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

Fleith upon heihte in his delices
  After the likynge of his vices,
  And wol no mannes resoun knowe,
  Till he doun falle and overthrowe.
  This vice veine gloire is hote,
  Wherof, my Sone, I thee behote
  To trete and speke in such a wise,
  That thou thee myht the betre avise.                              2680


                                           [Sidenote: [v. VAIN-GLORY.]]
  x. _Gloria perpetuos pregnat mundana dolores,_
       _Qui tamen est vanus gaudia vana cupit._
     _Eius amiciciam, quem gloria tollit inanis,_
       _Non sine blandiciis planus habebit homo:_
     _Verbis compositis qui scit strigilare fauellum,_
       _Scandere sellata iura valebit eques._
     _Sic in amore magis qui blanda subornat in ore_
       _Verba, per hoc brauium quod nequit alter habet._
     _Et tamen ornatos cantus variosque paratus_
       _Letaque corda suis legibus optat amor._                     (10)

        [Sidenote: Hic loquitur de quinta specie superbie, que
        Inanis gloria vocatur, et eiusdem vicii naturam primo
        describens super eodem in amoris causa Confessor Amanti
        consequenter opponit.]
    The proude vice of veine gloire
  Remembreth noght of purgatoire,
  Hise worldes joyes ben so grete,
  Him thenkth of hevene no beyete;
  This lives Pompe is al his pes:
  Yit schal he deie natheles,
  And therof thenkth he bot a lite,[468]
  For al his lust is to delite
  In newe thinges, proude and veine,
  Als ferforth as he mai atteigne.                                  2690
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 133=]
  I trowe, if that he myhte make
  His body newe, he wolde take
  A newe forme and leve his olde:
  For what thing that he mai beholde,
  The which to comun us is strange,
  Anon his olde guise change
  He wole and falle therupon,
  Lich unto the Camelion,
  Which upon every sondri hewe
  That he beholt he moste newe                                      2700
  His colour, and thus unavised
  Fulofte time he stant desguised.
  Mor jolif than the brid in Maii
  He makth him evere freissh and gay,
                [Sidenote: Salomon. Amictus eius[469] annunciat de eo.]
  And doth al his array desguise,
  So that of him the newe guise
  Of lusti folk alle othre take;
  And ek he can carolles make,
  Rondeal, balade and virelai.
  And with al this, if that he may                                  2710
  Of love gete him avantage,
  Anon he wext of his corage
  So overglad, that of his ende[470]
  Him thenkth ther is no deth comende:
  For he hath thanne at alle tide
  Of love such a maner pride,
  Him thenkth his joie is endeles.
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Now schrif thee, Sone, in godes pes,
  And of thi love tell me plein
  If that thi gloire hath be so vein.                               2720
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 134=]

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

Fleith upon heihte in his delices
  After the likynge of his vices,
  And wol no mannes resoun knowe,
  Till he doun falle and overthrowe.
  This vice veine gloire is hote,
  Wherof, my Sone, I thee behote
  To trete and speke in such a wise,
  That thou thee myht the betre avise.                              2680


                                           [Sidenote: [v. VAIN-GLORY.]]
  x. _Gloria perpetuos pregnat mundana dolores,_
       _Qui tamen est vanus gaudia vana cupit._
     _Eius amiciciam, quem gloria tollit inanis,_
       _Non sine blandiciis planus habebit homo:_
     _Verbis compositis qui scit strigilare fauellum,_
       _Scandere sellata iura valebit eques._
     _Sic in amore magis qui blanda subornat in ore_
       _Verba, per hoc brauium quod nequit alter habet._
     _Et tamen ornatos cantus variosque paratus_
       _Letaque corda suis legibus optat amor._                     (10)

        [Sidenote: Hic loquitur de quinta specie superbie, que
        Inanis gloria vocatur, et eiusdem vicii naturam primo
        describens super eodem in amoris causa Confessor Amanti
        consequenter opponit.]
    The proude vice of veine gloire
  Remembreth noght of purgatoire,
  Hise worldes joyes ben so grete,
  Him thenkth of hevene no beyete;
  This lives Pompe is al his pes:
  Yit schal he deie natheles,
  And therof thenkth he bot a lite,[468]
  For al his lust is to delite
  In newe thinges, proude and veine,
  Als ferforth as he mai atteigne.                                  2690
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 133=]
  I trowe, if that he myhte make
  His body newe, he wolde take
  A newe forme and leve his olde:
  For what thing that he mai beholde,
  The which to comun us is strange,
  Anon his olde guise change
  He wole and falle therupon,
  Lich unto the Camelion,
  Which upon every sondri hewe
  That he beholt he moste newe                                      2700
  His colour, and thus unavised
  Fulofte time he stant desguised.
  Mor jolif than the brid in Maii
  He makth him evere freissh and gay,
                [Sidenote: Salomon. Amictus eius[469] annunciat de eo.]
  And doth al his array desguise,
  So that of him the newe guise
  Of lusti folk alle othre take;
  And ek he can carolles make,
  Rondeal, balade and virelai.
  And with al this, if that he may                                  2710
  Of love gete him avantage,
  Anon he wext of his corage
  So overglad, that of his ende[470]
  Him thenkth ther is no deth comende:
  For he hath thanne at alle tide
  Of love such a maner pride,
  Him thenkth his joie is endeles.
                                                 [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Now schrif thee, Sone, in godes pes,
  And of thi love tell me plein
  If that thi gloire hath be so vein.                               2720
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 134=]

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

No reviews yet