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

apropriacioun

       And holde that I nevere boghte,

       Thogh it an other man forthoghte.

       And al this speke I bot of on,

       For whom I lete alle othre gon; 2400

       Bot hire I mai noght overpasse,

       That I ne mot alwey compasse,

       Me roghte noght be what queintise,

       So that I mihte in eny wise

       Fro suche that mi ladi serve

       Hire herte make forto swerve

       Withouten eny part of love.

       For be the goddes alle above

       I wolde it mihte so befalle,

       That I al one scholde hem alle 2410

       Supplante, and welde hire at mi wille.

       And that thing mai I noght fulfille,

       Bot if I scholde strengthe make;

       And that I dar noght undertake,

       Thogh I were as was Alisaundre,

       For therof mihte arise sklaundre;

       And certes that schal I do nevere,

       For in good feith yit hadde I levere

       In my simplesce forto die,

       Than worche such Supplantarie. 2420

       Of otherwise I wol noght seie

       That if I founde a seker weie,

       I wolde as for conclusioun

       Worche after Supplantacioun,

       So hihe a love forto winne.

       Now, fader, if that this be Sinne,

       I am al redy to redresce

       The gilt of which I me confesse.

       Mi goode Sone, as of Supplant

       Thee thar noght drede tant ne quant, 2430

       As for nothing that I have herd,

       Bot only that thou hast misferd

       Thenkende, and that me liketh noght,

       For godd beholt a mannes thoght.

       And if thou understode in soth

       In loves cause what it doth,

       A man to ben a Supplantour,

       Thou woldest for thin oghne honour

       Be double weie take kepe:

       Ferst for thin oghne astat to kepe, 2440

       To be thiself so wel bethoght

       That thou supplanted were noght,

       And ek for worschipe of thi name

       Towardes othre do the same,

       And soffren every man have his.

       Bot natheles it was and is,

       That in a wayt at alle assaies

       Supplant of love in oure daies

       The lief fulofte for the levere

       Forsakth, and so it hath don evere. 2450

       Ensample I finde therupon,

       At Troie how that Agamenon

       Supplantede the worthi knyht

       Achilles of that swete wiht,

       Which named was Brexei5da;

       And also of Crisei5da,

       Whom Troilus to love ches,

       Supplanted hath Diomedes.

       Of Geta and Amphitrion,

       That whilom weren bothe as on 2460

       Of frendschipe and of compaignie,

       I rede how that Supplantarie

       In love, as it betidde tho,

       Beguiled hath on of hem tuo.

       For this Geta that I of meene,

       To whom the lusti faire Almeene

       Assured was be weie of love,

       Whan he best wende have ben above

       And sikerest of that he hadde,

       Cupido so the cause ladde, 2470

       That whil he was out of the weie,

       Amphitrion hire love aweie

       Hath take, and in this forme he wroghte.

       Be nyhte unto the chambre he soghte,

       Wher that sche lay, and with a wyle

       He contrefeteth for the whyle

       The vois of Gete in such a wise,

       That made hire of hire bedd arise,

       Wenende that it were he,

       And let him in, and whan thei be 2480

       Togedre abedde in armes faste,

       This Geta cam thanne ate laste

       Unto the Dore and seide, "Undo."

       And sche ansuerde and bad him go,

       And seide how that abedde al warm

       Hir lief lay naked in hir arm;

       Sche wende that it were soth.

       Lo, what Supplant of love doth:

       This Geta forth bejaped wente,

       And yit ne wiste he what it mente; 2490

       Amphitrion him hath supplanted

       With sleyhte of love and hire enchaunted:

       And thus put every man out other,

       The Schip of love hath lost his Rother,

       So that he can no reson stiere.

       And forto speke of this matiere

       Touchende love and his Supplant,

       A tale which is acordant

       Unto thin Ere I thenke enforme.

       Now herkne, for this is the forme. 2500

       Of thilke Cite chief of alle

       Which men the noble Rome calle,

       Er it was set to Cristes feith,

       Ther was, as the Cronique seith,

       An Emperour, the which it ladde

       In pes, that he no werres hadde:

       Ther was nothing desobeissant

       Which was to Rome appourtenant,

       Bot al was torned into reste.

       To some it thoghte for the beste, 2510

       To some it thoghte nothing so,

       And that was only unto tho

       Whos herte stod upon knyhthode:

       Bot most of alle of his manhode

       The worthi Sone of themperour,

       Which wolde ben a werreiour,

       As he that was chivalerous

       Of worldes fame and desirous,

       Began his fadre to beseche

       That he the werres mihte seche, 2520

       In strange Marches forto ride.

       His fader seide he scholde abide,

       And wolde granten him no leve:

       Bot he, which wolde noght beleve,

       A kniht of his to whom he triste,

       So that his fader nothing wiste,

       He tok and tolde him his corage,

       That he pourposeth a viage.

       If that fortune with him stonde,