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第70章

confessio amantis-第70章

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That thei be logged faste by
Where he his oghne body lay;
And whan it was amorwe day;
That on of hem seith that he mette
Wher he a goldhord scholde fette:
Wherof this Emperour was glad;
And therupon anon he bad  2120
His Mynours forto go and myne;
And he himself of that covine
Goth forth withal; and at his hond
The tresor redi there he fond;
Where as thei seide it scholde be;
And who was thanne glad bot he?
Upon that other dai secounde
Thei have an other goldhord founde;
Which the seconde maister tok
Upon his swevene and undertok。  2130
And thus the sothe experience
To themperour yaf such credence;
That al his trist and al his feith
So sikerliche on hem he leith;
Of that he fond him so relieved;
That thei ben parfitli believed;
As thogh thei were goddes thre。
Nou herkne the soutilete。
The thridde maister scholde mete;
Which; as thei seiden; was unmete  2140
Above hem alle; and couthe most;
And he withoute noise or bost
Al priveli; so as he wolde;
Upon the morwe his swevene tolde
To themperour riht in his Ere;
And seide him that he wiste where
A tresor was so plentivous
Of gold and ek so precious
Of jeueals and of riche stones;
That unto alle hise hors at ones   2150
It were a charge sufficant。
This lord upon this covenant
Was glad; and axeth where it was。
The maister seide; under the glas;
And tolde him eke; as for the Myn
He wolde ordeigne such engin;
That thei the werk schull undersette
With Tymber; that withoute lette
Men mai the tresor saufli delve;
So that the Mirour be himselve  2160
Withoute empeirement schal stonde:
And this the maister upon honde
Hath undertake in alle weie。
This lord; which hadde his wit aweie
And was with Covoitise blent;
Anon therto yaf his assent;
And thus they myne forth withal;
The timber set up overal;
Wherof the Piler stod upriht;
Til it befell upon a nyht    2170
These clerkes; whan thei were war
Hou that the timber only bar
The Piler; wher the Mirour stod;…
Here sleihte noman understod;…
Thei go be nyhte unto the Myne
With pich; with soulphre and with rosine;
And whan the Cite was a slepe;
A wylde fyr into the depe
They caste among the timberwerk;
And so forth; whil the nyht was derk;    2180
Desguised in a povere arai
Thei passeden the toun er dai。
And whan thei come upon an hell;
Thei sihen how the Mirour fell;
Wherof thei maden joie ynowh;
And ech of hem with other lowh;
And seiden; 〃Lo; what coveitise
Mai do with hem that be noght wise!〃
And that was proved afterward;
For every lond; to Romeward  2190
Which hadde be soubgit tofore;
Whan this Mirour was so forlore
And thei the wonder herde seie;
Anon begunne desobeie
With werres upon every side;
And thus hath Rome lost his pride
And was defouled overal。
For this I finde of Hanybal;
That he of Romeins in a dai;
Whan he hem fond out of arai;   2200
So gret a multitude slowh;
That of goldringes; whiche he drowh
Of gentil handes that ben dede;
Buisshelles fulle thre; I rede;
He felde; and made a bregge also;
That he mihte over Tibre go
Upon the corps that dede were
Of the Romeins; whiche he slowh there。
Bot now to speke of the juise;
The which after the covoitise   2210
Was take upon this Emperour;
For he destruide the Mirour;
It is a wonder forto hiere。
The Romeins maden a chaiere
And sette here Emperour therinne;
And seiden; for he wolde winne
Of gold the superfluite;
Of gold he scholde such plente
Receive; til he seide Ho:
And with gold; which thei hadden tho  2220
Buillende hot withinne a panne;
Into his Mouth thei poure thanne。
And thus the thurst of gold was queynt;
With gold which hadde ben atteignt。
Wherof; mi Sone; thou miht hiere;
Whan Covoitise hath lost the stiere
Of resonable governance;
Ther falleth ofte gret vengance。
For ther mai be no worse thing
Than Covoitise aboute a king:   2230
If it in his persone be;
It doth the more adversite;
And if it in his conseil stonde;
It bringth alday meschief to honde
Of commun harm; and if it growe
Withinne his court; it wol be knowe;
For thanne schal the king be piled。
The man which hath hise londes tiled;
Awaiteth noght more redily
The Hervest; than thei gredily  2240
Ne maken thanne warde and wacche;
Wher thei the profit mihten cacche:
And yit fulofte it falleth so;
As men mai sen among hem tho;
That he which most coveiteth faste
Hath lest avantage ate laste。
For whan fortune is therayein;
Thogh he coveite; it is in vein;
The happes be noght alle liche;
On is mad povere; an other riche;  2250
The court to some doth profit;
And some ben evere in o plit;
And yit thei bothe aliche sore
Coveite; bot fortune is more
Unto that o part favorable。
And thogh it be noght resonable;
This thing a man mai sen alday;
Wherof that I thee telle may
A fair ensample in remembrance;
Hou every man mot take his chance  2260
Or of richesse or of poverte。
Hou so it stonde of the decerte;
Hier is noght every thing aquit;
For ofte a man mai se this yit;
That who best doth; lest thonk schal have;
It helpeth noght the world to crave;
Which out of reule and of mesure
Hath evere stonde in aventure
Als wel in Court as elles where:
And hou in olde daies there  2270
It stod; so as the thinges felle;
I thenke a tale forto telle。
In a Cronique this I rede。
Aboute a king; as moste nede;
Ther was of knyhtes and squiers
Gret route; and ek of Officers:
Some of long time him hadden served;
And thoghten that thei have deserved
Avancement; and gon withoute;
And some also ben of the route  2280
That comen bot a while agon;
And thei avanced were anon。
These olde men upon this thing;
So as thei dorste; ayein the king
Among hemself compleignen ofte:
Bot ther is nothing seid so softe;
That it ne comth out ate laste;
The king it wiste; and als so faste;
As he which was of hih Prudence;
He schop therfore an evidence   2290
Of hem that pleignen in that cas;
To knowe in whos defalte it was。
And al withinne his oghne entente;
That noman wiste what it mente;
Anon he let tuo cofres make
Of o semblance and of o make;
So lich that no lif thilke throwe
That on mai fro that other knowe:
Thei were into his chambre broght;
Bot noman wot why thei be wroght;  2300
And natheles the king hath bede
That thei be set in prive stede。
As he that was of wisdom slih;
Whan he therto his time sih;
Al prively; that non it wiste;
Hise oghne hondes that o kiste
Of fin gold and of fin perrie;
The which out of his tresorie
Was take; anon he felde full;
That other cofre of straw and mull    2310
With Stones meind he felde also。
Thus be thei fulle bothe tuo;
So that erliche upon a day
He bad withinne; ther he lay;
Ther scholde be tofore his bed
A bord upset and faire spred;
And thanne he let the cofres fette;
Upon the bord and dede hem sette。
He knew the names wel of tho;
The whiche ayein him grucche so;   2320
Bothe of his chambre and of his halle;
Anon and sende for hem alle;
And seide to hem in this wise:
〃Ther schal noman his happ despise;
I wot wel ye have longe served;
And god wot what ye have deserved:
Bot if it is along on me
Of that ye unavanced be;
Or elles it be long on you;
The sothe schal be proved nou;  2330
To stoppe with youre evele word。
Lo hier tuo cofres on the bord:
Ches which you list of bothe tuo;
And witeth wel that on of tho
Is with tresor so full begon;
That if ye happe therupon;
Ye schull be riche men for evere。
Now ches and tak which you is levere:
Bot be wel war; er that ye take;
For of that on I undertake   2340
Ther is no maner good therinne;
Wherof ye mihten profit winne。
Now goth togedre of on assent
And taketh youre avisement;
For bot I you this dai avance;
It stant upon youre oghne chance
Al only in defalte of grace:
So schal be schewed in this place
Upon you alle wel afyn;
That no defalte schal be myn。〃  2350
Thei knelen alle and with o vois
The king thei thonken of this chois:
And after that thei up arise;
And gon aside and hem avise;
And ate laste thei acorde;
Wherof her tale to recorde;
To what issue thei be falle;
A kniht schal speke for hem alle。
He kneleth doun unto the king;
And seith that thei upon this thing;  2360
Or forto winne or forto lese;
Ben alle avised forto chese。
Tho tok this kn

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