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

680

       A riche feste sche hem made:

       And most whan that thei weren glade,

       With fals covine which sche hadde

       Hire clos Envie tho sche spradde,

       And alle tho that hadden be

       Or in apert or in prive

       Of conseil to the mariage,

       Sche slowh hem in a sodein rage

       Endlong the bord as thei be set,

       So that it myhte noght be let; 690

       Hire oghne Sone was noght quit,

       Bot deide upon the same plit.

       Bot what the hihe god wol spare

       It mai for no peril misfare:

       This worthi Maiden which was there

       Stod thanne, as who seith, ded for feere,

       To se the feste how that it stod,

       Which al was torned into blod:

       The Dissh forthwith the Coppe and al

       Bebled thei weren overal; 700

       Sche sih hem deie on every side;

       No wonder thogh sche wepte and cride

       Makende many a wofull mone.

       Whan al was slain bot sche al one,

       This olde fend, this Sarazine,

       Let take anon this Constantine

       With al the good sche thider broghte,

       And hath ordeined, as sche thoghte,

       A nakid Schip withoute stiere,

       In which the good and hire in fiere, 710

       Vitailed full for yeres fyve,

       Wher that the wynd it wolde dryve,

       Sche putte upon the wawes wilde.

       Bot he which alle thing mai schilde,

       Thre yer, til that sche cam to londe,

       Hire Schip to stiere hath take in honde,

       And in Northumberlond aryveth;

       And happeth thanne that sche dryveth

       Under a Castel with the flod,

       Which upon Humber banke stod 720

       And was the kynges oghne also,

       The which Allee was cleped tho,

       A Saxon and a worthi knyht,

       Bot he believed noght ariht.

       Of this Castell was Chastellein

       Elda the kinges Chamberlein,

       A knyhtly man after his lawe;

       And whan he sih upon the wawe

       The Schip drivende al one so,

       He bad anon men scholden go 730

       To se what it betokne mai.

       This was upon a Somer dai,

       The Schip was loked and sche founde;

       Elda withinne a litel stounde

       It wiste, and with his wif anon

       Toward this yonge ladi gon,

       Wher that thei founden gret richesse;

       Bot sche hire wolde noght confesse,

       Whan thei hire axen what sche was.

       And natheles upon the cas 740

       Out of the Schip with gret worschipe

       Thei toke hire into felaschipe,

       As thei that weren of hir glade:

       Bot sche no maner joie made,

       Bot sorweth sore of that sche fond

       No cristendom in thilke lond;

       Bot elles sche hath al hire wille,

       And thus with hem sche duelleth stille.

       Dame Hermyngheld, which was the wif

       Of Elda, lich hire oghne lif 750

       Constance loveth; and fell so,

       Spekende alday betwen hem two,

       Thurgh grace of goddes pourveance

       This maiden tawhte the creance

       Unto this wif so parfitly,

       Upon a dai that faste by

       In presence of hire housebonde,

       Wher thei go walkende on the Stronde,

       A blind man, which cam there lad,

       Unto this wif criende he bad, 760

       With bothe hise hondes up and preide

       To hire, and in this wise he seide:

       "O Hermyngeld, which Cristes feith,

       Enformed as Constance seith,

       Received hast, yif me my sihte."

       Upon his word hire herte afflihte

       Thenkende what was best to done,

       Bot natheles sche herde his bone

       And seide, "In trust of Cristes lawe,

       Which don was on the crois and slawe, 770

       Thou bysne man, behold and se."

       With that to god upon his kne

       Thonkende he tok his sihte anon,

       Wherof thei merveile everychon,

       Bot Elda wondreth most of alle:

       This open thing which is befalle

       Concludeth him be such a weie,

       That he the feith mot nede obeie.

       Now lest what fell upon this thing.

       This Elda forth unto the king 780

       A morwe tok his weie and rod,

       And Hermyngeld at home abod

       Forth with Constance wel at ese.

       Elda, which thoghte his king to plese,

       As he that thanne unwedded was,

       Of Constance al the pleine cas

       Als goodliche as he cowthe tolde.

       The king was glad and seide he wolde

       Come thider upon such a wise

       That he him mihte of hire avise, 790

       The time apointed forth withal.

       This Elda triste in special

       Upon a knyht, whom fro childhode

       He hadde updrawe into manhode:

       To him he tolde al that he thoghte,

       Wherof that after him forthoghte;

       And natheles at thilke tide

       Unto his wif he bad him ride

       To make redi alle thing

       Ayein the cominge of the king, 800

       And seith that he himself tofore

       Thenkth forto come, and bad therfore

       That he him kepe, and told him whanne.

       This knyht rod forth his weie thanne;

       And soth was that of time passed

       He hadde in al his wit compassed

       How he Constance myhte winne;

       Bot he sih tho no sped therinne,

       Wherof his lust began tabate,

       And that was love is thanne hate; 810

       Of hire honour he hadde Envie,

       So that