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

To hindre with an othre wyht,
  And gladly lese his oghne riht
  To make an other lesen his.
  And forto knowe how it so is,
  A tale lich to this matiere
  I thenke telle, if thou wolt hiere,
  To schewe proprely the vice
  Of this Envie and the malice.                                      290

                            [Sidenote: [THE TRAVELLERS AND THE ANGEL.]]
        [Sidenote: Hic ponit Confessor exemplum presertim contra
        illum, qui sponte sui ipsius detrimentum in alterius penam
        maiorem patitur. Et narrat quod, cum Iupiter angelum suum
        in forma hominis, vt hominum condiciones exploraret,
        ab excelso in terram misit, contigit quod ipse angelus
        duos homines, quorum vnus cupidus, alter inuidus erat,
        itinerando spacio quasi vnius diei comitabatur. Et cum
        sero factum esset, angelus eorum noticie seipsum tunc
        manifestans dixit, quod quicquid alter eorum ab ipso
        donari sibi pecierit, illud statim obtinebit, quod et
        socio suo secum comitanti affirmat duplicandum. Super quo
        cupidus impeditus auaricia, sperans sibi diuicias carpere[562]
        duplicatas, primo petere recusauit. Quod cum inuidus
        animaduerteret, naturam sui vicii concernens, ita vt
        socius suus vtroque lumine priuaretur, seipsum monoculum
        fieri constanter primus ab angelo postulabat. Et sic vnius
        inuidia alterius auariciam maculauit.]
    Of Jupiter this finde I write,
  How whilom that he wolde wite
  Upon the pleigntes whiche he herde,
  Among the men how that it ferde,
  As of here wrong condicion
  To do justificacion:
  And for that cause doun he sente
  An Angel, which aboute wente,[560]
  That he the sothe knowe mai.
  So it befell upon a dai                                            300
  This Angel, which him scholde enforme,
  Was clothed in a mannes forme,
  And overtok, I understonde,
  Tuo men that wenten over londe,
  Thurgh whiche he thoghte to aspie
  His cause, and goth in compaignie.
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 170=]
  This Angel with hise wordes wise
  Opposeth hem in sondri wise,
  Now lowde wordes and now softe,
  That mad hem to desputen ofte,[561]                                310
  And ech of hem his reson hadde.
  And thus with tales he hem ladde
  With good examinacioun,
  Til he knew the condicioun,
  What men thei were bothe tuo;
  And sih wel ate laste tho,
  That on of hem was coveitous,
  And his fela was envious.
  And thus, whan he hath knowlechinge,
  Anon he feigneth departinge,                                       320
  And seide he mot algate wende.
  Bot herkne now what fell at ende:
  For thanne he made hem understonde
  That he was there of goddes sonde,
  And seide hem, for the kindeschipe
  That thei have don him felaschipe,
  He wole hem do som grace ayein,
  And bad that on of hem schal sein
  What thing him is lievest to crave,

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

To hindre with an othre wyht,
  And gladly lese his oghne riht
  To make an other lesen his.
  And forto knowe how it so is,
  A tale lich to this matiere
  I thenke telle, if thou wolt hiere,
  To schewe proprely the vice
  Of this Envie and the malice.                                      290

                            [Sidenote: [THE TRAVELLERS AND THE ANGEL.]]
        [Sidenote: Hic ponit Confessor exemplum presertim contra
        illum, qui sponte sui ipsius detrimentum in alterius penam
        maiorem patitur. Et narrat quod, cum Iupiter angelum suum
        in forma hominis, vt hominum condiciones exploraret,
        ab excelso in terram misit, contigit quod ipse angelus
        duos homines, quorum vnus cupidus, alter inuidus erat,
        itinerando spacio quasi vnius diei comitabatur. Et cum
        sero factum esset, angelus eorum noticie seipsum tunc
        manifestans dixit, quod quicquid alter eorum ab ipso
        donari sibi pecierit, illud statim obtinebit, quod et
        socio suo secum comitanti affirmat duplicandum. Super quo
        cupidus impeditus auaricia, sperans sibi diuicias carpere[562]
        duplicatas, primo petere recusauit. Quod cum inuidus
        animaduerteret, naturam sui vicii concernens, ita vt
        socius suus vtroque lumine priuaretur, seipsum monoculum
        fieri constanter primus ab angelo postulabat. Et sic vnius
        inuidia alterius auariciam maculauit.]
    Of Jupiter this finde I write,
  How whilom that he wolde wite
  Upon the pleigntes whiche he herde,
  Among the men how that it ferde,
  As of here wrong condicion
  To do justificacion:
  And for that cause doun he sente
  An Angel, which aboute wente,[560]
  That he the sothe knowe mai.
  So it befell upon a dai                                            300
  This Angel, which him scholde enforme,
  Was clothed in a mannes forme,
  And overtok, I understonde,
  Tuo men that wenten over londe,
  Thurgh whiche he thoghte to aspie
  His cause, and goth in compaignie.
                                                [Sidenote: =P. i. 170=]
  This Angel with hise wordes wise
  Opposeth hem in sondri wise,
  Now lowde wordes and now softe,
  That mad hem to desputen ofte,[561]                                310
  And ech of hem his reson hadde.
  And thus with tales he hem ladde
  With good examinacioun,
  Til he knew the condicioun,
  What men thei were bothe tuo;
  And sih wel ate laste tho,
  That on of hem was coveitous,
  And his fela was envious.
  And thus, whan he hath knowlechinge,
  Anon he feigneth departinge,                                       320
  And seide he mot algate wende.
  Bot herkne now what fell at ende:
  For thanne he made hem understonde
  That he was there of goddes sonde,
  And seide hem, for the kindeschipe
  That thei have don him felaschipe,
  He wole hem do som grace ayein,
  And bad that on of hem schal sein
  What thing him is lievest to crave,

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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