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

As sche which schal be thi Norrice."

       Thus was sche strengthed forto stonde;

       And tho sche tok hire child in honde

       And yaf it sowke, and evere among

       Sche wepte, and otherwhile song 1080

       To rocke with hire child aslepe:

       And thus hire oghne child to kepe

       Sche hath under the goddes cure.

       And so fell upon aventure,

       Whan thilke yer hath mad his ende,

       Hire Schip, so as it moste wende

       Thurgh strengthe of wynd which god hath yive,

       Estward was into Spaigne drive

       Riht faste under a Castell wall,

       Wher that an hethen Amirall 1090

       Was lord, and he a Stieward hadde,

       Oon Thelo.s, which al was badde,

       A fals knyht and a renegat.

       He goth to loke in what astat

       The Schip was come, and there he fond

       Forth with a child upon hire hond

       This lady, wher sche was al one.

       He tok good hiede of the persone,

       And sih sche was a worthi wiht,

       And thoghte he wolde upon the nyht 1100

       Demene hire at his oghne wille,

       And let hire be therinne stille,

       That mo men sih sche noght that dai.

       At goddes wille and thus sche lai,

       Unknowe what hire schal betide;

       And fell so that be nyhtes tide

       This knyht withoute felaschipe

       Hath take a bot and cam to Schipe,

       And thoghte of hire his lust to take,

       And swor, if sche him daunger make, 1110

       That certeinly sche scholde deie.

       Sche sih ther was non other weie,

       And seide he scholde hire wel conforte,

       That he ferst loke out ate porte,

       That noman were nyh the stede,

       Which myhte knowe what thei dede,

       And thanne he mai do what he wolde.

       He was riht glad that sche so tolde,

       And to the porte anon he ferde:

       Sche preide god, and he hire herde, 1120

       And sodeinliche he was out throwe

       And dreynt, and tho began to blowe

       A wynd menable fro the lond,

       And thus the myhti goddes hond

       Hire hath conveied and defended.

       And whan thre yer be full despended,

       Hire Schip was drive upon a dai,

       Wher that a gret Navye lay

       Of Schipes, al the world at ones:

       And as god wolde for the nones, 1130

       Hire Schip goth in among hem alle,

       And stinte noght, er it be falle

       And hath the vessell undergete,

       Which Maister was of al the Flete,

       Bot there it resteth and abod.

       This grete Schip on Anker rod;

       The Lord cam forth, and whan he sih

       That other ligge abord so nyh,

       He wondreth what it myhte be,

       And bad men to gon in and se. 1140

       This ladi tho was crope aside,

       As sche that wolde hireselven hide,

       For sche ne wiste what thei were:

       Thei soghte aboute and founde hir there

       And broghten up hire child and hire;

       And therupon this lord to spire

       Began, fro whenne that sche cam,

       And what sche was. Quod sche, "I am

       A womman wofully bestad.

       I hadde a lord, and thus he bad, 1150

       That I forth with my litel Sone

       Upon the wawes scholden wone,

       Bot why the cause was, I not:

       Bot he which alle thinges wot

       Yit hath, I thonke him, of his miht

       Mi child and me so kept upriht,

       That we be save bothe tuo."

       This lord hire axeth overmo

       How sche believeth, and sche seith,

       "I lieve and triste in Cristes feith, 1160

       Which deide upon the Rode tree."

       "What is thi name?" tho quod he.

       "Mi name is Couste," sche him seide:

       Bot forthermor for noght he preide

       Of hire astat to knowe plein,

       Sche wolde him nothing elles sein

       Bot of hir name, which sche feigneth;

       Alle othre thinges sche restreigneth,

       That a word more sche ne tolde.

       This lord thanne axeth if sche wolde 1170

       With him abide in compaignie,

       And seide he cam fro Barbarie

       To Romeward, and hom he wente.

       Tho sche supposeth what it mente,

       And seith sche wolde with him wende

       And duelle unto hire lyves ende,

       Be so it be to his plesance.

       And thus upon here aqueintance

       He tolde hire pleinly as it stod,

       Of Rome how that the gentil blod 1180

       In Barbarie was betraied,

       And therupon he hath assaied

       Be werre, and taken such vengance,

       That non of al thilke alliance,

       Be whom the tresoun was compassed,

       Is from the swerd alyve passed;

       Bot of Constance hou it was,

       That cowthe he knowe be no cas,

       Wher sche becam, so as he seide.

       Hire Ere unto his word sche leide, 1190

       Bot forther made sche no chiere.

       And natheles in this matiere

       It happeth thilke time so:

       This Lord, with whom sche scholde go,

       Of Rome was the Senatour,

       And of hir fader themperour

       His brother doughter hath to wyve,

       Which hath hir fader ek alyve,

       And was Salustes cleped tho;

       This wif Heleine hihte also, 1200

       To whom Constance was Cousine.

       Thus to the sike a medicine

       Hath god ordeined of his grace,

       That forthwith in the same place

       This Senatour his trowthe plihte,

       For evere,