[Sidenote: [DELICACY OF NERO.]] What man that wolde him wel avise,[818] Delicacie is to despise, [Sidenote: Hic loquitur de delicacia Neronis, qui corporalibus deliciis magis adherens spiritalia gaudia minus[819] obtinuit.] Whan kinde acordeth noght withal; Wherof ensample in special Of Nero whilom mai be told, Which ayein kinde manyfold Hise lustes tok, til ate laste That god him wolde al overcaste; Of whom the Cronique is so plein, Me list nomore of him to sein. 1160 And natheles for glotonie Of bodili Delicacie, To knowe his stomak hou it ferde, Of that noman tofore herde, Which he withinne himself bethoghte, A wonder soubtil thing he wroghte. Thre men upon eleccioun Of age and of complexioun Lich to himself be alle weie He tok towardes him to pleie, 1170 And ete and drinke als wel as he. Therof was no diversite; For every day whan that thei eete, Tofore his oghne bord thei seete, And of such mete as he was served, Althogh thei hadde it noght deserved, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 41=] Thei token service of the same. Bot afterward al thilke game Was into wofull ernest torned; For whan thei weren thus sojorned, 1180 Withinne a time at after mete Nero, which hadde noght foryete The lustes of his frele astat, As he which al was delicat, To knowe thilke experience, The men let come in his presence:[820] And to that on the same tyde, A courser that he scholde ryde Into the feld, anon he bad; Wherof this man was wonder glad, 1190 And goth to prike and prance aboute. That other, whil that he was oute, He leide upon his bedd to slepe: The thridde, which he wolde kepe Withinne his chambre, faire and softe He goth now doun nou up fulofte, Walkende a pass, that he ne slepte, Til he which on the courser lepte Was come fro the field ayein. Nero thanne, as the bokes sein, 1200 These men doth taken alle thre And slouh hem, for he wolde se The whos stomak was best defied: And whanne he hath the sothe tryed, He fond that he which goth the pass Defyed best of alle was, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 42=] Which afterward he usede ay. And thus what thing unto his pay Was most plesant, he lefte non:[821] With every lust he was begon, 1210 Wherof the bodi myhte glade, For he non abstinence made; Bot most above alle erthli thinges Of wommen unto the likinges Nero sette al his hole herte, For that lust scholde him noght asterte. Whan that the thurst of love him cawhte, Wher that him list he tok a drauhte, He spareth nouther wif ne maide, That such an other, as men saide, 1220