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Hic ponit confeffor

exemplum contra il

By olde enfample as thou shalt here
Touchend of love in this matere.

A maiden whilom there was one,

los, qui in amoris cau- Which Daphne hight, and such was none fa nimia feftinacione Of beaute than, as it was faide.

concupifcentes tar

dius expediunt, et Phebus his love hath on her laide, narrat, qualiter pro

eo, quod Phebus And therupon to her he sought

quandam virginem

pulcherrimam nomi- In his foolhafte and so befought, ne Daphnem nimia

amoris acceleracione That she with him no reste hadde, infequebatur, iratus

Cupido cor Phebi fa- For ever upon her love he gradde, gitta aurea ignita ar- And she said ever unto him nay.

dencius vulneravit et

econtra cor Daphne So it befelle upon a day

quadam fagitta plum

bea, que frigidiffima Cupide, whiche hath every chaunce fuit, fobrius perfora

vit, et fic quanto ma- Of love under his governaunce,

gis Phebus ardencior

in amore Daphnem Sigh Phebus haften him so fore,
perfecutus eft, tanto And for he fhulde him hafte more
magis ipfa frigidior
And yet nought speden ate laste

Phebi concupifcen

ciam toto corde fugitiva dedignabatur.

A dart throughout his hert he caste,
Which was of golde and all a fire,
That made him many fold defire
Of love more than he dede.
To Daphne eke in the fame ftede
A dart of led he cafte and fmote,
Which was all colde and no thing hote.

And thus Phebus in love brenneth

And in his hafte aboute renneth
To loke, if that he might winne.
But he was ever to beginne,
For ever away fro him fhe fled,
So that he never his love sped.

And for to make him full beleve,
That no foolhafte might acheve
To gete love in fuch degre,
This Daphne into a lorer tre
Was torned, whiche is ever grene
In token, as yet it may be fene,

That she shall dwelle a maiden stille
And Phebus failen of his wille.
By fuche enfamples as they ftonde,
My fone, thou might understonde
To haften love is thing in vein,
Whan that fortune is there ayein,
To take where a man hath leve
Good is, and elles he mot leve.
For whan a mannes happes failen,
There is none haste may availen.

My fader, graunt mercy of this.
But while I se my lady is

No tree, but holde her owne forme,
There may me no man fo enforme,
To whether part fortune wende,
That I unto my lives ende
Ne wol her serve evermo.

My fone, fithen it is so,

I fay no more, but in this cas

Beware, howe it with Phebus was.
Nought only upon loves chaunce,
But upon every governaunce,
Which falleth unto mannes dede,
Foolhafte is ever for to drede,

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Amans.

Confeffor.

Amans.

Confeffor.

Hic ponit confeffor exemplum contra il

los, qui nimio furore

And that a man good counfeil take,
Er he his purpose undertake,
For counfeil put foolhafte awey.
Now gode fader, I you prey,
That for to wiffe me the more,
Some good enfample upon this lore
Ye wold me telle, of that is writ,
That I the better mighte wit,
Howe I foolhafte fhulde efcheue
And the wisdome of counfeil fue.
My fone, that thou might enforme
Thy pacience upon the forme
Of olde enfamples as they felle,
Nowe understond, what I fhall telle.

When noble Troie was belein
And overcome, and home ayein
accenfi vindictam ire The Gregois torned fro the siege,
fue ultra quam decet
confequi affectant. Et The kinges found her owne liege

narrat, qualiter Athe

mas et Demephon re- In many place, as men faide,

ges, cum ipfi a bello

Trojano ad propria That hem forfoke and difobeide.

remeaffent et a fuis

ti non fuiffent, con

ibidem pacifice recep- Among the whiche fell this cafe To Demephon and Athemas, natorum exercitu re- That weren kinges bothe two

gregato aliunde pug

giones fuas non folum

incendio vaftare fed And bothe weren ferved fo,

et omnes in eifdem

habitantes a minimo Her leges wolde hem nought receive,

ufque ad majorem in

perpetuam vindicte So that they mote algates weive memoriam gladio in

terficere fervore ira- To feche londe in other place. cundie propofuerunt. For there founde they no grace, Sed rex Neftor, qui

fenex et fapiens fuit, Wherof they token hem to rede

ex paciencia tractatus

inter ipfos reges et And foughten frendes ate nede,

And eche of hem affureth other
To helpe as to his owne brother
Το
hem of thilke oultrage
vengen
And winne ayein her heritage.

And thus they ride aboute fafte

To geten hem helpe, and ate lafte
They hadden
power fuffifaunt

And maden than a covenaunt,
That they ne fhulde no life fave,
Ne preft, ne clerk, ne lord, ne knave,
Ne wife, ne childe of that they finde,
Which berth visage of mannes kinde,
So that no life fhall be focoured,
But with the dedely swerd devoured.
In fuch foolhafte her ordinaunce
They shapen for to do vengeaunce.
Whan this purpose was wist and knowe
Among here hoft, tho was there blowe
Of wordes many a fpeche aboute.
Of yonge men the lusty route
Were of this tale glad inough.
There was no care for the plough,
As they that weren foolhaftif
They ben accorded to the strife

And sain, it may nought ben to great
hem of fuch forfet.

To vengen

Thus faith the wilde unwife tonge

Of hem, that there weren yonge.

But Neftor, which was olde and hore,

The falve figh to-fore the fore

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As he, that was of counfeil wife.
So that anone by his advise
There was a prive counseil nome,
The lordes ben to-gider come.
This Demephon and Athemas
Her purpos tolden, as it was.
They fetten alle ftill and herde,
Was non but Neftor hem answerde.
He badde hem, if they wol winne,
They fhulden fe, er they beginne,
Her ende and fet her firft entent,
That they hem after ne repent.
And axeth hem this question,
To what finall conclufion
They wolde regne kinges there,
If that no people in londe were?
And faith, it were a wonder wierd
To feen a king become an hierd,
Where no life is but only beste
Under the legeaunce of his hefte.
For who that is of man no kinge
The remenaunt is as no thinge.
He faith eke, if they pourpose holde
To flee the people, as they two wolde,
Whan they it mighte nought restore,
All Grece it fhulde abegge fore
To fe the wilde beste wone,

Where whilom dwelt a mannes fone.
And for that cause he bad hem trete
And ftint of tho manaces grete.

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