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

whil he live mihte,

       To kepe in worschipe and in welthe,

       Be so that god wol yive hire helthe,

       This ladi, which fortune him sende.

       And thus be Schipe forth sailende 1210

       Hire and hir child to Rome he broghte,

       And to his wif tho he besoghte

       To take hire into compaignie:

       And sche, which cowthe of courtesie

       Al that a good wif scholde konne,

       Was inly glad that sche hath wonne

       The felaschip of so good on.

       Til tuelve yeres were agon,

       This Emperoures dowhter Custe

       Forth with the dowhter of Saluste 1220

       Was kept, bot noman redily

       Knew what sche was, and noght forthi

       Thei thoghten wel sche hadde be

       In hire astat of hih degre,

       And every lif hire loveth wel.

       Now herke how thilke unstable whel,

       Which evere torneth, wente aboute.

       The king Allee, whil he was oute,

       As thou tofore hast herd this cas,

       Deceived thurgh his Moder was: 1230

       Bot whan that he cam hom ayein,

       He axeth of his Chamberlein

       And of the Bisschop ek also,

       Wher thei the qweene hadden do.

       And thei answerde, there he bad,

       And have him thilke lettre rad,

       Which he hem sende for warant,

       And tolde him pleinli as it stant,

       And sein, it thoghte hem gret pite

       To se so worthi on as sche, 1240

       With such a child as ther was bore,

       So sodeinly to be forlore.

       He axeth hem what child that were;

       And thei him seiden, that naghere,

       In al the world thogh men it soghte,

       Was nevere womman that forth broghte

       A fairer child than it was on.

       And thanne he axede hem anon,

       Whi thei ne hadden write so:

       Thei tolden, so thei hadden do. 1250

       He seide, "Nay." Thei seiden, "Yis."

       The lettre schewed rad it is,

       Which thei forsoken everidel.

       Tho was it understonde wel

       That ther is tresoun in the thing:

       The Messager tofore the king

       Was broght and sodeinliche opposed;

       And he, which nothing hath supposed

       Bot alle wel, began to seie

       That he nagher upon the weie 1260

       Abod, bot only in a stede;

       And cause why that he so dede

       Was, as he wente to and fro,

       At Knaresburgh be nyhtes tuo

       The kinges Moder made him duelle.

       And whan the king it herde telle,

       Withinne his herte he wiste als faste

       The treson which his Moder caste;

       And thoghte he wolde noght abide,

       Bot forth riht in the same tide 1270

       He tok his hors and rod anon.

       With him ther riden manion,

       To Knaresburgh and forth thei wente,

       And lich the fyr which tunder hente,

       In such a rage, as seith the bok,

       His Moder sodeinliche he tok

       And seide unto hir in this wise:

       "O beste of helle, in what juise

       Hast thou deserved forto deie,

       That hast so falsly put aweie 1280

       With tresoun of thi bacbitinge

       The treweste at my knowlechinge

       Of wyves and the most honeste?

       Bot I wol make this beheste,

       I schal be venged er I go."

       And let a fyr do make tho,

       And bad men forto caste hire inne:

       Bot ferst sche tolde out al the sinne,

       And dede hem alle forto wite

       How sche the lettres hadde write, 1290

       Fro point to point as it was wroght.

       And tho sche was to dethe broght

       And brent tofore hire Sones yhe:

       Wherof these othre, whiche it sihe

       And herden how the cause stod,

       Sein that the juggement is good,

       Of that hir Sone hire hath so served;

       For sche it hadde wel deserved

       Thurgh tresoun of hire false tunge,

       Which thurgh the lond was after sunge, 1300

       Constance and every wiht compleigneth.

       Bot he, whom alle wo distreigneth,

       This sorghfull king, was so bestad,

       That he schal nevermor be glad,

       He seith, eftsone forto wedde,

       Til that he wiste how that sche spedde,

       Which hadde ben his ferste wif:

       And thus his yonge unlusti lif

       He dryveth forth so as he mai.

       Til it befell upon a dai, 1310

       Whan he hise werres hadde achieved,

       And thoghte he wolde be relieved

       Of Soule hele upon the feith

       Which he hath take, thanne he seith

       That he to Rome in pelrinage

       Wol go, wher Pope was Pelage,

       To take his absolucioun.

       And upon this condicioun

       He made Edwyn his lieutenant,

       Which heir to him was apparant, 1320

       That he the lond in his absence

       Schal reule: and thus be providence

       Of alle thinges wel begon

       He tok his leve and forth is gon.

       Elda, which tho was with him there,

       Er thei fulliche at Rome were,

       Was sent tofore to pourveie;

       And he his guide upon the weie,

       In help to ben his herbergour,

       Hath axed who was Senatour, 1330

       That he his name myhte kenne.

       Of Capadoce, he seide, Arcenne

       He hihte, and was a worthi kniht.

       To him goth Elda tho forth riht

       And tolde him of his lord tidinge,

       And preide that for his comynge

       He wolde assigne him herbergage;