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

[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de Murmure et Planctu, qui super
        omnes alios Inobediencie secreciores vt ministri illi
        deseruiunt.[363]]
    Toward this vice of which we trete
  Ther ben yit tweie of thilke estrete,
  Here name is Murmur and Compleignte:[362]
  Ther can noman here chiere peinte,
  To sette a glad semblant therinne,
  For thogh fortune make hem wynne,
  Yit grucchen thei, and if thei lese,
  Ther is no weie forto chese,                                      1350
  Wherof thei myhten stonde appesed.
  So ben thei comunly desesed;
  Ther may no welthe ne poverte
  Attempren hem to the decerte
  Of buxomnesse be no wise:
  For ofte time thei despise
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 88=]
  The goode fortune as the badde,
  As thei no mannes reson hadde,
  Thurgh pride, wherof thei be blinde.
    And ryht of such a maner kinde                                  1360
  Ther be lovers, that thogh thei have
  Of love al that thei wolde crave,
  Yit wol thei grucche be som weie,
  That thei wol noght to love obeie
  Upon the trowthe, as thei do scholde;
  And if hem lacketh that thei wolde,
  Anon thei falle in such a peine,
  That evere unbuxomly thei pleigne
  Upon fortune, and curse and crie,
  That thei wol noght here hertes plie                              1370
  To soffre til it betre falle.
  Forthi if thou amonges alle
  Hast used this condicioun,
  Mi Sone, in thi Confessioun
  Now tell me pleinly what thou art.
                                                [Sidenote: Amans.[364]]
    Mi fader, I beknowe a part,
  So as ye tolden hier above
  Of Murmur and Compleignte of love,[365]
  That for I se no sped comende,
  Ayein fortune compleignende                                       1380
  I am, as who seith, everemo:
  And ek fulofte tyme also,
  Whan so is that I se and hiere
  Or hevy word or hevy chiere[366]
  Of my lady, I grucche anon;
  Bot wordes dar I speke non,
  Wherof sche myhte be desplesed,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 89=]
  Bot in myn herte I am desesed:
  With many a Murmur, god it wot,
  Thus drinke I in myn oghne swot,                                  1390
  And thogh I make no semblant,
  Min herte is al desobeissant;
  And in this wise I me confesse
  Of that ye clepe unbuxomnesse.
  Now telleth what youre conseil is.
                                            [Sidenote: Confessor.[367]]
    Mi Sone, and I thee rede this,[368]
  What so befalle of other weie,
  That thou to loves heste obeie
  Als ferr as thou it myht suffise:
  For ofte sithe in such a wise                                     1400
  Obedience in love availeth,
  Wher al a mannes strengthe faileth;
  Wherof, if that the list to wite[369]
  In a Cronique as it is write,
  A gret ensample thou myht fynde,
  Which now is come to my mynde.

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

[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de Murmure et Planctu, qui super
        omnes alios Inobediencie secreciores vt ministri illi
        deseruiunt.[363]]
    Toward this vice of which we trete
  Ther ben yit tweie of thilke estrete,
  Here name is Murmur and Compleignte:[362]
  Ther can noman here chiere peinte,
  To sette a glad semblant therinne,
  For thogh fortune make hem wynne,
  Yit grucchen thei, and if thei lese,
  Ther is no weie forto chese,                                      1350
  Wherof thei myhten stonde appesed.
  So ben thei comunly desesed;
  Ther may no welthe ne poverte
  Attempren hem to the decerte
  Of buxomnesse be no wise:
  For ofte time thei despise
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 88=]
  The goode fortune as the badde,
  As thei no mannes reson hadde,
  Thurgh pride, wherof thei be blinde.
    And ryht of such a maner kinde                                  1360
  Ther be lovers, that thogh thei have
  Of love al that thei wolde crave,
  Yit wol thei grucche be som weie,
  That thei wol noght to love obeie
  Upon the trowthe, as thei do scholde;
  And if hem lacketh that thei wolde,
  Anon thei falle in such a peine,
  That evere unbuxomly thei pleigne
  Upon fortune, and curse and crie,
  That thei wol noght here hertes plie                              1370
  To soffre til it betre falle.
  Forthi if thou amonges alle
  Hast used this condicioun,
  Mi Sone, in thi Confessioun
  Now tell me pleinly what thou art.
                                                [Sidenote: Amans.[364]]
    Mi fader, I beknowe a part,
  So as ye tolden hier above
  Of Murmur and Compleignte of love,[365]
  That for I se no sped comende,
  Ayein fortune compleignende                                       1380
  I am, as who seith, everemo:
  And ek fulofte tyme also,
  Whan so is that I se and hiere
  Or hevy word or hevy chiere[366]
  Of my lady, I grucche anon;
  Bot wordes dar I speke non,
  Wherof sche myhte be desplesed,
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 89=]
  Bot in myn herte I am desesed:
  With many a Murmur, god it wot,
  Thus drinke I in myn oghne swot,                                  1390
  And thogh I make no semblant,
  Min herte is al desobeissant;
  And in this wise I me confesse
  Of that ye clepe unbuxomnesse.
  Now telleth what youre conseil is.
                                            [Sidenote: Confessor.[367]]
    Mi Sone, and I thee rede this,[368]
  What so befalle of other weie,
  That thou to loves heste obeie
  Als ferr as thou it myht suffise:
  For ofte sithe in such a wise                                     1400
  Obedience in love availeth,
  Wher al a mannes strengthe faileth;
  Wherof, if that the list to wite[369]
  In a Cronique as it is write,
  A gret ensample thou myht fynde,
  Which now is come to my mynde.

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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