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

And therof spieken alle men.

       This Eolen, this faire maide,

       Was, as men thilke time saide,

       The kinges dowhter of Eurice;

       And sche made Hercules so nyce

       Upon hir Love and so assote,

       That he him clotheth in hire cote, 2270

       And sche in his was clothed ofte;

       And thus fieblesce is set alofte,

       And strengthe was put under fote,

       Ther can noman therof do bote.

       Whan Deianyre hath herd this speche,

       Ther was no sorwe forto seche:

       Of other helpe wot sche non,

       Bot goth unto hire cofre anon;

       With wepende yhe and woful herte

       Sche tok out thilke unhappi scherte, 2280

       As sche that wende wel to do,

       And broghte hire werk aboute so

       That Hercules this scherte on dede,

       To such entente as she was bede

       Of Nessus, so as I seide er.

       Bot therof was sche noght the ner,

       As no fortune may be weyved;

       With Falssemblant sche was deceived,

       That whan sche wende best have wonne,

       Sche lost al that sche hath begonne. 2290

       For thilke scherte unto the bon

       His body sette afyre anon,

       And cleveth so, it mai noght twinne,

       For the venym that was therinne.

       And he thanne as a wilde man

       Unto the hihe wode he ran,

       And as the Clerk Ovide telleth,

       The grete tres to grounde he felleth

       With strengthe al of his oghne myght,

       And made an huge fyr upriht, 2300

       And lepte himself therinne at ones

       And brende him bothe fleissh and bones.

       Which thing cam al thurgh Falssemblant,

       That false Nessus the Geant

       Made unto him and to his wif;

       Wherof that he hath lost his lif,

       And sche sori for everemo.

       Forthi, my Sone, er thee be wo,

       I rede, be wel war therfore;

       For whan so gret a man was lore, 2310

       It oghte yive a gret conceipte

       To warne alle othre of such deceipte.

       Grant mercy, fader, I am war

       So fer that I nomore dar

       Of Falssemblant take aqueintance;

       Bot rathere I wol do penance

       That I have feigned chiere er this.

       Now axeth forth, what so ther is

       Of that belongeth to my schrifte.

       Mi Sone, yit ther is the fifte 2320

       Which is conceived of Envie,

       And cleped is Supplantarie,

       Thurgh whos compassement and guile

       Ful many a man hath lost his while

       In love als wel as otherwise,

       Hierafter as I schal devise.

       The vice of Supplantacioun

       With many a fals collacioun,

       Which he conspireth al unknowe,

       Full ofte time hath overthrowe 2330

       The worschipe of an other man.

       So wel no lif awayte can

       Ayein his sleyhte forto caste,

       That he his pourpos ate laste

       Ne hath, er that it be withset.

       Bot most of alle his herte is set

       In court upon these grete Offices

       Of dignitees and benefices:

       Thus goth he with his sleyhte aboute

       To hindre and schowve an other oute 2340

       And stonden with his slyh compas

       In stede there an other was;

       And so to sette himselven inne,

       He reccheth noght, be so he winne,

       Of that an other man schal lese,

       And thus fulofte chalk for chese

       He changeth with ful litel cost,

       Wherof an other hath the lost

       And he the profit schal receive.

       For his fortune is to deceive 2350

       And forto change upon the whel

       His wo with othre mennes wel:

       Of that an other man avaleth,

       His oghne astat thus up he haleth,

       And takth the bridd to his beyete,

       Wher othre men the buisshes bete.

       Mi Sone, and in the same wise

       Ther ben lovers of such emprise,

       That schapen hem to be relieved

       Where it is wrong to ben achieved: 2360

       For it is other mannes riht,

       Which he hath taken dai and niht

       To kepe for his oghne Stor

       Toward himself for everemor,

       And is his propre be the lawe,

       Which thing that axeth no felawe,

       If love holde his covenant.

       Bot thei that worchen be supplaunt,

       Yit wolden thei a man supplaunte,

       And take a part of thilke plaunte 2370

       Which he hath for himselve set:

       And so fulofte is al unknet,

       That som man weneth be riht fast.

       For Supplant with his slyhe cast

       Fulofte happneth forto mowe

       Thing which an other man hath sowe,

       And makth comun of proprete

       With sleihte and with soubtilite,

       As men mai se fro yer to yere.

       Thus cleymeth he the bot to stiere, 2380

       Of which an other maister is.

       Forthi, my Sone, if thou er this

       Hast ben of such professioun,

       Discovere thi confessioun:

       Hast thou supplanted eny man?

       For oght that I you telle can,

       Min holi fader, as of the dede

       I am withouten eny drede

       Al gulteles; bot of my thoght

       Mi conscience excuse I noght. 2390

       For were it wrong or were it riht,

       Me lakketh nothing bote myht,

       That I ne wolde longe er this

       Of other mannes love ywiss

       Be weie of Supplantacioun

       Have