So as I might under a tree
To grounde I felle upon my knee
And preid her for to do me grace.
She caft her chere upon my face
And as it were halving a game
She axeth me, what was my name.
Madame, I faide, Iohan Gower.
Now Iohan, quod fhe, in my power
Thou must as of thy love ftonde.
For I thy bill have understonde,
In which to Cupide and to me
Somdele thou haft compleigned the
And fomdele to nature also.
But that shall ftonde among you two,
For therof have I nought to done,
For nature is under the mone
Maiftreffe of every lives kinde,
But if fo be, that she may finde
Some holy man, that woll withdrawe
His kindely luft ayein her lawe.
But felde whan it falleth fo,
For fewe men there ben of tho.
But of these other inowe be,
Whiche of her owne nicite
Ayein nature and her office
Deliten hem in fondry vice,
Wherof that she full oft hath pleigned,
And eke my court it hath disdeigned
And ever shall, for it receiveth
None fuch, that kinde fo defceiveth.
For all onlich of gentil love
My court ftant alle courts above
And taketh nought into retenue
But thing, which is to kinde due.
For elles it shall be refused,
Wherof I holde the excused.
For it is many daies gone,
That thou amonges hem were one,
Which of my court shall be witholde,
So that the more I am beholde
Of thy difefe to commune
And to remue that fortune,
Which many daies hath the greved.
But if my counfeil may be leved,
Thou shalt be efed er thou go
Of thilke unsely jolif wo,
Wherof thou faift thin hert is fired.
But as of that thou haft defired
After the sentence of thy bill,
Thou must therof done at my will,
And I therof me woll avise.
For be thou hole, it shall fuffice,
My medicine is nought to seke,
The which is holsome to the seke,
Nought all perchaunce as ye
it wolde,
But fo as ye by refon fholde,
Accordaunt unto loves kinde.
For in the plite, which I the finde,
So as my court it hath awarded,
Thou shalt be duely rewarded.
And if thou woldest more crave,
It is no right that thou it have.
Qui cupit id, quod habere nequit, fua tempora prodit,
Eft ubi non poffe, velle falute caret.
Non eftatis opus gelidis, hirfuta, capillos
Cum calor abceffit, equiparabit yems.
Sicut habet maius non dat natura decembri,
Nec poterit compar floribus effe lutum.
neque decrepita fenum juvenile voluptas
Floret in obfequium, quod Venus ipfa petit.
Conveniens igitur foret, ut quod cana fenectus
Attigit, ulterius corpora cafta colant.
Venus, which stant withoute lawe,
In none certeine, but as men drawe
Of Rageman upon the chaunce,
She laith no peise in the balaunce,
But as her liketh for to weie,
The trewe man full ofte aweie
She put, which hath her grace
bede,
And fette an untrue in his stede.
Lo, thus blindly the world fhe demeth
In loves cause, as to me femeth,
I not what other men wold fain.
But I algate am so befeine
And stonde as one amonges alle,
Which am out of her grace
falle,
It nedeth take no witneffe.
For fhe, which said is the goddesse,
To whether parte of love it wende,
Hath fet me for a finall ende
The point, wherto that I fhall holde.
For whan fhe hath me well beholde,
That thou amonges hem were one,
Which of my court shall be witholde,
So that the more I am beholde
Of thy difefe to commune
And to remue that fortune,
Which many daies hath the greved.
But if my counfeil may be leved,
Thou shalt be efed er thou go
Of thilke unsely jolif wo,
Wherof thou faift thin hert is fired.
But as of that thou haft defired
After the sentence of thy bill,
Thou must therof done at my will,
And I therof me woll avife.
For be thou hole, it fhall fuffice,
My medicine is nought to feke,
The which is holfome to the feke,
Nought all perchaunce as ye it wolde,
But fo as ye by refon fholde,
Accordaunt unto loves kinde.
For in the plite, which I the finde,
So as my court it hath awarded,
Thou shalt be duely rewarded.
And if thou woldeft more crave,
It is no right that thou it have.
Qui cupit id, quod habere nequit, fua tempora prodit, 3.
Eft ubi non poffe, velle falute caret.
Non eftatis opus gelidis, hirfuta, capillos
Cum calor abceffit, equiparabit yems.
Sicut habet maius non dat natura decembri,
Nec poterit compar floribus effe lutum.
Sic neque decrepita fenum juvenile voluptas
Floret in obfequium, quod Venus ipfa petit.
Conveniens igitur foret, ut quod cana fenectus
Attigit, ulterius corpora cafta colant.
Venus, which ftant withoute lawe,
In none certeine, but as men drawe
Of Rageman upon the chaunce,
She laith no peise in the balaunce,
But as her liketh for to weie,
The trewe man full ofte aweie
She put, which hath her grace
bede, And fette an untrue in his stede. Lo, thus blindly the world fhe demeth
In loves cause, as to me femeth,
I not what other men wold fain.
But I algate am so befeine
And stonde as one amonges alle,
grace falle,
Which am out of her
It nedeth take no witneffe.
For she, which said is the goddesse,
To whether parte of love it wende,
Hath fet me for a finall ende
The point, wherto that I fhall holde.
For whan fhe hath me well beholde,
Hic in exemplum
contra quofcunque
viros inveteratos
amoris concupif-
cenciam affectantes
loquitur
huiufque amantis
confeffi fupplicaci-
onem quafi deri-
dens, ipfum pro eo,
quod fenex et debi-
lis eft, multis exhor-
tacionibus infuffi-
cientem redarguit.
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