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第114章

confessio amantis-第114章

小说: confessio amantis 字数: 每页4000字

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It is behovely forto hiere
What whilom fell in this matiere。
Among the kinges in the bible
I finde a tale; and is credible;
Of him that whilom Achab hihte;
Which hadde al Irahel to rihte;    2530
Bot who that couthe glose softe
And flatre; suche he sette alofte
In gret astat and made hem riche;
Bot thei that spieken wordes liche
To trouthe and wolde it noght forbere;
For hem was non astat to bere;
The court of suche tok non hiede。
Til ate laste upon a nede;
That Benedab king of Surie
Of Irahel a gret partie;  2540
Which Ramoth Galaath was hote;
Hath sesed; and of that riote
He tok conseil in sondri wise;
Bot noght of hem that weren wise。
And natheles upon this cas
To strengthen him; for Josaphas;
Which thanne was king of Judee;
He sende forto come; as he
Which thurgh frendschipe and alliance
Was next to him of aqueintance;    2550
For Joram Sone of Josaphath
Achabbes dowhter wedded hath;
Which hihte faire Godelie。
And thus cam into Samarie
King Josaphat; and he fond there
The king Achab: and whan thei were
Togedre spekende of this thing;
This Josaphat seith to the king;
Hou that he wolde gladly hiere
Som trew prophete in this matiere;    2560
That he his conseil myhte yive
To what point that it schal be drive。
And in that time so befell;
Ther was such on in Irahel;
Which sette him al to flaterie;
And he was cleped Sedechie;
And after him Achab hath sent:
And he at his comandement
Tofore him cam; and be a sleyhte
He hath upon his heved on heyhte   2570
Tuo large hornes set of bras;
As he which al a flatour was;
And goth rampende as a leoun
And caste hise hornes up and doun;
And bad men ben of good espeir;
For as the hornes percen their;
He seith; withoute resistence;
So wiste he wel of his science
That Benedab is desconfit。
Whan Sedechie upon this plit    2580
Hath told this tale to his lord;
Anon ther were of his acord
Prophetes false manye mo
To bere up oil; and alle tho
Affermen that which he hath told;
Wherof the king Achab was bold
And yaf hem yiftes al aboute。
But Josaphat was in gret doute;
And hield fantosme al that he herde;
Preiende Achab; hou so it ferde;   2590
If ther were eny other man;
The which of prophecie can;
To hiere him speke er that thei gon。
Quod Achab thanne; 〃Ther is on;
A brothell; which Micheas hihte;
Bot he ne comth noght in my sihte;
For he hath longe in prison lein。
Him liketh nevere yit to sein
A goodly word to mi plesance;
And natheles at thin instance   2600
He schal come oute; and thanne he may
Seie as he seide many day;
For yit he seide nevere wel。〃
Tho Josaphat began somdel
To gladen him in hope of trouthe;
And bad withouten eny slouthe
That men him scholden fette anon。
And thei that weren for him gon;
Whan that thei comen wher he was;
Thei tolden unto Micheas  2610
The manere hou that Sedechie
Declared hath his prophecie;
And therupon thei preie him faire
That he wol seie no contraire;
Wherof the king mai be desplesed;
For so schal every man ben esed;
And he mai helpe himselve also。
Micheas upon trouthe tho
His herte sette; and to hem seith;
Al that belongeth to his feith  2620
And of non other feigned thing;
That wol he telle unto his king;
Als fer as god hath yove him grace。
Thus cam this prophete into place
Wher he the kinges wille herde;
And he therto anon ansuerde;
And seide unto him in this wise:
〃Mi liege lord; for mi servise;
Which trewe hath stonden evere yit;
Thou hast me with prisone aquit;   2630
Bot for al that I schal noght glose
Of trouthe als fer as I suppose;
And as touchende of this bataille;
Thou schalt noght of the sothe faile。
For if it like thee to hiere;
As I am tauht in that matiere;
Thou miht it understonde sone;
Bot what is afterward to done
Avise thee; for this I sih。
I was tofor the throne on hih;  2640
Wher al the world me thoghte stod;
And there I herde and understod
The vois of god with wordes cliere
Axende; and seide in this manere:
〃In what thing mai I best beguile
The king Achab?〃 And for a while
Upon this point thei spieken faste。
Tho seide a spirit ate laste;
〃I undertake this emprise。〃
And god him axeth in what wise。    2650
〃I schal;〃 quod he; 〃deceive and lye
With flaterende prophecie
In suche mouthes as he lieveth。〃
And he which alle thing achieveth
Bad him go forth and don riht so。
And over this I sih also
The noble peple of Irahel
Dispers as Schep upon an hell;
Withoute a kepere unarraied:
And as thei wente aboute astraied;    2660
I herde a vois unto hem sein;
〃Goth hom into your hous ayein;
Til I for you have betre ordeigned。〃
Quod Sedechie; 〃Thou hast feigned
This tale in angringe of the king。〃
And in a wraththe upon this thing
He smot Michee upon the cheke;
The king him hath rebuked eke;
And every man upon him cride:
Thus was he schent on every side;  2670
Ayein and into prison lad;
For so the king himselve bad。
The trouthe myhte noght ben herd;
Bot afterward as it hath ferd;
The dede proveth his entente:
Achab to the bataille wente;
Wher Benedab for al his Scheld
Him slouh; so that upon the feld
His poeple goth aboute astray。
Bot god; which alle thinges may;   2680
So doth that thei no meschief have;
Here king was ded and thei ben save;
And hom ayein in goddes pes
Thei wente; and al was founde les
That Sedechie hath seid tofore。
So sit it wel a king therfore
To loven hem that trouthe mene;
For ate laste it wol be sene
That flaterie is nothing worth。
Bot nou to mi matiere forth;    2690
As forto speken overmore
After the Philosophres lore;
The thridde point of Policie
I thenke forto specifie。
What is a lond wher men ben none?
What ben the men whiche are al one
Withoute a kinges governance?
What is a king in his ligance;
Wher that ther is no lawe in londe?
What is to take lawe on honde;  2700
Bot if the jugges weren trewe?
These olde worldes with the newe
Who that wol take in evidence;
Ther mai he se thexperience;
What thing it is to kepe lawe;
Thurgh which the wronges ben withdrawe
And rihtwisnesse stant commended;
Wherof the regnes ben amended。
For wher the lawe mai comune
The lordes forth with the commune;    2710
Ech hath his propre duete;
And ek the kinges realte
Of bothe his worschipe underfongeth;
To his astat as it belongeth;
Which of his hihe worthinesse
Hath to governe rihtwisnesse;
As he which schal the lawe guide。
And natheles upon som side
His pouer stant above the lawe;
To yive bothe and to withdrawe  2720
The forfet of a mannes lif;
But thinges whiche are excessif
Ayein the lawe; he schal noght do
For love ne for hate also。
The myhtes of a king ben grete;
Bot yit a worthi king schal lete
Of wrong to don; al that he myhte;
For he which schal the poeple ryhte;
It sit wel to his regalie
That he himself ferst justefie   2730
Towardes god in his degre:
For his astat is elles fre
Toward alle othre in his persone;
Save only to the god al one;
Which wol himself a king chastise;
Wher that non other mai suffise。
So were it good to taken hiede
That ferst a king his oghne dede
Betwen the vertu and the vice
Redresce; and thanne of his justice   2740
So sette in evene the balance
Towardes othre in governance;
That to the povere and to the riche
Hise lawes myhten stonde liche;
He schal excepte no persone。
Bot for he mai noght al him one
In sondri places do justice;
He schal of his real office
With wys consideracion
Ordeigne his deputacion   2750
Of suche jugges as ben lerned;
So that his poeple be governed
Be hem that trewe ben and wise。
For if the lawe of covoitise
Be set upon a jugges hond;
Wo is the poeple of thilke lond;
For wrong mai noght himselven hyde:
Bot elles on that other side;
If lawe stonde with the riht;
The poeple is glad and stant upriht。  2760
Wher as the lawe is resonable;
The comun poeple stant menable;
And if the lawe torne amis;
The poeple also mistorned is。
And in ensample of this matiere
Of Maximin a man mai hiere;
Of Rome which was Emperour;
That whanne he made a governour
Be weie of substitucion
Of Province or of region;    2770
He wolde ferst enquere his name;
And let it openly proclame
What man he were; or evel or good。
And upon that his name stod
Enclin to vertu or to vice;
So wol

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