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

And straght unto the bregge he rod,
  Wher that he hoved and abod;                                    2290
  For as he caste his yhe nyh,
  His felaw Diogene he syh,
  And what he dede he syh also,
  Wherof he seide to him so:[1120]
    ‘O Diogene, god thee spede.
  It were certes litel nede
  To sitte there and wortes pyke,
  If thou thi Prince couthest lyke,
  So as I can in my degre.’
    ‘O Arisippe,’ ayein quod he,                                  2300
  ‘If that thou couthist, so as I,
  Thi wortes pyke, trewely
  It were als litel nede or lasse,
  That thou so worldly wolt compasse
  With flaterie forto serve,
  Wherof thou thenkest to deserve
  Thi princes thonk, and to pourchace
  Hou thou myht stonden in his grace,
                                             [Sidenote: =P. iii. 163=]
  For getinge of a litel good.
  If thou wolt take into thi mod                                  2310
  Reson, thou myht be reson deeme
  That so thi prince forto queeme
  Is noght to reson acordant,
  Bot it is gretly descordant
  Unto the Scoles of Athene.’
  Lo, thus ansuerde Diogene
  Ayein the clerkes flaterie.
                                           [Sidenote: [FLATTERY.]]
    Bot yit men sen thessamplerie[1121]
  Of Arisippe is wel received,
  And thilke of Diogene is weyved.                                2320
  Office in court and gold in cofre
  Is nou, men sein, the philosophre
  Which hath the worschipe in the halle;
  Bot flaterie passeth alle
  In chambre, whom the court avanceth;
  For upon thilke lot it chanceth
  To be beloved nou aday.
  *I not if it be ye or nay,
  Bot as the comun vois it telleth;[1122]
  Bot wher that flaterie duelleth[1123]                           2330

     *       *       *       *       *

  *I not if it be ye or nay.
                                       [Sidenote: [EXAMPLE OF DANTE.]]
    How Dante the poete answerde[1124]
      [Sidenote: Nota exemplum cuiusdam poete de Ytalia, qui
      Dante vocabatur.]
  To a flatour, the tale I herde.                                2330*
  Upon a strif bitwen hem tuo
  He seide him, ‘Ther ben many mo[1125]
  Of thy servantes than of myne.
  For the poete of his covyne
  Hath non that wol him clothe and fede,
  But a flatour may reule and lede
                                             [Sidenote: =P. iii. 164=]
  A king with al his loun aboute.’
  So stant the wise man in doute
  Of hem that to folie drawe:
  For such is now the newe lawe,                                 2340*
  And as the comune vois it telleth,
  Wher now that flaterie duelleth
  In every lond etc. (_as_ 2331 ff.)

     *       *       *       *       *

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

And straght unto the bregge he rod,
  Wher that he hoved and abod;                                    2290
  For as he caste his yhe nyh,
  His felaw Diogene he syh,
  And what he dede he syh also,
  Wherof he seide to him so:[1120]
    ‘O Diogene, god thee spede.
  It were certes litel nede
  To sitte there and wortes pyke,
  If thou thi Prince couthest lyke,
  So as I can in my degre.’
    ‘O Arisippe,’ ayein quod he,                                  2300
  ‘If that thou couthist, so as I,
  Thi wortes pyke, trewely
  It were als litel nede or lasse,
  That thou so worldly wolt compasse
  With flaterie forto serve,
  Wherof thou thenkest to deserve
  Thi princes thonk, and to pourchace
  Hou thou myht stonden in his grace,
                                             [Sidenote: =P. iii. 163=]
  For getinge of a litel good.
  If thou wolt take into thi mod                                  2310
  Reson, thou myht be reson deeme
  That so thi prince forto queeme
  Is noght to reson acordant,
  Bot it is gretly descordant
  Unto the Scoles of Athene.’
  Lo, thus ansuerde Diogene
  Ayein the clerkes flaterie.
                                           [Sidenote: [FLATTERY.]]
    Bot yit men sen thessamplerie[1121]
  Of Arisippe is wel received,
  And thilke of Diogene is weyved.                                2320
  Office in court and gold in cofre
  Is nou, men sein, the philosophre
  Which hath the worschipe in the halle;
  Bot flaterie passeth alle
  In chambre, whom the court avanceth;
  For upon thilke lot it chanceth
  To be beloved nou aday.
  *I not if it be ye or nay,
  Bot as the comun vois it telleth;[1122]
  Bot wher that flaterie duelleth[1123]                           2330

     *       *       *       *       *

  *I not if it be ye or nay.
                                       [Sidenote: [EXAMPLE OF DANTE.]]
    How Dante the poete answerde[1124]
      [Sidenote: Nota exemplum cuiusdam poete de Ytalia, qui
      Dante vocabatur.]
  To a flatour, the tale I herde.                                2330*
  Upon a strif bitwen hem tuo
  He seide him, ‘Ther ben many mo[1125]
  Of thy servantes than of myne.
  For the poete of his covyne
  Hath non that wol him clothe and fede,
  But a flatour may reule and lede
                                             [Sidenote: =P. iii. 164=]
  A king with al his loun aboute.’
  So stant the wise man in doute
  Of hem that to folie drawe:
  For such is now the newe lawe,                                 2340*
  And as the comune vois it telleth,
  Wher now that flaterie duelleth
  In every lond etc. (_as_ 2331 ff.)

     *       *       *       *       *

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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