To make him blinde on his one eye,
So that his felaw no thing sigh.
This word was nought so soné spoke,
That his one eye anon was loke,
And his felaw forth with also
Was blinde on both his eyen two.
Tho was that other gladde inough,
That one wept, that other lough,
He set his one eye at no cost
Wherof that other two hath lost.
Of thilke ensample, which fell tho,
Men tellen now full ofté so.
The worlde empeireth1 comunly
And yet wot none the causé why;
For it accordeth nought to kinde
Min owné harme to seche and
finde,

Of that I shall my brother greve
I mighté never wel acheve.

What saist thou, sone, of this
folie?

"My fader, but 3 I shuldé lie Upon the point which ye have saide,

Yet was min herté never laide
But in the wise as I you tolde.
But evermore if that ye wolde
Ought ellés to my shrifté saie
Touchend Envie, I woldé praie.”-
"My soné, that shall well be do.
Now herken and lay thin ere to.
“Touchend as of envíous brood
I wot nought one of allé good,
But nethéles suche as they be
Yet there is one, and that is he,
Which clepéd is Detractión.
And to conferme his action
He hath witholde Malebouche,+
Whose tunge nouther pill ne
crouche 5

May hire so that he pronounce

1 Empeireth, grows worse.

2 Kinde, nature. 3 But, unless.

A Witholde Malebouche, held with Evil Mouth.

5 Pill ne crouche, plunder nor coin.

A plein good word withouten

frounce,1

Where behinde a mannés backe; For though he preise he find some lacke,

Whiche of his tale is ay the laste
That all the prise shall overcaste.
And though there be no causé why,
Yet woll he jangle nought forthý,
As he whiche hath the heraldie
Of hem that usen for to lie.
For as the nettle whiche up renneth
The fresshé redé roses brenneth
And maketh hem fade and pale of
hewe,

Right so this fals envíous hewe 2
In every placé where he dwelleth
With falsé wordés where he telleth
He torneth preising into blame
And worship into worldés shame.
Of such lesínge as he compásseth
Is none so good that he ne passeth
Betwene his tethe and is backbited
And through his falsé tunge endited.
Lich to the sharnebudés3 kinde,
Of whose natúré this I finde,
That in the hotest of the day,
Whan comen is the mery May,
He spret his winge and up he fleeth
And under all aboute he seeth
The fairé lusty flourés springe.
But therof hath he no likínge.
But where he seeth of any beste
The filthé, there he maketh his feste
And there upon he woll alighte,
There liketh him none other sighte
Right so this jangler envioús,
Though he a man se vertuoús
And full of good condición,
Therof maketh he no mención.
But ellés, be it nought so lite,4
Wherof that he may set a wite,"

There renneth he with open mouth Behinde a man and maketh it couth.1

But all the vertue whiche he can
That woll he hide, of every man,
And openly the vicé telle,

As he which of the scole of helle
Is taught, and fostred with Envie
Of housholde and of compaignie,
Where that he hath his propre office
To sette on every man a vice.
How so his mouth be comélý,
His wordé sit e'ermore awry
And saith the worsté that he may.
And in this wisé now a daye
In Lovés court a man may here
Full ofté pleine of this matere ;
That many envious tale is stered,2
Where that it may nought be an-
swered

But yet full ofte it is beleved;
And many a worthy love is greved
Through backbitínge of false Envie.
"If thou have made suche jang-
lerie

In Lovés court, my sone, er this, Shrive thee therof."-" My fader, yis.

But wite ye how, nought openly
But otherwhile prively,
Whan I my deré lady mete
And thenke how that I am nought

mete

Unto her highé worthinesse,
And eke I se the besinesse
Of all this yongé lusty route
Which all day púrsue her aboute,
And eche of hem his time awaiteth,
And eche of hem his tale affaiteth,3
All to deceive an innocent
Which woll nought be of her as-

sent.

1 Couth, known. 2 Stered, stirred up. Affaiteth, submitteth. Her, their,

And for men sain unknowen unkiste,'

Her thombé she holt in her fiste So close within her owné honde That there winneth no man londe ; She leveth nought all that she hereth

And thus ful ofte her self she skiereth 1

And is all ware of had I wist.
But for all that min hert ariste
Whan I these comun lovers see
That wol nought holden hem to thre
But well nigh loven over al,
Min hert is envious with all,
And ever I am adrad of guile,
In aunter if with any wile
They might her innocence en-
chaunte.

Forthý my words full ofte I haunte
Behindé hem so as I dare,
Wherof my lady may beware.
I say what ever cometh to mouth,
And wers I wolde if that I couth.
For whan I come unto her speche
All that I may enquere and seche
Of such deceipte I telle it all,
And ay the worst in speciall.
So faine I woldé that she wist
How litel they ben for to trist,
And what they wold and what they

Yet rather than he shuldé spede
I woldé suché talés sprede
To my ladý, if that I might,
That I shuld all his love unright,
And therto wolde I do my peine.
For certés though I shuldé feigne
And tellé that was never thought,
For all this worlde I mighté nought
To suffre an other fully winne
There as I am yet to beginne;
For be they good or be they bad
I woldé none my lady had.
And that me maketh full ofte aspie
And usen wordés of Envié,

And for to make hem bere a blame

And that is but of thilké sameThe whiche unto my lady drawe, For ever on them I rounge and gnawe

And hinder hem all that ever I maie.

And that is, sothly for to saie,
But only to my lady selve;
I telle it nought to ten ne twelve,
Therof I wol me well avise
To speke or jangle in any wise
That toucheth to my ladies name,
The whiche in ernest and in game
I woldé save, in to my deth;
For me were lever to lacke breth
Than speken of her name amis.
Now have ye herd touchénd of this,
My fader, in Confession
And therfore of Detraction
In Love, of that I have mispoke,
Tell how ye will it shall be wroke.
I am all redy for to bere
My peine, and also to forbere
What thing that ye woll nought

allowe;

For who is bounden, he must bowe.
So woll I bowe unto your hest,
For I dare maké this behest,
1 Rounge, nip.

That I to you have nothing hid,
But told right as it is betid,
And otherwise of no misspeche
My consciéncé for to seche.
I can nought of Envié finde
That I misspoke have ought be
hinde,

Wherof love oughté be mispaide. Now have ye herde and I have saide,

What woll ye fader, that I do?"-
"My soné, do no moré so,
But ever kepe thy tungé still,
Thou might the moré have thy will.
For as thou saist thy selven here,
Thy lady is of such manere,
So wise so ware in allé thinges,
It nedeth of no bakbitínges,
That thou thy lady misenforme:
For whan she knoweth all the
forme,

How that thy self art envioús,
Thou shalt nought be so gracioús,
As thou paraunter 1 shuldest be
elles.

There wol no man drinke of the welles,

Whiche as he wote2 is poison inne.
And ofté suche as men beginne
Towardés other, such they finde,
That set hem ofté fer behinde
Whan that they wenen be before.
My godé sone, and thou therfore
Be ware and leve thy wicked speche,
Wherof hath fallen ofté wreche3
To many a man before this time.
For who so wol his hondés lime,4
They musten be the more unclene.
For many a moté shall be sene,
That woldé nought cleve ellés there;
And that shulde every wise man fere.
For who so woll another blame,
He seketh ofte his owné shame,

1 Paraunter, peradventure.
2 Wote, knows. 3 Wreche, revenge.
4 Take birdlime in his hands.

Of greaté Rome, as is the sawe, The sceptre haddé for to right, (Tibéry Constantin he hight, Whos wife was cléped Italie. But they to-gider of progenie No children haddé but a maide, And she the God so wel apaide 1 That al the widé worldés fame Spake worship of her godé name. Constance, as the croniqué saith, She hight, and was so full of faith That the greatest of Barbarie, Of hem whiche usen marchandie, She hath converted, as they come To her upon a time in Rome

To shewen such thing as they

brought

Which worthely of hem she bought.
And over that2 in suche a wise
She hath hem with her wordés wise
Of Cristés feith so full enformed,
That they therto ben all conformed,
So that baptismé they receiven
And all her falsé goddés weiven.
"Whan they ben of the feith.
certéin,

They gone to Barbaríe ayein,
And there the Souldan for hem sente
And axeth hem to what entente
They have her firsté feith forsake.
And they, whiche hadden undertake
The righté feith to kepe and holde,
The mater of her talé tolde
With all the holé circumstaúnce.

1 Apaide, pleased.

Over that, beyond that.

3 Her, their.

And whan the Souldan of Constaunce,

Upon the point that they answerde,
The beauté and the gracé herde,
As he which thanné was to wedde,
In allé haste his causé spedde
To sendé for the mariage.
And furthermore with good coráge
He saith, be so he may her have,
That Crist, that came this world |
to save,

He woll beleve, and thus recorded
They ben on either side accorded.
And there upon to make an ende
The Souldan his hostages sende
To Rome, of princes sonés twelve.
Wherof the fader in him selve
Was glad, and with the Pope avised.
Two Cardinales he hath assised
With other lordés many mo,
That with his doughter shulden go
To se the Souldan be converted.
"But that which never was wel
herted

Envïé tho gan to travaíle

In disturbaúnce of this spousaíle
So privély that none was ware.
The Moder which the Souldan bare |
Was than alive, and thoughté this
Unto her selfe: if it so is,
My sone him wedde in this manere,
Than have I lost my joiés here,
For min estate shall so be lassed.
Thenkend thus, she hath compássed
By sleight how that she may beguile
Her sone, and fell within a while,
Betwene hem two whan that they

were,

She feigned wordés in his ere
And in this wisé gan to say:

'My sone, I am by double way With all min herté glad and blithe, For that my selfe have ofté sithe

1 Be so, if so be.
Ofte sithe, oftentimes.

Desiréd thou wolte, as men saith, Receive and take a newé feith, Which shall be forthringe of thy life.

1

And eke so worshipfull a wife
The doughter of an emperoúr
To wedde, it shall be great honoúr.
Forthý my sone, I you beseche,
That I such gracé might areche,
Whan that my doughter comé shall,
That I may than in speciáll,

So as me thenketh it is honéste, Be thilké which the firsté feste Shall make unto her welcominge.' "The Souldan graunteth her axínge.

And she therof was gladde inough, For under that anone she drough With falsé wordés that she spake Covin of dethe behinde his backe. And therupon her ordinaunce She madé so, that whan Constance Was comen forth with the Romains, Of clerkés and of citezeins A riché festé she hem made. And mosté whan they weren glade With falsé covin, which she hadde, (Her close Envié tho she spradde. And allé tho, that hadden be Or in appert or in privé Of counseil to the mariage, She slough hem in a sodein rage Endlong the borde as they be set, So that it mighté nought be let. Her owné soné was nought quite,3 But died upon the samé plite. But what the highé God woll spare It may for no períll misfare. This worthy maiden which was there

Stode than as who saith dede for fere

1 Forthy, therefore.

2 Covin, secret contrivance.

3 Quite, acquitted.

To se the fest how that it stood,
Whiche all was tornéd into blood.
The dissh forth with the cuppe and
all

Bebled1 they weren over all;
She sigh hem die on every side,
No wonder though she wepte and
cride

Makend maný a wofull mone.

| When all was slain but she al one, This oldé fend, this Sarazin

Let take anone this Constantin
With all the good she thider brought
And hath ordeignéd as she thought
A naked ship withouté stere,

In which the good and her in fere,
Vitáléd full for yerés five,\
Where that the winde it woldé
drive,

She put upon the wawés wilde.

"But he, which allé thinges may

shilde

Thre yere til that she cam to londe Her ship to stere hath take on

honde,

And in Northumberlond arriveth;2 And happeth thanné that she driveth

Under a castell with the flood,
Whiche upon Humber banké stood.
And was the kingés owne also
The whiche Allee was clepéd tho;
A Saxon, and a worthy knight,
But he beleveth nought aright.
Of this castéll was castellaine
Elda the kingés chamberlaine,
A knightly man after his lawe.
And whan he sigh upon the wawe
The ship drivénd aloné so,
He badde anone men shulden go
To se what it betoken may.
This was upon a somer day

1 Bebled, covered with blood.
2 Arriveth, touches shore.
3 Saw upon the waves.

3