Abidinge in hir compaignie；
A janglere； an evel mouthed oon；
That sche ne mai nowhider gon； 520
Ne speke a word； ne ones loke；
That he ne wol it wende and croke
And torne after his oghne entente；
Thogh sche nothing bot honour mente。
Whan that the lord comth hom ayein；
The janglere moste somwhat sein；
So what withoute and what withinne；
This Fievere is evere to beginne；
For where he comth he can noght ende；
Til deth of him have mad an ende。 530
For thogh so be that he ne hiere
Ne se ne wite in no manere
Bot al honour and wommanhiede；
Therof the Jelous takth non hiede；
Bot as a man to love unkinde；
He cast his staf； as doth the blinde；
And fint defaulte where is non；
As who so dremeth on a Ston
Hou he is leid； and groneth ofte；
Whan he lith on his pilwes softe。 540
So is ther noght bot strif and cheste；
Whan love scholde make his feste；
It is gret thing if he hir kisse：
Thus hath sche lost the nyhtes blisse；
For at such time he gruccheth evere
And berth on hond ther is a levere；
And that sche wolde an other were
In stede of him abedde there；
And with tho wordes and with mo
Of Jelousie； he torneth fro 550
And lith upon his other side；
And sche with that drawth hire aside；
And ther sche wepeth al the nyht。
Ha； to what peine sche is dyht；
That in hire youthe hath so beset
The bond which mai noght ben unknet！
I wot the time is ofte cursed；
That evere was the gold unpursed；
The which was leid upon the bok；
Whan that alle othre sche forsok 560
For love of him； bot al to late
Sche pleigneth； for as thanne algate
Sche mot forbere and to him bowe；
Thogh he ne wole it noght allowe。
For man is lord of thilke feire；
So mai the womman bot empeire；
If sche speke oght ayein his wille；
And thus sche berth hir peine stille。
Bot if this Fievere a womman take；
Sche schal be wel mor harde schake； 570
For thogh sche bothe se and hiere；
And finde that ther is matiere；
Sche dar bot to hirselve pleine；
And thus sche suffreth double peine。
Lo thus； mi Sone； as I have write；
Thou miht of Jelousie wite
His fievere and his condicion；
Which is full of suspecion。
Bot wherof that this fievere groweth；
Who so these olde bokes troweth； 580
Ther mai he finden hou it is：
For thei ous teche and telle this；
Hou that this fievere of Jelousie
Somdel it groweth of sotie
Of love； and somdiel of untrust。
For as a sek man lest his lust；
And whan he may no savour gete；
He hateth thanne his oughne mete；
Riht so this fieverous maladie；
Which caused is of fantasie； 590
Makth the Jelous in fieble plit
To lese of love his appetit
Thurgh feigned enformacion
Of his ymaginacion。
Bot finali to taken hiede；
Men mai wel make a liklihiede
Betwen him which is averous
Of gold and him that is jelous
Of love； for in on degre
Thei stonde bothe； as semeth me。 600
That oon wolde have his bagges stille；
And noght departen with his wille；
And dar noght for the thieves slepe；
So fain he wolde his tresor kepe；
That other mai noght wel be glad；
For he is evere more adrad
Of these lovers that gon aboute；
In aunter if thei putte him oute。
So have thei bothe litel joye
As wel of love as of monoie。 610
Now hast thou； Sone； at my techinge
Of Jelousie a knowlechinge；
That thou myht understonde this；
Fro whenne he comth and what he is；
And ek to whom that he is lik。
Be war forthi thou be noght sik
Of thilke fievere as I have spoke；
For it wol in himself be wroke。
For love hateth nothing more；
As men mai finde be the lore 620
Of hem that whilom were wise；
Hou that thei spieke in many wise。
Mi fader； soth is that ye sein。
Bot forto loke therayein；
Befor this time hou it is falle；
Wherof ther mihte ensample falle
To suche men as be jelous
In what manere it is grevous；
Riht fain I wolde ensample hiere。
My goode Sone； at thi preiere 630
Of suche ensamples as I finde；
So as thei comen nou to mynde
Upon this point； of time gon
I thenke forto tellen on。
Ovide wrot of manye thinges；
Among the whiche in his wrytinges
He tolde a tale in Poesie；
Which toucheth unto Jelousie；
Upon a certein cas of love。
Among the goddes alle above 640
It fell at thilke time thus：
The god of fyr； which Vulcanus
Is hote； and hath a craft forthwith
Assigned； forto be the Smith
Of Jupiter； and his figure
Bothe of visage and of stature
Is lothly and malgracious；
Bot yit he hath withinne his hous
As for the likynge of his lif
The faire Venus to his wif。 650
Bot Mars； which of batailles is
The god； an yhe hadde unto this：
As he which was chivalerous；
It fell him to ben amerous；
And thoghte it was a gret pite
To se so lusti on as sche
Be coupled with so lourde a wiht：
So that his peine day and nyht
He dede； if he hire winne myhte；
And sche； which hadde a good insihte 660
Toward so noble a knyhtli lord；
In love fell of his acord。
Ther lacketh noght bot time and place；
That he nys siker of hire grace：
Bot whan tuo hertes falle in on；
So wys await was nevere non；
That at som time thei ne mete；
And thus this faire lusti swete
With Mars hath ofte compaignie。
Bot thilke unkynde Jelousie； 670
Which everemor the herte opposeth；
Makth Vulcanus that he supposeth
That it is noght wel overal；
And to himself he seide； he schal
Aspie betre； if that he may；
And so it fell upon a day；
That he this thing so slyhli ledde；
He fond hem bothe tuo abedde
Al warm； echon with other naked。
And he with craft al redy maked 680
Of stronge chenes hath hem bounde；
As he togedre hem hadde founde；
And lefte hem bothe ligge so；
And gan to clepe and crie tho
Unto the goddes al aboute；
And thei assembled in a route
Come alle at ones forto se。
Bot none amendes hadde he；
Bot was rebuked hiere and there
Of hem that loves frendes were； 690
And seiden that he was to blame；
For if ther fell him eny schame；
It was thurgh his misgovernance：
And thus he loste contienance；
This god； and let his cause falle；
And thei to skorne him lowhen alle；
And losen Mars out of hise bondes。
Wherof these erthli housebondes
For evere myhte ensample take；
If such a chaunce hem overtake： 700
For Vulcanus his wif bewreide；
The blame upon himself he leide；
Wherof his schame was the more；
Which oghte forto ben a lore
For every man that liveth hiere；
To reulen him in this matiere。
Thogh such an happ of love asterte；
Yit scholde he noght apointe his herte
With Jelousie of that is wroght；
Bot feigne； as thogh he wiste it noght： 710
For if he lete it overpasse；
The sclaundre schal be wel the lasse；
And he the more in ese stonde。
For this thou myht wel understonde；
That where a man schal nedes lese；
The leste harm is forto chese。
Bot Jelousie of his untrist
Makth that full many an harm arist；
Which elles scholde noght arise；
And if a man him wolde avise 720
Of that befell to Vulcanus；
Him oghte of reson thenke thus；
That sithe a god therof was schamed；
Wel scholde an erthli man be blamed
To take upon him such a vice。
Forthi； my Sone； in thin office
Be war that thou be noght jelous；
Which ofte time hath schent the hous。
Mi fader； this ensample is hard；
Hou such thing to the heveneward 730
Among the goddes myhte falle：
For ther is bot o god of alle；
Which is the lord of hevene and helle。
Bot if it like you to telle
Hou suche goddes come aplace；
Ye mihten mochel thonk pourchace；
For I schal be wel tawht withal。
Mi Sone； it is thus overal
With hem that stonden misbelieved；
That suche goddes ben believed： 740
In sondri place sondri wise
Amonges hem whiche are unwise
Ther is betaken of credence；
Wherof that I the difference
In the manere as it is write
Schal do the pleinly forto wite。
Er Crist was bore among ous hiere；
Of the believes that tho were
In foure formes thus it was。
Thei of Caldee as in this cas 750
Hadde a believe be hemselve；
Which stod upon the signes tuelve；
Forth ek with the Planetes sevene；
Whiche as thei sihe upon the hevene。
Of sondri constellacion
In here ymaginacion
With sondri kerf and pourtreture
Thei made of goddes the figure。
In thelementz and ek also
Thei hadden a believe tho； 760
And al was that unresonable：
For thelementz ben servicable
To man； and ofte of Accidence；
As men mai se thexperience；
Thei ben corrupt be sondri weie；
So mai no mannes reson seie
That thei ben god in eny wise。
And ek； if men hem wel avise；
The Sonne and Mone eclipse bothe；
That be hem lieve or be hem lothe； 770
Thei soffre； and what thing is passible
To ben a god is impossible。
These elementz ben creatures；
So ben these hevenly figures；
Wherof mai wel be justefied
That thei mai noght be deified：
And who that takth awey thonour
Which due is to the creatour；
And yifth it to the creature；
He doth to gret a forsfaiture。 780
Bot of Caldee natheles
Upon this feith； thogh it be les；
Thei holde affermed the creance；
So that of helle the penance；
As folk which stant out of believe；
They schull receive； as we believe。
Of the Caldeus lo in this wise
Stant the believe out of assisse：
Bot in Egipte worst of alle
The feith is fals； hou so it falle； 790
For thei diverse bestes there
Honoure； as thogh thei goddes were：
And natheles yit forth withal
Thre goddes most in special
Thei have； forth with a goddesse；
In whom is al here sikernesse。
Tho goddes be yit cleped thus；
Orus； Typhon and Isirus：
Thei were brethren alle thre；
And the goddesse in hir degre 800
Here Soster was and Ysis hyhte；
Whom Isirus forlai be nyhte
And hield hire after as his wif。
So it befell that upon strif
Typhon hath Isre his brother slain；
Which hadde a child to Sone Orayn；
And he his fader deth to herte
So tok； that it mai noght asterte
That he Typhon after ne slowh；
Whan he was ripe of age ynowh。 810
Bot yit thegipcienes trowe
For al this errour； which thei knowe；
That these brethren ben of myht
To sette and kepe Egipte upriht；
And overthrowe； if that hem like。
Bot Ysis； as seith the Cronique；
Fro Grece into Egipte cam；
And sche thanne upon honde nam
To teche hem forto sowe and eere；
Which noman knew tofore there。 820
And whan thegipcienes syhe
The fieldes fulle afore here yhe；
And that the lond began to greine；
Which whilom hadde be bareigne；…
For therthe bar after the kinde
His due charge；… this I find