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

With yhe upcast on hire he siketh,
  And many a contenance he piketh,
  To bringen hire in to believe
  Of thing which that he wolde achieve,                              700
  Wherof he berth the pale hewe;
  And for he wolde seme trewe,
  He makth him siek, whan he is heil.
  Bot whanne he berth lowest the Seil,[306]
  Thanne is he swiftest to beguile
  The womman, which that ilke while
  Set upon him feith or credence.
                                         [Sidenote: Opponit Confessor.]
    Mi Sone, if thou thi conscience
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 66=]
  Entamed hast in such a wise,
  In schrifte thou thee myht avise                                   710
  And telle it me, if it be so.
                                           [Sidenote: Respondet Amans.]
    Min holy fader, certes no.
  As forto feigne such sieknesse
  It nedeth noght, for this witnesse
  I take of god, that my corage
  Hath ben mor siek than my visage.
  And ek this mai I wel avowe,
  So lowe cowthe I nevere bowe
  To feigne humilite withoute,
  That me ne leste betre loute                                       720
  With alle the thoghtes of myn herte;
  For that thing schal me nevere asterte,
  I speke as to my lady diere,[307]
  To make hire eny feigned chiere.
  God wot wel there I lye noght,
  Mi chiere hath be such as my thoght;
  For in good feith, this lieveth wel,
  Mi will was betre a thousendel
  Than eny chiere that I cowthe.
  Bot, Sire, if I have in my yowthe                                  730
  Don other wise in other place,
  I put me therof in your grace:[308]
  For this excusen I ne schal,
  That I have elles overal
  To love and to his compaignie
  Be plein withoute Ypocrisie;
  Bot ther is on the which I serve,
  Althogh I may no thonk deserve,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 67=]
  To whom yet nevere into this day
  I seide onlyche or ye or nay,                                      740
  Bot if it so were in my thoght.
  As touchende othre seie I noght
  That I nam somdel forto wyte
  Of that ye clepe an ypocrite.
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Mi Sone, it sit wel every wiht
  To kepe his word in trowthe upryht
  Towardes love in alle wise.
  For who that wolde him wel avise
  What hath befalle in this matiere,
  He scholde noght with feigned chiere                               750
  Deceive Love in no degre.
  To love is every herte fre,
  Bot in deceipte if that thou feignest
  And therupon thi lust atteignest,
  That thow hast wonne with thi wyle,
  Thogh it thee like for a whyle,[309]
  Thou schalt it afterward repente.
  And forto prove myn entente,
  I finde ensample in a Croniqe
  Of hem that love so beswike.                                       760

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

With yhe upcast on hire he siketh,
  And many a contenance he piketh,
  To bringen hire in to believe
  Of thing which that he wolde achieve,                              700
  Wherof he berth the pale hewe;
  And for he wolde seme trewe,
  He makth him siek, whan he is heil.
  Bot whanne he berth lowest the Seil,[306]
  Thanne is he swiftest to beguile
  The womman, which that ilke while
  Set upon him feith or credence.
                                         [Sidenote: Opponit Confessor.]
    Mi Sone, if thou thi conscience
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 66=]
  Entamed hast in such a wise,
  In schrifte thou thee myht avise                                   710
  And telle it me, if it be so.
                                           [Sidenote: Respondet Amans.]
    Min holy fader, certes no.
  As forto feigne such sieknesse
  It nedeth noght, for this witnesse
  I take of god, that my corage
  Hath ben mor siek than my visage.
  And ek this mai I wel avowe,
  So lowe cowthe I nevere bowe
  To feigne humilite withoute,
  That me ne leste betre loute                                       720
  With alle the thoghtes of myn herte;
  For that thing schal me nevere asterte,
  I speke as to my lady diere,[307]
  To make hire eny feigned chiere.
  God wot wel there I lye noght,
  Mi chiere hath be such as my thoght;
  For in good feith, this lieveth wel,
  Mi will was betre a thousendel
  Than eny chiere that I cowthe.
  Bot, Sire, if I have in my yowthe                                  730
  Don other wise in other place,
  I put me therof in your grace:[308]
  For this excusen I ne schal,
  That I have elles overal
  To love and to his compaignie
  Be plein withoute Ypocrisie;
  Bot ther is on the which I serve,
  Althogh I may no thonk deserve,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 67=]
  To whom yet nevere into this day
  I seide onlyche or ye or nay,                                      740
  Bot if it so were in my thoght.
  As touchende othre seie I noght
  That I nam somdel forto wyte
  Of that ye clepe an ypocrite.
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Mi Sone, it sit wel every wiht
  To kepe his word in trowthe upryht
  Towardes love in alle wise.
  For who that wolde him wel avise
  What hath befalle in this matiere,
  He scholde noght with feigned chiere                               750
  Deceive Love in no degre.
  To love is every herte fre,
  Bot in deceipte if that thou feignest
  And therupon thi lust atteignest,
  That thow hast wonne with thi wyle,
  Thogh it thee like for a whyle,[309]
  Thou schalt it afterward repente.
  And forto prove myn entente,
  I finde ensample in a Croniqe
  Of hem that love so beswike.                                       760

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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