CONFESSIO AMANTIS

Torpor hebes fenfus, fcola parva labor minimufque
Caufant, quo minimus ipfe minora canam,
Qua tamen Eugifti lingua canit infula Bruti
Anglica carmen te metra juvante loquar.
Offibus ergo carens qui conterit offa loquelis
Abfit et interpres ftet procul oro malus.

tho.

F hem, that writen us to-fore, The bokes dwelle, and we therfore

Ben taught of that was writen

Forthy good is, that we alfo

In oure time amonge us here
Do write of newe fome matere
Enfampled of the olde wife,
So that it might in suche a wife,
Whan we be dede and elles where,
Belève to the worldes ere

In time comend after this.

But for men fain, and fothe it is,
That who that al of wisdom writ
It dulleth ofte a mannes wit

B

I.

Hic in principio libri declarat, quali

And write a boke betwene the twey
Somwhat of luft, fomwhat of lore,
That of the laffe or of the more

Som man may like of that I write,
And for that fewe men endite

In oure englisshe, I thenke make* ter in anno Regis A boke for Englondes fake

Hic declaratinprimis, qualiter ob reverenciam fereniffimi principis Domini fui Regis Anglie Ricardi fecundi totus fuus humilis Johannes Gower, licet quam infirmitate a diu multipliciter fatigatus huius opufculi labores fufcipere non recufavit, fed tanquam favum ex variis floribus recollectum prefentem libellum ex variis cronicis hiftoricis poetarum philofophorum

*MS. Harl. 3490:

In our englisfhe I thenke make
A boke for king Richardes fake,
To whom belongeth my legeaunce
With all min hertes obeifaunce,
In all that ever a lege man
Unto his king may done or can,
So ferforth and me recommaunde

To him, which all me may commaunde,
Preiend unto the highe regne,

Which caufeth every king to regne,
That his corone longe ftonde.

I thenke and have it understonde,
As it befell upon a tide,

As thing, which fhulde tho betide,
Under the town of newe Troy,
Which toke of Brute his firfte joy,
In Themfe, whan it was flowend,
As I by bote came rowend
So as fortune her time fette,
My lege lord perchaunce I mette.
And fo befell as I came nigh
Out of my bote, whan he me figh,
He bad me come into his barge.
And whan I was with him at large,