, which about wente,<br>That he the sothe knowe mai.<br>So it befell upon a dai <br>This Angel, which him scholde enforme,<br>Was clothed in a mannes forme,<br>And overtok, I understonde,<br>Tuo men that wenten over londe,<br>Thurgh whiche he thoghte to aspie<br>His cause, and goth in compaignie.<br>This Angel with hise wordes wise<br>Opposeth hem in sondri wise,<br>Now lowde wordes and now softe,<br>That mad hem to desputen ofte, <br>And ech of hem his reson hadde.<br>And thus with tales he hem ladde<br>With good examinacioun,<br>Til he knew the condicioun,<br>What men thei were bothe tuo;<br>And sih wel ate laste tho,<br>That on of hem was coveitous,<br>And his fela was envious.<br>And thus, whan he hath knowlechinge,<br>Anon he feigneth departinge, <br>And seide he mot algate wende.<br>Bot herkne now what fell at ende:<br>For thanne he made hem understonde<br>That he was there of goddes sonde,<br>And seide hem, for the kindeschipe<br>That thei have don him felaschipe,<br>He wole hem do som grace ayein,<br>And bad that on of hem schal sein<br>What thing him is lievest to crave,<br>And he it schal of yifte have; <br>And over that ek forth withal<br>He seith that other have schal<br>The double of that his felaw axeth;<br>And thus to hem his grace he taxeth.<br>The coveitous was wonder glad,<br>And to that other man he bad<br>And seith that he ferst axe scholde:<br>For he supposeth that he wolde<br>Make his axinge of worldes good;<br>For thanne he knew wel how it stod, <br>That he himself be double weyhte<br>Schal after take, and thus be sleyhte,<br>Be cause that he wolde winne,<br>He bad his fela ferst beginne.<br>This Envious, thogh it be late,<br>Whan that he syh he mot algate<br>Make his axinge ferst, he thoghte,<br>If he worschipe or profit soghte,<br>It schal be doubled to his fiere:<br>That wolde he chese in no manere. <br>Bot thanne he scheweth what he was<br>Toward Envie, and in this cas<br>Unto this Angel thus he seide<br>And for his yifte this he preide,<br>To make him blind of his on yhe,<br>So that his fela nothing syhe.<br>This word was noght so sone spoke,<br>That his on yhe anon was loke,<br>And his felawh forthwith also<br>Was blind of bothe his yhen tuo. <br>Tho was that other glad ynowh,<br>That on wepte, and that other lowh,<br>He sette his on yhe at no cost,<br>Wherof that other two hath lost.<br>Of thilke ensample which fell tho,<br>Men tellen now fulofte so,<br>The world empeireth comunly:<br>And yit wot non the cause why;<br>For it acordeth noght to kinde<br>Min oghne harm to seche and finde <br>Of that I schal my brother grieve;<br>It myhte nevere wel achieve.<br>What seist thou, Sone, of this folie?<br>Mi fader, bot I scholde lie,<br>Upon the point which ye have seid<br>Yit was myn herte nevere leid,<br>Bot in the wise as I you tolde.<br>Bot overmore, if that ye wolde<br>Oght elles to my schrifte seie<br>Touchende Envie, I wolde preie. <br>Mi Sone, that schal wel be do:<br>Now herkne and ley thin Ere to.<br>Touchende as of Envious brod<br>I wot noght on of alle good;<br>Bot natheles, suche as thei be,<br>Yit is ther on, and that is he<br>Which cleped in Detraccioun.<br>And to conferme his accioun,<br>He hath withholde Malebouche,<br>Whos tunge neither pyl ne crouche <br>Mai hyre, so that he pronounce<br>A plein good word withoute frounce<br>Awher behinde a mannes bak.<br>For thogh he preise, he fint som lak,<br>Which of his tale is ay the laste,<br>That al the pris schal overcaste:<br>And thogh ther be no cause why,<br>Yit wole he jangle noght forthi,<br>As he which hath the heraldie<br>Of hem that usen forto lye. <br>For as the Netle which up renneth<br>The freisshe rede Roses brenneth<br>And makth hem fade and pale of hewe,<br>Riht so this fals Envious hewe,<br>In every place wher he duelleth,<br>With false wordes whiche he telleth<br>He torneth preisinge into blame<br>And worschipe into worldes schame.<br>Of such lesinge as he compasseth,<br>Is non so good that he ne passeth <br>Betwen his teeth and is bacbited,<br>And thurgh his false tunge endited:<br>Lich to the Scharnebudes kinde,<br>Of whos nature this I finde,<br>That in the hoteste of the dai,<br>Whan comen is the merie Maii,<br>He sprat his wynge and up he fleth:<br>And under al aboute he seth<br>The faire lusti floures springe,<br>Bot therof hath he no likinge; <br>Bot where he seth of eny beste<br>The felthe, ther he makth his feste,<br>And therupon he wole alyhte,<br>Ther liketh him non other sihte.<br>Riht so this janglere Envious,<br>Thogh he a man se vertuous<br>And full of good condicioun,<br>Therof makth he no mencioun:<br>Bot elles, be it noght so lyte,<br>Wherof that he mai sette a wyte, <br>Ther renneth he with open mouth,<br>Behinde a man and makth it couth.<br>Bot al the vertu which he can,<br>That wole he hide of every man,<br>And openly the vice telle,<br>As he which of the Scole of helle<br>Is tawht, and fostred with Envie<br>Of houshold and of compaignie,<br>Wher that he hath his propre office<br>To sette on every man a vice. <br>How so his mouth be comely,<br>His word sit evermore awry<br>And seith the worste that he may.<br>And in this wise now a day<br>In loves Court a man mai hiere<br>Fulofte pleigne of this matiere,<br>That many envious tale is stered,<br>Wher that it mai noght ben ansuered;<br>Bot yit fulofte it is believed,<br>And many a worthi love is grieved <br>Thurgh bacbitinge of fals Envie.<br>If thou have mad such janglerie<br>In loves Court, mi Sone, er this,<br>Schrif thee therof. Mi fader, yis:<br>Bot wite ye how? noght openly,<br>Bot otherwhile prively,<br>Whan I my diere ladi mete,<br>And thenke how that I am noght mete<br>Unto hire hihe worthinesse,<br>And ek I se the besinesse <br>Of al this yonge lusty route,<br>Whiche alday pressen hire aboute,<br>And ech of hem his time awaiteth,<br>And ech of hem his tale affaiteth,<br>Al to deceive an innocent,<br>Which woll noght ben of here assent;<br>And for men sein unknowe unkest,<br>Hire thombe sche holt in hire fest<br>So clos withinne hire oghne hond,<br>That there winneth noman lond; <br>Sche lieveth noght al that sche hiereth,<br>And thus fulofte hirself sche skiereth<br>And is al war of 'hadde I wist':-<br>Bot for al that myn herte arist,<br>Whanne I thes comun lovers se,<br>That woll noght holden hem to thre,<br>Bot welnyh loven overal,<br>Min herte is Envious withal,<br>And evere I am adrad of guile,<br>In aunter if with eny wyle <br>Thei mihte hire innocence enchaunte.<br>Forthi my wordes ofte I haunte<br>Behynden hem, so as I dar,<br>Wherof my ladi may be war:<br>I sai what evere comth to mowthe,<br>And worse I wolde, if that I cowthe;<br>For whanne I come unto hir speche,<br>Al that I may enquere and seche<br>Of such deceipte, I telle it al,<br>And ay the werste in special. <br>So fayn I wolde that sche wiste<br>How litel thei ben forto triste,<br>And what thei wolde and what thei mente,<br>So as thei be of double entente:<br>Thus toward hem that wicke mene<br>My wicked word was evere grene.<br>And natheles, the soth to telle,<br>In certain if it so befelle<br>That althertrewest man ybore,<br>To chese among a thousend score, <br>Which were alfulli forto triste,<br>Mi ladi lovede, and I it wiste,<br>Yit rathere thanne he scholde spede,<br>I wolde swiche tales sprede<br>To my ladi, if that I myhte,<br>That I scholde al his love unrihte,<br>And therto wolde I do mi peine.<br>For certes thogh I scholde feigne,<br>And telle that was nevere thoght,<br>For al this world I myhte noght <br>To soffre an othre fully winne,<br>Ther as I am yit to beginne.<br>For be thei goode, or be thei badde,<br>I wolde non my ladi hadde;<br>And that me makth fulofte aspie<br>And usen wordes of Envie,<br>Al forto make hem bere a blame.<br>And that is bot of thilke same,<br>The whiche unto my ladi drawe,<br>For evere on hem I rounge and gknawe <br>And hindre hem al that evere I mai;<br>And that is, sothly forto say,<br>Bot only to my lady selve:<br>I telle it noght to ten ne tuelve,<br>Therof I wol me wel avise,<br>To speke or jangle in eny wise<br>That toucheth to my ladi name,<br>The which in ernest and in game<br>I wolde save into my deth;<br>For me were levere lacke breth <br>Than speken of hire name amis.<br>Now have ye herd touchende of this,<br>Mi fader, in confessioun:<br>And therfor of Detraccioun<br>In love, of that I have mispoke,<br>Tel how ye wole it schal be wroke.<br>I am al redy forto bere<br>Mi peine, and also to forbere<br>What thing that ye wol noght allowe;<br>For who is bounden, he mot bowe. <br>So wol I bowe unto youre heste,<br>For I dar make this beheste,<br>That I to yow have nothing hid,<br>Bot told riht as it is betid;<br>And otherwise of no mispeche,<br>Mi conscience forto seche,<br>I can noght of Envie finde,<br>That I mispoke have oght behinde<br>Wherof love owhte be mispaid.<br>Now have ye herd and I have said; <br>What wol ye, fader, that I do?<br>Mi Sone, do nomore so,<br>Bot evere kep thi tunge stille,<br>Thou miht the more have of thi wille.<br>For as thou saist thiselven here,<br>Thi ladi is of such manere,<br>So wys, so war in alle thinge,<br>It nedeth of no bakbitinge<br>That thou thi ladi mis enforme:<br>For whan sche knoweth al the forme, <br>How that thiself art envious,<br>Thou schalt noght be so gracious<br>As thou peraunter scholdest elles.<br>Ther wol noman drinke of tho welles<br>Whiche as he wot is puyson inne;<br>And ofte swich as men beginne<br>Towardes othre, swich thei finde,<br>That set hem ofte fer behinde,<br>Whan that thei wene be before.<br>Mi goode Sone, and thou therfore <br>Bewar and lef thi wicke speche,<br>Wherof hath fallen ofte wreche<br>To many a man befor this time.<br>For who so wole his handes lime,<br>Thei mosten be the more unclene;<br>For many a mote schal be sene,<br>That wolde noght cleve elles there;<br>And that schold every wys man fere:<br>For who so wol an other blame,<br>He secheth ofte his oghne schame, <br>Which elles myhte be riht stille.<br>Forthi if that it be thi wille<br>To stonde upon amendement,<br>A tale of gret entendement<br>I thenke telle for thi sake,<br>Wherof thou miht ensample take.<br>A worthi kniht in Cristes lawe<br>Of grete Rome, as is the sawe,<br>The Sceptre hadde forto rihte;<br>Tiberie Constantin he hihte, <br>Whos wif was cleped Ytalie:<br>Bot thei togedre of progenie<br>No children hadde bot a Maide;<br>And sche the god so wel apaide,<br>That al the wide worldes fame<br>Spak worschipe of hire goode name.<br>Constance, as the Cronique seith,<br>Sche hihte, and was so ful of feith,<br>That the greteste of Barbarie,<br>Of hem whiche usen marchandie, <br>Sche hath converted, as thei come<br>To hire upon a time in Rome,<br>To schewen such thing as thei broghte;<br>Whiche worthili of hem sche boghte,<br>And over that in such a wise<br>Sche hath hem with hire wordes wise<br>Of Cristes feith so full enformed,<br>That thei therto ben all conformed,<br>So that baptesme thei receiven<br>And alle here false goddes weyven. <br>Whan thei ben of the feith certein,<br>Thei gon to Barbarie ayein,<br>And ther the Souldan for hem sente<br>And axeth hem to what entente<br>Thei have here ferste feith forsake.<br>And thei, whiche hadden undertake<br>The rihte feith to kepe and holde,<br>The matiere of here tale tolde<br>With al the hole circumstance.<br>And whan the Souldan of Constance <br>Upon the point that thei ansuerde<br>The beaute and the grace herde,<br>As he which thanne was to wedde,<br>In alle haste his cause spedde<br>To sende for the mariage.<br>And furthermor with good corage<br>He seith, be so he mai hire have,<br>That Crist, which cam this world to save,<br>He woll believe: and this recorded,<br>Thei ben on either side acorded, <br>And therupon to make an ende<br>The Souldan hise hostages sende<br>To Rome, of Princes Sones tuelve:<br>Wherof the fader in himselve<br>Was glad, and with the Pope avised<br>Tuo Cardinals he hath assissed<br>With othre lordes many mo,<br>That with his doghter scholden go,<br>To se the Souldan be converted.<br>Bot that which nevere was wel herted, <br>Envie, tho began travaile<br>In destourbance of this spousaile<br>So prively that non was war.<br>The Moder which this Souldan bar<br>Was thanne alyve, and thoghte this<br>Unto hirself: 'If it so is<br>Mi Sone him wedde in this manere,<br>Than have I lost my joies hiere,<br>For myn astat schal so be lassed.'<br>Thenkende thus sche hath compassed <br>Be sleihte how that sche may beguile<br>Hire Sone; and fell withinne a while,<br>Betwen hem two whan that thei were,<br>Sche feigneth wordes in his Ere,<br>And in this wise gan to seie:<br>'Mi Sone, I am be double weie<br>With al myn herte glad and blithe,<br>For that miself have ofte sithe<br>Desired thou wolt, as men seith,<br>Receive and take a newe feith, <br>Which schal be forthringe of thi lif:<br>And ek so worschipful a wif,<br>The doughter of an Emperour,<br>To wedde it schal be gret honour.<br>Forthi, mi Sone, I you beseche<br>That I such grace mihte areche,<br>Whan that my doughter come schal,<br>That I mai thanne in special,<br>So as me thenkth it is honeste,<br>Be thilke which the ferste feste <br>Schal make unto hire welcominge.'<br>The Souldan granteth hire axinge,<br>And sche therof was glad ynowh:<br>For under that anon sche drowh<br>With false wordes that sche spak<br>Covine of deth behinde his bak.<br>And therupon hire ordinance<br>She made so, that whan Constance<br>Was come forth with the Romeins,<br>Of clerkes and of Citezeins, <br>A riche feste sche hem made:<br>And most whan that thei weren glade,<br>With fals covine which sche hadde<br>Hire clos Envie tho sche spradde,<br>And alle tho that hadden be<br>Or in apert or in prive<br>Of conseil to the mariage,<br>Sche slowh hem in a sodein rage<br>Endlong the bord as thei be set,<br>So that it myhte noght be let; <br>Hire oghne Sone was noght quit,<br>Bot deide upon the same plit.<br>Bot what the hihe god wol spare<br>It mai for no peril misfare:<br>This worthi Maiden which was there<br>Stod thanne, as who seith, ded for feere,<br>To se the feste how that it stod,<br>Which al was torned into blod:<br>The Dissh forthwith the Coppe and al<br>Bebled thei weren overal; <br>Sche sih hem deie on every side;<br>No wonder thogh sche wepte and cride<br>Makende many a wofull mone.<br>Whan al was slain bot sche al one,<br>This olde fend, this Sarazine,<br>Let take anon this Constantine<br>With al the good sche thider broghte,<br>And hath ordeined, as sche thoghte,<br>A nakid Schip withoute stiere,<br>In which the good and hire in fiere, <br>Vitailed full for yeres fyve,<br>Wher that the wynd it wolde dryve,<br>Sche putte upon the wawes wilde.<br>Bot he which alle thing mai schilde,<br>Thre yer, til that sche cam to londe,<br>Hire Schip to stiere hath take in honde,<br>And in Northumberlond aryveth;<br>And happeth thanne that sche dryveth<br>Under a Castel with the flod,<br>Which upon Humber banke stod <br>And was the kynges oghne also,<br>The which Allee was cleped tho,<br>A Saxon and a worthi knyht,<br>Bot he believed noght ariht.<br>Of this Castell was Chastellein<br>Elda the kinges Chamberlein,<br>A knyhtly man after his lawe;<br>And whan he sih upon the wawe<br>The Schip drivende al one so,<br>He bad anon men scholden go <br>To se what it betokne mai.<br>This was upon a Somer dai,<br>The Schip was loked and sche founde;<br>Elda withinne a litel stounde<br>It wiste, and with his wif anon<br>Toward this yonge ladi gon,<br>Wher that thei founden gret richesse;<br>Bot sche hire wolde noght confesse,<br>Whan thei hire axen what sche was.<br>And natheles upon the cas <br>Out of the Schip with gret worschipe<br>Thei toke hire into felaschipe,<br>As thei that weren of hir glade:<br>Bot sche no maner joie made,<br>Bot sorweth sore of that sche fond<br>No cristendom in thilke lond;<br>Bot elles sche hath al hire wille,<br>And thus with hem sche duelleth stille.<br>Dame Hermyngheld, which was the wif<br>Of Elda, lich hire oghne lif <br>Constance loveth; and fell so,<br>Spekende alday betwen hem two,<br>Thurgh grace of goddes pourveance<br>This maiden tawhte the creance<br>Unto this wif so parfitly,<br>Upon a dai that faste by<br>In presence of hire housebonde,<br>Wher thei go walkende on the Stronde,<br>A blind man, which cam there lad,<br>Unto this wif criende he bad, <br>With bothe hise hondes up and preide<br>To hire, and in this wise he seide:<br>'O Hermyngeld, which Cristes feith,<br>Enformed as Constance seith,<br>Received hast, yif me my sihte.'<br>Upon his word hire herte afflihte<br>Thenkende what was best to done,<br>Bot natheles sche herde his bone<br>And seide, 'In trust of Cristes lawe,<br>Which don was on the crois and slawe, <br>Thou bysne man, behold and se.'<br>With that to god upon his kne<br>Thonkende he tok his sihte anon,<br>Wherof thei merveile everychon,<br>Bot Elda wondreth most of alle:<br>This open thing which is befalle<br>Concludeth him be such a weie,<br>That he the feith mot nede obeie.<br>Now lest what fell upon this thing.<br>This Elda forth unto the king <br>A morwe tok his weie and rod,<br>And Hermyngeld at home abod<br>Forth with Constance wel at ese.<br>Elda, which thoghte his king to plese,<br>As he that thanne unwedded was,<br>Of Constance al the pleine cas<br>Als goodliche as he cowthe tolde.<br>The king was glad and seide he wolde<br>Come thider upon such a wise<br>That he him mihte of hire avise, <br>The time apointed forth withal.<br>This Elda triste in special<br>Upon a knyht, whom fro childhode<br>He hadde updrawe into manhode:<br>To him he tolde al that he thoghte,<br>Wherof that after him forthoghte;<br>And natheles at thilke tide<br>Unto his wif he bad him ride<br>To make redi alle thing<br>Ayein the cominge of the king, <br>And seith that he himself tofore<br>Thenkth forto come, and bad therfore<br>That he him kepe, and told him whanne.<br>This knyht rod forth his weie thanne;<br>And soth was that of time passed<br>He hadde in al his wit compassed<br>How he Constance myhte winne;<br>Bot he sih tho no sped therinne,<br>Wherof his lust began tabate,<br>And that was love is thanne hate; <br>Of hire honour he hadde Envie,<br>So that upon his tricherie<br>A lesinge in his herte he caste.<br>Til he cam home he hieth faste,<br>And doth his ladi tunderstonde<br>The Message of hire housebonde:<br>And therupon the longe dai<br>Thei setten thinges in arrai,<br>That al was as it scholde be<br>Of every thing in his degree; <br>And whan it cam into the nyht,<br>This wif hire hath to bedde dyht,<br>Wher that this Maiden with hire lay.<br>This false knyht upon delay<br>Hath taried til thei were aslepe,<br>As he that wolde his time kepe<br>His dedly werkes to fulfille;<br>And to the bed he stalketh stille,<br>Wher that he wiste was the wif,<br>And in his hond a rasour knif <br>He bar, with which hire throte he cutte,<br>And prively the knif he putte<br>Under that other beddes side,<br>Wher that Constance lai beside.<br>Elda cam hom the same nyht,<br>And stille with a prive lyht,<br>As he that wolde noght awake<br>His wif, he hath his weie take<br>Into the chambre, and ther liggende<br>He fond his dede wif bledende, <br>Wher that Constance faste by<br>Was falle aslepe; and sodeinly<br>He cride alowd, and sche awok,<br>And forth withal sche caste a lok<br>And sih this ladi blede there,<br>Wherof swoundende ded for fere<br>Sche was, and stille as eny Ston<br>She lay, and Elda therupon<br>Into the Castell clepeth oute,<br>And up sterte every man aboute, <br>Into the chambre and forth thei wente.<br>Bot he, which alle untrouthe mente,<br>This false knyht, among hem alle<br>Upon this thing which is befalle<br>Seith that Constance hath don this dede;<br>And to the bed with that he yede<br>After the falshed of his speche,<br>And made him there forto seche,<br>And fond the knif, wher he it leide,<br>And thanne he cride and thanne he seide, <br>'Lo, seth the knif al blody hiere!<br>What nedeth more in this matiere<br>To axe?' And thus hire innocence<br>He sclaundreth there in audience<br>With false wordes whiche he feigneth.<br>Bot yit for al that evere he pleigneth,<br>Elda no full credence tok:<br>And happeth that ther lay a bok,<br>Upon the which, whan he it sih,<br>This knyht hath swore and seid on hih, <br>That alle men it mihte wite,<br>'Now be this bok, which hier is write,<br>Constance is gultif, wel I wot.'<br>With that the hond of hevene him smot<br>In tokne of that he was forswore,<br>That he hath bothe hise yhen lore,<br>Out of his hed the same stounde<br>Thei sterte, and so thei weren founde.<br>A vois was herd, whan that they felle,<br>Which seide, 'O dampned man to helle, <br>Lo, thus hath god the sclaundre wroke<br>That thou ayein Constance hast spoke:<br>Beknow the sothe er that thou dye.'<br>And he told out his felonie,<br>And starf forth with his tale anon.<br>Into the ground, wher alle gon,<br>This dede lady was begrave:<br>Elda, which thoghte his honour save,<br>Al that he mai restreigneth sorwe.<br>For the seconde day a morwe <br>The king cam, as thei were acorded;<br>And whan it was to him recorded<br>What god hath wroght upon this chaunce,<br>He tok it into remembrance<br>And thoghte more than he seide.<br>For al his hole herte he leide<br>Upon Constance, and seide he scholde<br>For love of hire, if that sche wolde,<br>Baptesme take and Cristes feith<br>Believe, and over that he seith <br>He wol hire wedde, and upon this<br>Asseured ech til other is.<br>And forto make schorte tales,<br>Ther cam a Bisschop out of Wales<br>Fro Bangor, and Lucie he hihte,<br>Which thurgh the grace of god almihte<br>The king with many an other mo<br>Hath cristned, and betwen hem tuo<br>He hath fulfild the mariage.<br>Bot for no lust ne for no rage <br>Sche tolde hem nevere what sche was;<br>And natheles upon the cas<br>The king was glad, how so it stod,<br>For wel he wiste and understod<br>Sche was a noble creature.<br>The hihe makere of nature<br>Hire hath visited in a throwe,<br>That it was openliche knowe<br>Sche was with childe be the king,<br>Wherof above al other thing <br>He thonketh god and was riht glad.<br>And fell that time he was bestad<br>Upon a werre and moste ride;<br>And whil he scholde there abide,<br>He lefte at hom to kepe his wif<br>Suche as he knew of holi lif,<br>Elda forth with the Bisschop eke;<br>And he with pouer goth to seke<br>Ayein the Scottes forto fonde<br>The werre which he tok on honde. <br>The time set of kinde is come,<br>This lady hath hire chambre nome,<br>And of a Sone bore full,<br>Wherof that sche was joiefull,<br>Sche was delivered sauf and sone.<br>The bisshop, as it was to done,<br>Yaf him baptesme and Moris calleth;<br>And therupon, as it befalleth,<br>With lettres writen of record<br>Thei sende unto here liege lord, <br>That kepers weren of the qweene:<br>And he that scholde go betwene,<br>The Messager, to Knaresburgh,<br>Which toun he scholde passe thurgh,<br>Ridende cam the ferste day.<br>The kinges Moder there lay,<br>Whos rihte name was Domilde,<br>Which after al the cause spilde:<br>For he, which thonk deserve wolde,<br>Unto this ladi goth and tolde <br>Of his Message al how it ferde.<br>And sche with feigned joie it herde<br>And yaf him yiftes largely,<br>Bot in the nyht al prively<br>Sche tok the lettres whiche he hadde,<br>Fro point to point and overradde,<br>As sche that was thurghout untrewe,<br>And let do wryten othre newe<br>In stede of hem, and thus thei spieke:<br>'Oure liege lord, we thee beseke <br>That thou with ous ne be noght wroth,<br>Though we such thing as is thee loth<br>Upon oure trowthe certefie.<br>Thi wif, which is of faierie,<br>Of such a child delivered is<br>Fro kinde which stant al amis:<br>Bot for it scholde noght be seie,<br>We have it kept out of the weie<br>For drede of pure worldes schame,<br>A povere child and in the name <br>Of thilke which is so misbore<br>We toke, and therto we be swore,<br>That non bot only thou and we<br>Schal knowen of this privete:<br>Moris it hatte, and thus men wene<br>That it was boren of the qweene<br>And of thin oghne bodi gete.<br>Bot this thing mai noght be foryete,<br>That thou ne sende ous word anon<br>What is thi wille therupon.' <br>This lettre, as thou hast herd devise,<br>Was contrefet in such a wise<br>That noman scholde it aperceive:<br>And sche, which thoghte to deceive,<br>It leith wher sche that other tok.<br>This Messager, whan he awok,<br>And wiste nothing how it was,<br>Aros and rod the grete pas<br>And tok this lettre to the king.<br>And whan he sih this wonder thing, <br>He makth the Messager no chiere,<br>Bot natheles in wys manere<br>He wrote ayein, and yaf hem charge<br>That thei ne soffre noght at large<br>His wif to go, bot kepe hire stille,<br>Til thei have herd mor of his wille.<br>This Messager was yifteles,<br>Bot with this lettre natheles,<br>Or be him lief or be him loth,<br>In alle haste ayein he goth <br>Be Knaresburgh, and as he wente,<br>Unto the Moder his entente<br>Of that he fond toward the king<br>He tolde; and sche upon this thing<br>Seith that he scholde abide al nyht<br>And made him feste and chiere ariht,<br>Feignende as thogh sche cowthe him thonk.<br>Bot he with strong wyn which he dronk<br>Forth with the travail of the day<br>Was drunke, aslepe and while he lay, <br>Sche hath hise lettres overseie<br>And formed in an other weie.<br>Ther was a newe lettre write,<br>Which seith: 'I do you forto wite,<br>That thurgh the conseil of you tuo<br>I stonde in point to ben undo,<br>As he which is a king deposed.<br>For every man it hath supposed,<br>How that my wif Constance is faie;<br>And if that I, thei sein, delaie <br>To put hire out of compaignie,<br>The worschipe of my Regalie<br>Is lore; and over this thei telle,<br>Hire child schal noght among hem duelle,<br>To cleymen eny heritage.<br>So can I se non avantage,<br>Bot al is lost, if sche abide:<br>Forthi to loke on every side<br>Toward the meschief as it is,<br>I charge you and bidde this, <br>That ye the same Schip vitaile,<br>In which that sche tok arivaile,<br>Therinne and putteth bothe tuo,<br>Hireself forthwith hire child also,<br>And so forth broght unto the depe<br>Betaketh hire the See to kepe.<br>Of foure daies time I sette,<br>That ye this thing no longer lette,<br>So that your lif be noght forsfet.'<br>And thus this lettre contrefet <br>The Messager, which was unwar,<br>Upon the kingeshalve bar,<br>And where he scholde it hath betake.<br>Bot whan that thei have hiede take,<br>And rad that writen is withinne,<br>So gret a sorwe thei beginne,<br>As thei here oghne Moder sihen<br>Brent in a fyr before here yhen:<br>Ther was wepinge and ther was wo,<br>Bot finaly the thing is do. <br>Upon the See thei have hire broght,<br>Bot sche the cause wiste noght,<br>And thus upon the flod thei wone,<br>This ladi with hire yonge Sone:<br>And thanne hire handes to the hevene<br>Sche strawhte, and with a milde stevene<br>Knelende upon hire bare kne<br>Sche seide, 'O hihe mageste,<br>Which sest the point of every trowthe,<br>Tak of thi wofull womman rowthe <br>And of this child that I schal kepe.'<br>And with that word sche gan to wepe,<br>Swounende as ded, and ther sche lay;<br>Bot he which alle thinges may<br>Conforteth hire, and ate laste<br>Sche loketh and hire yhen caste<br>Upon hire child and seide this:<br>'Of me no maner charge it is<br>What sorwe I soffre, bot of thee<br>Me thenkth it is a gret pite, <br>For if I sterve thou schalt deie:<br>So mot I nedes be that weie<br>For Moderhed and for tendresse<br>With al myn hole besinesse<br>Ordeigne me for thilke office,<br>As sche which schal be thi Norrice.'<br>Thus was sche strengthed forto stonde;<br>And tho sche tok hire child in honde<br>And yaf it sowke, and evere among<br>Sche wepte, and otherwhile song <br>To rocke with hire child aslepe:<br>And thus hire oghne child to kepe<br>Sche hath under the goddes cure.<br>And so fell upon aventure,<br>Whan thilke yer hath mad his ende,<br>Hire Schip, so as it moste wende<br>Thurgh strengthe of wynd which god hath yive,<br>Estward was into Spaigne drive<br>Riht faste under a Castell wall,<br>Wher that an hethen Amirall <br>Was lord, and he a Stieward hadde,<br>Oon Thelo
s, which al was badde,<br>A fals knyht and a renegat.<br>He goth to loke in what astat<br>The Schip was come, and there he fond<br>Forth with a child upon hire hond<br>This lady, wher sche was al one.<br>He tok good hiede of the persone,<br>And sih sche was a worthi wiht,<br>And thoghte he wolde upon the nyht <br>Demene hire at his oghne wille,<br>And let hire be therinne stille,<br>That mo men sih sche noght that dai.<br>At goddes wille and thus sche lai,<br>Unknowe what hire schal betide;<br>And fell so that be nyhtes tide<br>This knyht withoute felaschipe<br>Hath take a bot and cam to Schipe,<br>And thoghte of hire his lust to take,<br>And swor, if sche him daunger make, <br>That certeinly sche scholde deie.<br>Sche sih ther was non other weie,<br>And seide he scholde hire wel conforte,<br>That he ferst loke out ate porte,<br>That noman were nyh the stede,<br>Which myhte knowe what thei dede,<br>And thanne he mai do what he wolde.<br>He was riht glad that sche so tolde,<br>And to the porte anon he ferde:<br>Sche preide god, and he hire herde, <br>And sodeinliche he was out throwe<br>And dreynt, and tho began to blowe<br>A wynd menable fro the lond,<br>And thus the myhti goddes hond<br>Hire hath conveied and defended.<br>And whan thre yer be full despended,<br>Hire Schip was drive upon a dai,<br>Wher that a gret Navye lay<br>Of Schipes, al the world at ones:<br>And as god wolde for the nones, <br>Hire Schip goth in among hem alle,<br>And stinte noght, er it be falle<br>And hath the vessell undergete,<br>Which Maister was of al the Flete,<br>Bot there it resteth and abod.<br>This grete Schip on Anker rod;<br>The Lord cam forth, and whan he sih<br>That other ligge abord so nyh,<br>He wondreth what it myhte be,<br>And bad men to gon in and se. <br>This ladi tho was crope aside,<br>As sche that wolde hireselven hide,<br>For sche ne wiste what thei were:<br>Thei soghte aboute and founde hir there<br>And broghten up hire child and hire;<br>And therupon this lord to spire<br>Began, fro whenne that sche cam,<br>And what sche was. Quod sche, 'I am<br>A womman wofully bestad.<br>I hadde a lord, and thus he bad, <br>That I forth with my litel Sone<br>Upon the wawes scholden wone,<br>Bot why the cause was, I not:<br>Bot he which alle thinges wot<br>Yit hath, I thonke him, of his miht<br>Mi child and me so kept upriht,<br>That we be save bothe tuo.'<br>This lord hire axeth overmo<br>How sche believeth, and sche seith,<br>'I lieve and triste in Cristes feith, <br>Which deide upon the Rode tree.'<br>'What is thi name?' tho quod he.<br>'Mi name is Couste,' sche him seide:<br>Bot forthermor for noght he preide<br>Of hire astat to knowe plein,<br>Sche wolde him nothing elles sein<br>Bot of hir name, which sche feigneth;<br>Alle othre thinges sche restreigneth,<br>That a word more sche ne tolde.<br>This lord thanne axeth if sche wolde <br>With him abide in compaignie,<br>And seide he cam fro Barbarie<br>To Romeward, and hom he wente.<br>Tho sche supposeth what it mente,<br>And seith sche wolde with him wende<br>And duelle unto hire lyves ende,<br>Be so it be to his plesance.<br>And thus upon here aqueintance<br>He tolde hire pleinly as it stod,<br>Of Rome how that the gentil blod <br>In Barbarie was betraied,<br>And therupon he hath assaied<br>Be werre, and taken such vengance,<br>That non of al thilke alliance,<br>Be whom the tresoun was compassed,<br>Is from the swerd alyve passed;<br>Bot of Constance hou it was,<br>That cowthe he knowe be no cas,<br>Wher sche becam, so as he seide.<br>Hire Ere unto his word sche leide, <br>Bot forther made sche no chiere.<br>And natheles in this matiere<br>It happeth thilke time so:<br>This Lord, with whom sche scholde go,<br>Of Rome was the Senatour,<br>And of hir fader themperour<br>His brother doughter hath to wyve,<br>Which hath hir fader ek alyve,<br>And was Salustes cleped tho;<br>This wif Heleine hihte also, <br>To whom Constance was Cousine.<br>Thus to the sike a medicine<br>Hath god ordeined of his grace,<br>That forthwith in the same place<br>This Senatour his trowthe plihte,<br>For evere, whil he live mihte,<br>To kepe in worschipe and in welthe,<br>Be so that god wol yive hire helthe,<br>This ladi, which fortune him sende.<br>And thus be Schipe forth sailende <br>Hire and hir child to Rome he broghte,<br>And to his wif tho he besoghte<br>To take hire into compaignie:<br>And sche, which cowthe of courtesie<br>Al that a good wif scholde konne,<br>Was inly glad that sche hath wonne<br>The felaschip of so good on.<br>Til tuelve yeres were agon,<br>This Emperoures dowhter Custe<br>Forth with the dowhter of Saluste <br>Was kept, bot noman redily<br>Knew what sche was, and noght forthi<br>Thei thoghten wel sche hadde be<br>In hire astat of hih degre,<br>And every lif hire loveth wel.<br>Now herke how thilke unstable whel,<br>Which evere torneth, wente aboute.<br>The king Allee, whil he was oute,<br>As thou tofore hast herd this cas,<br>Deceived thurgh his Moder was: <br>Bot whan that he cam hom ayein,<br>He axeth of his Chamberlein<br>And of the Bisschop ek also,<br>Wher thei the qweene hadden do.<br>And thei answerde, there he bad,<br>And have him thilke lettre rad,<br>Which he hem sende for warant,<br>And tolde him pleinli as it stant,<br>And sein, it thoghte hem gret pite<br>To se so worthi on as sche, <br>With such a child as ther was bore,<br>So sodeinly to be forlore.<br>He axeth hem what child that were;<br>And thei him seiden, that naghere,<br>In al the world thogh men it soghte,<br>Was nevere womman that forth broghte<br>A fairer child than it was on.<br>And thanne he axede hem anon,<br>Whi thei ne hadden write so:<br>Thei tolden, so thei hadden do. <br>He seide, 'Nay.' Thei seiden, 'Yis.'<br>The lettre schewed rad it is,<br>Which thei forsoken everidel.<br>Tho was it understonde wel<br>That ther is tresoun in the thing:<br>The Messager tofore the king<br>Was broght and sodeinliche opposed;<br>And he, which nothing hath supposed<br>Bot alle wel, began to seie<br>That he nagher upon the weie <br>Abod, bot only in a stede;<br>And cause why that he so dede<br>Was, as he wente to and fro,<br>At Knaresburgh be nyhtes tuo<br>The kinges Moder made him duelle.<br>And whan the king it herde telle,<br>Withinne his herte he wiste als faste<br>The treson which his Moder caste;<br>And thoghte he wolde noght abide,<br>Bot forth riht in the same tide <br>He tok his hors and rod anon.<br>With him ther riden manion,<br>To Knaresburgh and forth thei wente,<br>And lich the fyr which tunder hente,<br>In such a rage, as seith the bok,<br>His Moder sodeinliche he tok<br>And seide unto hir in this wise:<br>'O beste of helle, in what juise<br>Hast thou deserved forto deie,<br>That hast so falsly put aweie <br>With tresoun of thi bacbitinge<br>The treweste at my knowlechinge<br>Of wyves and the most honeste?<br>Bot I wol make this beheste,<br>I schal be venged er I go.'<br>And let a fyr do make tho,<br>And bad men forto caste hire inne:<br>Bot ferst sche tolde out al the sinne,<br>And dede hem alle forto wite<br>How sche the lettres hadde write, <br>Fro point to point as it was wroght.<br>And tho sche was to dethe broght<br>And brent tofore hire Sones yhe:<br>Wherof these othre, whiche it sihe<br>And herden how the cause stod,<br>Sein that the juggement is good,<br>Of that hir Sone hire hath so served;<br>For sche it hadde wel deserved<br>Thurgh tresoun of hire false tunge,<br>Which thurgh the lond was after sunge, <br>Constance and every wiht compleigneth.<br>Bot he, whom alle wo distreigneth,<br>This sorghfull king, was so bestad,<br>That he schal nevermor be glad,<br>He seith, eftsone forto wedde,<br>Til that he wiste how that sche spedde,<br>Which hadde ben his ferste wif:<br>And thus his yonge unlusti lif<br>He dryveth forth so as he mai.<br>Til it befell upon a dai, <br>Whan he hise werres hadde achieved,<br>And thoghte he wolde be relieved<br>Of Soule hele upon the feith<br>Which he hath take, thanne he seith<br>That he to Rome in pelrinage<br>Wol go, wher Pope was Pelage,<br>To take his absolucioun.<br>And upon this condicioun<br>He made Edwyn his lieutenant,<br>Which heir to him was apparant, <br>That he the lond in his absence<br>Schal reule: and thus be providence<br>Of alle thinges wel begon<br>He tok his leve and forth is gon.<br>Elda, which tho was with him there,<br>Er thei fulliche at Rome were,<br>Was sent tofore to pourveie;<br>And he his guide upon the weie,<br>In help to ben his herbergour,<br>Hath axed who was Senatour, <br>That he his name myhte kenne.<br>Of Capadoce, he seide, Arcenne<br>He hihte, and was a worthi kniht.<br>To him goth Elda tho forth riht<br>And tolde him of his lord tidinge,<br>And preide that for his comynge<br>He wolde assigne him herbergage;<br>And he so dede of good corage.<br>Whan al is do that was to done,<br>The king himself cam after sone. <br>This Senatour, whan that he com,<br>To Couste and to his wif at hom<br>Hath told how such a king Allee<br>Of gret array to the Citee<br>Was come, and Couste upon his tale<br>With herte clos and colour pale<br>Aswoune fell, and he merveileth<br>So sodeinly what thing hire eyleth,<br>And cawhte hire up, and whan sche wok,<br>Sche syketh with a pitous lok <br>And feigneth seknesse of the See;<br>Bot it was for the king Allee,<br>For joie which fell in hire thoght<br>That god him hath to toune broght.<br>This king hath spoke with the Pope<br>And told al that he cowthe agrope,<br>What grieveth in his conscience;<br>And thanne he thoghte in reverence<br>Of his astat, er that he wente,<br>To make a feste, and thus he sente <br>Unto the Senatour to come<br>Upon the morwe and othre some,<br>To sitte with him at the mete.<br>This tale hath Couste noght foryete,<br>Bot to Moris hire Sone tolde<br>That he upon the morwe scholde<br>In al that evere he cowthe and mihte<br>Be present in the kinges sihte,<br>So that the king him ofte sihe.<br>Moris tofore the kinges yhe <br>Upon the morwe, wher he sat,<br>Fulofte stod, and upon that<br>The king his chiere upon him caste,<br>And in his face him thoghte als faste<br>He sih his oghne wif Constance;<br>For nature as in resemblance<br>Of face hem liketh so to clothe,<br>That thei were of a suite bothe.<br>The king was moeved in his thoght<br>Of that he seth, and knoweth it noght; <br>This child he loveth kindely,<br>And yit he wot no cause why.<br>Bot wel he sih and understod<br>That he toward Arcenne stod,<br>And axeth him anon riht there,<br>If that this child his Sone were.<br>He seide, 'Yee, so I him calle,<br>And wolde it were so befalle,<br>Bot it is al in other wise.'<br>And tho began he to devise <br>How he the childes Moder fond<br>Upon the See from every lond<br>Withinne a Schip was stiereles,<br>And how this ladi helpeles<br>Forth with hir child he hath forthdrawe.<br>The king hath understonde his sawe,<br>The childes name and axeth tho,<br>And what the Moder hihte also<br>That he him wolde telle he preide.<br>'Moris this child is hote,' he seide, <br>'His Moder hatte Couste, and this<br>I not what maner name it is.'<br>But Allee wiste wel ynowh,<br>Wherof somdiel smylende he lowh;<br>For Couste in Saxoun is to sein<br>Constance upon the word Romein.<br>Bot who that cowthe specefie<br>What tho fell in his fantasie,<br>And how his wit aboute renneth<br>Upon the love in which he brenneth, <br>It were a wonder forto hiere:<br>For he was nouther ther ne hiere,<br>Bot clene out of himself aweie,<br>That he not what to thenke or seie,<br>So fain he wolde it were sche.<br>Wherof his hertes privete<br>Began the werre of yee and nay,<br>The which in such balance lay,<br>That contenance for a throwe<br>He loste, til he mihte knowe <br>The sothe: bot in his memoire<br>The man which lith in purgatoire<br>Desireth noght the hevene more,<br>That he ne longeth al so sore<br>To wite what him schal betide.<br>And whan the bordes were aside<br>And every man was rise aboute,<br>The king hath weyved al the route,<br>And with the Senatour al one<br>He spak and preide him of a bone, <br>To se this Couste, wher sche duelleth<br>At hom with him, so as he telleth.<br>The Senatour was wel appaied,<br>This thing no lengere is delaied,<br>To se this Couste goth the king;<br>And sche was warned of the thing,<br>And with Heleine forth sche cam<br>Ayein the king, and he tho nam<br>Good hiede, and whan he sih his wif,<br>Anon with al his hertes lif <br>He cawhte hire in his arm and kiste.<br>Was nevere wiht that sih ne wiste<br>A man that more joie made,<br>Wherof thei weren alle glade<br>Whiche herde tellen of this chance.<br>This king tho with his wif Constance,<br>Which hadde a gret part of his wille,<br>In Rome for a time stille<br>Abod and made him wel at ese:<br>Bot so yit cowthe he nevere plese <br>His wif, that sche him wolde sein<br>Of hire astat the trowthe plein,<br>Of what contre that sche was bore,<br>Ne what sche was, and yit therfore<br>With al his wit he hath don sieke.<br>Thus as they lihe abedde and spieke,<br>Sche preide him and conseileth bothe,<br>That for the worschipe of hem bothe,<br>So as hire thoghte it were honeste,<br>He wolde an honourable feste <br>Make, er he wente, in the Cite,<br>Wher themperour himself schal be:<br>He graunteth al that sche him preide.<br>Bot as men in that time seide,<br>This Emperour fro thilke day<br>That ferst his dowhter wente away<br>He was thanne after nevere glad;<br>Bot what that eny man him bad<br>Of grace for his dowhter sake,<br>That grace wolde he noght forsake; <br>And thus ful gret almesse he dede,<br>Wherof sche hadde many a bede.<br>This Emperour out of the toun<br>Withinne a ten mile enviroun,<br>Where as it thoghte him for the beste,<br>Hath sondry places forto reste;<br>And as fortune wolde tho,<br>He was duellende at on of tho.<br>The king Allee forth with thassent<br>Of Couste his wif hath thider sent <br>Moris his Sone, as he was taght,<br>To themperour and he goth straght,<br>And in his fader half besoghte,<br>As he which his lordschipe soghte,<br>That of his hihe worthinesse<br>He wolde do so gret meknesse,<br>His oghne toun to come and se,<br>And yive a time in the cite,<br>So that his fader mihte him gete<br>That he wolde ones with him ete. <br>This lord hath granted his requeste;<br>And whan the dai was of the feste,<br>In worschipe of here Emperour<br>The king and ek the Senatour<br>Forth with here wyves bothe tuo,<br>With many a lord and lady mo,<br>On horse riden him ayein;<br>Til it befell, upon a plein<br>Thei sihen wher he was comende.<br>With that Constance anon preiende <br>Spak to hir lord that he abyde,<br>So that sche mai tofore ryde,<br>To ben upon his bienvenue<br>The ferste which schal him salue;<br>And thus after hire lordes graunt<br>Upon a Mule whyt amblaunt<br>Forth with a fewe rod this qweene.<br>Thei wondren what sche wolde mene,<br>And riden after softe pas;<br>Bot whan this ladi come was <br>To themperour, in his presence<br>Sche seide alowd in audience,<br>'Mi lord, mi fader, wel you be!<br>And of this time that I se<br>Youre honour and your goode hele,<br>Which is the helpe of my querele,<br>I thonke unto the goddes myht.'<br>For joie his herte was affliht<br>Of that sche tolde in remembrance;<br>And whanne he wiste it was Constance, <br>Was nevere fader half so blithe.<br>Wepende he keste hire ofte sithe,<br>So was his herte al overcome;<br>For thogh his Moder were come<br>Fro deth to lyve out of the grave,<br>He mihte nomor wonder have<br>Than he hath whan that he hire sih.<br>With that hire oghne lord cam nyh<br>And is to themperour obeied;<br>Bot whan the fortune is bewreied, <br>How that Constance is come aboute,<br>So hard an herte was non oute,<br>That he for pite tho ne wepte.<br>Arcennus, which hire fond and kepte,<br>Was thanne glad of that is falle,<br>So that with joie among hem alle<br>Thei riden in at Rome gate.<br>This Emperour thoghte al to late,<br>Til that the Pope were come,<br>And of the lordes sende some <br>To preie him that he wolde haste:<br>And he cam forth in alle haste,<br>And whan that he the tale herde,<br>How wonderly this chance ferde,<br>He thonketh god of his miracle,<br>To whos miht mai be non obstacle:<br>The king a noble feste hem made,<br>And thus thei weren alle glade.<br>A parlement, er that thei wente,<br>Thei setten unto this entente, <br>To puten Rome in full espeir<br>That Moris was apparant heir<br>And scholde abide with hem stille,<br>For such was al the londes wille.<br>Whan every thing was fulli spoke,<br>Of sorwe and queint was al the smoke,<br>Tho tok his leve Allee the king,<br>And with full many a riche thing,<br>Which themperour him hadde yive,<br>He goth a glad lif forto live; <br>For he Constance hath in his hond,<br>Which was the confort of his lond.<br>For whan that he cam hom ayein,<br>Ther is no tunge it mihte sein<br>What joie was that ilke stounde<br>Of that he hath his qweene founde,<br>Which ferst was sent of goddes sonde,<br>Whan sche was drive upon the Stronde,<br>Be whom the misbelieve of Sinne<br>Was left, and Cristes feith cam inne <br>To hem that whilom were blinde.<br>Bot he which hindreth every kinde<br>And for no gold mai be forboght,<br>The deth comende er he be soght,<br>Tok with this king such aqueintance,<br>That he with al his retenance<br>Ne mihte noght defende his lif;<br>And thus he parteth from his wif,<br>Which thanne made sorwe ynowh.<br>And therupon hire herte drowh <br>To leven Engelond for evere<br>And go wher that sche hadde levere,<br>To Rome, whenne that sche cam:<br>And thus of al the lond sche nam<br>Hir leve, and goth to Rome ayein.<br>And after that the bokes sein,<br>She was noght there bot a throwe,<br>Whan deth of kinde hath overthrowe<br>Hir worthi fader, which men seide<br>That he betwen hire armes deide. <br>And afterward the yer suiende<br>The god hath mad of hire an ende,<br>And fro this worldes faierie<br>Hath take hire into compaignie.<br>Moris hir Sone was corouned,<br>Which so ferforth was abandouned<br>To Cristes feith, that men him calle<br>Moris the cristeneste of alle.<br>And thus the wel meninge of love<br>Was ate laste set above; <br>And so as thou hast herd tofore,<br>The false tunges weren lore,<br>Whiche upon love wolden lie.<br>Forthi touchende of this Envie<br>Which longeth unto bacbitinge,<br>Be war thou make no lesinge<br>In hindringe of an other wiht:<br>And if thou wolt be tawht ariht<br>What meschief bakbitinge doth<br>Be other weie, a tale soth <br>Now miht thou hiere next suiende,<br>Which to this vice is acordende.<br>In a Cronique, as thou schalt wite,<br>A gret ensample I finde write,<br>Which I schal telle upon this thing.<br>Philippe of Macedoyne kyng<br>Two Sones hadde be his wif,<br>Whos fame is yit in Grece rif:<br>Demetrius the ferste brother<br>Was hote, and Perse
s that other. <br>Demetrius men seiden tho<br>The betre knyht was of the tuo,<br>To whom the lond was entendant,<br>As he which heir was apparant<br>To regne after his fader dai:<br>Bot that thing which no water mai<br>Quenche in this world, bot evere brenneth,<br>Into his brother herte it renneth,<br>The proude Envie of that he sih<br>His brother scholde clymbe on hih, <br>And he to him mot thanne obeie:<br>That may he soffre be no weie.<br>With strengthe dorst he nothing fonde,<br>So tok he lesinge upon honde,<br>Whan he sih time and spak therto.<br>For it befell that time so,<br>His fader grete werres hadde<br>With Rome, whiche he streite ladde<br>Thurgh mihty hond of his manhode,<br>As he which hath ynowh knihthode, <br>And ofte hem hadde sore grieved.<br>Bot er the werre were achieved,<br>As he was upon ordinance<br>At hom in Grece, it fell per chance,<br>Demetrius, which ofte aboute<br>Ridende was, stod that time oute,<br>So that this Perse in his absence,<br>Which bar the tunge of pestilence,<br>With false wordes whiche he feigneth<br>Upon his oghne brother pleigneth <br>In privete behinde his bak,<br>And to his fader thus he spak:<br>'Mi diere fader, I am holde<br>Be weie of kinde, as resoun wolde,<br>That I fro yow schal nothing hide,<br>Which mihte torne in eny side<br>Of youre astat into grevance:<br>Forthi myn hertes obeissance<br>Towardes you I thenke kepe;<br>For it is good ye take kepe <br>Upon a thing which is me told.<br>Mi brother hath ous alle sold<br>To hem of Rome, and you also;<br>For thanne they behote him so,<br>That he with hem schal regne in pes.<br>Thus hath he cast for his encress<br>That youre astat schal go to noght;<br>And this to proeve schal be broght<br>So ferforth, that I undertake<br>It schal noght wel mow be forsake.' <br>The king upon this tale ansuerde<br>And seide, if this thing which he herde<br>Be soth and mai be broght to prove,<br>'It schal noght be to his behove,<br>Which so hath schapen ous the werste,<br>For he himself schal be the ferste<br>That schal be ded, if that I mai.'<br>Thus afterward upon a dai,<br>Whan that Demetrius was come,<br>Anon his fader hath him nome, <br>And bad unto his brother Perse<br>That he his tale schal reherse<br>Of thilke tresoun which he tolde.<br>And he, which al untrowthe wolde,<br>Conseileth that so hih a nede<br>Be treted wher as it mai spede,<br>In comun place of juggement.<br>The king therto yaf his assent,<br>Demetrius was put in hold,<br>Wherof that Perse
s was bold. <br>Thus stod the trowthe under the charge,<br>And the falshede goth at large,<br>Which thurgh beheste hath overcome<br>The greteste of the lordes some,<br>That privelich of his acord<br>Thei stonde as witnesse of record:<br>The jugge was mad favorable:<br>Thus was the lawe deceivable<br>So ferforth that the trowthe fond<br>Rescousse non, and thus the lond <br>Forth with the king deceived were.<br>The gulteles was dampned there<br>And deide upon accusement:<br>Bot such a fals conspirement,<br>Thogh it be prive for a throwe,<br>Godd wolde noght it were unknowe;<br>And that was afterward wel proved<br>In him which hath the deth controved.<br>Of that his brother was so slain<br>This Perse
s was wonder fain, <br>As he that tho was apparant,<br>Upon the Regne and expectant;<br>Wherof he wax so proud and vein,<br>That he his fader in desdeign<br>Hath take and set of non acompte,<br>As he which thoghte him to surmonte;<br>That wher he was ferst debonaire,<br>He was tho rebell and contraire,<br>And noght as heir bot as a king<br>He tok upon him alle thing <br>Of malice and of tirannie<br>In contempt of the Regalie,<br>Livende his fader, and so wroghte,<br>That whan the fader him bethoghte<br>And sih to whether side it drowh,<br>Anon he wiste well ynowh<br>How Perse after his false tunge<br>Hath so thenvious belle runge,<br>That he hath slain his oghne brother.<br>Wherof as thanne he knew non other, <br>Bot sodeinly the jugge he nom,<br>Which corrupt sat upon the dom,<br>In such a wise and hath him pressed,<br>That he the sothe him hath confessed<br>Of al that hath be spoke and do.<br>Mor sori than the king was tho<br>Was nevere man upon this Molde,<br>And thoghte in certain that he wolde<br>Vengance take upon this wrong.<br>Bot thother parti was so strong,</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=John+Gower">John Gower</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=420401" data-title="Confessio Amantis. Explicit Liber Primus de John Gower" data-description="Incipit Liber Secundus Inuidie culpa magis est attrita dolore, Nam sua mens nullo tempore leta manet: Quo gaudent alii, dolet ille, nec vnus amicus Est, cui de puro comoda velle facit. Proximitatis honor sua corda veretur, et omnis Est sibi letic..."></div> </div> </div>

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