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 ek it is so hyh above,
  I mai noght wel therto areche,
  Bot if so be at time of speche,
  Ful selde if thanne I stele may
  A word or tuo and go my way.
  Betwen hire hih astat and me[538]
  Comparison ther mai non be,
  So that I fiele and wel I wot,
  Al is to hevy and to hot                                        6600
  To sette on hond withoute leve:
  And thus I mot algate leve
  To stele that I mai noght take,
  And in this wise I mot forsake
  To ben a thief ayein mi wille
  Of thing which I mai noght fulfille.
  For that Serpent which nevere slepte
  The flees of gold so wel ne kepte
  In Colchos, as the tale is told,
  That mi ladi a thousendfold                                     6610
  Nys betre yemed and bewaked,
  Wher sche be clothed or be naked.
  To kepe hir bodi nyht and day,
  Sche hath a wardein redi ay,
  Which is so wonderful a wyht,
  That him ne mai no mannes myht                               (6650*)
  With swerd ne with no wepne daunte,[539]
  Ne with no sleihte of charme enchaunte,
  Wherof he mihte be mad tame,
  And Danger is his rihte name;                                   6620
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 351=]
  Which under lock and under keie,
  That noman mai it stele aweie,
  Hath al the Tresor underfonge
  That unto love mai belonge.
  The leste lokinge of hire yhe
  Mai noght be stole, if he it syhe;
  And who so gruccheth for so lyte,
  He wolde sone sette a wyte
  On him that wolde stele more.
  And that me grieveth wonder sore,                               6630
  For this proverbe is evere newe,
  That stronge lokes maken trewe
  Of hem that wolden stele and pyke:[540]
  For so wel can ther noman slyke[541]
  Be him ne be non other mene,
  To whom Danger wol yive or lene
  Of that tresor he hath to kepe.
  So thogh I wolde stalke and crepe,
  And wayte on eve and ek on morwe,
  Of Danger schal I nothing borwe,                                6640
  And stele I wot wel may I noght:[542]
  And thus I am riht wel bethoght,
  Whil Danger stant in his office,
  Of Stelthe, which ye clepe a vice,
  I schal be gultif neveremo.
  Therfore I wolde he were ago
  So fer that I nevere of him herde,
  Hou so that afterward it ferde:
  For thanne I mihte yit per cas
  Of love make som pourchas                                       6650
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 352=]
  Be Stelthe or be som other weie,
  That nou fro me stant fer aweie.
    Bot, fader, as ye tolde above,[543]
  Hou Stelthe goth a nyht for love,
  I mai noght wel that point forsake,
  That ofte times I ne wake
  On nyhtes, whan that othre slepe;
  Bot hou, I prei you taketh kepe.
  Whan I am loged in such wise[544]
  That I be nyhte mai arise,                                      6660
  At som wyndowe and loken oute
  And se the housinge al aboute,
  So that I mai the chambre knowe
  In which mi ladi, as I trowe,
  Lyth in hir bed and slepeth softe,

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 ek it is so hyh above,
  I mai noght wel therto areche,
  Bot if so be at time of speche,
  Ful selde if thanne I stele may
  A word or tuo and go my way.
  Betwen hire hih astat and me[538]
  Comparison ther mai non be,
  So that I fiele and wel I wot,
  Al is to hevy and to hot                                        6600
  To sette on hond withoute leve:
  And thus I mot algate leve
  To stele that I mai noght take,
  And in this wise I mot forsake
  To ben a thief ayein mi wille
  Of thing which I mai noght fulfille.
  For that Serpent which nevere slepte
  The flees of gold so wel ne kepte
  In Colchos, as the tale is told,
  That mi ladi a thousendfold                                     6610
  Nys betre yemed and bewaked,
  Wher sche be clothed or be naked.
  To kepe hir bodi nyht and day,
  Sche hath a wardein redi ay,
  Which is so wonderful a wyht,
  That him ne mai no mannes myht                               (6650*)
  With swerd ne with no wepne daunte,[539]
  Ne with no sleihte of charme enchaunte,
  Wherof he mihte be mad tame,
  And Danger is his rihte name;                                   6620
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 351=]
  Which under lock and under keie,
  That noman mai it stele aweie,
  Hath al the Tresor underfonge
  That unto love mai belonge.
  The leste lokinge of hire yhe
  Mai noght be stole, if he it syhe;
  And who so gruccheth for so lyte,
  He wolde sone sette a wyte
  On him that wolde stele more.
  And that me grieveth wonder sore,                               6630
  For this proverbe is evere newe,
  That stronge lokes maken trewe
  Of hem that wolden stele and pyke:[540]
  For so wel can ther noman slyke[541]
  Be him ne be non other mene,
  To whom Danger wol yive or lene
  Of that tresor he hath to kepe.
  So thogh I wolde stalke and crepe,
  And wayte on eve and ek on morwe,
  Of Danger schal I nothing borwe,                                6640
  And stele I wot wel may I noght:[542]
  And thus I am riht wel bethoght,
  Whil Danger stant in his office,
  Of Stelthe, which ye clepe a vice,
  I schal be gultif neveremo.
  Therfore I wolde he were ago
  So fer that I nevere of him herde,
  Hou so that afterward it ferde:
  For thanne I mihte yit per cas
  Of love make som pourchas                                       6650
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 352=]
  Be Stelthe or be som other weie,
  That nou fro me stant fer aweie.
    Bot, fader, as ye tolde above,[543]
  Hou Stelthe goth a nyht for love,
  I mai noght wel that point forsake,
  That ofte times I ne wake
  On nyhtes, whan that othre slepe;
  Bot hou, I prei you taketh kepe.
  Whan I am loged in such wise[544]
  That I be nyhte mai arise,                                      6660
  At som wyndowe and loken oute
  And se the housinge al aboute,
  So that I mai the chambre knowe
  In which mi ladi, as I trowe,
  Lyth in hir bed and slepeth softe,

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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