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

With which Ston al tobroke was

       Gold, Selver, Erthe, Stiel and Bras,

       That al was in to pouldre broght,

       And so forth torned into noght."

       This was the swevene which he hadde,

       That Daniel anon aradde,

       And seide him that figure strange

       Betokneth how the world schal change

       And waxe lasse worth and lasse,

       Til it to noght al overpasse. 630

       The necke and hed, that weren golde,

       He seide how that betokne scholde

       A worthi world, a noble, a riche,

       To which non after schal be liche.

       Of Selver that was overforth

       Schal ben a world of lasse worth;

       And after that the wombe of Bras

       Tokne of a werse world it was.

       The Stiel which he syh afterward

       A world betokneth more hard: 640

       Bot yet the werste of everydel

       Is last, whan that of Erthe and Stiel

       He syh the feet departed so,

       For that betokneth mochel wo.

       Whan that the world divided is,

       It moste algate fare amis,

       For Erthe which is meynd with Stiel

       Togedre may noght laste wiel,

       Bot if that on that other waste;

       So mot it nedes faile in haste. 650

       The Ston, which fro the hully Stage

       He syh doun falle on that ymage,

       And hath it into pouldre broke,

       That swevene hath Daniel unloke,

       And seide how that is goddes myht,

       Which whan men wene most upryht

       To stonde, schal hem overcaste.

       And that is of this world the laste,

       And thanne a newe schal beginne,

       Fro which a man schal nevere twinne; 660

       Or al to peine or al to pes

       That world schal lasten endeles.

       Lo thus expondeth Daniel

       The kynges swevene faire and wel

       In Babiloyne the Cite,

       Wher that the wiseste of Caldee

       Ne cowthen wite what it mente;

       Bot he tolde al the hol entente,

       As in partie it is befalle.

       Of gold the ferste regne of alle 670

       Was in that kinges time tho,

       And laste manye daies so,

       Therwhiles that the Monarchie

       Of al the world in that partie

       To Babiloyne was soubgit;

       And hield him stille in such a plit,

       Til that the world began diverse:

       And that was whan the king of Perse,

       Which Cirus hyhte, ayein the pes

       Forth with his Sone Cambises 680

       Of Babiloine al that Empire,

       Ryht as thei wolde hemself desire,

       Put under in subjeccioun

       And tok it in possessioun,

       And slayn was Baltazar the king,

       Which loste his regne and al his thing.

       And thus whan thei it hadde wonne,

       The world of Selver was begonne

       And that of gold was passed oute:

       And in this wise it goth aboute 690

       In to the Regne of Darius;

       And thanne it fell to Perse thus,

       That Alisaundre put hem under,

       Which wroghte of armes many a wonder,

       So that the Monarchie lefte

       With Grecs, and here astat uplefte,

       And Persiens gon under fote,

       So soffre thei that nedes mote.

       And tho the world began of Bras,

       And that of selver ended was; 700

       Bot for the time thus it laste,

       Til it befell that ate laste

       This king, whan that his day was come,

       With strengthe of deth was overcome.

       And natheles yet er he dyde,

       He schop his Regnes to divide

       To knyhtes whiche him hadde served,

       And after that thei have deserved

       Yaf the conquestes that he wan;

       Wherof gret werre tho began 710

       Among hem that the Regnes hadde,

       Thurgh proud Envie which hem ladde,

       Til it befell ayein hem thus:

       The noble Cesar Julius,

       Which tho was king of Rome lond,

       With gret bataille and with strong hond

       Al Grece, Perse and ek Caldee

       Wan and put under, so that he

       Noght al only of thorient

       Bot al the Marche of thoccident 720

       Governeth under his empire,

       As he that was hol lord and Sire,

       And hield thurgh his chivalerie

       Of al this world the Monarchie,

       And was the ferste of that honour

       Which tok the name of Emperour.

       Wher Rome thanne wolde assaille,

       Ther myhte nothing contrevaille,

       Bot every contre moste obeie:

       Tho goth the Regne of Bras aweie, 730

       And comen is the world of Stiel,

       And stod above upon the whiel.

       As Stiel is hardest in his kynde

       Above alle othre that men finde

       Of Metals, such was Rome tho

       The myhtieste, and laste so

       Long time amonges the Romeins

       Til thei become so vileins,

       That the fals Emperour Leo

       With Constantin his Sone also 740

       The patrimoine and the richesse,

       Which to Silvestre in pure almesse

       The ferste Constantinus lefte,

       Fro holy cherche thei berefte.

       Bot Adrian, which Pope was,

       And syh the meschief of this cas,

       Goth in to France forto pleigne,

       And preith the grete Charlemeine,

       For Cristes sake and Soule hele

       That he wol take the querele 750

       Of holy cherche in his defence.

       And Charles for the reverence

       Of god the cause hath undertake,