Confessio Amantis; Or, Tales of the Seven Deadly Sins. John Gower

Hast used this condicioun,

       Mi Sone, in thi Confessioun

       Now tell me pleinly what thou art.

       Mi fader, I beknowe a part,

       So as ye tolden hier above

       Of Murmur and Compleignte of love,

       That for I se no sped comende,

       Ayein fortune compleignende 1380

       I am, as who seith, everemo:

       And ek fulofte tyme also,

       Whan so is that I se and hiere

       Or hevy word or hevy chiere

       Of my lady, I grucche anon;

       Bot wordes dar I speke non,

       Wherof sche myhte be desplesed,

       Bot in myn herte I am desesed:

       With many a Murmur, god it wot,

       Thus drinke I in myn oghne swot, 1390

       And thogh I make no semblant,

       Min herte is al desobeissant;

       And in this wise I me confesse

       Of that ye clepe unbuxomnesse.

       Now telleth what youre conseil is.

       Mi Sone, and I thee rede this,

       What so befalle of other weie,

       That thou to loves heste obeie

       Als ferr as thou it myht suffise:

       For ofte sithe in such a wise 1400

       Obedience in love availeth,

       Wher al a mannes strengthe faileth;

       Wherof, if that the list to wite

       In a Cronique as it is write,

       A gret ensample thou myht fynde,

       Which now is come to my mynde.

       Ther was whilom be daies olde

       A worthi knyht, and as men tolde

       He was Nevoeu to themperour

       And of his Court a Courteour: 1410

       Wifles he was, Florent he hihte,

       He was a man that mochel myhte,

       Of armes he was desirous,

       Chivalerous and amorous,

       And for the fame of worldes speche,

       Strange aventures forto seche,

       He rod the Marches al aboute.

       And fell a time, as he was oute,

       Fortune, which may every thred

       Tobreke and knette of mannes sped, 1420

       Schop, as this knyht rod in a pas,

       That he be strengthe take was,

       And to a Castell thei him ladde,

       Wher that he fewe frendes hadde:

       For so it fell that ilke stounde

       That he hath with a dedly wounde

       Feihtende his oghne hondes slain

       Branchus, which to the Capitain

       Was Sone and Heir, wherof ben wrothe

       The fader and the moder bothe. 1430

       That knyht Branchus was of his hond

       The worthieste of al his lond,

       And fain thei wolden do vengance

       Upon Florent, bot remembrance

       That thei toke of his worthinesse

       Of knyhthod and of gentilesse,

       And how he stod of cousinage

       To themperour, made hem assuage,

       And dorsten noght slen him for fere:

       In gret desputeisoun thei were 1440

       Among hemself, what was the beste.

       Ther was a lady, the slyheste

       Of alle that men knewe tho,

       So old sche myhte unethes go,

       And was grantdame unto the dede:

       And sche with that began to rede,

       And seide how sche wol bringe him inne,

       That sche schal him to dethe winne

       Al only of his oghne grant,

       Thurgh strengthe of verray covenant 1450

       Withoute blame of eny wiht.

       Anon sche sende for this kniht,

       And of hire Sone sche alleide

       The deth, and thus to him sche seide:

       "Florent, how so thou be to wyte

       Of Branchus deth, men schal respite

       As now to take vengement,

       Be so thou stonde in juggement

       Upon certein condicioun,

       That thou unto a questioun 1460

       Which I schal axe schalt ansuere;

       And over this thou schalt ek swere,

       That if thou of the sothe faile,

       Ther schal non other thing availe,

       That thou ne schalt thi deth receive.

       And for men schal thee noght deceive,

       That thou therof myht ben avised,

       Thou schalt have day and tyme assised

       And leve saufly forto wende,

       Be so that at thi daies ende 1470

       Thou come ayein with thin avys.

       This knyht, which worthi was and wys,

       This lady preith that he may wite,

       And have it under Seales write,

       What questioun it scholde be

       For which he schal in that degree

       Stonde of his lif in jeupartie.

       With that sche feigneth compaignie,

       And seith: "Florent, on love it hongeth

       Al that to myn axinge longeth: 1480

       What alle wommen most desire

       This wole I axe, and in thempire

       Wher as thou hast most knowlechinge

       Tak conseil upon this axinge."

       Florent this thing hath undertake,

       The day was set, the time take,

       Under his seal he wrot his oth,

       In such a wise and forth he goth

       Hom to his Emes court ayein;

       To whom his aventure plein 1490

       He tolde, of that him is befalle.

       And upon that thei weren alle

       The wiseste of the lond asent,

       Bot natheles of on assent

       Thei myhte noght acorde plat,

       On seide this, an othre that.

       After the disposicioun

       Of naturel complexioun

       To som womman it is plesance,

       That to an other is grevance; 1500

       Bot such a thing in special,

       Which to hem alle in general

       Is most plesant, and most desired

       Above alle othre and most conspired,

       Such o thing conne thei noght finde