The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

Name: The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works
Author: Gower, John

Gower, John

Poetry

Thogh I seknesse have upon honde
  And longe have had, yit woll I fonde
  To wryte and do my bisinesse,[41]
  That in som part, so as I gesse,
  The wyse man mai ben avised.
  For this prologe is so assised
  That it to wisdom al belongeth:
  What wysman that it underfongeth,[42]
  He schal drawe into remembrance
  The fortune of this worldes chance,                                 70
  The which noman in his persone[43]
  Mai knowe, bot the god al one.[44]
  Whan the prologe is so despended,
  This bok schal afterward ben ended
  Of love, which doth many a wonder[45]
  And many a wys man hath put under.[46]
  And in this wyse I thenke trete
  Towardes hem that now be grete,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 6=]
  Betwen the vertu and the vice
  Which longeth unto this office.[47]                                 80
                                              [Sidenote: [DEDICATION.]]
  Bot for my wittes ben to smale
  To tellen every man his tale,
  This bok, upon amendment
  To stonde at his commandement,
  With whom myn herte is of accord,
  I sende unto myn oghne lord,
  Which of Lancastre is Henri named:
  The hyhe god him hath proclamed
  Ful of knyhthode and alle grace.
  So woll I now this werk embrace                                     90
  With hol trust and with hol believe;
  God grante I mot it wel achieve.

         *       *       *       *       *

  *[48]A bok for king Richardes sake,[49]
  To whom belongeth my ligeance[50]
  With al myn hertes obeissance
  In al that evere a liege man[51]
  Unto his king may doon or can:
  So ferforth I me recomande[52]
  To him which al me may comande,                                    30*
  Preyende unto the hihe regne[53]
  Which causeth every king to regne,
  That his corone longe stonde.
        [Sidenote: Hic declarat in primis qualiter ob reuerenciam
        serenissimi principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi[55]
        totus suus humilis Iohannes Gower, licet graui infirmitate
        a diu multipliciter fatigatus, huius opusculi labores
        suscipere non recusauit, set[59] tanquam fauum ex variis floribus
        recollectum, presentem libellum ex variis cronicis, historiis,[62]
        poetarum philosophorumque dictis, quatenus sibi infirmitas
        permisit, studiosissime compilauit.]
  I thenke and have it understonde,
  As it bifel upon a tyde,
  As thing which scholde tho betyde,--[54]
  Under the toun of newe Troye,
  Which tok of Brut his ferste joye,[56]
  In Temse whan it was flowende[57]
  As I be bote cam rowende,[58]                                      40*
  So as fortune hir tyme sette,
  My liege lord par chaunce I mette;
  And so befel,[60] as I cam nyh,[61]
  Out of my bot, whan he me syh,
  He bad me come in to his barge.
  And whan I was with him at large,
  Amonges othre thinges seid[63]
  He hath this charge upon me leid,[64]
  And bad me doo my besynesse[65]

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

Opening the text

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English worksGower, John

General

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

Gower, John

Poetry

Thogh I seknesse have upon honde
  And longe have had, yit woll I fonde
  To wryte and do my bisinesse,[41]
  That in som part, so as I gesse,
  The wyse man mai ben avised.
  For this prologe is so assised
  That it to wisdom al belongeth:
  What wysman that it underfongeth,[42]
  He schal drawe into remembrance
  The fortune of this worldes chance,                                 70
  The which noman in his persone[43]
  Mai knowe, bot the god al one.[44]
  Whan the prologe is so despended,
  This bok schal afterward ben ended
  Of love, which doth many a wonder[45]
  And many a wys man hath put under.[46]
  And in this wyse I thenke trete
  Towardes hem that now be grete,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 6=]
  Betwen the vertu and the vice
  Which longeth unto this office.[47]                                 80
                                              [Sidenote: [DEDICATION.]]
  Bot for my wittes ben to smale
  To tellen every man his tale,
  This bok, upon amendment
  To stonde at his commandement,
  With whom myn herte is of accord,
  I sende unto myn oghne lord,
  Which of Lancastre is Henri named:
  The hyhe god him hath proclamed
  Ful of knyhthode and alle grace.
  So woll I now this werk embrace                                     90
  With hol trust and with hol believe;
  God grante I mot it wel achieve.

         *       *       *       *       *

  *[48]A bok for king Richardes sake,[49]
  To whom belongeth my ligeance[50]
  With al myn hertes obeissance
  In al that evere a liege man[51]
  Unto his king may doon or can:
  So ferforth I me recomande[52]
  To him which al me may comande,                                    30*
  Preyende unto the hihe regne[53]
  Which causeth every king to regne,
  That his corone longe stonde.
        [Sidenote: Hic declarat in primis qualiter ob reuerenciam
        serenissimi principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi[55]
        totus suus humilis Iohannes Gower, licet graui infirmitate
        a diu multipliciter fatigatus, huius opusculi labores
        suscipere non recusauit, set[59] tanquam fauum ex variis floribus
        recollectum, presentem libellum ex variis cronicis, historiis,[62]
        poetarum philosophorumque dictis, quatenus sibi infirmitas
        permisit, studiosissime compilauit.]
  I thenke and have it understonde,
  As it bifel upon a tyde,
  As thing which scholde tho betyde,--[54]
  Under the toun of newe Troye,
  Which tok of Brut his ferste joye,[56]
  In Temse whan it was flowende[57]
  As I be bote cam rowende,[58]                                      40*
  So as fortune hir tyme sette,
  My liege lord par chaunce I mette;
  And so befel,[60] as I cam nyh,[61]
  Out of my bot, whan he me syh,
  He bad me come in to his barge.
  And whan I was with him at large,
  Amonges othre thinges seid[63]
  He hath this charge upon me leid,[64]
  And bad me doo my besynesse[65]

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

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

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