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

Out of Athenys for truage
  Of men that were of myhti Age
  Persones nyne, of whiche he schal
  His wille don in special
  For vengance of his Sones deth.
  Non other grace ther ne geth,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 304=]
  Bot forto take the juise;
  And that was don in such a wise,                                5270
  Which stod upon a wonder cas.
  For thilke time so it was,
  Wherof that men yit rede and singe,
  King Mynos hadde in his kepinge
  A cruel Monstre, as seith the geste:
  For he was half man and half beste,
  And Minotaurus he was hote,[352]
  Which was begete in a riote
  Upon Pasiphe, his oghne wif,
  Whil he was oute upon the strif                                 5280
  Of thilke grete Siege at Troie.[353]
  Bot sche, which lost hath alle joie,[354]
  Whan that sche syh this Monstre bore,
  Bad men ordeigne anon therfore:
  And fell that ilke time thus,
  Ther was a Clerk, on Dedalus,
  Which hadde ben of hire assent
  Of that hir world was so miswent;[355]
  And he made of his oghne wit,
  Wherof the remembrance is yit,                                  5290
  For Minotaure such an hous,
  Which was so strange and merveilous,
  That what man that withinne wente,
  Ther was so many a sondri wente,
  That he ne scholde noght come oute,
  But gon amased al aboute.
  And in this hous to loke and warde
  Was Minotaurus put in warde,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 305=]
  That what lif that therinne cam,[356]
  Or man or beste, he overcam                                     5300
  And slow, and fedde him therupon;
  And in this wise many on[357]
  Out of Athenys for truage
  Devoured weren in that rage.
  For every yeer thei schope hem so,
  Thei of Athenys, er thei go
  Toward that ilke wofull chance,
  As it was set in ordinance,[358]
  Upon fortune here lot thei caste;
  Til that Theseüs ate laste,                                     5310
  Which was the kinges Sone there,
  Amonges othre that ther were
  In thilke yeer, as it befell,
  The lot upon his chance fell.
  He was a worthi kniht withalle;
  And whan he sih this chance falle,[359]
  He ferde as thogh he tok non hiede,
  Bot al that evere he mihte spiede,
  With him and with his felaschipe
  Forth into Crete he goth be Schipe;                             5320
  Wher that the king Mynos he soghte,[360]
  And profreth all that he him oghte
  Upon the point of here acord.
    This sterne king, this cruel lord
  Tok every day on of the Nyne,
  And put him to the discipline[361]
  Of Minotaure, to be devoured;
  Bot Theseüs was so favoured,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 306=]
  That he was kept til ate laste.
  And in the meene while he caste                                 5330
  What thing him were best to do:
  And fell that Adriagne tho,
  Which was the dowhter of Mynos,
  And hadde herd the worthi los
  Of Theseüs and of his myht,
  And syh he was a lusti kniht,

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

Out of Athenys for truage
  Of men that were of myhti Age
  Persones nyne, of whiche he schal
  His wille don in special
  For vengance of his Sones deth.
  Non other grace ther ne geth,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 304=]
  Bot forto take the juise;
  And that was don in such a wise,                                5270
  Which stod upon a wonder cas.
  For thilke time so it was,
  Wherof that men yit rede and singe,
  King Mynos hadde in his kepinge
  A cruel Monstre, as seith the geste:
  For he was half man and half beste,
  And Minotaurus he was hote,[352]
  Which was begete in a riote
  Upon Pasiphe, his oghne wif,
  Whil he was oute upon the strif                                 5280
  Of thilke grete Siege at Troie.[353]
  Bot sche, which lost hath alle joie,[354]
  Whan that sche syh this Monstre bore,
  Bad men ordeigne anon therfore:
  And fell that ilke time thus,
  Ther was a Clerk, on Dedalus,
  Which hadde ben of hire assent
  Of that hir world was so miswent;[355]
  And he made of his oghne wit,
  Wherof the remembrance is yit,                                  5290
  For Minotaure such an hous,
  Which was so strange and merveilous,
  That what man that withinne wente,
  Ther was so many a sondri wente,
  That he ne scholde noght come oute,
  But gon amased al aboute.
  And in this hous to loke and warde
  Was Minotaurus put in warde,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 305=]
  That what lif that therinne cam,[356]
  Or man or beste, he overcam                                     5300
  And slow, and fedde him therupon;
  And in this wise many on[357]
  Out of Athenys for truage
  Devoured weren in that rage.
  For every yeer thei schope hem so,
  Thei of Athenys, er thei go
  Toward that ilke wofull chance,
  As it was set in ordinance,[358]
  Upon fortune here lot thei caste;
  Til that Theseüs ate laste,                                     5310
  Which was the kinges Sone there,
  Amonges othre that ther were
  In thilke yeer, as it befell,
  The lot upon his chance fell.
  He was a worthi kniht withalle;
  And whan he sih this chance falle,[359]
  He ferde as thogh he tok non hiede,
  Bot al that evere he mihte spiede,
  With him and with his felaschipe
  Forth into Crete he goth be Schipe;                             5320
  Wher that the king Mynos he soghte,[360]
  And profreth all that he him oghte
  Upon the point of here acord.
    This sterne king, this cruel lord
  Tok every day on of the Nyne,
  And put him to the discipline[361]
  Of Minotaure, to be devoured;
  Bot Theseüs was so favoured,
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 306=]
  That he was kept til ate laste.
  And in the meene while he caste                                 5330
  What thing him were best to do:
  And fell that Adriagne tho,
  Which was the dowhter of Mynos,
  And hadde herd the worthi los
  Of Theseüs and of his myht,
  And syh he was a lusti kniht,

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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