LIBER SECUNDUS.
That they upon this semblaunt triste
And axen him, if that he wiste
What thinge hem were beft to done,
So that they mighten fauf and fone
The water paffe, he and she.
And whan Neffus the privete
Knew of her herte what it ment
As he, that was of double entent,
He made hem right a glad vifage.
And whan he herde of the paffage
Of him and her, he thoughte guile
And feigneth femblant for a while
To done hem plesaunce and fervise,
But he thought all an other wife.
This Neffus with his wordes fligh
Yaf fuch counfeil to-fore her eye,
Which femeth outward profitable
And was withinne deceivable.
He bad hem of the ftremes depe
That they beware and take kepe,
So as they knowe nought the pas.
But for to helpe in fuche a cas
He faith him self, that for her ese
He wolde, if that it mighte hem plese,
The paffage of the water take
And for this lady undertake
To bere her to that other ftronde
And fauf to set her up a londe,
And Hercules may than alfo
The waie knowe, how he shall
And herto they accorden all.
But what as after shall befall
Well paid was Hercules of this.
And this geaunt alfo glad is
And toke this lady up alofte
And fet her on his fhulder fofte
And in the flood began to wade
As he, which no grucchinge made,
And bare her over fauf and founde.
But whan he stood on drie grounde
And Hercules was fer behinde,
He fet his trouth all out of minde,
Who fo therof be lefe or loth
With Deianire forth he goth,
As he that thought to diffever
The compaignie of hem for ever.
Whan Hercules therof toke hede,
As faste as ever he might him fpede
He hieth after in a throwe.
And hapneth that he had a bowe,
The whiche in alle haft he bende,
As he that wolde an arwe sende,
Whiche he to-fore had envenimed.
He hath fo well his fhotte timed,
That he him through the body smette
And thus the falfe wight he lette.
But lift now, fuche a felonie.
Whan Neffus wift he fhulde deie,
He toke to Deianire his fherte,
Which with the blood was of his herte
Through out disteigned over all,
And tolde how the it kepe shall
And prively to this entent,
That if her lorde his herte went
To love in any other place,
This shert he faith hath suche a grace,
That if she may fo mochel make,
That he the sherte upon him take,
He fhall all other lette in veine
And torne unto her love ayeine.
Who was fo glad but Deianire?
Her thought her herte was on a fire,
Till it was in her cofre loke,
So that no word therof was spoke.
The daies gone, the yeres paffe,
The hertes waxen laffe and laffe
Of hem, that ben to love untrewe.
This Hercules with herte newe
His love hath fet on Eolen,
And therof speken alle men.
This Eolen, this faire maide
Was as men thilke time faide
The kinges doughter of Eurice.
And she made Hercules fo nice
Upon her love and so affote,
That he him clotheth in her cote,
And fhe in his was clothed ofte.
And thus febleffe is fet alofte,
And strengthe was put under fote.
There can no man therof do bote.
Whan Deianire hath herd this speche,
There was no forwe for to feche,
Of other helpe wot she none,
But goth unto her cofre anone,
With wepend eye and wofull herte
She toke out thilke unhappy sherte,
As fhe that wende wel to do,
And brought her werke aboute so,
That Hercules this fhert on dede
To fuche entent, and as she was bede
Of Neffus, fo as I faid er.
But therof was she nought the ner,
As no fortune may be weived,
With fals femblant she was deceived.
But whan she wende best have wonne,
She loft all that she hath begonne.
For thilke fhert unto the bone
His body fette a fire anone
And cleveth so, it may nought twinne
For the venim, that was therinne.
And he than as a wilde man
Unto the highe wode he ran,
And as the clerke Ovide telleth,
The
grete trees to grounde he felleth
With strengthe of his owne might
And made an hughe fire upright
And lept therin him self at ones
And brent him felf both flesh and bones,
Which thinge cam through fals semblant,
That falfe Neffus the geaunt
Made unto him and to his wife,
Wherof that he hath loft his life,
And the fory for evermo.
Forthy my fone, er the be wo
I rede, be wel ware therfore.
For whan fo great a man was lore,
It ought to yive a great conceipt
To warne all other of such deceipt.
Graunt mercy, fader, I am ware
So fer, that I no more dare
Of fals femblaunt take acqueintaunce.
But rather I wol do penaunce,
That I have feigned chere er this.
Now axeth forth, what so there is
Of that belongeth to my fhrifte.
My fone, yet there is the fifte,
Whiche is conceived of envie
And cleped is fupplantarie,
Through whos campaffement and guile
Ful many a man hath loft his while
In love as wel as other wife
Here after as I fhall devise.
Invidus alterius eft fupplantator honoris
Et tua quo vertat culmina fubtus arat.
Eft opus occultum, quafi que latet anguis in herba
Quod facit, et fubita forte nocivus adeft.
Sic fubtilis amans alium fupplantat amantem
Et capit occulte, quod nequit ipfe palam,
Sepeque fupplantans in plantam plantat amoris,
Quod putat in propriis alter habere bonis.
The vice of fupplantacion
With many a fals collacion,
Hic tractat confeffor de quinta fpecie invidie, que fup
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