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

[Sidenote: [TALE OF LEUCOTHOE.]]
    The Poete upon this matiere
  Of Stelthe wrot in this manere.
  Venus, which hath this lawe in honde[551]
      [Sidenote: Hic in amoris causa super isto Latrocinio quod
      de die[552] contigit ponit exemplum. Et narrat quod,
      cum Leuchotoe Orchami filia in cameris sub arta matris
      custodia virgo preseruabatur, Phebus eius pulcritudinem
      concupiscens, in conclave domus clara luce subintrans,
      virginis pudiciciam matre nescia[553] deflorauit: vnde
      ipsa inpregnata iratus pater filiam suam ad sepeliendum
      viuam effodit; ex cuius tumulo florem, quem[554] Solsequium
      vocant, dicunt tunc[555] consequenter primitus accreuisse.]
  Of thing which mai noght be withstonde,                      (6750*)
  As sche which the tresor to warde
  Of love hath withinne hir warde,
  Phebum to love hath so constreigned,[556]
  That he withoute reste is peined                                6720
  With al his herte to coveite
  A Maiden, which was warded streyte
  Withinne chambre and kept so clos,
  That selden was whan sche desclos
  Goth with hir moder forto pleie.
  Leuchotoe, so as men seie,
  This Maiden hihte, and Orchamus
  Hir fader was; and befell thus.
  This doughter, that was kept so deere,
  And hadde be fro yer to yeere                                   6730
  Under hir moder discipline
  A clene Maide and a Virgine,
  Upon the whos nativite
  Of comelihiede and of beaute
  Nature hath set al that sche may,
  That lich unto the fresshe Maii,
  Which othre monthes of the yeer
  Surmonteth, so withoute pier
  Was of this Maiden the feture.
  Wherof Phebus out of mesure                                     6740
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 355=]
  Hire loveth, and on every syde
  Awaiteth, if so mai betyde,[557]
  That he thurgh eny sleihte myhte
  Hire lusti maidenhod unrihte,
  The which were al his worldes welthe.
  And thus lurkende upon his stelthe[558]
  In his await so longe he lai,
  Til it befell upon a dai,
  That he thurghout hir chambre wall
  Cam in al sodeinliche, and stall                                6750
  That thing which was to him so lief.[559]
  Bot wo the while, he was a thief!
  For Venus, which was enemie
  Of thilke loves micherie,
  Discovereth al the pleine cas
  To Clymene, which thanne was[560]
  Toward Phebus his concubine.
  And sche to lette the covine
  Of thilke love, dedli wroth
  To pleigne upon this Maide goth,                                6760
  And tolde hire fader hou it stod;
  Wherof for sorwe welnyh wod
  Unto hire moder thus he saide:
  ‘Lo, what it is to kepe a Maide!
  To Phebus dar I nothing speke,
  Bot upon hire I schal be wreke,[561]                         (6800*)
  So that these Maidens after this
  Mow take ensample, what it is[562]
  To soffre her maidenhed be stole,[563]
  Wherof that sche the deth schal thole.’                         6770

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

[Sidenote: [TALE OF LEUCOTHOE.]]
    The Poete upon this matiere
  Of Stelthe wrot in this manere.
  Venus, which hath this lawe in honde[551]
      [Sidenote: Hic in amoris causa super isto Latrocinio quod
      de die[552] contigit ponit exemplum. Et narrat quod,
      cum Leuchotoe Orchami filia in cameris sub arta matris
      custodia virgo preseruabatur, Phebus eius pulcritudinem
      concupiscens, in conclave domus clara luce subintrans,
      virginis pudiciciam matre nescia[553] deflorauit: vnde
      ipsa inpregnata iratus pater filiam suam ad sepeliendum
      viuam effodit; ex cuius tumulo florem, quem[554] Solsequium
      vocant, dicunt tunc[555] consequenter primitus accreuisse.]
  Of thing which mai noght be withstonde,                      (6750*)
  As sche which the tresor to warde
  Of love hath withinne hir warde,
  Phebum to love hath so constreigned,[556]
  That he withoute reste is peined                                6720
  With al his herte to coveite
  A Maiden, which was warded streyte
  Withinne chambre and kept so clos,
  That selden was whan sche desclos
  Goth with hir moder forto pleie.
  Leuchotoe, so as men seie,
  This Maiden hihte, and Orchamus
  Hir fader was; and befell thus.
  This doughter, that was kept so deere,
  And hadde be fro yer to yeere                                   6730
  Under hir moder discipline
  A clene Maide and a Virgine,
  Upon the whos nativite
  Of comelihiede and of beaute
  Nature hath set al that sche may,
  That lich unto the fresshe Maii,
  Which othre monthes of the yeer
  Surmonteth, so withoute pier
  Was of this Maiden the feture.
  Wherof Phebus out of mesure                                     6740
                                              [Sidenote: =P. ii. 355=]
  Hire loveth, and on every syde
  Awaiteth, if so mai betyde,[557]
  That he thurgh eny sleihte myhte
  Hire lusti maidenhod unrihte,
  The which were al his worldes welthe.
  And thus lurkende upon his stelthe[558]
  In his await so longe he lai,
  Til it befell upon a dai,
  That he thurghout hir chambre wall
  Cam in al sodeinliche, and stall                                6750
  That thing which was to him so lief.[559]
  Bot wo the while, he was a thief!
  For Venus, which was enemie
  Of thilke loves micherie,
  Discovereth al the pleine cas
  To Clymene, which thanne was[560]
  Toward Phebus his concubine.
  And sche to lette the covine
  Of thilke love, dedli wroth
  To pleigne upon this Maide goth,                                6760
  And tolde hire fader hou it stod;
  Wherof for sorwe welnyh wod
  Unto hire moder thus he saide:
  ‘Lo, what it is to kepe a Maide!
  To Phebus dar I nothing speke,
  Bot upon hire I schal be wreke,[561]                         (6800*)
  So that these Maidens after this
  Mow take ensample, what it is[562]
  To soffre her maidenhed be stole,[563]
  Wherof that sche the deth schal thole.’                         6770

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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