confessio amantis-第30章
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Thenkende; and that me liketh noght;
For godd beholt a mannes thoght。
And if thou understode in soth
In loves cause what it doth;
A man to ben a Supplantour;
Thou woldest for thin oghne honour
Be double weie take kepe:
Ferst for thin oghne astat to kepe; 2440
To be thiself so wel bethoght
That thou supplanted were noght;
And ek for worschipe of thi name
Towardes othre do the same;
And soffren every man have his。
Bot natheles it was and is;
That in a wayt at alle assaies
Supplant of love in oure daies
The lief fulofte for the levere
Forsakth; and so it hath don evere。 2450
Ensample I finde therupon;
At Troie how that Agamenon
Supplantede the worthi knyht
Achilles of that swete wiht;
Which named was Brexei5da;
And also of Crisei5da;
Whom Troilus to love ches;
Supplanted hath Diomedes。
Of Geta and Amphitrion;
That whilom weren bothe as on 2460
Of frendschipe and of compaignie;
I rede how that Supplantarie
In love; as it betidde tho;
Beguiled hath on of hem tuo。
For this Geta that I of meene;
To whom the lusti faire Almeene
Assured was be weie of love;
Whan he best wende have ben above
And sikerest of that he hadde;
Cupido so the cause ladde; 2470
That whil he was out of the weie;
Amphitrion hire love aweie
Hath take; and in this forme he wroghte。
Be nyhte unto the chambre he soghte;
Wher that sche lay; and with a wyle
He contrefeteth for the whyle
The vois of Gete in such a wise;
That made hire of hire bedd arise;
Wenende that it were he;
And let him in; and whan thei be 2480
Togedre abedde in armes faste;
This Geta cam thanne ate laste
Unto the Dore and seide; 〃Undo。〃
And sche ansuerde and bad him go;
And seide how that abedde al warm
Hir lief lay naked in hir arm;
Sche wende that it were soth。
Lo; what Supplant of love doth:
This Geta forth bejaped wente;
And yit ne wiste he what it mente; 2490
Amphitrion him hath supplanted
With sleyhte of love and hire enchaunted:
And thus put every man out other;
The Schip of love hath lost his Rother;
So that he can no reson stiere。
And forto speke of this matiere
Touchende love and his Supplant;
A tale which is acordant
Unto thin Ere I thenke enforme。
Now herkne; for this is the forme。 2500
Of thilke Cite chief of alle
Which men the noble Rome calle;
Er it was set to Cristes feith;
Ther was; as the Cronique seith;
An Emperour; the which it ladde
In pes; that he no werres hadde:
Ther was nothing desobeissant
Which was to Rome appourtenant;
Bot al was torned into reste。
To some it thoghte for the beste; 2510
To some it thoghte nothing so;
And that was only unto tho
Whos herte stod upon knyhthode:
Bot most of alle of his manhode
The worthi Sone of themperour;
Which wolde ben a werreiour;
As he that was chivalerous
Of worldes fame and desirous;
Began his fadre to beseche
That he the werres mihte seche; 2520
In strange Marches forto ride。
His fader seide he scholde abide;
And wolde granten him no leve:
Bot he; which wolde noght beleve;
A kniht of his to whom he triste;
So that his fader nothing wiste;
He tok and tolde him his corage;
That he pourposeth a viage。
If that fortune with him stonde;
He seide how that he wolde fonde 2530
The grete See to passe unknowe;
And there abyde for a throwe
Upon the werres to travaile。
And to this point withoute faile
This kniht; whan he hath herd his lord;
Is swore; and stant of his acord;
As thei that bothe yonge were;
So that in prive conseil there
Thei ben assented forto wende。
And therupon to make an ende; 2540
Tresor ynowh with hem thei token;
And whan the time is best thei loken;
That sodeinliche in a Galeie
Fro Romelond thei wente here weie
And londe upon that other side。
The world fell so that ilke tide;
Which evere hise happes hath diverse;
The grete Soldan thanne of Perse
Ayein the Caliphe of Egipte
A werre; which that him beclipte; 2550
Hath in a Marche costeiant。
And he; which was a poursuiant
Worschipe of armes to atteigne;
This Romein; let anon ordeigne;
That he was redi everydel:
And whan he was arraied wel
Of every thing which him belongeth;
Straght unto Kaire his weie he fongeth;
Wher he the Soldan thanne fond;
And axeth that withinne his lond 2560
He mihte him for the werre serve;
As he which wolde his thonk deserve。
The Soldan was riht glad with al;
And wel the more in special
Whan that he wiste he was Romein;
Bot what was elles in certein;
That mihte he wite be no weie。
And thus the kniht of whom I seie
Toward the Soldan is beleft;
And in the Marches now and eft; 2570
Wher that the dedli werres were;
He wroghte such knihthode there;
That every man spak of him good。
And thilke time so it stod;
This mihti Soldan be his wif
A Dowhter hath; that in this lif
Men seiden ther was non so fair。
Sche scholde ben hir fader hair;
And was of yeres ripe ynowh:
Hire beaute many an herte drowh 2580
To bowe unto that ilke lawe
Fro which no lif mai be withdrawe;
And that is love; whos nature
Set lif and deth in aventure
Of hem that knyhthode undertake。
This lusti peine hath overtake
The herte of this Romein so sore;
That to knihthode more and more
Prouesce avanceth his corage。
Lich to the Leoun in his rage; 2590
Fro whom that alle bestes fle;
Such was the knyht in his degre:
Wher he was armed in the feld;
Ther dorste non abide his scheld;
Gret pris upon the werre he hadde。
Bot sche which al the chance ladde;
Fortune; schop the Marches so;
That be thassent of bothe tuo;
The Soldan and the Caliphe eke;
Bataille upon a dai thei seke; 2600
Which was in such a wise set
That lengere scholde it noght be let。
Thei made hem stronge on every side;
And whan it drowh toward the tide
That the bataille scholde be;
The Soldan in gret privete
A goldring of his dowhter tok;
And made hire swere upon a bok
And ek upon the goddes alle;
That if fortune so befalle 2610
In the bataille that he deie;
That sche schal thilke man obeie
And take him to hire housebonde;
Which thilke same Ring to honde
Hire scholde bringe after his deth。
This hath sche swore; and forth he geth
With al the pouer of his lond
Unto the Marche; where he fond
His enemy full embatailled。
The Soldan hath the feld assailed: 2620
Thei that ben hardy sone assemblen;
Wherof the dredfull hertes tremblen:
That on sleth; and that other sterveth;
Bot above all his pris deserveth
This knihtly Romein; where he rod;
His dedly swerd noman abod;
Ayein the which was no defence;
Egipte fledde in his presence;
And thei of Perse upon the chace
Poursuien: bot I not what grace 2630
Befell; an Arwe out of a bowe
Al sodeinly that ilke throwe
The Soldan smot; and ther he lay:
The chace is left for thilke day;
And he was bore into a tente。
The Soldan sih how that it wente;
And that he scholde algate die;
And to this knyht of Romanie;
As unto him whom he most triste;
His Dowhter Ring; that non it wiste; 2640
He tok; and tolde him al the cas;
Upon hire oth what tokne it was
Of that sche scholde ben his wif。
Whan this was seid; the hertes lif
Of this Soldan departeth sone;
And therupon; as was to done;
The dede body wel and faire
Thei carie til thei come at Kaire;
Wher he was worthily begrave。
The lordes; whiche as wolden save 2650
The Regne which was desolat;
To bringe it into good astat
A parlement thei sette anon。
Now herkne what fell therupon:
This yonge lord; this worthi kniht
Of Rome; upon the same niht
That thei amorwe trete scholde;
Unto his Bacheler he tolde
His conseil; and the Ring with al
He scheweth; thurgh which that he schal; 2660
He seith; the kinges Dowhter wedde;
For so the Ring was leid to wedde;
He tolde; into hir fader hond;
That with what man that sche it fond
Sche scholde him take to hire lord。
And this; he seith; stant of record;
Bot noman wot who hath this Ring。
This Bacheler upon this thing
His Ere and his entente leide;
And thoghte more thanne he seide; 2670
And feigneth with a fals visage
That he was glad; bot his corage
Was al set in an other wise。
These olde Philosophres wise
Thei writen upon thilke while;
That he mai best a man beguile
In whom the man hath most credence;
And this befell in evidence