I haste and evere I am behinde； 290
And wot noght what it mai amounte。
Bot； fader； upon myn acompte；
Which ye be sett to examine
Of Schrifte after the discipline；
Sey what your beste conseil is。
Mi Sone； my conseil is this：
Hou so it stonde of time go；
Do forth thi besinesse so；
That no Lachesce in the be founde：
For Slowthe is mihti to confounde 300
The spied of every mannes werk。
For many a vice； as seith the clerk；
Ther hongen upon Slowthes lappe
Of suche as make a man mishappe；
To pleigne and telle of hadde I wist。
And therupon if that thee list
To knowe of Slowthes cause more；
In special yit overmore
Ther is a vice full grevable
To him which is therof coupable； 310
And stant of alle vertu bare；
Hierafter as I schal declare。
Touchende of Slowthe in his degre；
Ther is yit Pusillamite；
Which is to seie in this langage；
He that hath litel of corage
And dar no mannes werk beginne：
So mai he noght be resoun winne；
For who that noght dar undertake；
Be riht he schal no profit take。 320
Bot of this vice the nature
Dar nothing sette in aventure；
Him lacketh bothe word and dede；
Wherof he scholde his cause spede：
He woll no manhed understonde；
For evere he hath drede upon honde：
Al is peril that he schal seie；
Him thenkth the wolf is in the weie；
And of ymaginacioun
He makth his excusacioun 330
And feigneth cause of pure drede；
And evere he faileth ate nede；
Til al be spilt that he with deleth。
He hath the sor which noman heleth；
The which is cleped lack of herte；
Thogh every grace aboute him sterte；
He wol noght ones stere his fot；
So that be resoun lese he mot；
That wol noght auntre forto winne。
And so forth； Sone； if we beginne 340
To speke of love and his servise；
Ther ben truantz in such a wise；
That lacken herte； whan best were
To speke of love； and riht for fere
Thei wexen doumb and dar noght telle；
Withoute soun as doth the belle；
Which hath no claper forto chyme；
And riht so thei as for the tyme
Ben herteles withoute speche
Of love； and dar nothing beseche； 350
And thus thei lese and winne noght。
Forthi； my Sone； if thou art oght
Coupable as touchende of this Slowthe；
Schrif thee therof and tell me trowthe。
Mi fader； I am al beknowe
That I have ben on of tho slowe；
As forto telle in loves cas。
Min herte is yit and evere was；
As thogh the world scholde al tobreke；
So ferful； that I dar noght speke 360
Of what pourpos that I have nome；
Whan I toward mi ladi come；
Bot let it passe and overgo。
Mi Sone； do nomore so：
For after that a man poursuieth
To love； so fortune suieth；
Fulofte and yifth hire happi chance
To him which makth continuance
To preie love and to beseche；
As be ensample I schal thee teche。 370
I finde hou whilom ther was on；
Whos name was Pymaleon；
Which was a lusti man of yowthe：
The werkes of entaile he cowthe
Above alle othre men as tho；
And thurgh fortune it fell him so；
As he whom love schal travaile；
He made an ymage of entaile
Lich to a womman in semblance
Of feture and of contienance； 380
So fair yit nevere was figure。
Riht as a lyves creature
Sche semeth； for of yvor whyt
He hath hire wroght of such delit；
That sche was rody on the cheke
And red on bothe hire lippes eke；
Wherof that he himself beguileth。
For with a goodly lok sche smyleth；
So that thurgh pure impression
Of his ymaginacion 390
With al the herte of his corage
His love upon this faire ymage
He sette； and hire of love preide；
Bot sche no word ayeinward seide。
The longe day； what thing he dede；
This ymage in the same stede
Was evere bi； that ate mete
He wolde hire serve and preide hire ete；
And putte unto hire mowth the cuppe；
And whan the bord was taken uppe； 400
He hath hire into chambre nome；
And after； whan the nyht was come；
He leide hire in his bed al nakid。
He was forwept； he was forwakid；
He keste hire colde lippes ofte；
And wissheth that thei weren softe；
And ofte he rouneth in hire Ere；
And ofte his arm now hier now there
He leide； as he hir wolde embrace；
And evere among he axeth grace； 410
As thogh sche wiste what he mente：
And thus himself he gan tormente
With such desese of loves peine；
That noman mihte him more peine。
Bot how it were； of his penance
He made such continuance
Fro dai to nyht； and preith so longe；
That his preiere is underfonge；
Which Venus of hire grace herde；
Be nyhte and whan that he worst ferde； 420
And it lay in his nakede arm；
The colde ymage he fieleth warm
Of fleissh and bon and full of lif。
Lo； thus he wan a lusti wif；
Which obeissant was at his wille；
And if he wolde have holde him stille
And nothing spoke； he scholde have failed：
Bot for he hath his word travailed
And dorste speke； his love he spedde；
And hadde al that he wolde abedde。 430
For er thei wente thanne atwo；
A knave child betwen hem two
Thei gete； which was after hote
Paphus； of whom yit hath the note
A certein yle； which Paphos
Men clepe； and of his name it ros。
Be this ensample thou miht finde
That word mai worche above kinde。
Forthi； my Sone； if that thou spare
To speke； lost is al thi fare； 440
For Slowthe bringth in alle wo。
And over this to loke also；
The god of love is favorable
To hem that ben of love stable；
And many a wonder hath befalle：
Wherof to speke amonges alle；
If that thee list to taken hede；
Therof a solein tale I rede；
Which I schal telle in remembraunce
Upon the sort of loves chaunce。 450
The king Ligdus upon a strif
Spak unto Thelacuse his wif；
Which thanne was with childe grete；
He swor it scholde noght be lete；
That if sche have a dowhter bore；
That it ne scholde be forlore
And slain； wherof sche sory was。
So it befell upon this cas；
Whan sche delivered scholde be；
Isis be nyhte in privete； 460
Which of childinge is the goddesse；
Cam forto helpe in that destresse；
Til that this lady was al smal；
And hadde a dowhter forth withal；
Which the goddesse in alle weie
Bad kepe； and that thei scholden seie
It were a Sone： and thus Iphis
Thei namede him； and upon this
The fader was mad so to wene。
And thus in chambre with the qweene 470
This Iphis was forthdrawe tho；
And clothed and arraied so
Riht as a kinges Sone scholde。
Til after； as fortune it wolde；
Whan it was of a ten yer age；
Him was betake in mariage
A Duckes dowhter forto wedde；
Which Iante hihte； and ofte abedde
These children leien； sche and sche；
Whiche of on age bothe be。 480
So that withinne time of yeeres；
Togedre as thei ben pleiefieres；
Liggende abedde upon a nyht；
Nature； which doth every wiht
Upon hire lawe forto muse；
Constreigneth hem； so that thei use
Thing which to hem was al unknowe；
Wherof Cupide thilke throwe
Tok pite for the grete love；
And let do sette kinde above； 490
So that hir lawe mai ben used；
And thei upon here lust excused。
For love hateth nothing more
Than thing which stant ayein the lore
Of that nature in kinde hath sett：
Forthi Cupide hath so besett
His grace upon this aventure；
That he acordant to nature；
Whan that he syh the time best；
That ech of hem hath other kest； 500
Transformeth Iphe into a man；
Wherof the kinde love he wan
Of lusti yonge Iante his wif；
And tho thei ladde a merie lif；
Which was to kinde non offence。
And thus to take an evidence；
It semeth love is welwillende
To hem that ben continuende
With besy herte to poursuie
Thing which that is to love due。 510
Wherof； my Sone； in this matiere
Thou miht ensample taken hiere；
That with thi grete besinesse
Thou miht atteigne the richesse
Of love； if that ther be no Slowthe。
I dar wel seie be mi trowthe；
Als fer as I my witt can seche；
Mi fader； as for lacke of speche；
Bot so as I me schrof tofore；
Ther is non other time lore； 520
Wherof ther mihte ben obstacle
To lette love of his miracle；
Which I beseche day and nyht。
Bot； fader； so as it is riht
In forme of schrifte to beknowe
What thing belongeth to the slowe；
Your faderhode I wolde preie；
If ther be forthere eny weie
Touchende unto this ilke vice。
Mi Sone； ye； of this office 530
Ther serveth on in special；
Which lost hath his memorial；
So that he can no wit withholde
In thing which he to kepe is holde；
Wherof fulofte himself he grieveth：
And who that most upon him lieveth；
Whan that hise wittes ben so weyved；
He mai full lihtly be deceived。
To serve Accidie in his office；
Ther is of Slowthe an other vice； 540
Which cleped is Foryetelnesse；
That noght mai in his herte impresse
Of vertu which reson hath sett；
So clene his wittes he foryet。
For in the tellinge of his tale
Nomore his herte thanne his male
Hath remembrance of thilke forme；
Wherof he scholde his wit enforme
As thanne； and yit ne wot he why。
Thus is his pourpos noght forthi 550
Forlore of that he wolde bidde；
And skarsly if he seith the thridde
To love of that he hadde ment：
Thus many a lovere hath be schent。
Tell on therfore； hast thou be oon
Of hem that Slowthe hath so begon？
Ye； fader； ofte it hath be so；
That whanne I am mi ladi fro
And thenke untoward hire drawe；
Than cast I many a newe lawe 560
And al the world torne up so doun；
And so recorde I mi lecoun
And wryte in my memorial
What I to hire telle schal；
Riht al the matiere of mi tale：
Bot al nys worth a note schale；
For whanne I come ther sche is；
I have it al foryete ywiss；
Of that I thoghte forto telle
I can noght thanne unethes spelle 570
That I wende altherbest have rad；
So sore I am of hire adrad。
For as a man that sodeinli
A gost behelde； so fare I；
So that for feere I can noght gete
Mi witt； bot I miself foryete；
That I wot nevere what I am；
Ne whider I schal； ne whenne I cam；
Bot muse as he that were amased。
Lich to the bok in which is rased 580
The lettre； and mai nothing be rad；
So ben my wittes overlad；
That what as evere I thoghte have spoken；
It is out fro myn herte stoken；
And stonde； as who seith； doumb and def；
That all nys worth an yvy lef；
Of that I wende wel have seid。
And ate laste I make abreid；
Caste up myn hed and loke aboute；
Riht as a man that were in doute 590
And wot noght wher he schal become。
Thus am I ofte al overcome；
Ther as I wende best to stonde：
Bot after； whanne I understonde；
And am in other place al one；
I make many a wofull