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

That thei of hem be war also,
  For ther ben manye untrewe of tho.
  Thus ben the Sostres briddes bothe,
  And ben toward the men so lothe,
  That thei ne wole of pure schame
  Unto no mannes hand be tame;[453]
  For evere it duelleth in here mynde
  Of that thei founde a man unkinde,
  And that was false Tereüs.
  If such on be amonges ous                                       6030
  I not, bot his condicion
  Men sein in every region
  Withinne toune and ek withoute
  Nou regneth comunliche aboute.
  And natheles in remembrance
  I wol declare what vengance
  The goddes hadden him ordeined,
  Of that the Sostres hadden pleigned:
  For anon after he was changed
  And from his oghne kinde stranged,                              6040
  A lappewincke mad he was,
  And thus he hoppeth on the gras,[454]
  And on his hed ther stant upriht
  A creste in tokne he was a kniht;[455]
  And yit unto this dai men seith,
  A lappewincke hath lore his feith[456]
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 330=]
  And is the brid falseste of alle.
                                                [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Bewar, mi Sone, er thee so falle;[457]
  For if thou be of such covine,
  To gete of love be Ravine                                       6050
  Thi lust, it mai thee falle thus,
  As it befell of Tereüs.[458]
                                                    [Sidenote: Amans.]
    Mi fader, goddes forebode![459]
  Me were levere be fortrode[460]
  With wilde hors and be todrawe,
  Er I ayein love and his lawe
  Dede eny thing or loude or stille,
  Which were noght mi ladi wille.
  Men sein that every love hath drede;[461]
  So folweth it that I hire drede,                                6060
  For I hire love, and who so dredeth,
  To plese his love and serve him nedeth.
  Thus mai ye knowen be this skile
  That no Ravine don I wile
  Ayein hir will be such a weie;
  Bot while I live, I wol obeie
  Abidinge on hire courtesie,
  If eny merci wolde hir plie.
  Forthi, mi fader, as of this
  I wot noght I have don amis:                                    6070
  Bot furthermore I you beseche,
  Som other point that ye me teche,
  And axeth forth, if ther be auht,
  That I mai be the betre tauht.

                                                [Sidenote: [ROBBERY.]]
  ix. _Viuat vt ex spoliis grandi quamsepe tumultu,_
        _Quo graditur populus, latro perurget iter._
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 331=]
      _Sic amor, ex casu poterit quo carpere predam,_
        _Si locus est aptus, cetera nulla timet._

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

That thei of hem be war also,
  For ther ben manye untrewe of tho.
  Thus ben the Sostres briddes bothe,
  And ben toward the men so lothe,
  That thei ne wole of pure schame
  Unto no mannes hand be tame;[453]
  For evere it duelleth in here mynde
  Of that thei founde a man unkinde,
  And that was false Tereüs.
  If such on be amonges ous                                       6030
  I not, bot his condicion
  Men sein in every region
  Withinne toune and ek withoute
  Nou regneth comunliche aboute.
  And natheles in remembrance
  I wol declare what vengance
  The goddes hadden him ordeined,
  Of that the Sostres hadden pleigned:
  For anon after he was changed
  And from his oghne kinde stranged,                              6040
  A lappewincke mad he was,
  And thus he hoppeth on the gras,[454]
  And on his hed ther stant upriht
  A creste in tokne he was a kniht;[455]
  And yit unto this dai men seith,
  A lappewincke hath lore his feith[456]
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 330=]
  And is the brid falseste of alle.
                                                [Sidenote: Confessor.]
    Bewar, mi Sone, er thee so falle;[457]
  For if thou be of such covine,
  To gete of love be Ravine                                       6050
  Thi lust, it mai thee falle thus,
  As it befell of Tereüs.[458]
                                                    [Sidenote: Amans.]
    Mi fader, goddes forebode![459]
  Me were levere be fortrode[460]
  With wilde hors and be todrawe,
  Er I ayein love and his lawe
  Dede eny thing or loude or stille,
  Which were noght mi ladi wille.
  Men sein that every love hath drede;[461]
  So folweth it that I hire drede,                                6060
  For I hire love, and who so dredeth,
  To plese his love and serve him nedeth.
  Thus mai ye knowen be this skile
  That no Ravine don I wile
  Ayein hir will be such a weie;
  Bot while I live, I wol obeie
  Abidinge on hire courtesie,
  If eny merci wolde hir plie.
  Forthi, mi fader, as of this
  I wot noght I have don amis:                                    6070
  Bot furthermore I you beseche,
  Som other point that ye me teche,
  And axeth forth, if ther be auht,
  That I mai be the betre tauht.

                                                [Sidenote: [ROBBERY.]]
  ix. _Viuat vt ex spoliis grandi quamsepe tumultu,_
        _Quo graditur populus, latro perurget iter._
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 331=]
      _Sic amor, ex casu poterit quo carpere predam,_
        _Si locus est aptus, cetera nulla timet._

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

No reviews yet