Confessio Amantis/Prologus

by John Gower

Torpor, ebes sensus, scola parua labor minimusque
    Causant quo minimus ipse minora canam:
Qua tamen Engisti lingua canit Insula Bruti
    Anglica Carmente metra iuuante loquar.
Ossibus ergo carens que conterit ossa loquelis
    Absit, et interpres stet procul oro malus.

1	Of hem that writen ous tofore
2	The bokes duelle, and we therfore
3	Ben tawht of that was write tho:
4	Forthi good is that we also
5	In oure tyme among ous hiere
6	Do wryte of newe som matiere,
7	Essampled of these olde wyse
8	So that it myhte in such a wyse,
9	Whan we ben dede and elleswhere,
10	Beleve to the worldes eere
11	In tyme comende after this.
12	Bot for men sein, and soth it is,
13	That who that al of wisdom writ
14	It dulleth ofte a mannes wit
15	To him that schal it aldai rede,
16	For thilke cause, if that ye rede,
17	I wolde go the middel weie
18	And wryte a bok betwen the tweie,
19	Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore,
20	That of the lasse or of the more
21	Som man mai lyke of that I wryte:
22	And for that fewe men endite
23	In oure englissh, I thenke make
24	A bok for Engelondes sake,
25	The yer sextenthe of kyng Richard.
26	What schal befalle hierafterward
27	God wot, for now upon this tyde
28	Men se the world on every syde
29	In sondry wyse so diversed,
30	That it welnyh stant al reversed,
31	As forto speke of tyme ago.
32	The cause whi it changeth so
33	It needeth nought to specifie,
34	The thing so open is at ije
35	That every man it mai beholde:
36	And natheles be daies olde,
37	Whan that the bokes weren levere,
38	Wrytinge was beloved evere
39	Of hem that weren vertuous;
40	For hier in erthe amonges ous,
41	If noman write hou that it stode,
42	The pris of hem that weren goode
43	Scholde, as who seith, a gret partie
44	Be lost: so for to magnifie
45	The worthi princes that tho were,
46	The bokes schewen hiere and there,
47	Wherof the world ensampled is;
48	And tho that deden thanne amis
49	Thurgh tirannie and crualte,
50	Right as thei stoden in degre,
51	So was the wrytinge of here werk.
52	Thus I, which am a burel clerk,
53	Purpose forto wryte a bok
54	After the world that whilom tok
55	Long tyme in olde daies passed:
56	Bot for men sein it is now lassed,
57	In worse plit than it was tho,
58	I thenke forto touche also
59	The world which neweth every dai,
60	So as I can, so as I mai.
61	Thogh I seknesse have upon honde
62	And longe have had, yit woll I fonde
63	To wryte and do my bisinesse,
64	That in som part, so as I gesse,
65	The wyse man mai ben avised.
66	For this prologe is so assised
67	That it to wisdom al belongeth:
68	What wysman that it underfongeth,
69	He schal drawe into remembrance
70	The fortune of this worldes chance,
71	The which noman in his persone
72	Mai knowe, bot the god al one.
73	Whan the prologe is so despended,
74	This bok schal afterward ben ended
75	Of love, which doth many a wonder
76	And many a wys man hath put under.
77	And in this wyse I thenke trete
78	Towardes hem that now be grete,
79	Betwen the vertu and the vice
80	Which longeth unto this office.
81	Bot for my wittes ben to smale
82	To tellen every man his tale,
83	This bok, upon amendment
84	To stonde at his commandement,
85	With whom myn herte is of accord,
86	I sende unto myn oghne lord,
87	Which of Lancastre is Henri named:
88	The hyhe god him hath proclamed
89	Ful of knyhthode and alle grace.
90	So woll I now this werk embrace
91	With hol trust and with hol believe;
92	God grante I mot it wel achieve.
93	If I schal drawe in to my mynde
94	The tyme passed, thanne I fynde
95	The world stod thanne in al his welthe:
96	Tho was the lif of man in helthe,
97	Tho was plente, tho was richesse,
98	Tho was the fortune of prouesse,
99	Tho was knyhthode in pris be name,
100	Wherof the wyde worldes fame
101	Write in Cronique is yit withholde;
102	Justice of lawe tho was holde,
103	The privilege of regalie
104	Was sauf, and al the baronie
105	Worschiped was in his astat;
106	The citees knewen no debat,
107	The poeple stod in obeissance
108	Under the reule of governance,
109	And pes, which ryhtwisnesse keste,
110	With charite tho stod in reste:
111	Of mannes herte the corage
112	Was schewed thanne in the visage;
113	The word was lich to the conceite
114	Withoute semblant of deceite:
115	Tho was ther unenvied love,
116	Tho was the vertu sett above
117	And vice was put under fote.
118	Now stant the crop under the rote,
119	The world is changed overal,
120	And therof most in special
121	That love is falle into discord.
122	And that I take to record
123	Of every lond for his partie
124	The comun vois, which mai noght lie;
125	Noght upon on, bot upon alle
126	It is that men now clepe and calle,
127	And sein the regnes ben divided,
128	In stede of love is hate guided,
129	The werre wol no pes purchace,
130	And lawe hath take hire double face,
131	So that justice out of the weie
132	With ryhtwisnesse is gon aweie:
133	And thus to loke on every halve,
134	Men sen the sor withoute salve,
135	Which al the world hath overtake.
136	Ther is no regne of alle outtake,
137	For every climat hath his diel
138	After the tornynge of the whiel,
139	Which blinde fortune overthroweth;
140	Wherof the certain noman knoweth:
141	The hevene wot what is to done,
142	Bot we that duelle under the mone
143	Stonde in this world upon a weer,
144	And namely bot the pouer
145	Of hem that ben the worldes guides
146	With good consail on alle sides
147	Be kept upriht in such a wyse,
148	That hate breke noght thassise
149	Of love, which is al the chief
150	To kepe a regne out of meschief.
151	For alle resoun wolde this,
152	That unto him which the heved is
153	The membres buxom scholden bowe,
154	And he scholde ek her trowthe allowe,
155	With al his herte and make hem chiere,
156	For good consail is good to hiere.
157	Althogh a man be wys himselve,
158	Yit is the wisdom more of tuelve;
159	And if thei stoden bothe in on,
160	To hope it were thanne anon
161	That god his grace wolde sende
162	To make of thilke werre an ende,
163	Which every day now groweth newe:
164	And that is gretly forto rewe
165	In special for Cristes sake,
166	Which wolde his oghne lif forsake
167	Among the men to yeve pes.
168	But now men tellen natheles
169	That love is fro the world departed,
170	So stant the pes unevene parted
171	With hem that liven now adaies.
172	Bot forto loke at alle assaies,
173	To him that wolde resoun seche
174	After the comun worldes speche
175	It is to wondre of thilke werre,
176	In which non wot who hath the werre;
177	For every lond himself deceyveth
178	And of desese his part receyveth,
179	And yet ne take men no kepe.
180	Bot thilke lord which al may kepe,
181	To whom no consail may ben hid,
182	Upon the world which is betid,
183	Amende that wherof men pleigne
184	With trewe hertes and with pleine,
185	And reconcile love ayeyn,
186	As he which is king sovereign
187	Of al the worldes governaunce,
188	And of his hyhe porveaunce
189	Afferme pes betwen the londes
190	And take her cause into hise hondes,
191	So that the world may stonde apppesed
192	And his godhede also be plesed.
193	To thenke upon the daies olde,
194	The lif of clerkes to beholde,
195	Men sein how that thei weren tho
196	Ensample and reule of alle tho
197	Whiche of wisdom the vertu soughten.
198	Unto the god ferst thei besoughten
199	As to the substaunce of her Scole,
200	That thei ne scholden noght befole
201	Her wit upon none erthly werkes,
202	Which were ayein thestat of clerkes,
203	And that thei myhten fle the vice
204	Which Simon hath in his office,
205	Wherof he takth the gold in honde.
206	For thilke tyme I understonde
207	The Lumbard made non eschange
208	The bisschopriches forto change,
209	Ne yet a lettre for to sende
210	For dignite ne for Provende,
211	Or cured or withoute cure.
212	The cherche keye in aventure
213	Of armes and of brygantaille
214	Stod nothing thanne upon bataille;
215	To fyhte or for to make cheste
216	It thoghte hem thanne noght honeste;
217	Bot of simplesce and pacience
218	Thei maden thanne no defence:
219	The Court of worldly regalie
220	To hem was thanne no baillie;
221	The vein honour was noght desired,
222	Which hath the proude herte fyred;
223	Humilite was tho withholde,
224	And Pride was a vice holde.
225	Of holy cherche the largesse
226	Yaf thanne and dede gret almesse
227	To povere men that hadden nede:
228	Thei were ek chaste in word and dede,
229	Wherof the poeple ensample tok;
230	Her lust was al upon the bok,
231	Or forto preche or forto preie,
232	To wisse men the ryhte weie
233	Of suche as stode of trowthe unliered.
234	Lo, thus was Petres barge stiered
235	Of hem that thilke tyme were,
236	And thus cam ferst to mannes Ere
237	The feith of Crist and alle goode
238	Thurgh hem that thanne weren goode
239	And sobre and chaste and large and wyse.
240	Bot now men sein is otherwise,
241	Simon the cause hath undertake,
242	The worldes swerd on honde is take;
243	And that is wonder natheles,
244	Whan Crist him self hath bode pes
245	And set it in his testament,
246	How now that holy cherche is went,
247	Of that here lawe positif
248	Hath set to make werre and strif
249	For worldes good, which may noght laste.
250	God wot the cause to the laste
251	Of every right and wrong also;
252	But whil the lawe is reuled so
253	That clerkes to the werre entende,
254	I not how that thei scholde amende
255	The woful world in othre thinges,
256	To make pes betwen the kynges
257	After the lawe of charite,
258	Which is the propre duete
259	Belongende unto the presthode.
260	Bot as it thenkth to the manhode,
261	The hevene is ferr, the world is nyh,
262	And veine gloire is ek so slyh,
263	Which coveitise hath now withholde,
264	That thei non other thing beholde,
265	Bot only that thei myhten winne.
266	And thus the werres thei beginne,
267	Wherof the holi cherche is taxed,
268	That in the point as it is axed
269	The disme goth to the bataille,
270	As thogh Crist myhte noght availe
271	To don hem riht be other weie.
272	In to the swerd the cherche keie
273	Is torned, and the holy bede
274	Into cursinge, and every stede
275	Which scholde stonde upon the feith
276	And to this cause an Ere leyth,
277	Astoned is of the querele.
278	That scholde be the worldes hele
279	Is now, men sein, the pestilence
280	Which hath exiled pacience
281	Fro the clergie in special:
282	And that is schewed overal,
283	In eny thing whan thei ben grieved.
284	Bot if Gregoire be believed,
285	As it is in the bokes write,
286	He doth ous somdel forto wite
287	The cause of thilke prelacie,
288	Wher god is noght of compaignie:
289	For every werk as it is founded
290	Schal stonde or elles be confounded;
291	Who that only for Cristes sake
292	Desireth cure forto take,
293	And noght for pride of thilke astat,
294	To bere a name of a prelat,
295	He schal be resoun do profit
296	In holy cherche upon the plit
297	That he hath set his conscience;
298	Bot in the worldes reverence
299	Ther ben of suche manie glade,
300	Whan thei to thilke astat ben made,
301	Noght for the merite of the charge,
302	Bot for thei wolde hemself descharge
303	Of poverte and become grete;
304	And thus for Pompe and for beyete
305	The Scribe and ek the Pharisee
306	Of Moises upon the See
307	In the chaiere on hyh ben set;
308	Wherof the feith is ofte let,
309	Which is betaken hem to kepe.
310	In Cristes cause alday thei slepe,
311	Bot of the world is noght foryete;
312	For wel is him that now may gete
313	Office in Court to ben honoured.
314	The stronge coffre hath al devoured
315	Under the keye of avarice
316	The tresor of the benefice,
317	Wherof the povere schulden clothe
318	And ete and drinke and house bothe;
319	The charite goth al unknowe,
320	For thei no grein of Pite sowe:
321	And slouthe kepeth the libraire
322	Which longeth to the Saintuaire;
323	To studie upon the worldes lore
324	Sufficeth now withoute more;
325	Delicacie his swete toth
326	Hath fostred so that it fordoth
327	Of abstinence al that ther is.
328	And forto loken over this,
329	If Ethna brenne in the clergie,
330	Al openly to mannes ije
331	At Avynoun thexperience
332	Therof hath yove an evidence,
333	Of that men sen hem so divided.
334	And yit the cause is noght decided;
335	Bot it is seid and evere schal,
336	Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal,
337	Whan that men wenen best to sitte:
338	In holy cherche of such a slitte
339	Is for to rewe un to ous alle;
340	God grante it mote wel befalle
341	Towardes him which hath the trowthe.
342	Bot ofte is sen that mochel slowthe,
343	Whan men ben drunken of the cuppe,
344	Doth mochel harm, whan fyr is uppe,
345	Bot if somwho the flamme stanche;
346	And so to speke upon this branche,
347	Which proud Envie hath mad to springe,
348	Of Scisme, causeth forto bringe
349	This newe Secte of Lollardie,
350	And also many an heresie
351	Among the clerkes in hemselve.
352	It were betre dike and delve
353	And stonde upon the ryhte feith,
354	Than knowe al that the bible seith
355	And erre as somme clerkes do.
356	Upon the hond to were a Schoo
357	And sette upon the fot a Glove
358	Acordeth noght to the behove
359	Of resonable mannes us:
360	If men behielden the vertus
361	That Crist in Erthe taghte here,
362	Thei scholden noght in such manere,
363	Among hem that ben holden wise,
364	The Papacie so desguise
365	Upon diverse eleccioun,
366	Which stant after thaffeccioun
367	Of sondry londes al aboute:
368	Bot whan god wole, it schal were oute,
369	For trowthe mot stonde ate laste.
370	Bot yet thei argumenten faste
371	Upon the Pope and his astat,
372	Wherof thei falle in gret debat;
373	This clerk seith yee, that other nay,
374	And thus thei dryve forth the day,
375	And ech of hem himself amendeth
376	Of worldes good, bot non entendeth
377	To that which comun profit were.
378	Thei sein that god is myhti there,
379	And schal ordeine what he wile,
380	Ther make thei non other skile
381	Where is the peril of the feith,
382	Bot every clerk his herte leith
383	To kepe his world in special,
384	And of the cause general,
385	Which unto holy cherche longeth,
386	Is non of hem that underfongeth
387	To schapen eny resistence:
388	And thus the riht hath no defence,
389	Bot ther I love, ther I holde.
390	Lo, thus tobroke is Cristes folde,
391	Wherof the flock withoute guide
392	Devoured is on every side,
393	In lacke of hem that ben unware
394	Schepherdes, whiche her wit beware
395	Upon the world in other halve.
396	The scharpe pricke in stede of salve
397	Thei usen now, wherof the hele
398	Thei hurte of that thei scholden hele;
399	And what Schep that is full of wulle
400	Upon his back, thei toose and pulle,
401	Whil ther is eny thing to pile:
402	And thogh ther be non other skile
403	Bot only for thei wolden wynne,
404	Thei leve noght, whan thei begynne,
405	Upon her acte to procede,
406	Which is no good schepherdes dede.
407	And upon this also men sein,
408	That fro the leese which is plein
409	Into the breres thei forcacche
410	Her Orf, for that thei wolden lacche
411	With such duresce, and so bereve
412	That schal upon the thornes leve
413	Of wulle, which the brere hath tore;
414	Wherof the Schep ben al totore
415	Of that the hierdes make hem lese.
416	Lo, how thei feignen chalk for chese,
417	For though thei speke and teche wel,
418	Thei don hemself therof no del:
419	For if the wolf come in the weie,
420	Her gostly Staf is thanne aweie,
421	Wherof thei scholde her flock defende;
422	Bot if the povere Schep offende
423	In eny thing, thogh it be lyte,
424	They ben al redy forto smyte;
425	And thus, how evere that thei tale,
426	The strokes falle upon the smale,
427	And upon othre that ben grete
428	Hem lacketh herte forto bete.
429	So that under the clerkes lawe
430	Men sen the Merel al mysdrawe,
431	I wol noght seie in general,
432	For ther ben somme in special
433	In whom that alle vertu duelleth,
434	And tho ben, as thapostel telleth,
435	That god of his eleccioun
436	Hath cleped to perfeccioun
437	In the manere as Aaron was:
438	Thei ben nothing in thilke cas
439	Of Simon, which the foldes gate
440	Hath lete, and goth in othergate,
441	Bot thei gon in the rihte weie.
442	Ther ben also somme, as men seie,
443	That folwen Simon ate hieles,
444	Whos carte goth upon the whieles
445	Of coveitise and worldes Pride,
446	And holy cherche goth beside,
447	Which scheweth outward a visage
448	Of that is noght in the corage.
449	For if men loke in holy cherche,
450	Betwen the word and that thei werche
451	Ther is a full gret difference:
452	Thei prechen ous in audience
453	That noman schal his soule empeire,
454	For al is bot a chirie feire
455	This worldes good, so as thei telle;
456	Also thei sein ther is an helle,
457	Which unto mannes sinne is due,
458	And bidden ous therfore eschue
459	That wikkid is, and do the goode.
460	Who that here wordes understode,
461	It thenkth thei wolden do the same;
462	Bot yet betwen ernest and game
463	Ful ofte it torneth other wise.
464	With holy tales thei devise
465	How meritoire is thilke dede
466	Of charite, to clothe and fede
467	The povere folk and forto parte
468	The worldes good, bot thei departe
469	Ne thenken noght fro that thei have.
470	Also thei sein, good is to save
471	With penance and with abstinence
472	Of chastite the continence;
473	Bot pleinly forto speke of that,
474	I not how thilke body fat,
475	Which thei with deynte metes kepe
476	And leyn it softe forto slepe,
477	Whan it hath elles al his wille,
478	With chastite schal stonde stille:
479	And natheles I can noght seie,
480	In aunter if that I misseye.
481	Touchende of this, how evere it stonde,
482	I here and wol noght understonde,
483	For therof have I noght to done:
484	Bot he that made ferst the Mone,
485	The hyhe god, of his goodnesse,
486	If ther be cause, he it redresce.
487	Bot what as eny man accuse,
488	This mai reson of trowthe excuse;
489	The vice of hem that ben ungoode
490	Is no reproef unto the goode:
491	For every man hise oghne werkes
492	Schal bere, and thus as of the clerkes
493	The goode men ben to comende,
494	And alle these othre god amende:
495	For thei ben to the worldes ije
496	The Mirour of ensamplerie,
497	To reulen and to taken hiede
498	Betwen the men and the godhiede.
499	Now forto speke of the comune,
500	It is to drede of that fortune
501	Which hath befalle in sondri londes:
502	Bot often for defalte of bondes
503	Al sodeinliche, er it be wist,
504	A Tonne, whanne his lye arist,
505	Tobrekth and renneth al aboute,
506	Which elles scholde noght gon oute;
507	And ek fulofte a litel Skar
508	Upon a Banke, er men be war,
509	Let in the Strem, which with gret peine,
510	If evere man it schal restreigne.
511	Wher lawe lacketh, errour groweth,
512	He is noght wys who that ne troweth,
513	For it hath proeved ofte er this;
514	And thus the comun clamour is
515	In every lond wher poeple dwelleth,
516	And eche in his compleignte telleth
517	How that the world is al miswent,
518	And ther upon his jugement
519	Yifth every man in sondry wise.
520	Bot what man wolde himself avise,
521	His conscience and noght misuse,
522	He may wel ate ferste excuse
523	His god, which evere stant in on:
524	In him ther is defalte non,
525	So moste it stonde upon ousselve
526	Nought only upon ten ne twelve,
527	Bot plenerliche upon ous alle,
528	For man is cause of that schal falle.
529	And natheles yet som men wryte
530	And sein that fortune is to wyte,
531	And som men holde oppinion
532	That it is constellacion,
533	Which causeth al that a man doth:
534	God wot of bothe which is soth.
535	The world as of his propre kynde
536	Was evere untrewe, and as the blynde
537	Improprelich he demeth fame,
538	He blameth that is noght to blame
539	And preiseth that is noght to preise:
540	Thus whan he schal the thinges peise,
541	Ther is deceipte in his balance,
542	And al is that the variance
543	Of ous, that scholde ous betre avise;
544	For after that we falle and rise,
545	The world arist and falth withal,
546	So that the man is overal
547	His oghne cause of wel and wo.
548	That we fortune clepe so
549	Out of the man himself it groweth;
550	And who that other wise troweth,
551	Behold the poeple of Irael:
552	For evere whil thei deden wel,
553	Fortune was hem debonaire,
554	And whan thei deden the contraire,
555	Fortune was contrariende.
556	So that it proeveth wel at ende
557	Why that the world is wonderfull
558	And may no while stonde full,
559	Though that it seme wel besein;
560	For every worldes thing is vein,
561	And evere goth the whiel aboute,
562	And evere stant a man in doute,
563	Fortune stant no while stille,
564	So hath ther noman al his wille.
565	Als fer as evere a man may knowe,
566	Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe;
567	The world stant evere upon debat,
568	So may be seker non astat,
569	Now hier now ther, now to now fro,
570	Now up now down, this world goth so,
571	And evere hath don and evere schal:
572	Wherof I finde in special
573	A tale writen in the Bible,
574	Which moste nedes be credible;
575	And that as in conclusioun
576	Seith that upon divisioun
577	Stant, why no worldes thing mai laste,
578	Til it be drive to the laste.
579	And fro the ferste regne of alle
580	Into this day, hou so befalle,
581	Of that the regnes be muable
582	The man himself hath be coupable,
583	Which of his propre governance
584	Fortuneth al the worldes chance.
585	The hyhe almyhti pourveance,
586	In whos eterne remembrance
587	Fro ferst was every thing present,
588	He hath his prophecie sent,
589	In such a wise as thou schalt hiere,
590	To Daniel of this matiere,
591	Hou that this world schal torne and wende,
592	Till it be falle to his ende;
593	Wherof the tale telle I schal,
594	In which it is betokned al.
595	As Nabugodonosor slepte,
596	A swevene him tok, the which he kepte
597	Til on the morwe he was arise,
598	For he therof was sore agrise.
599	To Daniel his drem he tolde,
600	And preide him faire that he wolde
601	Arede what it tokne may;
602	And seide: "Abedde wher I lay,
603	Me thoghte I syh upon a Stage
604	Wher stod a wonder strange ymage.
605	His hed with al the necke also
606	Thei were of fin gold bothe tuo;
607	His brest, his schuldres and his armes
608	Were al of selver, bot the tharmes,
609	The wombe and al doun to the kne,
610	Of bras thei were upon to se;
611	The legges were al mad of Stiel,
612	So were his feet also somdiel,
613	And somdiel part to hem was take
614	Of Erthe which men Pottes make;
615	The fieble meynd was with the stronge,
616	So myhte it wel noght stonde longe.
617	And tho me thoghte that I sih
618	A gret ston from an hull on hyh
619	Fel doun of sodein aventure
620	Upon the feet of this figure,
621	With which Ston al tobroke was
622	Gold, Selver, Erthe, Stiel and Bras,
623	That al was in to pouldre broght,
624	And so forth torned into noght."
625	This was the swevene which he hadde,
626	That Daniel anon aradde,
627	And seide him that figure strange
628	Betokneth how the world schal change
629	And waxe lasse worth and lasse,
630	Til it to noght al overpasse.
631	The necke and hed, that weren golde,
632	He seide how that betokne scholde
633	A worthi world, a noble, a riche,
634	To which non after schal be liche.
635	Of Selver that was overforth
636	Schal ben a world of lasse worth;
637	And after that the wombe of Bras
638	Tokne of a werse world it was.
639	The Stiel which he syh afterward
640	A world betokneth more hard:
641	Bot yet the werste of everydel
642	Is last, whan that of Erthe and Stiel
643	He syh the feet departed so,
644	For that betokneth mochel wo.
645	Whan that the world divided is,
646	It moste algate fare amis,
647	For Erthe which is meynd with Stiel
648	Togedre may noght laste wiel,
649	Bot if that on that other waste;
650	So mot it nedes faile in haste.
651	The Ston, which fro the hully Stage
652	He syh doun falle on that ymage,
653	And hath it into pouldre broke,
654	That swevene hath Daniel unloke,
655	And seide how that is goddes myht,
656	Which whan men wene most upryht
657	To stonde, schal hem overcaste.
658	And that is of this world the laste,
659	And thanne a newe schal beginne,
660	Fro which a man schal nevere twinne;
661	Or al to peine or al to pes
662	That world schal lasten endeles.
663	Lo thus expondeth Daniel
664	The kynges swevene faire and wel
665	In Babiloyne the Cite,
666	Wher that the wiseste of Caldee
667	Ne cowthen wite what it mente;
668	Bot he tolde al the hol entente,
669	As in partie it is befalle.
670	Of gold the ferste regne of alle
671	Was in that kinges time tho,
672	And laste manye daies so,
673	Therwhiles that the Monarchie
674	Of al the world in that partie
675	To Babiloyne was soubgit;
676	And hield him stille in such a plit,
677	Til that the world began diverse:
678	And that was whan the king of Perse,
679	Which Cirus hyhte, ayein the pes
680	Forth with his Sone Cambises
681	Of Babiloine al that Empire,
682	Ryht as thei wolde hemself desire,
683	Put under in subjeccioun
684	And tok it in possessioun,
685	And slayn was Baltazar the king,
686	Which loste his regne and al his thing.
687	And thus whan thei it hadde wonne,
688	The world of Selver was begonne
689	And that of gold was passed oute:
690	And in this wise it goth aboute
691	In to the Regne of Darius;
692	And thanne it fell to Perse thus,
693	That Alisaundre put hem under,
694	Which wroghte of armes many a wonder,
695	So that the Monarchie lefte
696	With Grecs, and here astat uplefte,
697	And Persiens gon under fote,
698	So soffre thei that nedes mote.
699	And tho the world began of Bras,
700	And that of selver ended was;
701	Bot for the time thus it laste,
702	Til it befell that ate laste
703	This king, whan that his day was come,
704	With strengthe of deth was overcome.
705	And natheles yet er he dyde,
706	He schop his Regnes to divide
707	To knyhtes whiche him hadde served,
708	And after that thei have deserved
709	Yaf the conquestes that he wan;
710	Wherof gret werre tho began
711	Among hem that the Regnes hadde,
712	Thurgh proud Envie which hem ladde,
713	Til it befell ayein hem thus:
714	The noble Cesar Julius,
715	Which tho was king of Rome lond,
716	With gret bataille and with strong hond
717	Al Grece, Perse and ek Caldee
718	Wan and put under, so that he
719	Noght al only of thorient
720	Bot al the Marche of thoccident
721	Governeth under his empire,
722	As he that was hol lord and Sire,
723	And hield thurgh his chivalerie
724	Of al this world the Monarchie,
725	And was the ferste of that honour
726	Which tok the name of Emperour.
727	Wher Rome thanne wolde assaille,
728	Ther myhte nothing contrevaille,
729	Bot every contre moste obeie:
730	Tho goth the Regne of Bras aweie,
731	And comen is the world of Stiel,
732	And stod above upon the whiel.
733	As Stiel is hardest in his kynde
734	Above alle othre that men finde
735	Of Metals, such was Rome tho
736	The myhtieste, and laste so
737	Long time amonges the Romeins
738	Til thei become so vileins,
739	That the fals Emperour Leo
740	With Constantin his Sone also
741	The patrimoine and the richesse,
742	Which to Silvestre in pure almesse
743	The ferste Constantinus lefte,
744	Fro holy cherche thei berefte.
745	Bot Adrian, which Pope was,
746	And syh the meschief of this cas,
747	Goth in to France forto pleigne,
748	And preith the grete Charlemeine,
749	For Cristes sake and Soule hele
750	That he wol take the querele
751	Of holy cherche in his defence.
752	And Charles for the reverence
753	Of god the cause hath undertake,
754	And with his host the weie take
755	Over the Montz of Lombardie;
756	Of Rome and al the tirandie
757	With blodi swerd he overcom,
758	And the Cite with strengthe nom;
759	In such a wise and there he wroghte,
760	That holy cherche ayein he broghte
761	Into franchise, and doth restore
762	The Popes lost, and yaf him more:
763	And thus whan he his god hath served,
764	He tok, as he wel hath deserved,
765	The Diademe and was coroned.
766	Of Rome and thus was abandoned
767	Thempire, which cam nevere ayein
768	Into the hond of no Romein;
769	Bot a long time it stod so stille
770	Under the Frensche kynges wille,
771	Til that fortune hir whiel so ladde,
772	That afterward Lombardz it hadde,
773	Noght be the swerd, bot be soffrance
774	Of him that tho was kyng of France,
775	Which Karle Calvus cleped was;
776	And he resigneth in this cas
777	Thempire of Rome unto Lowis
778	His Cousin, which a Lombard is.
779	And so hit laste into the yeer
780	Of Albert and of Berenger;
781	Bot thanne upon dissencioun
782	Thei felle, and in divisioun
783	Among hemself that were grete,
784	So that thei loste the beyete
785	Of worschipe and of worldes pes.
786	Bot in proverbe natheles
787	Men sein, ful selden is that welthe
788	Can soffre his oghne astat in helthe;
789	And that was on the Lombardz sene,
790	Such comun strif was hem betwene
791	Thurgh coveitise and thurgh Envie,
792	That every man drowh his partie,
793	Which myhte leden eny route,
794	Withinne Burgh and ek withoute:
795	The comun ryht hath no felawe,
796	So that the governance of lawe
797	Was lost, and for necessite,
798	Of that thei stode in such degre
799	Al only thurgh divisioun,
800	Hem nedeth in conclusioun
801	Of strange londes help beside.
802	And thus for thei hemself divide
803	And stonden out of reule unevene,
804	Of Alemaine Princes sevene
805	Thei chose in this condicioun,
806	That upon here eleccioun
807	Thempire of Rome scholde stonde.
808	And thus thei lefte it out of honde
809	For lacke of grace, and it forsoke,
810	That Alemans upon hem toke:
811	And to confermen here astat,
812	Of that thei founden in debat
813	Thei token the possessioun
814	After the composicioun
815	Among hemself, and therupon
816	Thei made an Emperour anon,
817	Whos name as the Cronique telleth
818	Was Othes; and so forth it duelleth,
819	Fro thilke day yit unto this
820	Thempire of Rome hath ben and is
821	To thalemans. And in this wise,
822	As ye tofore have herd divise
823	How Daniel the swevene expondeth
824	Of that ymage, on whom he foundeth
825	The world which after scholde falle,
826	Come is the laste tokne of alle;
827	Upon the feet of Erthe and Stiel
828	So stant this world now everydiel
829	Departed; which began riht tho,
830	Whan Rome was divided so:
831	And that is forto rewe sore,
832	For alway siththe more and more
833	The world empeireth every day.
834	Wherof the sothe schewe may,
835	At Rome ferst if we beginne:
836	The wall and al the Cit withinne
837	Stant in ruine and in decas,
838	The feld is wher the Paleis was,
839	The toun is wast; and overthat,
840	If we beholde thilke astat
841	Which whilom was of the Romeins,
842	Of knyhthode and of Citezeins,
843	To peise now with that beforn,
844	The chaf is take for the corn,
845	As forto speke of Romes myht:
846	Unethes stant ther oght upryht
847	Of worschipe or of worldes good,
848	As it before tyme stod.
849	And why the worschipe is aweie,
850	If that a man the sothe seie,
851	The cause hath ben divisioun,
852	Which moder of confusioun
853	Is wher sche cometh overal,
854	Noght only of the temporal
855	Bot of the spirital also.
856	The dede proeveth it is so,
857	And hath do many day er this,
858	Thurgh venym which that medled is
859	In holy cherche of erthly thing:
860	For Crist himself makth knowleching
861	That noman may togedre serve
862	God and the world, bot if he swerve
863	Froward that on and stonde unstable;
864	And Cristes word may noght be fable.
865	The thing so open is at ije,
866	It nedeth noght to specefie
867	Or speke oght more in this matiere;
868	Bot in this wise a man mai lere
869	Hou that the world is gon aboute,
870	The which welnyh is wered oute,
871	After the forme of that figure
872	Which Daniel in his scripture
873	Expondeth, as tofore is told.
874	Of Bras, of Selver and of Gold
875	The world is passed and agon,
876	And now upon his olde ton
877	It stant of brutel Erthe and Stiel,
878	The whiche acorden nevere a diel;
879	So mot it nedes swerve aside
880	As thing the which men sen divide.
881	Thapostel writ unto ous alle
882	And seith that upon ous is falle
883	Thende of the world; so may we knowe,
884	This ymage is nyh overthrowe,
885	Be which this world was signified,
886	That whilom was so magnefied,
887	And now is old and fieble and vil,
888	Full of meschief and of peril,
889	And stant divided ek also
890	Lich to the feet that were so,
891	As I tolde of the Statue above.
892	And this men sen, thurgh lacke of love
893	Where as the lond divided is,
894	It mot algate fare amis:
895	And now to loke on every side,
896	A man may se the world divide,
897	The werres ben so general
898	Among the cristene overal,
899	That every man now secheth wreche,
900	And yet these clerkes alday preche
901	And sein, good dede may non be
902	Which stant noght upon charite:
903	I not hou charite may stonde,
904	Wher dedly werre is take on honde.
905	Bot al this wo is cause of man,
906	The which that wit and reson can,
907	And that in tokne and in witnesse
908	That ilke ymage bar liknesse
909	Of man and of non other beste.
910	For ferst unto the mannes heste
911	Was every creature ordeined,
912	Bot afterward it was restreigned:
913	Whan that he fell, thei fellen eke,
914	Whan he wax sek, thei woxen seke;
915	For as the man hath passioun
916	Of seknesse, in comparisoun
917	So soffren othre creatures.
918	Lo, ferst the hevenly figures,
919	The Sonne and Mone eclipsen bothe,
920	And ben with mannes senne wrothe;
921	The purest Eir for Senne alofte
922	Hath ben and is corrupt fulofte,
923	Right now the hyhe wyndes blowe,
924	And anon after thei ben lowe,
925	Now clowdy and now clier it is:
926	So may it proeven wel be this,
927	A mannes Senne is forto hate,
928	Which makth the welkne to debate.
929	And forto se the proprete
930	Of every thyng in his degree,
931	Benethe forth among ous hiere
932	Al stant aliche in this matiere:
933	The See now ebbeth, now it floweth,
934	The lond now welketh, now it groweth,
935	Now be the Trees with leves grene,
936	Now thei be bare and nothing sene,
937	Now be the lusti somer floures,
938	Now be the stormy wynter shoures,
939	Now be the daies, now the nyhtes,
940	So stant ther nothing al upryhtes,
941	Now it is lyht, now it is derk;
942	And thus stant al the worldes werk
943	After the disposicioun
944	Of man and his condicioun.
945	Forthi Gregoire in his Moral
946	Seith that a man in special
947	The lasse world is properly:
948	And that he proeveth redely;
949	For man of Soule resonable
950	Is to an Angel resemblable,
951	And lich to beste he hath fielinge,
952	And lich to Trees he hath growinge;
953	The Stones ben and so is he:
954	Thus of his propre qualite
955	The man, as telleth the clergie,
956	Is as a world in his partie,
957	And whan this litel world mistorneth,
958	The grete world al overtorneth.
959	The Lond, the See, the firmament,
960	Thei axen alle jugement
961	Ayein the man and make him werre:
962	Therwhile himself stant out of herre,
963	The remenant wol noght acorde:
964	And in this wise, as I recorde,
965	The man is cause of alle wo,
966	Why this world is divided so.
967	Division, the gospell seith,
968	On hous upon another leith,
969	Til that the Regne al overthrowe:
970	And thus may every man wel knowe,
971	Division aboven alle
972	Is thing which makth the world to falle,
973	And evere hath do sith it began.
974	It may ferst proeve upon a man;
975	The which, for his complexioun
976	Is mad upon divisioun
977	Of cold, of hot, of moist, of drye,
978	He mot be verray kynde dye:
979	For the contraire of his astat
980	Stant evermore in such debat,
981	Til that o part be overcome,
982	Ther may no final pes be nome.
983	Bot other wise, if a man were
984	Mad al togedre of o matiere
985	Withouten interrupcioun,
986	Ther scholde no corrupcioun
987	Engendre upon that unite:
988	Bot for ther is diversite
989	Withinne himself, he may noght laste,
990	That he ne deieth ate laste.
991	Bot in a man yit over this
992	Full gret divisioun ther is,
993	Thurgh which that he is evere in strif,
994	Whil that him lasteth eny lif:
995	The bodi and the Soule also
996	Among hem ben divided so,
997	That what thing that the body hateth
998	The soule loveth and debateth;
999	Bot natheles fulofte is sene
1000	Of werre which is hem betwene
1001	The fieble hath wonne the victoire.
1002	And who so drawth into memoire
1003	What hath befalle of old and newe,
1004	He may that werre sore rewe,
1005	Which ferst began in Paradis:
1006	For ther was proeved what it is,
1007	And what desese there it wroghte;
1008	For thilke werre tho forth broghte
1009	The vice of alle dedly Sinne,
1010	Thurgh which division cam inne
1011	Among the men in erthe hiere,
1012	And was the cause and the matiere
1013	Why god the grete flodes sende,
1014	Of al the world and made an ende
1015	Bot Noe5 with his felaschipe,
1016	Which only weren saulf be Schipe.
1017	And over that thurgh Senne it com
1018	That Nembrot such emprise nom,
1019	Whan he the Tour Babel on heihte
1020	Let make, as he that wolde feihte
1021	Ayein the hihe goddes myht,
1022	Wherof divided anon ryht
1023	Was the langage in such entente,
1024	Ther wiste non what other mente,
1025	So that thei myhten noght procede.
1026	And thus it stant of every dede,
1027	Wher Senne takth the cause on honde,
1028	It may upriht noght longe stonde;
1029	For Senne of his condicioun
1030	Is moder of divisioun
1031	And tokne whan the world schal faile.
1032	For so seith Crist withoute faile,
1033	That nyh upon the worldes ende
1034	Pes and acord awey schol wende
1035	And alle charite schal cesse,
1036	Among the men and hate encresce;
1037	And whan these toknes ben befalle,
1038	Al sodeinly the Ston schal falle,
1039	As Daniel it hath beknowe,
1040	Which al this world schal overthrowe,
1041	And every man schal thanne arise
1042	To Joie or elles to Juise,
1043	Wher that he schal for evere dwelle,
1044	Or straght to hevene or straght to helle.
1045	In hevene is pes and al acord,
1046	Bot helle is full of such descord
1047	That ther may be no loveday:
1048	Forthi good is, whil a man may,
1049	Echon to sette pes with other
1050	And loven as his oghne brother;
1051	So may he winne worldes welthe
1052	And afterward his soule helthe.
1053	Bot wolde god that now were on
1054	An other such as Arion,
1055	Which hadde an harpe of such temprure,
1056	And therto of so good mesure
1057	He song, that he the bestes wilde
1058	Made of his note tame and milde,
1059	The Hinde in pes with the Leoun,
1060	The Wolf in pes with the Moltoun,
1061	The Hare in pees stod with the Hound;
1062	And every man upon this ground
1063	Which Arion that time herde,
1064	Als wel the lord as the schepherde,
1065	He broghte hem alle in good acord;
1066	So that the comun with the lord,
1067	And lord with the comun also,
1068	He sette in love bothe tuo
1069	And putte awey malencolie.
1070	That was a lusti melodie,
1071	Whan every man with other low;
1072	And if ther were such on now,
1073	Which cowthe harpe as he tho dede,
1074	He myhte availe in many a stede
1075	To make pes wher now is hate;
1076	For whan men thenken to debate,
1077	I not what other thing is good.
1078	Bot wher that wisdom waxeth wod,
1079	And reson torneth into rage,
1080	So that mesure upon oultrage
1081	Hath set his world, it is to drede;
1082	For that bringth in the comun drede,
1083	Which stant at every mannes Dore:
1084	Bot whan the scharpnesse of the spore
1085	The horse side smit to sore,
1086	It grieveth ofte. And now nomore,
1087	As forto speke of this matiere,
1088	Which non bot only god may stiere.

Explicit Prologus