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

If I hire hadde, it were ynowh,                                 2850
  Hir love scholde me suffise
  Withouten other coveitise.
  Lo now, mi fader, as of this,
  Touchende of me riht as it is,
  Mi schrifte I am beknowe plein;
  And if ye wole oght elles sein,[88]
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 223=]
  Of covoitise if ther be more
  In love, agropeth out the sore.

                              [Sidenote: [FALSE WITNESS AND PERJURY.]]
  iv. _Fallere cum nequeat propria vir fraude, subornat_
        _Testes, sit quod eis vera retorta fides._[89]
      _Sicut agros cupidus dum querit amans mulieres,_
        _Vult testes falsos falsus habere suos._[90]
      _Non sine vindicta periurus abibit in eius_
        _Visu, qui cordis intima cuncta videt._
      _Fallere periuro non est laudanda puellam_[91]
        _Gloria, set false condicionis opus._

    Mi Sone, thou schalt understonde
  Hou Coveitise hath yit on honde                                 2860
  In special tuo conseilours,
  That ben also hise procurours.
      [Sidenote: Hic tractat super illis[92] Auaricie speciebus,
      que falsum Testimonium et Periurium nuncupantur; quorum
      fraudulenta circumuencio tam in cupiditatis[95] quam in
      amoris causa sui desiderii propositum quamsepe fallaciter
      attingit.]
  The ferst of hem is Falswitnesse,[93]
  Which evere is redi to witnesse
  What thing his maister wol him hote:
  Perjurie is the secounde hote,[94]
  Which spareth noght to swere an oth,
  Thogh it be fals and god be wroth.[96]
  That on schal falswitnesse bere,
  That other schal the thing forswere,                            2870
  Whan he is charged on the bok.
  So what with hepe and what with crok[97]
  Thei make here maister ofte winne
  And wol noght knowe what is sinne
  For coveitise, and thus, men sain,
  Thei maken many a fals bargain.
  Ther mai no trewe querele arise
  In thilke queste and thilke assise,[98]
  Where as thei tuo the poeple enforme;
  For thei kepe evere o maner forme,                              2880
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 224=]
  That upon gold here conscience
  Thei founde, and take here evidence;
  And thus with falswitnesse and othes
  Thei winne hem mete and drinke and clothes.
    Riht so ther be, who that hem knewe,
  Of thes lovers ful many untrewe:
  Nou mai a womman finde ynowe,
  That ech of hem, whan he schal wowe,
  Anon he wole his hand doun lein
  Upon a bok, and swere and sein                                  2890
  That he wole feith and trouthe bere;
  And thus he profreth him to swere
  To serven evere til he die,
  And al is verai tricherie.
  For whan the sothe himselven trieth,
  The more he swerth, the more he lieth;
  Whan he his feith makth althermest,
  Than mai a womman truste him lest;
  For til he mai his will achieve,
  He is no lengere forto lieve.[99]                               2900
  Thus is the trouthe of love exiled,

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

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