The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English works

Name: The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English works
Author: Gower, John

Gower, John

Poetry

I Genius the prest of love,
      [Sidenote: Quia omnis doctrina bona humano regimini salutem
      confert, in hoc septimo libro ad instanciam Amantis
      languidi intendit Genius illam ex qua Philosophi et
      Astrologi philosophie doctrinam Regem Alexandrum imbuerunt,
      secundum aliquid declarare. Diuidit enim philosophiam in
      tres partes, quarum prima Theorica, secunda Rethorica,
      tercia Practica nuncupata est, de quarum condicionibus
      subsequenter per singula tractabit.]
  Mi Sone, as thou hast preid above
  That I the Scole schal declare
  Of Aristotle and ek the fare
  Of Alisandre, hou he was tauht,
  I am somdel therof destrauht;
  For it is noght to the matiere
  Of love, why we sitten hiere
  To schryve, so as Venus bad.
  Bot natheles, for it is glad,                                     10
  So as thou seist, for thin aprise
  To hiere of suche thinges wise,
  Wherof thou myht the time lisse,[927]
  So as I can, I schal the wisse:
                                              [Sidenote: =P. iii. 85=]
  For wisdom is at every throwe[928]
  Above alle other thing to knowe
  In loves cause and elleswhere.
  Forthi, my Sone, unto thin Ere,
  Though it be noght in the registre
  Of Venus, yit of that Calistre                                    20
  And Aristotle whylom write
  To Alisandre, thou schalt wite.
    Bot for the lores ben diverse,
                              [Sidenote: [THREE PARTS OF PHILOSOPHY.]]
  I thenke ferst to the reherce
  The nature of Philosophie;[929]
  Which Aristotle of his clergie,
  Wys and expert in the sciences,
  Declareth thilke intelligences,[930]
  As of thre pointz in principal.[931]
    Wherof the ferste in special                                    30
  Is Theorique, which is grounded
  On him which al the world hath founded,
  Which comprehendeth al the lore.
    And forto loken overmore,
  Next of sciences the seconde
  Is Rethorique, whos faconde
  Above alle othre is eloquent:
  To telle a tale in juggement
  So wel can noman speke as he.
    The laste science of the thre                                   40
  It is Practique, whos office
  The vertu tryeth fro the vice,
  And techeth upon goode thewes
  To fle the compaignie of schrewes,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. iii. 86=]
  Which stant in disposicion
  Of mannes free eleccion.
  Practique enformeth ek the reule,
  Hou that a worthi king schal reule
  His Realme bothe in werre and pes.
    Lo, thus danz Aristotiles                                       50
  These thre sciences hath divided
  And the nature also decided,
  Wherof that ech of hem schal serve.
    The ferste, which is the conserve
  And kepere of the remnant,
  As that which is most sufficant[932]
  And chief of the Philosophie,
  If I therof schal specefie
  So as the Philosophre tolde,
  Nou herkne, and kep that thou it holde.                           60

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English worksGower, John

History

The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English works

Gower, John

Poetry

I Genius the prest of love,
      [Sidenote: Quia omnis doctrina bona humano regimini salutem
      confert, in hoc septimo libro ad instanciam Amantis
      languidi intendit Genius illam ex qua Philosophi et
      Astrologi philosophie doctrinam Regem Alexandrum imbuerunt,
      secundum aliquid declarare. Diuidit enim philosophiam in
      tres partes, quarum prima Theorica, secunda Rethorica,
      tercia Practica nuncupata est, de quarum condicionibus
      subsequenter per singula tractabit.]
  Mi Sone, as thou hast preid above
  That I the Scole schal declare
  Of Aristotle and ek the fare
  Of Alisandre, hou he was tauht,
  I am somdel therof destrauht;
  For it is noght to the matiere
  Of love, why we sitten hiere
  To schryve, so as Venus bad.
  Bot natheles, for it is glad,                                     10
  So as thou seist, for thin aprise
  To hiere of suche thinges wise,
  Wherof thou myht the time lisse,[927]
  So as I can, I schal the wisse:
                                              [Sidenote: =P. iii. 85=]
  For wisdom is at every throwe[928]
  Above alle other thing to knowe
  In loves cause and elleswhere.
  Forthi, my Sone, unto thin Ere,
  Though it be noght in the registre
  Of Venus, yit of that Calistre                                    20
  And Aristotle whylom write
  To Alisandre, thou schalt wite.
    Bot for the lores ben diverse,
                              [Sidenote: [THREE PARTS OF PHILOSOPHY.]]
  I thenke ferst to the reherce
  The nature of Philosophie;[929]
  Which Aristotle of his clergie,
  Wys and expert in the sciences,
  Declareth thilke intelligences,[930]
  As of thre pointz in principal.[931]
    Wherof the ferste in special                                    30
  Is Theorique, which is grounded
  On him which al the world hath founded,
  Which comprehendeth al the lore.
    And forto loken overmore,
  Next of sciences the seconde
  Is Rethorique, whos faconde
  Above alle othre is eloquent:
  To telle a tale in juggement
  So wel can noman speke as he.
    The laste science of the thre                                   40
  It is Practique, whos office
  The vertu tryeth fro the vice,
  And techeth upon goode thewes
  To fle the compaignie of schrewes,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. iii. 86=]
  Which stant in disposicion
  Of mannes free eleccion.
  Practique enformeth ek the reule,
  Hou that a worthi king schal reule
  His Realme bothe in werre and pes.
    Lo, thus danz Aristotiles                                       50
  These thre sciences hath divided
  And the nature also decided,
  Wherof that ech of hem schal serve.
    The ferste, which is the conserve
  And kepere of the remnant,
  As that which is most sufficant[932]
  And chief of the Philosophie,
  If I therof schal specefie
  So as the Philosophre tolde,
  Nou herkne, and kep that thou it holde.                           60

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English works

The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English works

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