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

For so the Ring was leid to wedde,

       He tolde, into hir fader hond,

       That with what man that sche it fond

       Sche scholde him take to hire lord.

       And this, he seith, stant of record,

       Bot noman wot who hath this Ring.

       This Bacheler upon this thing

       His Ere and his entente leide,

       And thoghte more thanne he seide, 2670

       And feigneth with a fals visage

       That he was glad, bot his corage

       Was al set in an other wise.

       These olde Philosophres wise

       Thei writen upon thilke while,

       That he mai best a man beguile

       In whom the man hath most credence;

       And this befell in evidence

       Toward this yonge lord of Rome.

       His Bacheler, which hadde tome, 2680

       Whan that his lord be nihte slepte,

       This Ring, the which his maister kepte,

       Out of his Pours awey he dede,

       And putte an other in the stede.

       Amorwe, whan the Court is set,

       The yonge ladi was forth fet,

       To whom the lordes don homage,

       And after that of Mariage

       Thei trete and axen of hir wille.

       Bot sche, which thoghte to fulfille 2690

       Hire fader heste in this matiere,

       Seide openly, that men mai hiere,

       The charge which hire fader bad.

       Tho was this Lord of Rome glad

       And drowh toward his Pours anon,

       Bot al for noght, it was agon:

       His Bacheler it hath forthdrawe,

       And axeth ther upon the lawe

       That sche him holde covenant.

       The tokne was so sufficant 2700

       That it ne mihte be forsake,

       And natheles his lord hath take

       Querelle ayein his oghne man;

       Bot for nothing that evere he can

       He mihte as thanne noght ben herd,

       So that his cleym is unansuerd,

       And he hath of his pourpos failed.

       This Bacheler was tho consailed

       And wedded, and of thilke Empire

       He was coroned Lord and Sire, 2710

       And al the lond him hath received;

       Wherof his lord, which was deceived,

       A seknesse er the thridde morwe

       Conceived hath of dedly sorwe:

       And as he lay upon his deth,

       Therwhile him lasteth speche and breth,

       He sende for the worthieste

       Of al the lond and ek the beste,

       And tolde hem al the sothe tho,

       That he was Sone and Heir also 2720

       Of themperour of grete Rome,

       And how that thei togedre come,

       This kniht and he; riht as it was,

       He tolde hem al the pleine cas,

       And for that he his conseil tolde,

       That other hath al that he wolde,

       And he hath failed of his mede:

       As for the good he takth non hiede,

       He seith, bot only of the love,

       Of which he wende have ben above. 2730

       And therupon be lettre write

       He doth his fader forto wite

       Of al this matiere as it stod;

       And thanne with an hertly mod

       Unto the lordes he besoghte

       To telle his ladi how he boghte

       Hire love, of which an other gladeth;

       And with that word his hewe fadeth,

       And seide, "A dieu, my ladi swete."

       The lif hath lost his kindly hete, 2740

       And he lay ded as eny ston;

       Wherof was sory manyon,

       Bot non of alle so as sche.

       This false knyht in his degree

       Arested was and put in hold:

       For openly whan it was told

       Of the tresoun which is befalle,

       Thurghout the lond thei seiden alle,

       If it be soth that men suppose,

       His oghne untrowthe him schal depose. 2750

       And forto seche an evidence,

       With honour and gret reverence,

       Wherof they mihten knowe an ende,

       To themperour anon thei sende

       The lettre which his Sone wrot.

       And whan that he the sothe wot,

       To telle his sorwe is endeles,

       Bot yit in haste natheles

       Upon the tale which he herde

       His Stieward into Perse ferde 2760

       With many a worthi Romein eke,

       His liege tretour forto seke;

       And whan thei thider come were,

       This kniht him hath confessed there

       How falsly that he hath him bore,

       Wherof his worthi lord was lore.

       Tho seiden some he scholde deie,

       Bot yit thei founden such a weie

       That he schal noght be ded in Perse;

       And thus the skiles ben diverse. 2770

       Be cause that he was coroned,

       And that the lond was abandoned

       To him, althogh it were unriht,

       Ther is no peine for him diht;

       Bot to this point and to this ende

       Thei granten wel that he schal wende

       With the Romeins to Rome ayein.

       And thus acorded ful and plein,

       The qwike body with the dede

       With leve take forth thei lede, 2780

       Wher that Supplant hath his juise.

       Wherof that thou thee miht avise

       Upon this enformacioun

       Touchende of Supplantacioun,

       That thou, my Sone, do noght so:

       And forto take hiede also

       What Supplant doth in other halve,

       Ther is noman can finde a salve

       Pleinly to helen such a Sor;

       It hath and schal ben everemor, 2790

       Whan Pride is with Envie joint,

       He soffreth noman in good point,

       Wher that he mai his honour lette.