Hire lif thei toke awey anon；
And schopen hire into a Ston
After the forme of hire ymage
Of bodi bothe and of visage。
And for the merveile of this thing
Unto the place cam the king 3640
And ek the queene and manye mo；
And whan thei wisten it was so；
As I have told it heir above；
Hou that Iphis was ded for love；
Of that he hadde be refused；
Thei hielden alle men excused
And wondren upon the vengance。
And forto kepe in remembrance；
This faire ymage mayden liche
With compaignie noble and riche 3650
With torche and gret sollempnite。
To Salamyne the Cite
Thei lede； and carie forth withal
The dede corps； and sein it schal
Beside thilke ymage have
His sepulture and be begrave：
This corps and this ymage thus
Into the Cite to Venus；
Wher that goddesse hire temple hadde；
Togedre bothe tuo thei ladde。 3660
This ilke ymage as for miracle
Was set upon an hyh pinacle；
That alle men it mihte knowe；
And under tht thei maden lowe
A tumbe riche for the nones
Of marbre and ek of jaspre stones；
Wherin this Iphis was beloken；
That evermor it schal be spoken。
And for men schal the sothe wite；
Thei have here epitaphe write； 3670
As thing which scholde abide stable：
The lettres graven in a table
Of marbre were and seiden this：
〃Hier lith； which slowh himself； Iphis；
For love of Araxarathen：
And in ensample of tho wommen；
That soffren men to deie so；
Hire forme a man mai sen also；
Hou it is torned fleissh and bon
Into the figure of a Ston： 3680
He was to neysshe and sche to hard。
Be war forthi hierafterward；
Ye men and wommen bothe tuo；
Ensampleth you of that was tho：
Lo thus； mi Sone； as I thee seie；
It grieveth be diverse weie
In desepeir a man to falle；
Which is the laste branche of alle
Of Slouthe； as thou hast herd devise。
Wherof that thou thiself avise 3690
Good is； er that thou be deceived；
Wher that the grace of hope is weyved。
Mi fader； hou so that it stonde；
Now have I pleinly understonde
Of Slouthes court the proprete；
Wherof touchende in my degre
For evere I thenke to be war。
Bot overthis； so as I dar；
With al min herte I you beseche；
That ye me wolde enforme and teche 3700
What ther is more of youre aprise
In love als wel as otherwise；
So that I mai me clene schryve。
Mi Sone； whyl thou art alyve
And hast also thi fulle mynde；
Among the vices whiche I finde
Ther is yit on such of the sevene；
Which al this world hath set unevene
And causeth manye thinges wronge；
Where he the cause hath underfonge： 3710
Wherof hierafter thou schalt hiere
The forme bothe and the matiere。
Explicit Liber Quartus。
Incipit Liber Quintus
Obstat auaricia nature legibus； et que
Largus amor poscit； striccius illa vetat。
Omne quod est nimium viciosum dicitur aurum；
Vellera sicut oues； seruat auarus opes。
Non decet vt soli seruabitur es； set amori
Debet homo solam solus habere suam。
Ferst whan the hyhe god began
This world； and that the kinde of man
Was falle into no gret encress；
For worldes good tho was no press；
Bot al was set to the comune。
Thei spieken thanne of no fortune
Or forto lese or forto winne；
Til Avarice broghte it inne；
And that was whan the world was woxe
Of man； of hors； of Schep； of Oxe； 10
And that men knewen the moneie。
Tho wente pes out of the weie
And werre cam on every side；
Which alle love leide aside
And of comun his propre made；
So that in stede of schovele and spade
The scharpe swerd was take on honde；
And in this wise it cam to londe；
Wherof men maden dyches depe
And hyhe walles forto kepe 20
The gold which Avarice encloseth。
Bot al to lytel him supposeth；
Thogh he mihte al the world pourchace；
For what thing that he may embrace
Of gold； of catel or of lond；
He let it nevere out of his hond；
Bot get him more and halt it faste；
As thogh the world scholde evere laste。
So is he lych unto the helle；
For as these olde bokes telle； 30
What comth therinne； lasse or more；
It schal departe neveremore：
Thus whanne he hath his cofre loken；
It schal noght after ben unstoken；
Bot whanne him list to have a syhte
Of gold； hou that it schyneth brihte；
That he ther on mai loke and muse；
For otherwise he dar noght use
To take his part； or lasse or more。
So is he povere； and everemore 40
Him lacketh that he hath ynowh：
An Oxe draweth in the plowh；
Of that himself hath no profit；
A Schep riht in the same plit
His wolle berth； bot on a day
An other takth the flees away：
Thus hath he； that he noght ne hath；
For he therof his part ne tath。
To seie hou such a man hath good；
Who so that reson understod； 50
It is impropreliche seid；
For good hath him and halt him teid；
That he ne gladeth noght withal；
Bot is unto his good a thral；
And as soubgit thus serveth he；
Wher that he scholde maister be：
Such is the kinde of thaverous。
Mi Sone； as thou art amerous；
Tell if thou farst of love so。
Mi fader； as it semeth； no； 60
That averous yit nevere I was；
So as ye setten me the cas：
For as ye tolden here above；
In full possession of love
Yit was I nevere hier tofore；
So that me thenketh wel therfore；
I mai excuse wel my dede。
Bot of mi will withoute drede；
If I that tresor mihte gete；
It scholde nevere be foryete； 70
That I ne wolde it faste holde；
Til god of love himselve wolde
That deth ous scholde part atuo。
For lieveth wel； I love hire so；
That evene with min oghne lif；
If I that swete lusti wif
Mihte ones welden at my wille；
For evere I wolde hire holde stille：
And in this wise； taketh kepe；
If I hire hadde； I wolde hire kepe； 80
And yit no friday wolde I faste；
Thogh I hire kepte and hielde faste。
Fy on the bagges in the kiste！
I hadde ynogh； if I hire kiste。
For certes； if sche were myn；
I hadde hir levere than a Myn
Of Gold； for al this worldesriche
Ne mihte make me so riche
As sche； that is so inly good。
I sette noght of other good； 90
For mihte I gete such a thing；
I hadde a tresor for a king；
And thogh I wolde it faste holde；
I were thanne wel beholde。
Bot I mot pipe nou with lasse；
And suffre that it overpasse；
Noght with mi will； for thus I wolde
Ben averous； if that I scholde。
Bot； fader； I you herde seie
Hou thaverous hath yit som weie； 100
Wherof he mai be glad； for he
Mai whanne him list his tresor se；
And grope and fiele it al aboute；
Bot I fulofte am schet theroute；
Ther as my worthi tresor is。
So is mi lif lich unto this；
That ye me tolden hier tofore；
Hou that an Oxe his yock hath bore
For thing that scholde him noght availe：
And in this wise I me travaile； 110
For who that evere hath the welfare；
I wot wel that I have the care；
For I am hadd and noght ne have；
And am； as who seith； loves knave。
Nou demeth in youre oghne thoght；
If this be Avarice or noght。
Mi Sone； I have of thee no wonder；
Thogh thou to serve be put under
With love； which to kinde acordeth：
Bot； so as every bok recordeth； 120
It is to kinde no plesance
That man above his sustienance
Unto the gold schal serve and bowe；
For that mai no reson avowe。
Bot Avarice natheles；
If he mai geten his encress
Of gold； that wole he serve and kepe；
For he takth of noght elles kepe；
Bot forto fille hise bagges large；
And al is to him bot a charge； 130
For he ne parteth noght withal；
Bot kepth it； as a servant schal：
And thus； thogh that he multeplie
His gold； withoute tresorie
He is； for man is noght amended
With gold； bot if it be despended
To mannes us； wherof I rede
A tale； and tak therof good hiede；
Of that befell be olde tyde；
As telleth ous the clerk Ovide。 140
Bachus； which is the god of wyn；
Acordant unto his divin
A Prest； the which Cillenus hihte；
He hadde； and fell so that be nyhte
This Prest was drunke and goth astraied；
Wherof the men were evele apaied
In Frigelond； where as he wente。
Bot ate laste a cherl him hente
With strengthe of other felaschipe；
So that upon his drunkeschipe 150
Thei bounden him with chenes faste；
And forth thei ladde him als so faste
Unto the king； which hihte Myde。
Bot he； that wolde his vice hyde；
This courteis king； tok of him hiede；
And bad that men him scholde lede
Into a chambre forto kepe；
Til he of leisir hadde slepe。
And tho this Prest was sone unbounde；
And up a couche fro the grounde 160
To slepe he was leid softe ynowh；
And whanne he wok； the king him drowh
To his presence and dede him chiere；
So that this Prest in such manere；
Whil that him liketh； there he duelleth：
And al this he to Bachus telleth；
Whan that he cam to him ayein。
And whan that Bachus herde sein
How Mide hath don his courtesie；
Him thenkth it were a vilenie； 170
Bot he rewarde him for his dede；
So as he mihte of his godhiede。
Unto this king this god appiereth
And clepeth； and that other hiereth：
This god to Mide thonketh faire
Of that he was so debonaire
Toward his Prest； and bad him seie：
What thing it were he wolde preie；
He scholde it have； of worldes good。
This king was glad； and stille stod； 180
And was of his axinge in doute；
And al the world he caste aboute；
What thing was best for his astat；
And with himself stod in debat
Upon thre pointz； the whiche I finde
Ben lievest unto mannes kinde。
The ferste of hem it is delit；
The tuo ben worschipe and profit。
And thanne he thoghte； 〃If that I crave
Delit； thogh I delit mai have； 190
Delit schal passen in myn age：
That is no siker avantage；
For every joie bodily
Schal ende in wo： delit forthi
Wol I noght chese。 And if worschipe
I axe and of the world lordschipe；
That is an occupacion
Of proud ymaginacion；
Which makth an herte vein withinne；
Ther is no certain forto winne； 200
For lord and knave al is o weie；
Whan thei be bore and whan thei deie。
And if I profit axe wolde；
I not in what manere I scholde
Of worldes good have sikernesse；
For every thief upon richesse
Awaiteth forto robbe and stele：
Such good is cause of harmes fele。
And also； thogh a man at ones
Of al the world withinne his wones 210
The tresor myhte have everydel；
Yit hadde he bot o mannes del
Toward himself； so as I thinke；
Of clothinge and of mete and drinke；
For more； outake vanite；
Ther hath no lord in his degre。〃
And thus upon the pointz diverse
Diverseliche he gan reherce
What point h