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

Set pocius dicendum est, quod
        ea que nos prospera et aduersa in hoc mundo vocamus, secundum
        merita et demerita hominum digno dei iudicio proveniunt.]
  And sein that fortune is to wyte,                                  530
  And som men holde oppinion
  That it is constellacion,
  Which causeth al that a man doth:
  God wot of bothe which is soth.
  The world as of his propre kynde
  Was evere untrewe, and as the blynde
  Improprelich he demeth fame,
  He blameth that is noght to blame
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 22=]
  And preiseth that is noght to preise:
  Thus whan he schal the thinges peise,                              540
  Ther is deceipte in his balance,
  And al is that the variance
  Of ous, that scholde ous betre avise;[140]
  For after that we falle and rise,
  The world arist and falth withal,
  So that the man is overal
  His oghne cause of wel and wo.
  That we fortune clepe so
  Out of the man himself it groweth;
  And who that other wise troweth,                                   550
  Behold the poeple of Irael:[141]
  For evere whil thei deden wel,
  Fortune was hem debonaire,
  And whan thei deden the contraire,
  Fortune was contrariende.
  So that it proeveth wel at ende
  Why that the world is wonderfull
  And may no while stonde full,
  Though that it seme wel besein;
  For every worldes thing is vein,                                   560
  And evere goth the whiel aboute,
  And evere stant a man in doute,
  Fortune stant no while stille,
  So hath ther noman al his wille.
  Als fer as evere a man may knowe,[142]
  Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe;
        [Sidenote: Boicius. O quam dulcedo humane vite multa
        amaritudine aspersa est!]
  The world stant evere upon debat,
  So may be seker non astat,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 23=]
  Now hier now ther, now to now fro,
  Now up now down, this world goth so,                               570
  And evere hath don and evere schal:
  Wherof I finde in special
  A tale writen in the Bible,
  Which moste nedes be credible;
  And that as in conclusioun
  Seith that upon divisioun
  Stant, why no worldes thing mai laste,
  Til it be drive to the laste.
  And fro the ferste regne of alle[143]
  Into this day, hou so befalle,                                     580
  Of that the regnes be muable
  The man himself hath be coupable,
  Which of his propre governance
  Fortuneth al the worldes chance.


                                  [Sidenote: [NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM.]]
  v.  _Prosper et aduersus obliquo tramite versus_
        _Immundus mundus decipit omne genus._
      _Mundus in euentu versatur vt alea casu,_[144]
        _Quam celer in ludis iactat auara manus._[145]
      _Sicut ymago viri variantur tempora mundi,_
        _Statque nichil firmum preter amare deum._[146]

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

Set pocius dicendum est, quod
        ea que nos prospera et aduersa in hoc mundo vocamus, secundum
        merita et demerita hominum digno dei iudicio proveniunt.]
  And sein that fortune is to wyte,                                  530
  And som men holde oppinion
  That it is constellacion,
  Which causeth al that a man doth:
  God wot of bothe which is soth.
  The world as of his propre kynde
  Was evere untrewe, and as the blynde
  Improprelich he demeth fame,
  He blameth that is noght to blame
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 22=]
  And preiseth that is noght to preise:
  Thus whan he schal the thinges peise,                              540
  Ther is deceipte in his balance,
  And al is that the variance
  Of ous, that scholde ous betre avise;[140]
  For after that we falle and rise,
  The world arist and falth withal,
  So that the man is overal
  His oghne cause of wel and wo.
  That we fortune clepe so
  Out of the man himself it groweth;
  And who that other wise troweth,                                   550
  Behold the poeple of Irael:[141]
  For evere whil thei deden wel,
  Fortune was hem debonaire,
  And whan thei deden the contraire,
  Fortune was contrariende.
  So that it proeveth wel at ende
  Why that the world is wonderfull
  And may no while stonde full,
  Though that it seme wel besein;
  For every worldes thing is vein,                                   560
  And evere goth the whiel aboute,
  And evere stant a man in doute,
  Fortune stant no while stille,
  So hath ther noman al his wille.
  Als fer as evere a man may knowe,[142]
  Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe;
        [Sidenote: Boicius. O quam dulcedo humane vite multa
        amaritudine aspersa est!]
  The world stant evere upon debat,
  So may be seker non astat,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 23=]
  Now hier now ther, now to now fro,
  Now up now down, this world goth so,                               570
  And evere hath don and evere schal:
  Wherof I finde in special
  A tale writen in the Bible,
  Which moste nedes be credible;
  And that as in conclusioun
  Seith that upon divisioun
  Stant, why no worldes thing mai laste,
  Til it be drive to the laste.
  And fro the ferste regne of alle[143]
  Into this day, hou so befalle,                                     580
  Of that the regnes be muable
  The man himself hath be coupable,
  Which of his propre governance
  Fortuneth al the worldes chance.


                                  [Sidenote: [NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM.]]
  v.  _Prosper et aduersus obliquo tramite versus_
        _Immundus mundus decipit omne genus._
      _Mundus in euentu versatur vt alea casu,_[144]
        _Quam celer in ludis iactat auara manus._[145]
      _Sicut ymago viri variantur tempora mundi,_
        _Statque nichil firmum preter amare deum._[146]

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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