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

And axeth him what he hath do,
  And who sche was sche tolde him tho,                              2610
  And seide: ‘Helmege, I am thi qwene,[464]
  Now schal thi love wel be sene
  Of that thou hast thi wille wroght:
  Or it schal sore ben aboght,
  Or thou schalt worche as I thee seie.
  And if thou wolt be such a weie
  Do my plesance and holde it stille,
  For evere I schal ben at thi wille,
  Bothe I and al myn heritage.’
  Anon the wylde loves rage,                                        2620
  In which noman him can governe,
  Hath mad him that he can noght werne,[465]
  Bot fell al hol to hire assent:
  And thus the whiel is al miswent,
  The which fortune hath upon honde;
  For how that evere it after stonde,
  Thei schope among hem such a wyle,
  The king was ded withinne a whyle.
  So slihly cam it noght aboute
  That thei ne ben descoevered oute,                                2630
  So that it thoghte hem for the beste
  To fle, for there was no reste:
  And thus the tresor of the king
  Thei trusse and mochel other thing,
  And with a certein felaschipe
  Thei fledde and wente awey be schipe,
  And hielde here rihte cours fro thenne,
  Til that thei come to Ravenne,
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 131=]
  Wher thei the Dukes helpe soghte.
  And he, so as thei him besoghte,                                  2640
  A place granteth forto duelle;
  Bot after, whan he herde telle
  Of the manere how thei have do,
  This Duk let schape for hem so,
  That of a puison which thei drunke
  Thei hadden that thei have beswunke.
    And al this made avant of Pride:
  Good is therfore a man to hide
  His oghne pris, for if he speke,
  He mai lihtliche his thonk tobreke.                               2650
  In armes lith non avantance
  To him which thenkth his name avance
  And be renomed of his dede:
  And also who that thenkth to spede
  Of love, he mai him noght avaunte;
  For what man thilke vice haunte,
  His pourpos schal fulofte faile.
  In armes he that wol travaile[466]
                                               [Sidenote: [AVANTANCE.]]
  Or elles loves grace atteigne,
  His lose tunge he mot restreigne,                                 2660
  Which berth of his honour the keie.
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Forthi, my Sone, in alle weie
  Tak riht good hiede of this matiere.
                                                     [Sidenote: Amans.]
    I thonke you, my fader diere,
  This scole is of a gentil lore;
  And if ther be oght elles more
  Of Pride, which I schal eschuie,
  Now axeth forth, and I wol suie
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 132=]
  What thing that ye me wole enforme.[467]
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Mi Sone, yit in other forme                                     2670
  Ther is a vice of Prides lore,
  Which lich an hauk whan he wol sore,

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

And axeth him what he hath do,
  And who sche was sche tolde him tho,                              2610
  And seide: ‘Helmege, I am thi qwene,[464]
  Now schal thi love wel be sene
  Of that thou hast thi wille wroght:
  Or it schal sore ben aboght,
  Or thou schalt worche as I thee seie.
  And if thou wolt be such a weie
  Do my plesance and holde it stille,
  For evere I schal ben at thi wille,
  Bothe I and al myn heritage.’
  Anon the wylde loves rage,                                        2620
  In which noman him can governe,
  Hath mad him that he can noght werne,[465]
  Bot fell al hol to hire assent:
  And thus the whiel is al miswent,
  The which fortune hath upon honde;
  For how that evere it after stonde,
  Thei schope among hem such a wyle,
  The king was ded withinne a whyle.
  So slihly cam it noght aboute
  That thei ne ben descoevered oute,                                2630
  So that it thoghte hem for the beste
  To fle, for there was no reste:
  And thus the tresor of the king
  Thei trusse and mochel other thing,
  And with a certein felaschipe
  Thei fledde and wente awey be schipe,
  And hielde here rihte cours fro thenne,
  Til that thei come to Ravenne,
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 131=]
  Wher thei the Dukes helpe soghte.
  And he, so as thei him besoghte,                                  2640
  A place granteth forto duelle;
  Bot after, whan he herde telle
  Of the manere how thei have do,
  This Duk let schape for hem so,
  That of a puison which thei drunke
  Thei hadden that thei have beswunke.
    And al this made avant of Pride:
  Good is therfore a man to hide
  His oghne pris, for if he speke,
  He mai lihtliche his thonk tobreke.                               2650
  In armes lith non avantance
  To him which thenkth his name avance
  And be renomed of his dede:
  And also who that thenkth to spede
  Of love, he mai him noght avaunte;
  For what man thilke vice haunte,
  His pourpos schal fulofte faile.
  In armes he that wol travaile[466]
                                               [Sidenote: [AVANTANCE.]]
  Or elles loves grace atteigne,
  His lose tunge he mot restreigne,                                 2660
  Which berth of his honour the keie.
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Forthi, my Sone, in alle weie
  Tak riht good hiede of this matiere.
                                                     [Sidenote: Amans.]
    I thonke you, my fader diere,
  This scole is of a gentil lore;
  And if ther be oght elles more
  Of Pride, which I schal eschuie,
  Now axeth forth, and I wol suie
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 132=]
  What thing that ye me wole enforme.[467]
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Mi Sone, yit in other forme                                     2670
  Ther is a vice of Prides lore,
  Which lich an hauk whan he wol sore,

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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