Confessio Amantis/Liber Secundus

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Confessio Amantis
by John Gower

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4565575Confessio Amantis — Liber SecundusJohn Gower

CONFESSIO AMANTIS

I30

Incipit Liber Secundus.

P.

i.

159

[Envy.]

Inuidie culpa magis est attrita dolore,

Nam

sua metis nullo tempore

Quo gaudent

alii,

Est, cut de

dolet

puro comoda

leta ftianet

velle facit.

Proximitatis honor sua corda veretur,

Est

Hoc

nee vnus amicus

ille,

et

omnis

sibi leticia sic aliéna dolor.

etenim viciutn gua?n sepe j-epugnat amanti,

sibi, set reliqiiis, dum fauet ipsa Venus. Est amor ex proprio mottt fantasticus, et que Gaudia fert alius, credit obesse sibi.

Noil

Now Hie

in

secundo

li-

bro tractat de Inuidia et eius speciebus, quarum dolor alterius gaudii prima nuncupatur,

cuiuscondicionem

secundum vicium Confessor primitusdescri-

bens,Amanti,quatenus

amorem concernit, supei eodem consequen-

after Pride the

Therof he takth

That

vice

Forthi,

Thou As Sorrow for another man's Joy.]

secounde

Ther is, which many a woful stounde Towardes othre berth aboute Withinne himself and noght withoute; For in his thoght he brenneth evere, Whan that he wot an other levere Or more vertuous than he, Which passeth him in his degre ;

ter opponit.

[i.

(10)

is

maladie

his

cleped hot Envie.

my

Sone,

art or hast

10

be so

if it

ben on of

tho,

forto speke in loves cas,

If evere yit thin herte

was

Sek of an other mannes hele So god avance

my

P.

?

querele,

Mi fader, ye, a thousend sithe Whanne I have sen an other blithe

Of

love,

and hadde a goodly

Latin Verses

i.

10 aliis Hi

.

B2,

chiere,

BA,

W

i.

160 ——

LIBER SECUNDUS

131

Ethna, which brenneth yer be yere,

Was thanne noght

20

Of thilke Sor which prively Min hertes thoght withinne brenneth. The Schip which on the wawes renneth,

And

forstormed and forblowe,

is

noght more peined

Is

Than

An

I

am

throwe

for a

whanne

thanne,

In that fortune of loves Bot, fader, this

That

is

me

o place

30

mai noght grieve

it

ye mai

this

in

lese or finde grace

In other stede,

Bot

yifte.

telle in schrifte,

I

nowher bot

For who that

se

I

other which that passeth

riht

wel believe,

Toward mi ladi that I serve, Thogh that I wiste forto sterve, Min herte is full of such sotie, That

Whan

myself mai noght chastie.

I I

the Court se of Cupide

my

Aproche unto

ladi side

Of hem that lusti ben and Thogh it availe hem noght Bot only

My

ben

that thei

sorwe

Bot whan

is

40 freisshe,

a reisshe,

in speche,

thanne noght to seche

thei

rounen

Of I

that I se

i.

161

hem

wel at ese,

my desese. my ladi selve,

telle

Bot, Sire, as of

Thogh sche have wowers For no mistrust

50

ten or twelve.

have of hire

I

grieveth noght, for certes, Sire,

I trowe,

Nis

P.

sorwes thanne be so stronge

can noght

Me

in hire Ere,

Than groweth al my moste fere. And namly whan thei talen longe

My

in al this

womman

WoU

world to seche,

that in

dede and speche

betre avise hire what sche doth,

31 nowher]

now heer

K

2

(here)

MX

[Sorrow

for

other man's

so hot as I

.

Ba

an-

Joy.] CONFESSIO AMANTIS

132

Ne

[Sorrow for anOTHER MAN S ^°^"-l

betre, forto seie a soth,

Kepe

And

honour

hire

Bot natheles

thank beside.

am

I

That whanne

Or

ate allé tide,

yit get hire a

eny throwe,

se at

I

mai

elles if I

60

beknowe, hiere,

it

That sche make eny man good

chiere,

Thogh I therof have noght to done, Mi thought wol entermette him sone. For thogh

be miselve strange,

I

Envie makth niyn herte change,

That

Of

I

am

sorghfully bestad

that I se

With

Of Or

hire

an other glad

bot of other

love what so mai befalle,

Now

have

As of

I

bot

I

Now

heede.

litel

my

seid,

have

I

i.

162

wist.

axeth further what you

Mi

P.

fader, al

this point in special,

Als ferforthli as

I

he spede,

that he faile or that

Therof take

Confessor.

70

.

allé,

Sone, er

I

list.

axe eny more,

thenke somdiel

for thi lore

80

Telle an ensample of this matière

Touchende Envie, Write

as thou schalt hiere.

in Civile this I finde

Thogh

it

be noght the houndes kinde

To ete chaf, yit wol he werne An Oxe which comth to the berne, Therof

And It

who

that

stant of love in

Who

that

And mai

He He

is

it

understode,

many

place

if

himselven noght

he may put eny

doth

59 ate A. S, F

at J,

MHi, AdA, Hs

92 wolde] ])ought(c)

al that

B olire

XEC

out of loves grace

J, S,

F

AJEC, SB, F ])ough

faile

lette,

he mai to

60 get

90

availe,

wolde an other scholde

And

rothir)

eny fode.

to taken

thus,

HiRLBa

lette.

gete

AC, B

71 ojier

78 further] fader

I woll thee telle what is more, 3520

So that thou schalt the vices knowe:

For whan thei be to thee full knowe,

Thou miht hem wel the betre eschuie.

And for this cause I thenke suie

The forme bothe and the matière, P. i. 278

As now suiende thou schalt hiere

Which vice stant next after this:

And whan thou wost how that it is,

As thou schalt hiere me devise,

Thow miht thiself the betre avise. 3530

Explicit Liber Secundus.