confessio amantis-第7章
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He syh upon the grene gras
The faire freisshe floures springe;
He herde among the leves singe
The Throstle with the nyhtingale:
Thus er he wiste into a Dale
He cam; wher was a litel plein;
All round aboute wel besein
With buisshes grene and Cedres hyhe;
And ther withinne he caste his yhe。 360
Amidd the plein he syh a welle;
So fair ther myhte noman telle;
In which Diana naked stod
To bathe and pleie hire in the flod
With many a Nimphe; which hire serveth。
Bot he his yhe awey ne swerveth
Fro hire; which was naked al;
And sche was wonder wroth withal;
And him; as sche which was godesse;
Forschop anon; and the liknesse 370
Sche made him taken of an Hert;
Which was tofore hise houndes stert;
That ronne besiliche aboute
With many an horn and many a route;
That maden mochel noise and cry:
And ate laste unhappely
This Hert his oghne houndes slowhe
And him for vengance al todrowhe。
Lo now; my Sone; what it is
A man to caste his yhe amis; 380
Which Acteon hath dere aboght;
Be war forthi and do it noght。
For ofte; who that hiede toke;
Betre is to winke than to loke。
And forto proven it is so;
Ovide the Poete also
A tale which to this matiere
Acordeth seith; as thou schalt hiere。
In Metamor it telleth thus;
How that a lord which Phorces 390
Was hote; hadde dowhtres thre。
Bot upon here nativite
Such was the constellacion;
That out of mannes nacion
Fro kynde thei be so miswent;
That to the liknesse of Serpent
Thei were bore; and so that on
Of hem was cleped Stellibon;
That other soster Suriale;
The thridde; as telleth in the tale; 400
Medusa hihte; and natheles
Of comun name Gorgones
In every contre ther aboute;
As Monstres whiche that men doute;
Men clepen hem; and bot on yhe
Among hem thre in pourpartie
Thei hadde; of which thei myhte se;
Now hath it this; now hath it sche;
After that cause and nede it ladde;
Be throwes ech of hem it hadde。 410
A wonder thing yet more amis
Ther was; wherof I telle al this:
What man on hem his chiere caste
And hem behield; he was als faste
Out of a man into a Ston
Forschape; and thus ful manyon
Deceived were; of that thei wolde
Misloke; wher that thei ne scholde。
Bot Perses that worthi knyht;
Whom Pallas of hir grete myht 420
Halp; and tok him a Schield therto;
And ek the god Mercurie also
Lente him a swerd; he; as it fell;
Beyende Athlans the hihe hell
These Monstres soghte; and there he fond
Diverse men of thilke lond
Thurgh sihte of hem mistorned were;
Stondende as Stones hiere and there。
Bot he; which wisdom and prouesse
Hadde of the god and the godesse; 430
The Schield of Pallas gan enbrace;
With which he covereth sauf his face;
Mercuries Swerd and out he drowh;
And so he bar him that he slowh
These dredful Monstres alle thre。
Lo now; my Sone; avise the;
That thou thi sihte noght misuse:
Cast noght thin yhe upon Meduse;
That thou be torned into Ston:
For so wys man was nevere non; 440
Bot if he wel his yhe kepe
And take of fol delit no kepe;
That he with lust nys ofte nome;
Thurgh strengthe of love and overcome。
Of mislokynge how it hath ferd;
As I have told; now hast thou herd;
My goode Sone; and tak good hiede。
And overthis yet I thee rede
That thou be war of thin heringe;
Which to the Herte the tidinge 450
Of many a vanite hath broght;
To tarie with a mannes thoght。
And natheles good is to hiere
Such thing wherof a man may lere
That to vertu is acordant;
And toward al the remenant
Good is to torne his Ere fro;
For elles; bot a man do so;
Him may fulofte mysbefalle。
I rede ensample amonges alle; 460
Wherof to kepe wel an Ere
It oghte pute a man in fere。
A Serpent; which that Aspidis
Is cleped; of his kynde hath this;
That he the Ston noblest of alle;
The which that men Carbuncle calle;
Berth in his hed above on heihte。
For which whan that a man be sleyhte;
The Ston to winne and him to daunte;
With his carecte him wolde enchaunte; 470
Anon as he perceiveth that;
He leith doun his on Ere al plat
Unto the ground; and halt it faste;
And ek that other Ere als faste
He stoppeth with his tail so sore;
That he the wordes lasse or more
Of his enchantement ne hiereth;
And in this wise himself he skiereth;
So that he hath the wordes weyved
And thurgh his Ere is noght deceived。 480
An othre thing; who that recordeth;
Lich unto this ensample acordeth;
Which in the tale of Troie I finde。
Sirenes of a wonder kynde
Ben Monstres; as the bokes tellen;
And in the grete Se thei duellen:
Of body bothe and of visage
Lik unto wommen of yong age
Up fro the Navele on hih thei be;
And doun benethe; as men mai se; 490
Thei bere of fisshes the figure。
And overthis of such nature
Thei ben; that with so swete a stevene
Lik to the melodie of hevene
In wommanysshe vois thei singe;
With notes of so gret likinge;
Of such mesure; of such musike;
Wherof the Schipes thei beswike
That passen be the costes there。
For whan the Schipmen leie an Ere 500
Unto the vois; in here avys
Thei wene it be a Paradys;
Which after is to hem an helle。
For reson may noght with hem duelle;
Whan thei tho grete lustes hiere;
Thei conne noght here Schipes stiere;
So besiliche upon the note
Thei herkne; and in such wise assote;
That thei here rihte cours and weie
Foryete; and to here Ere obeie; 510
And seilen til it so befalle
That thei into the peril falle;
Where as the Schipes be todrawe;
And thei ben with the Monstres slawe。
Bot fro this peril natheles
With his wisdom king Uluxes
Ascapeth and it overpasseth;
For he tofor the hond compasseth
That noman of his compaignie
Hath pouer unto that folie 520
His Ere for no lust to caste;
For he hem stoppede alle faste;
That non of hem mai hiere hem singe。
So whan they comen forth seilinge;
Ther was such governance on honde;
That thei the Monstres have withstonde
And slain of hem a gret partie。
Thus was he sauf with his navie;
This wise king; thurgh governance。
Wherof; my Sone; in remembrance 530
Thou myht ensample taken hiere;
As I have told; and what thou hiere
Be wel war; and yif no credence;
Bot if thou se more evidence。
For if thou woldest take kepe
And wisly cowthest warde and kepe
Thin yhe and Ere; as I have spoke;
Than haddest thou the gates stoke
Fro such Sotie as comth to winne
Thin hertes wit; which is withinne; 540
Wherof that now thi love excedeth
Mesure; and many a peine bredeth。
Bot if thou cowthest sette in reule
Tho tuo; the thre were eth to reule:
Forthi as of thi wittes five
I wole as now nomore schryve;
Bot only of these ilke tuo。
Tell me therfore if it be so;
Hast thou thin yhen oght misthrowe?
Mi fader; ye; I am beknowe; 550
I have hem cast upon Meduse;
Therof I may me noght excuse:
Min herte is growen into Ston;
So that my lady therupon
Hath such a priente of love grave;
That I can noght miselve save。
What seist thou; Sone; as of thin Ere?
Mi fader; I am gultyf there;
For whanne I may my lady hiere;
Mi wit with that hath lost his Stiere: 560
I do noght as Uluxes dede;
Bot falle anon upon the stede;
Wher as I se my lady stonde;
And there; I do yow understonde;
I am topulled in my thoght;
So that of reson leveth noght;
Wherof that I me mai defende。
My goode Sone; god thamende:
For as me thenketh be thi speche
Thi wittes ben riht feer to seche。 570
As of thin Ere and of thin yhe
I woll nomore specefie;
Bot I woll axen overthis
Of othre thing how that it is。
Mi Sone; as I thee schal enforme;
Ther ben yet of an other forme
Of dedly vices sevene applied;
Wherof the herte is ofte plied
To thing which after schal him grieve。
The ferste of hem thou schalt believe 580
Is Pride; which is principal;
And hath with him in special
Ministres five ful diverse;
Of whiche; as I the schal reherse;
The ferste is seid Ypocrisie。
If thou art of his compaignie;
Tell forth; my Sone; and schrif the clene。
I wot noght; fader; what ye mene:
Bot this I wolde you beseche;
That ye me be som weie teche 590
What is to ben an ypocrite;
And thanne if I be forto wyte;
I wol beknowen; as it is。
Mi Sone; an ypocrite is this;…
A man which feigneth conscience;
As thogh it were al innocence;
Withoute; and is noght s