Noght forto singe with the briddes；
For whanne I was the wode amiddes；
I fond a swote grene pleine；
And ther I gan my wo compleigne
Wisshinge and wepinge al myn one；
For other merthes made I none。
So hard me was that ilke throwe；
That ofte sithes overthrowe
To grounde I was withoute breth；
And evere I wisshide after deth； 120
Whanne I out of my peine awok；
And caste up many a pitous lok
Unto the hevene； and seide thus：
〃O thou Cupide； O thou Venus；
Thou god of love and thou goddesse；
Wher is pite？ wher is meknesse？
Now doth me pleinly live or dye；
For certes such a maladie
As I now have and longe have hadd；
It myhte make a wisman madd； 130
If that it scholde longe endure。
O Venus； queene of loves cure；
Thou lif； thou lust； thou mannes hele；
Behold my cause and my querele；
And yif me som part of thi grace；
So that I may finde in this place
If thou be gracious or non。〃
And with that word I sawh anon
The kyng of love and qweene bothe；
Bot he that kyng with yhen wrothe 140
His chiere aweiward fro me caste；
And forth he passede ate laste。
Bot natheles er he forth wente
A firy Dart me thoghte he hente
And threw it thurgh myn herte rote：
In him fond I non other bote；
For lenger list him noght to duelle。
Bot sche that is the Source and Welle
Of wel or wo； that schal betide
To hem that loven； at that tide 150
Abod； bot forto tellen hiere
Sche cast on me no goodly chiere：
Thus natheles to me sche seide；
〃What art thou； Sone？〃 and I abreide
Riht as a man doth out of slep；
And therof tok sche riht good kep
And bad me nothing ben adrad：
Bot for al that I was noght glad；
For I ne sawh no cause why。
And eft scheo asketh； what was I： 160
I seide； 〃A Caitif that lith hiere：
What wolde ye； my Ladi diere？
Schal I ben hol or elles dye？〃
Sche seide； 〃Tell thi maladie：
What is thi Sor of which thou pleignest？
Ne hyd it noght； for if thou feignest；
I can do the no medicine。〃
〃Ma dame； I am a man of thyne；
That in thi Court have longe served；
And aske that I have deserved； 170
Some wele after my longe wo。〃
And sche began to loure tho；
And seide； 〃Ther is manye of yow
Faitours； and so may be that thow
Art riht such on； and be feintise
Seist that thou hast me do servise。〃
And natheles sche wiste wel；
Mi world stod on an other whiel
Withouten eny faiterie：
Bot algate of my maladie 180
Sche bad me telle and seie hir trowthe。
〃Ma dame； if ye wolde have rowthe；〃
Quod I； 〃than wolde I telle yow。〃
〃Sey forth；〃 quod sche； 〃and tell me how；
Schew me thi seknesse everydiel。〃
〃Ma dame； that can I do wel；
Be so my lif therto wol laste。〃
With that hir lok on me sche caste；
And seide： 〃In aunter if thou live；
Mi will is ferst that thou be schrive； 190
And natheles how that it is
I wot miself； bot for al this
Unto my prest； which comth anon；
I woll thou telle it on and on；
Bothe all thi thoght and al thi werk。
O Genius myn oghne Clerk；
Com forth and hier this mannes schrifte；〃
Quod Venus tho； and I uplifte
Min hefd with that； and gan beholde
The selve Prest； which as sche wolde 200
Was redy there and sette him doun
To hiere my confessioun。
This worthi Prest； this holy man
To me spekende thus began；
And seide： 〃Benedicite；
Mi Sone； of the felicite
Of love and ek of all the wo
Thou schalt thee schrive of bothe tuo。
What thou er this for loves sake
Hast felt； let nothing be forsake； 210
Tell pleinliche as it is befalle。〃
And with that word I gan doun falle
On knees； and with devocioun
And with full gret contricioun
I seide thanne： 〃Dominus；
Min holi fader Genius；
So as thou hast experience
Of love； for whos reverence
Thou schalt me schriven at this time；
I prai the let me noght mistime 220
Mi schrifte； for I am destourbed
In al myn herte； and so contourbed；
That I ne may my wittes gete；
So schal I moche thing foryete：
Bot if thou wolt my schrifte oppose
Fro point to point； thanne I suppose；
Ther schal nothing be left behinde。
Bot now my wittes ben so blinde；
That I ne can miselven teche。〃
Tho he began anon to preche； 230
And with his wordes debonaire
He seide tome softe and faire：
〃Thi schrifte to oppose and hiere；
My Sone； I am assigned hiere
Be Venus the godesse above；
Whos Prest I am touchende of love。
Bot natheles for certein skile
I mot algate and nedes wile
Noght only make my spekynges
Of love； bot of othre thinges； 240
That touchen to the cause of vice。
For that belongeth to thoffice
Of Prest； whos ordre that I bere；
So that I wol nothing forbere；
That I the vices on and on
Ne schal thee schewen everychon；
Wherof thou myht take evidence
To reule with thi conscience。
Bot of conclusion final
Conclude I wol in special 250
For love； whos servant I am；
And why the cause is that I cam。
So thenke I to don bothe tuo；
Ferst that myn ordre longeth to；
The vices forto telle arewe；
Bot next above alle othre schewe
Of love I wol the propretes；
How that thei stonde be degrees
After the disposicioun
Of Venus； whos condicioun 260
I moste folwe； as I am holde。
For I with love am al withholde；
So that the lasse I am to wyte；
Thogh I ne conne bot a lyte
Of othre thinges that ben wise：
I am noght tawht in such a wise；
For it is noght my comun us
To speke of vices and vertus；
Bot al of love and of his lore；
For Venus bokes of nomore 270
Me techen nowther text ne glose。
Bot for als moche as I suppose
It sit a prest to be wel thewed；
And schame it is if he be lewed；
Of my Presthode after the forme
I wol thi schrifte so enforme；
That ate leste thou schalt hiere
The vices； and to thi matiere
Of love I schal hem so remene；
That thou schalt knowe what thei mene。 280
For what a man schal axe or sein
Touchende of schrifte； it mot be plein；
It nedeth noght to make it queinte；
For trowthe hise wordes wol noght peinte：
That I wole axe of the forthi；
My Sone； it schal be so pleinly；
That thou schalt knowe and understonde
The pointz of schrifte how that thei stonde。〃
Betwen the lif and deth I herde
This Prestes tale er I answerde； 290
And thanne I preide him forto seie
His will； and I it wolde obeie
After the forme of his apprise。
Tho spak he tome in such a wise；
And bad me that I scholde schrive
As touchende of my wittes fyve；
And schape that thei were amended
Of that I hadde hem misdispended。
For tho be proprely the gates；
Thurgh whiche as to the herte algates 300
Comth alle thing unto the feire；
Which may the mannes Soule empeire。
And now this matiere is broght inne；
Mi Sone； I thenke ferst beginne
To wite how that thin yhe hath stonde；
The which is； as I understonde；
The moste principal of alle；
Thurgh whom that peril mai befalle。
And forto speke in loves kinde；
Ful manye suche a man mai finde； 310
Whiche evere caste aboute here yhe；
To loke if that thei myhte aspie
Fulofte thing which hem ne toucheth；
Bot only that here herte soucheth
In hindringe of an other wiht；
And thus ful many a worthi knyht
And many a lusti lady bothe
Have be fulofte sythe wrothe。
So that an yhe is as a thief
To love； and doth ful gret meschief； 320
And also for his oghne part
Fulofte thilke firy Dart
Of love； which that evere brenneth；
Thurgh him into the herte renneth：
And thus a mannes yhe ferst
Himselve grieveth alther werst；
And many a time that he knoweth
Unto his oghne harm it groweth。
Mi Sone； herkne now forthi
A tale； to be war therby 330
Thin yhe forto kepe and warde；
So that it passe noght his warde。
Ovide telleth in his bok
Ensample touchende of mislok；
And seith hou whilom ther was on；
A worthi lord； which Acteon
Was hote； and he was cousin nyh
To him that Thebes ferst on hyh
Up sette； which king Cadme hyhte。
This Acteon； as he wel myhte； 340
Above alle othre caste his chiere；
And used it fro yer to yere；
With Houndes and with grete Hornes
Among the wodes and the thornes
To make his hunting and his chace：
Where him best thoghte in every place
To finde gamen in his weie；
Ther rod he forto hunte and pleie。
So him befell upon a tide
On his hunting as he cam ride； 350
In a Forest al one he was：
He syh upon the grene gras
The faire freisshe floures springe；
He herde among the leves singe
The Throstle with the nyhtingale：
Thus er he wiste into a Dale
He cam； wher was a litel plein；
All round aboute wel besein
With buisshes grene and Cedres hyhe；
And ther withinne he caste his yhe。 360
Amidd the plein he syh a welle；
So fair ther myhte noman telle；
In which Diana naked stod
To bathe and pleie hire in the flod
With many a Nimphe； which hire serveth。
Bot he his yhe awey ne swerveth
Fro hire； which was naked al；
And sche was wonder wroth withal；
And him； as sche which was godesse；
Forschop anon； and the liknesse 370
Sche made him taken of an Hert；
Which was tofore hise houndes stert；
That ronne besiliche aboute
With many an horn and many a route；
That maden mochel noise and cry：
And ate laste unhappely
This Hert his oghne houndes slowhe
And him for vengance al todrowhe。
Lo now； my Sone； what it is
A man to caste his yhe amis； 380
Which Acteon hath dere aboght；
Be war forthi and do it noght。
For ofte； who that hiede toke；
Betre is to winke than to loke。
And forto proven it is so；
Ovide the Poete also
A tale which to this matiere
Acordeth seith； as thou schalt hiere。
In Metamor it telleth thus；
How that a lord which Phorces 390
Was hote； hadde dowhtres thre。
Bot upon here nativite
Such was the constellacion；
That out of mannes nacion
Fro kynde thei be so miswent；
That to the liknesse of Serpent
Thei were bore； and so that on
Of hem was cleped Stellibon；
That other soster Suriale；
The thridde； as telleth in the tale； 400
Medusa hihte； and natheles
Of comun name Gorgones
In every contre ther aboute；
As Monstres whiche that men doute；
Men clepen hem； and bot on yhe
Among hem thre in pourpartie
Thei hadde； of which thei myhte se；
Now hath it this； now hath it sche；
After that cause and nede it ladde；
Be throwes ech of hem it hadde。 410
A wonder thing yet more amis
Ther was； wherof I telle al this：
What man on hem his chiere caste
And hem behield； he was als faste
Out of a man into a Ston
Forschape； and thus ful manyon
Deceived were； of that th