Whan he mot to nature obeie。 350
For it is seid thus overal；
That nedes mot that nede schal
Of that a lif doth after kinde；
Wherof he mai no bote finde。
What nature hath set in hir lawe
Ther mai no mannes miht withdrawe；
And who that worcheth therayein；
Fulofte time it hath be sein；
Ther hath befalle gret vengance；
Wherof I finde a remembrance。 360
Ovide after the time tho
Tolde an ensample and seide so；
How that whilom Tiresias；
As he walkende goth per cas；
Upon an hih Montaine he sih
Tuo Serpentz in his weie nyh；
And thei； so as nature hem tawhte；
Assembled were； and he tho cawhte
A yerde which he bar on honde；
And thoghte that he wolde fonde 370
To letten hem； and smot hem bothe：
Wherof the goddes weren wrothe；
And for he hath destourbed kinde
And was so to nature unkinde；
Unkindeliche he was transformed；
That he which erst a man was formed
Into a womman was forschape。
That was to him an angri jape；
Bot for that he with Angre wroghte；
Hise Angres angreliche he boghte。 380
Lo thus； my Sone； Ovide hath write；
Wherof thou miht be reson wite；
More is a man than such a beste：
So mihte it nevere ben honeste
A man to wraththen him to sore
Of that an other doth the lore
Of kinde； in which is no malice；
Bot only that it is a vice：
And thogh a man be resonable；
Yit after kinde he is menable 390
To love； wher he wole or non。
Thenk thou； my Sone； therupon
And do Malencolie aweie；
For love hath evere his lust to pleie；
As he which wolde no lif grieve。
Mi fader； that I mai wel lieve；
Al that ye tellen it is skile：
Let every man love as he wile；
Be so it be noght my ladi；
For I schal noght be wroth therby。 400
Bot that I wraththe and fare amis；
Al one upon miself it is；
That I with bothe love and kinde
Am so bestad； that I can finde
No weie how I it mai asterte：
Which stant upon myn oghne herte
And toucheth to non other lif；
Save only to that swete wif
For whom； bot if it be amended；
Mi glade daies ben despended； 410
That I miself schal noght forbere
The Wraththe which that I now bere；
For therof is non other leche。
Now axeth forth； I yow beseche；
Of Wraththe if ther oght elles is；
Wherof to schryve。 Sone； yis。
Of Wraththe the secounde is Cheste；
Which hath the wyndes of tempeste
To kepe； and many a sodein blast
He bloweth； wherof ben agast 420
Thei that desiren pes and reste。
He is that ilke ungoodlieste
Which many a lusti love hath twinned；
For he berth evere his mowth unpinned；
So that his lippes ben unloke
And his corage is al tobroke；
That every thing which he can telle；
It springeth up as doth a welle；
Which mai non of his stremes hyde；
Bot renneth out on every syde。 430
So buillen up the foule sawes
That Cheste wot of his felawes：
For as a Sive kepeth Ale；
Riht so can Cheste kepe a tale；
Al that he wot he wol desclose；
And speke er eny man oppose。
As a Cite withoute wal；
Wher men mai gon out overal
Withouten eny resistence；
So with his croked eloquence 440
He spekth al that he wot withinne：
Wherof men lese mor than winne；
For ofte time of his chidinge
He bringth to house such tidinge；
That makth werre ate beddeshed。
He is the levein of the bred；
Which soureth al the past aboute：
Men oghte wel such on to doute；
For evere his bowe is redi bent；
And whom he hit I telle him schent； 450
If he mai perce him with his tunge。
And ek so lowde his belle is runge；
That of the noise and of the soun
Men feeren hem in al the toun
Welmore than thei don of thonder。
For that is cause of more wonder；
For with the wyndes whiche he bloweth
Fulofte sythe he overthroweth
The Cites and the policie；
That I have herd the poeple crie； 460
And echon seide in his degre；
〃Ha wicke tunge； wo thee be！〃
For men sein that the harde bon；
Althogh himselven have non；
A tunge brekth it al to pieces。
He hath so manye sondri spieces
Of vice； that I mai noght wel
Descrive hem be a thousendel：
Bot whan that he to Cheste falleth；
Ful many a wonder thing befalleth； 470
For he ne can nothing forbere。
Now tell me； Sone； thin ansuere；
If it hath evere so betidd；
That thou at eny time hast chidd
Toward thi love。 Fader； nay：
Such Cheste yit unto this day
Ne made I nevere； god forbede：
For er I sunge such a crede；
I hadde levere to be lewed；
For thanne were I al beschrewed 480
And worthi to be put abak
With al the sorwe upon my bak
That eny man ordeigne cowthe。
Bot I spak nevere yit be mowthe
That unto Cheste mihte touche；
And that I durste riht wel vouche
Upon hirself as for witnesse；
For I wot； of hir gentilesse
That sche me wolde wel excuse；
That I no suche thinges use。 490
And if it scholde so betide
That I algates moste chide；
It myhte noght be to my love：
For so yit was I nevere above；
For al this wyde world to winne
That I dorste eny word beginne；
Be which sche mihte have ben amoeved
And I of Cheste also reproeved。
Bot rathere； if it mihte hir like；
The beste wordes wolde I pike 500
Whiche I cowthe in myn herte chese；
And serve hem forth in stede of chese；
For that is helplich to defie；
And so wolde I my wordes plie；
That mihten Wraththe and Cheste avale
With tellinge of my softe tale。
Thus dar I make a foreward；
That nevere unto my ladiward
Yit spak I word in such a wise；
Wherof that Cheste scholde arise。 510
This seie I noght； that I fulofte
Ne have； whanne I spak most softe；
Per cas seid more thanne ynowh；
Bot so wel halt noman the plowh
That he ne balketh otherwhile；
Ne so wel can noman affile
His tunge； that som time in rape
Him mai som liht word overscape；
And yit ne meneth he no Cheste。
Bot that I have ayein hir heste 520
Fulofte spoke； I am beknowe；
And how my will is； that ye knowe：
For whan my time comth aboute；
That I dar speke and seie al oute
Mi longe love； of which sche wot
That evere in on aliche hot
Me grieveth； thanne al my desese
I telle； and though it hir desplese；
I speke it forth and noght ne leve：
And thogh it be beside hire leve； 530
I hope and trowe natheles
That I do noght ayein the pes；
For thogh I telle hire al my thoght；
Sche wot wel that I chyde noght。
Men mai the hihe god beseche；
And he wol hiere a mannes speche
And be noght wroth of that he seith；
So yifth it me the more feith
And makth me hardi； soth to seie；
That I dar wel the betre preie 540
Mi ladi； which a womman is。
For thogh I telle hire that or this
Of love； which me grieveth sore；
Hire oghte noght be wroth the more；
For I withoute noise or cri
Mi pleignte make al buxomly
To puten alle wraththe away。
Thus dar I seie unto this day
Of Cheste in ernest or in game
Mi ladi schal me nothing blame。 550
Bot ofte time it hath betidd
That with miselven I have chidd；
That noman couthe betre chide：
And that hath ben at every tide；
Whanne I cam to miself al one；
For thanne I made a prive mone；
And every tale by and by；
Which as I spak to my ladi；
I thenke and peise in my balance
And drawe into my remembrance； 560
And thanne； if that I finde a lak
Of eny word that I mispak；
Which was to moche in eny wise；
Anon my wittes I despise
And make a chidinge in myn herte；
That eny word me scholde asterte
Which as I scholde have holden inne。
And so forth after I beginne
And loke if ther was elles oght
To speke； and I ne spak it noght： 570
And thanne； if I mai seche and finde
That eny word be left behinde；
Which as I scholde more have spoke；
I wolde upon miself be wroke；
And chyde with miselven so
That al my wit is overgo。
For noman mai his time lore
Recovere； and thus I am therfore
So overwroth in al my thoght；
That I myself chide al to noght： 580
Thus for to moche or for to lite
Fulofte I am miself to wyte。
Bot al that mai me noght availe；
With cheste thogh I me travaile：
Bot Oule on Stock and Stock on Oule；
The more that a man defoule；
Men witen wel which hath the werse；
And so to me nys worth a kerse；
Bot torneth on myn oghne hed；
Thogh I； til that I were ded； 590
Wolde evere chyde in such a wise
Of love as I to you devise。
Bot； fader； now ye have al herd
In this manere how I have ferd
Of Cheste and of dissencioun；
Yif me youre absolucioun。
Mi Sone； if that thou wistest al；
What Cheste doth in special
To love and to his welwillinge；
Thou woldest flen his knowlechinge 600
And lerne to be debonaire。
For who that most can speke faire
Is most acordende unto love：
Fair speche hath ofte brought above
Ful many a man； as it is knowe；
Which elles scholde have be riht lowe
And failed mochel of his wille。
Forthi hold thou thi tunge stille
And let thi witt thi wille areste；
So that thou falle noght in Cheste； 610
Which is the source of gret destance：
And tak into thi remembrance
If thou miht gete pacience；
Which is the leche of alle offence；
As tellen ous these olde wise：
For whan noght elles mai suffise
Be strengthe ne be mannes wit；
Than pacience it oversit
And overcomth it ate laste；
Bot he mai nevere longe laste； 620
Which wol noght bowe er that he breke。
Tak hiede； Sone； of that I speke。
Mi fader； of your goodli speche
And of the witt which ye me teche
I thonke you with al myn herte：
For that world schal me nevere asterte；
That I ne schal your wordes holde；
Of Pacience as ye me tolde；
Als ferforth as myn herte thenketh；
And of my wraththe it me forthenketh。 630
Bot； fader； if ye forth withal
Som good ensample in special
Me wolden telle of som Cronique；
It scholde wel myn herte like
Of pacience forto hiere；
So that I mihte in mi matiere
The more unto my love obeie
And puten mi desese aweie。
Mi Sone； a man to beie him pes
Behoveth soffre as Socrates 640
Ensample lefte； which is write：
And for thou schalt the sothe wite；
Of this ensample what I mene；
Althogh it be now litel sene
Among the men thilke evidence；
Yit he was upon pacience
So sett； that he himself assaie
In thing which mihte him most mispaie
Desireth； and a wickid wif
He weddeth； which in sorwe and strif 650
Ayein his ese was contraire。
Bot he spak evere softe and faire；
Til it befell； as it is told；
In wynter； whan the dai is cold；
This wif was fro the welle come；
Wher that a pot with water nome
Sche hath； and broghte it into house；
And sih how that hire seli spouse
Was sett and loked on a bok
Nyh