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 yaf it sowke, and evere among
Sche wepte, and otherwhile song 1080
[Sidenote: =P. i. 196=]
To rocke with hire child aslepe:
And thus hire oghne child to kepe
Sche hath under the goddes cure.
And so fell upon aventure,
[Sidenote: Qualiter Nauis Constancie post biennium in
partes Hispanie superioris inter Sarazenos iactabatur,
a quorum manibus deus ipsam conseruans graciosissime
liberauit.[614]]
Whan thilke yer hath mad his ende,
Hire Schip, so as it moste wende
Thurgh strengthe of wynd which god hath yive,
Estward was into Spaigne drive
Riht faste under a Castell wall,
Wher that an hethen Amirall 1090
Was lord, and he a Stieward hadde,
Oon Theloüs, which al was badde,
A fals knyht and a renegat.
He goth to loke in what astat
The Schip was come, and there he fond
Forth with a child upon hire hond
This lady, wher sche was al one.
He tok good hiede of the persone,
And sih sche was a worthi wiht,
And thoghte he wolde upon the nyht 1100
Demene hire at his oghne wille,[615]
And let hire be therinne stille,
That mo men sih sche noght that dai.[616]
At goddes wille and thus sche lai,
Unknowe what hire schal betide;
And fell so that be nyhtes tide
This knyht withoute felaschipe
Hath take a bot and cam to Schipe,
And thoghte of hire his lust to take,
And swor, if sche him daunger make, 1110
[Sidenote: =P. i. 197=]
That certeinly sche scholde deie.
Sche sih ther was non other weie,
And seide he scholde hire wel conforte,
That he ferst loke out ate porte,
That noman were nyh the stede,
Which myhte knowe what thei dede,
And thanne he mai do what he wolde.
He was riht glad that sche so tolde,
And to the porte anon he ferde:
Sche preide god, and he hire herde,[617] 1120
And sodeinliche he was out throwe
And dreynt, and tho began to blowe
A wynd menable fro the lond,[618]
And thus the myhti goddes hond
Hire hath conveied and defended.
And whan thre yer be full despended,
[Sidenote: Qualiter nauicula Constancie quodam die per
altum mare vagans[619] inter copiosam Nauium multitudinem
dilapsa est, quarum Arcennus Romanorum Consul, Dux et
Capitaneus ipsam ignotam suscipiens vsque ad Romam secum
perduxit; vbi equalem vxori sue Helene permansuram
reuerenter associauit, necnon et eiusdem filium Mauricium
in omni habundancia quasi proprium educauit.[620]]
Hire Schip was drive upon a dai,
Wher that a gret Navye lay
Of Schipes, al the world at ones:
And as god wolde for the nones, 1130
Hire Schip goth in among hem alle,
And stinte noght, er it be falle[621]
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