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

Such am not I, father. I could love my lady no more than I do, if
she were as rich as Candace or Pantasilee; and I think no man is so
covetous that he would not set his heart upon her more than upon gold.
To one who knows what love is, my lady seems to have all the graces of
nature, and she is also the mirror and example of goodness. It were
better to love her than to love one who has a million of gold. I say
not that she is poor, for she has enough of worldly goods; yet my heart
has never been drawn to her but for pure love’s sake.

It is well, my son, for no other love will last. Hear now an example of
how coveitise prevailed over love. (2514-2642.)

_The King and his Steward’s Wife._ There was a king of Puile, whom his
physicians counselled to take a fair young woman to his bed, and he
bade his steward provide. The steward had a wife whom he had married
for lucre and not for love, and he set his coveitise before his honour.
Having received a hundred pounds from the king to procure him the
woman, he brought at night his own wife, against her will. Before the
morning he came and desired to take her away, but the king refused to
let her go, and at length the steward was compelled to tell him who she
was. The king threatened him with death if he remained one day longer
in the land, and afterwards he took the woman for his wife. (2643-2825.)

Beware, my son, of this, for it is a great evil when marriage is made
for lucre.

Father, so think I, and yet riches may sometimes be a help to love. Now
ask me more, if more there be. (2826-2858.)

2859-4382. FALSE WITNESS and PERJURY. Coveitise has two counsellors,
False Witness and Perjury, who make gain for their master by lying. So
lovers often swear faithful service to a woman, and it is all treachery.

I am not one of these, father: my thought is not discordant to my word.
I may safely swear that I love my lady, and if other men should bear
witness of it for me, there would be no false swearing.

My son, I will tell thee a tale to show that False Witness is at last
found out. (2859-2960.)

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

Such am not I, father. I could love my lady no more than I do, if
she were as rich as Candace or Pantasilee; and I think no man is so
covetous that he would not set his heart upon her more than upon gold.
To one who knows what love is, my lady seems to have all the graces of
nature, and she is also the mirror and example of goodness. It were
better to love her than to love one who has a million of gold. I say
not that she is poor, for she has enough of worldly goods; yet my heart
has never been drawn to her but for pure love’s sake.

It is well, my son, for no other love will last. Hear now an example of
how coveitise prevailed over love. (2514-2642.)

_The King and his Steward’s Wife._ There was a king of Puile, whom his
physicians counselled to take a fair young woman to his bed, and he
bade his steward provide. The steward had a wife whom he had married
for lucre and not for love, and he set his coveitise before his honour.
Having received a hundred pounds from the king to procure him the
woman, he brought at night his own wife, against her will. Before the
morning he came and desired to take her away, but the king refused to
let her go, and at length the steward was compelled to tell him who she
was. The king threatened him with death if he remained one day longer
in the land, and afterwards he took the woman for his wife. (2643-2825.)

Beware, my son, of this, for it is a great evil when marriage is made
for lucre.

Father, so think I, and yet riches may sometimes be a help to love. Now
ask me more, if more there be. (2826-2858.)

2859-4382. FALSE WITNESS and PERJURY. Coveitise has two counsellors,
False Witness and Perjury, who make gain for their master by lying. So
lovers often swear faithful service to a woman, and it is all treachery.

I am not one of these, father: my thought is not discordant to my word.
I may safely swear that I love my lady, and if other men should bear
witness of it for me, there would be no false swearing.

My son, I will tell thee a tale to show that False Witness is at last
found out. (2859-2960.)

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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