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
Sche was transformed forth withal,
So that Neptunus nothing stal
Of such thing as he wolde have stole.
With fetheres blake as eny cole
Out of hise armes in a throwe
Sche flih before his yhe a Crowe;
Which was to hire a more delit,
To kepe hire maidenhede whit
Under the wede of fethers blake,
In Perles whyte than forsake 6210
That no lif mai restore ayein.
Bot thus Neptune his herte in vein
Hath upon Robberie sett;
The bridd is flowe and he was let,
The faire Maide him hath ascaped,[474]
Wherof for evere he was bejaped
And scorned of that he hath lore.
[Sidenote: Confessor.]
Mi Sone, be thou war therfore
That thou no maidenhode stele,
Wherof men sen deseses fele 6220
Aldai befalle in sondri wise;
So as I schal thee yit devise
An other tale therupon,
Which fell be olde daies gon.
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 336=]
[Sidenote: [TALE OF CALISTONA.]]
King Lichaon upon his wif
A dowhter hadde, a goodly lif,
[Sidenote: Hic ponit exemplum contra istos in causa
virginitatis lese predones. Et narrat quod cum Calistona
Lichaontis mire pulcritudinis filia suam virginitatem
Diane conseruandam castissima vouisset, et in Siluam que
Tegea dicitur inter alias ibidem Nimphas moraturam se
transtulisset, Iupiter virginis castitatem subtili furto
surripiens, quendam[476] filium, qui postea Archas nominatus
est, ex ea genuit: vnde Iuno in Calistonam seuiens eius
pulcritudinem in vrse turpissime deformitatem subito
transfigurauit.]
A clene Maide of worthi fame,
Calistona whos rihte name
Was cleped, and of many a lord
Sche was besoght, bot hire acord 6230
To love myhte noman winne,
As sche which hath no lust therinne;
Bot swor withinne hir herte and saide
That sche wolde evere ben a Maide.[475]
Wherof to kepe hireself in pes,
With suche as Amadriades
Were cleped, wodemaydes, tho,
And with the Nimphes ek also
Upon the spring of freisshe welles
Sche schop to duelle and nagher elles. 6240
And thus cam this Calistona
Into the wode of Tegea,
Wher sche virginite behihte
Unto Diane, and therto plihte
Her trouthe upon the bowes grene,
To kepe hir maidenhode clene.
Which afterward upon a day
Was priveliche stole away;
For Jupiter thurgh his queintise
From hire it tok in such a wise, 6250
That sodeinliche forth withal
Hire wombe aros and sche toswal,
So that it mihte noght ben hidd.
And therupon it is betidd,
[Sidenote: =P. ii. 337=]
Diane, which it herde telle,
In prive place unto a welle[477]
With Nimphes al a compainie[478]
Was come, and in a ragerie
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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