Hic ponit confeffor exemplum contra if
Such will my wit hath over fet,
That what fo hope me behet
Full many a time I wene it foth,
But finally no fpede it doth.
Thus may I tellen, as I can,
Wening beguileth many a man.
So hath it me, right wel I wot,
For if a man wol in a bote
Whiche is withoute botme rowe,
He must nedes overthrowe.
Right fo wening hath fard by me.
For whan I wende next have be,
As I by my wening cafte,
Than was I furtheft ate lafte,
And as a fool my bowe unbende
Whan all was failed that I wende.
Forthy, my fader, as of this
my wening hath gone amis
Touchend to furquedrie,
Yef me my penaunce or I die.
But if
ye wolde in any forme
Of this mater a tale enforme,
Which were ayein this vice fet,
I fhulde fare well the bet.
My fone, in alle maner wife tos, qui fuis viribus Surquedrie is to defpife, prefumentes debilio- Wherof I finde write thus.
narrat, qualiter ille The proude knight Capaneus armis probatiffimus He was of fuche furquedrie, de fua prefumens au
dacia invocacionem That he through his chivalrie
Upon him self fo mochel trifte,
That to the goddes him ne liste
In no quarele to beseche,
But faide, it was an idel speche,
pure drede
Which cause was of
For lacke of hert and for no nede.
And upon such prefumption
He held this proude opinion,
Till ate laste upon a day
Aboute Thebes, where he lay,
Whan it of fiege was belaine,
This knight, as the croniques faine,
In alle mannes fighte there,
Whan he was proudest in his gere
And thought how nothing might him dere,
Full armed with his fhield and fpere
As he the cite wolde affaile,
God toke him felfe the bataile
Ayein his pride, and fro the sky
A firy thonder fodeinly
He fende and him to pouder fmote.
And thus the pride, which was hote,
Whan he most in his ftrengthe wende,
Was brent and loft withouten ende.
So that it proveth well therfore
The strength of man is fone lore,
But if that he it well governe.
And over this a man may lerne,
That eke full ofte time it greveth
What that a man him felf beleveth,
ad fuperos tempore neceffitatis ex vecordia tamen et non aliter primitus proveniffe afferuit, unde in obfidione civitatis Thebarum, cum ipfe quodam die coram fuis hoftibus ad debellandum fe obtulit, ignis de celo fubito fuperveniens ipfum armatum totaliter in cineres combuffit.
As though it shulde him well befeme,
That he all other men can deme
And hath foryete his owne vice.
A tale of hem that be so nice
And feigne hem felf to be fo wife
I fhall the telle in fuche a wife,
Wherof thou shalt enfample take,
That thou no fuch thing undertake.
I finde upon furquedrie,
contra illos, qui de fua How that whilom of Hungarie
fciencia prefumentes
aliorum condiciones
By olde daies was a king
te redarguunt, et Wife and honeft in alle thing. narrat exemplum de
quodam principe re- And fo befell upon a daie gis Hungarie germa
no, qui cum fratrem And that was in the month of fuum pauperibus in
As thilke time it was ufaunce,
liatum, ipfum redar- This king with noble purveiaunce
edocere prefumebat, Hath for him felfe his chare arraied, fed rex omni fapiencia
prepollens ipfum fic Wherin he wolde ride amaied
ad humilitatis memo- Out of the cite for to pleie
riam terribili provi-
dencia micius caftiga.
With lordes and with great nobleie
Of lufty folk that were yonge,
Where fome pleide and fome fonge
And some gone and some ride
And fome prick her horse aside
And bridlen hem now in now oute.
The kinge his eye caft aboute,
Til he was ate lafte ware
And figh comend ayein his chare
Two pilgrimes of so great age,
That lich unto a drie ymage,
That weren pale and fade hewed,
And as a busfhe, whiche is befnewed,
Here berdes weren hore and white.
There was of kinde but a lite,
That they ne femen fully dede.
They comen to the king and bede
Some of his good pur charite.
And he with great humilite
Out of his chare to grounde lepte
And hem in both his armes kepte
And kift hem bothe foot and honde
Before the lordes of his londe
And yaf hem of his good therto.
And whan he hath this dede do
He goth into his chare ayeine.
Tho was murmur, tho was difdeine,
Tho was compleinte on every fide,
They faiden of their owne pride
Echone till other: what is this?
Our king hath do this thing amis
So to abeffe his roialte,
That every man it mighte se,
And humbled him in fuch a wife
To hem that were of none emprise.
Thus was it spoken to and fro
Of hem, that were with him tho
All prively behinde his backe.
But to him felfe no man spake.
The kinges brother in presence
Was thilke time and great offence
He toke therof and was the fame
Above all other, which mofte blame
Upon his lege lord hath laid
And hath unto the lordes faid,
Anone as he may time finde,
There shall nothing be left behinde,
That he wol fpeke unto the king.
Now lift what fell upon this thing.
The weder was merie and fair inough,
Echone with other pleid and lough
And fellen into tales newe,
How that the fresfhe floures grewe,
And how the grene leves fpronge,
amonge the Began the hertes thanne awake,
And every brid hath chofe his make.
And thus the maies day to thende
They lede and home ayein they wende.
The king was nought so fone come,
That whan he had his chambre nome,
His brother ne was redy there
And brought a tale unto his ere
Of that he didde such a shame
In hindring of his owne name,
Whan he him felfe wolde dreche,
That to fo vile a pouer wrecche
Him deigneth fhewe such fimpleffe
Ayein the state of his nobleffe.
And faith, he shall it no more use
And that he mot him felfe excufe
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