Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 16

Literature -- Collections

thoroughly sound definition of good English writing. His prayer is that
there may be no word of untruth, and that 'each word may answer to the
thing it speaks of, pleasantly and fitly; that he may flatter in it no one, and
seek in it no praise above the praise of God.'"

The part of Gower's writing here brought before the reader is the
quaintly told and charming story of Petronella, from 'Liber Primus'
of the 'Confessio.' It may be evidence that all the malediction upon
the poet above quoted is not deserved.

The 'Confessio Amantis' has been edited and collated with the
best manuscripts by Dr. Reinhold Pauli (1857). The 'Vox Clamantis'
was printed for the first time in 1850, under the editorship of
H. O. Coxe and for the Roxburghe Club. The 'Balades and Other
Poems' are also included in the publication of the Roxburghe Club.
Other sources of information regarding Gower are 'Illustrations of
the Lives and Writings of Gower and Chaucer' by Henry J. Todd
(1810); Henry Morley's reviews in 'English Writers'; and various
short articles.

[Pg 6584]

PETRONELLA

From the 'Confessio Amantis'

A king whilom was yonge and wise,

The which set of his wit great prise.

Of depe ymaginations

And straunge interpretations,

Problemes and demaundès eke

His wisedom was to finde and seke;

Wherof he wolde in sondry wise

Opposen hem that weren wise.

But none of hem it mightè bere

Upon his word to yive answére;[1]

Out taken one, which was a knight:

To him was every thing so light,

That also sone as he hem herde

The kingès wordès he answerde,

What thing the king him axè wolde,

Whereof anone the trouth he tolde.

The king somdele had an envie,

And thought he wolde his wittès plie

To setè some conclusion,

Which shuldè be confusion

Unto this knight, so that the name

And of wisdom the highè fame

Towárd him selfe he woldè winne.

And thus of all his wit withinne

This king began to studie and muse

What straungè matér he might use

The knightès wittès to confounde;

And atè last he hath it founde,

And for the knight anon he sente,

That he shall tellè what he mente.

Upon three points stood the matére,

Of questions as thou shaltè here.

The firstè pointè of all thre

Was this: what thing in his degre

Of all this world hath nedè lest,

And yet men helpe it allthermest.

The second is: what moste is worth

And of costáge is lest put forth.

[Pg 6585]The thrid is: which is of most cost,

And lest is worth, and goth to lost.

The king these thre demaundès axeth.

To the knight this law he taxeth:

That he shall gone, and comen ayein

The thriddè weke, and tell him pleine

To every point, what it amounteth.

And if so be that he miscounteth

To make in his answére a faile,

There shall none other thinge availe,

The king saith, but he shall be dede

And lese his goodès and his hede.

This knight was sory of this thinge,

And wolde excuse him to the kinge;

But he ne wolde him nought forbere,

And thus the knight of his answére

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 16

Literature -- Collections

thoroughly sound definition of good English writing. His prayer is that
there may be no word of untruth, and that 'each word may answer to the
thing it speaks of, pleasantly and fitly; that he may flatter in it no one, and
seek in it no praise above the praise of God.'"

The part of Gower's writing here brought before the reader is the
quaintly told and charming story of Petronella, from 'Liber Primus'
of the 'Confessio.' It may be evidence that all the malediction upon
the poet above quoted is not deserved.

The 'Confessio Amantis' has been edited and collated with the
best manuscripts by Dr. Reinhold Pauli (1857). The 'Vox Clamantis'
was printed for the first time in 1850, under the editorship of
H. O. Coxe and for the Roxburghe Club. The 'Balades and Other
Poems' are also included in the publication of the Roxburghe Club.
Other sources of information regarding Gower are 'Illustrations of
the Lives and Writings of Gower and Chaucer' by Henry J. Todd
(1810); Henry Morley's reviews in 'English Writers'; and various
short articles.

[Pg 6584]

PETRONELLA

From the 'Confessio Amantis'

A king whilom was yonge and wise,

The which set of his wit great prise.

Of depe ymaginations

And straunge interpretations,

Problemes and demaundès eke

His wisedom was to finde and seke;

Wherof he wolde in sondry wise

Opposen hem that weren wise.

But none of hem it mightè bere

Upon his word to yive answére;[1]

Out taken one, which was a knight:

To him was every thing so light,

That also sone as he hem herde

The kingès wordès he answerde,

What thing the king him axè wolde,

Whereof anone the trouth he tolde.

The king somdele had an envie,

And thought he wolde his wittès plie

To setè some conclusion,

Which shuldè be confusion

Unto this knight, so that the name

And of wisdom the highè fame

Towárd him selfe he woldè winne.

And thus of all his wit withinne

This king began to studie and muse

What straungè matér he might use

The knightès wittès to confounde;

And atè last he hath it founde,

And for the knight anon he sente,

That he shall tellè what he mente.

Upon three points stood the matére,

Of questions as thou shaltè here.

The firstè pointè of all thre

Was this: what thing in his degre

Of all this world hath nedè lest,

And yet men helpe it allthermest.

The second is: what moste is worth

And of costáge is lest put forth.

[Pg 6585]The thrid is: which is of most cost,

And lest is worth, and goth to lost.

The king these thre demaundès axeth.

To the knight this law he taxeth:

That he shall gone, and comen ayein

The thriddè weke, and tell him pleine

To every point, what it amounteth.

And if so be that he miscounteth

To make in his answére a faile,

There shall none other thinge availe,

The king saith, but he shall be dede

And lese his goodès and his hede.

This knight was sory of this thinge,

And wolde excuse him to the kinge;

But he ne wolde him nought forbere,

And thus the knight of his answére

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 16

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 16

No reviews yet