Despyt of love, and hadde him-self y-wroght.
+This shulde a rightwys lord han in his thoght,
+And nat be lyk tiraunts of Lumbardye,

That usen wilfulhed and tirannye,

355

+For he that king or lord is naturel,

+Him oghte nat be tiraunt ne cruel,

+As is a fermour, to doon the harm he can.

+He moste thinke hit is his lige man,

360

*And that him oweth, of verray duetee,
*Shewen his peple pleyn benignitee,
*And wel to here hir excusaciouns,
*And hir compleyntes and peticiouns,

*In duewe tyme, whan they shal hit profre.

+This is the sentence of the philosophre: (B. 381) 365
+A king to kepe his liges in Iustyce;

†With-outen doute, that is his offyce.
*And therto is a king ful depe y-sworn,

*Ful many an hundred winter heer-biforn;

Despyt of love, and had him-self hit wroght.

+This shulde a rightwys lord have in his thoght,
+And nat be lyk tiraunts of Lumbardye,

Than han no reward but at tirannye.

+For he that king or lord is naturel,

375

+ Him oghte nat be tiraunt ne cruel,

+As is a fermour, to doon the harm he can.
+He moste thinke hit is his lige man,

*And is his tresour, and his gold in cofre.
+This is the sentence of the philosophre:
+A king to kepe his liges in Iustyce;
+With-outen doute, that is his offyce.

380

B. 360. C. hous; F. house. 364. F. B. (only) om. But. A. vtirly; F. Tn. outrely. F. Despite. 373. F. shoolde. kynge. F. lord ys in; rest om. in. 378. F. harme.

B. cruel.

B. liege.

374. F. lyke tirauntez.

372. 376. F.

377. F. oght; C. oughte. F. crewel; 379. F. leege; C. Tn. lige; Th. T. A. 382. F. leeges; Tn. liges; C. lygis.

370

And for to kepe his lordes hir degree,
+As hit is right and skilful that they be
+Enhaunced and honoured, and most dere-
+For they ben half-goddes in this world here-
This shal he doon, bothe to pore [and] riche,
Al be that here stat be nat a-liche,
+And han of pore folk compassioun.
+For lo, the gentil kind of the lioun !
For whan a flye offendeth him or byteth,
+He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth
+Al esily; for, of his genterye,

375

380

+ Him deyneth nat to wreke him on a flye,
+As doth a curre or elles another beste.

+In noble corage oghte been areste,

+And weyen every thing by equitee,
+And ever han reward to his owen degree.

385

Al wol he kepe his lordes hir degree,
+As hit is right and skilful that they be

+Enhaunced and honoured, and most dere—

+For they ben half-goddes in this world here

Yit mot he doon bothe right, to pore and riche,
Al be that hir estat be nat y-liche,

+And han of pore folk compassioun.
+For lo, the gentil kynd of the leoun!
+For whan a flye offendeth him or byteth,
+He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth
+Al esily; for, of his genterye,

+Him deyneth nat to wreke him on a flye,
+As doth a curre or elles another beste.
+In noble corage oghte been areste,

+And weyen every thing by equitee,

+And ever han reward to his owen degree.

385

390

395

372. Enhaunsede; om. 2nd and.

A. 370. lordys. 373. goddys. 374. don; I supply and. 388. C. wol; for ful. 389. ascuse. 390. I supply But. 397, 399, 400. 30ure. 401. where (whether); renagat. B. 384. F. hise. Th. P. in her; rest om. in. F. mote; T. A Add. om. bothe; pocre. 389. F. hire estaat. 391. F. loo; kynde. T. A. leoun; F. lyoun.

poore.

387. F. -goddys.

388. 390. F.

392. F.

+For, sir, hit is no maystrie for a lord

To dampne a man with-oute answere or word;
+And, for a lord, that is ful foul to use.
+And if so be he may him nat excuse,
[But] axeth mercy with a sorweful herte,
+And profreth him, right in his bare sherte,
+To been right at your owne Iugement,
+Than oghte a god, by short avysement,
+Considre his owne honour and his trespas.
+For sith no cause of deeth lyth in this cas,
+Yow oghte been the lighter merciable;
+ Leteth your yre, and beth somwhat tretable !
+The man hath served yow of his conning,
And forthered your lawe with his making.
*Whyl he was yong, he kepte your estat;
*I not wher he be now a renegat.

390

395

400

+For, sir, hit is no maystrie for a lord

400

To dampne a man with-oute answere of word;

+And, for a lord, that is ful foul to use.

+And if so be he may him nat excuse,

But asketh mercy with a dredful herte,
+And profreth him, right in his bare sherte,
+To been right at your owne Iugement,
+Than oghte a god, by short avysement,
+Considre his owne honour and his trespas.
+For sith no cause of deeth lyth in this cas,
+Yow oghte been the lighter merciable;
+ Leteth your yre, and beth somwhat tretable!
+The man hath served yow of his conning,
And forthred wel your lawe in his making.

405

410

offendith.

393. F. tayle. F. fle; C. Tn. A. B. P. flye. 394. F. esely; A. esily. C. A. genterye; F. gentrye. 396. F. dooth; best. 397. C. oghte; F. ought. F. ben arest. 399. F. Tn. Th. B. vnto; rest to. 401. C. P. or; rest of. 402. C. wol; T. ryght; rest ful. F. foule. 403. 404. C. om. But. 405. F. profereth; P. profreth. 407. F. oght. 409. F. dethe 410. All but T. wrongly insert to before been. 412. F. 413. F. furthred; Tn. forthred. F. youre.

C. T. A. if; rest it.

406. F. owen; C. Tn. owene; T. oune.

lyeth; caas.

kunnyng.

But wel I wot, with that he can endyte,
He hath maked lewed folk delyte

+To serve you, in preysing of your name.

+He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame,

405

+And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,
+And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,
+And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte
+Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte;
+And many an ympne for your halydayes,
+That highten Balades, Roundels, Virelayes;
And for to speke of other besinesse,
He hath in prose translated Boëce;

410

415

(B. 426)

*And of the Wreched Engendring of Mankinde,
*As man may in pope Innocent y-finde;
+And mad the Lyf also of seynt Cecyle;
+He made also, goon sithen a greet whyl,
+Origenes upon the Maudeleyne;
+Him oghte now to have the lesse peyne;

'Al be hit that he can nat wel endyte,
Yet hath he maked lewed folk delyte
+To serve you, in preysing of your name.

415

+He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame,

+And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse,

+And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse,
+And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte
+Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte ;
+And many an ympne for your halydayes,
+That highten Balades, Roundels, Virelayes;
And, for to speke of other holynesse,
+He hath in prose translated Boëce,

420

425

+And mad the Lyf also of seynt Cecyle;

+He made also, goon sithen a greet whyl,
+Origenes upon the Maudeleyne ;

+ Him oghte now to have the lesse peyne;

A. 403. makid lewede folk to; I omit to. 414. wrechede engendrynge.

412. othyr.

413. translatid.

B. 415. C. makid; rest made (line too short).

425. F. proce; rest prose.

420

+He hath mad many a lay and many a thing.
+'Now as ye been a god, and eek a king,
+I, your Alceste, whylom quene of Trace,
+I axe yow this man, right of your grace,
+That ye him never hurte in al his lyve;
+And he shal sweren yow, and that as blyve,
+He shal no more agilten in this wyse;
+ But he shal maken, as ye wil devyse,
+Of wemen trewe in lovinge al hir lyve,
+Wher-so ye wil, of maiden or of wyve,
+And forthren yow, as muche as he misseyde
+Or in the Rose or elles in Crisseyde.'

+The god of love answerde hir thus anoon,
+Madame,' quod he, 'hit is so long agoon.
+That I yow knew so charitable and trewe,
+That never yit, sith that the world was newe,

+He hath mad many a lay and many a thing.
Now as ye been a god, and eek a king,
+I, your Alceste, whylom quene of Trace,
+I aske yow this man, right of your grace,
+That ye him never hurte in al his lyve;

+And he shal sweren yow, and that as blyve,
+He shal no more agilten in this wyse;
+But he shal maken, as ye wil devyse,
+Of wommen trewe in lovinge al hir lyve,
+Wher-so ye wil, of maiden or of wyve,
+And forthren yow, as muche as he misseyde
+Or in the Rose or elles in Creseyde.'

+The god of love answerde hir thus anoon,
'Madame,' quod he, 'hit is so long agoon
+That I yow knew so charitable and trewe,
+That never yit, sith that the world was newe,

426. F. maade; lyfe.

427. A. sithen; rest is. F. grete.

F. oughte. 430. F. maade; thinge. 431. F. be; C. A. ben.

425

430

435

430

435

440

445

429.

435

A. sueren; rest swere to (less happily). C. T. A. as; which the rest omit.

436. C. T. A. no; rest neuer.

437. C. T. A. he; rest om. F. wol.

438. F. lyfe (but see l. 434). 439. F. wol; wyfe.
Th. answerde (better). F. (only) om. thus.
445. C. sith; F. syn. F. worlde.

442. C. F. answerede; 444. C. knew; F. knewe.

H