Which whilom hadde be bareigne；…
For therthe bar after the kinde
His due charge；… this I finde；
That sche of berthe the goddesse
Is cleped； so that in destresse
The wommen there upon childinge
To hire clepe； and here offringe 830
Thei beren； whan that thei ben lyhte。
Lo； hou Egipte al out of syhte
Fro resoun stant in misbelieve
For lacke of lore； as I believe。
Among the Greks； out of the weie
As thei that reson putte aweie；
Ther was； as the Cronique seith；
Of misbelieve an other feith；
That thei here goddes and goddesses；
As who seith； token al to gesses 840
Of suche as weren full of vice；
To whom thei made here sacrifice。
The hihe god； so as thei seide；
To whom thei most worschipe leide；
Saturnus hihte； and king of Crete
He hadde be； bot of his sete
He was put doun； as he which stod
In frenesie； and was so wod；
That fro his wif； which Rea hihte；
Hise oghne children he to plihte； 850
And eet hem of his comun wone。
Bot Jupiter； which was his Sone
And of full age； his fader bond
And kutte of with his oghne hond
Hise genitals； whiche als so faste
Into the depe See he caste；
Wherof the Greks afferme and seie；
Thus whan thei were caste aweie；
Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde。
And of Saturne also I finde 860
How afterward into an yle
This Jupiter him dede exile；
Wher that he stod in gret meschief。
Lo； which a god thei maden chief！
And sithen that such on was he；
Which stod most hihe in his degre
Among the goddes； thou miht knowe；
These othre； that ben more lowe；
Ben litel worth； as it is founde。
For Jupiter was the secounde； 870
Which Juno hadde unto his wif；
And yit a lechour al his lif
He was； and in avouterie
He wroghte many a tricherie；
And for he was so full of vices；
Thei cleped him god of delices：
Of whom； if thou wolt more wite；
Ovide the Poete hath write。
Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo；
Saturne and Jupiter also； 880
Thei have； althogh thei be to blame；
Attitled to here oghne name。
Mars was an other in that lawe；
The which in Dace was forthdrawe；
Of whom the clerk Vegecius
Wrot in his bok； and tolde thus；
Hou he into Ytaile cam；
And such fortune ther he nam
That he a Maiden hath oppressed；
Which in hire ordre was professed； 890
As sche which was the Prioresse
In Vestes temple the goddesse；
So was sche wel the mor to blame。
Dame Ylia this ladi name
Men clepe； and ek sche was also
The kinges dowhter that was tho；
Which Mynitor be name hihte。
So that ayein the lawes ryhte
Mars thilke time upon hire that
Remus and Romulus begat； 900
Whiche after； whan thei come in Age；
Of knihthode and of vassellage
Ytaile al hol thei overcome
And foundeden the grete Rome；
In Armes and of such emprise
Thei weren； that in thilke wise
Here fader Mars for the mervaile
The god was cleped of bataille。
Thei were his children bothe tuo；
Thurgh hem he tok his name so； 910
Ther was non other cause why：
And yit a Sterre upon the Sky
He hath unto his name applied；
In which that he is signified。
An other god thei hadden eke；
To whom for conseil thei beseke；
The which was brother to Venus；
Appollo men him clepe thus。
He was an Hunte upon the helles；
Ther was with him no vertu elles； 920
Wherof that enye bokes karpe；
Bot only that he couthe harpe；
Which whanne he walked over londe；
Fulofte time he tok on honde；
To gete him with his sustienance；
For lacke of other pourveance。
And otherwhile of his falshede
He feignede him to conne arede
Of thing which after scholde falle；
Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle 930
He hath the lewed folk deceived；
So that the betre he was received。
Lo now； thurgh what creacion
He hath deificacion；
And cleped is the god of wit
To suche as be the foles yit。
An other god； to whom thei soghte；
Mercurie hihte； and him ne roghte
What thing he stal； ne whom he slowh。
Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh； 940
That whanne he wolde himself transforme；
Fulofte time he tok the forme
Of womman and his oghne lefte；
So dede he wel the more thefte。
A gret spekere in alle thinges
He was also； and of lesinges
An Auctour； that men wiste non
An other such as he was on。
And yit thei maden of this thief
A god； which was unto hem lief； 950
And clepede him in tho believes
The god of Marchantz and of thieves。
Bot yit a sterre upon the hevene
He hath of the planetes sevene。
But Vulcanus； of whom I spak；
He hadde a courbe upon the bak；
And therto he was hepehalt：
Of whom thou understonde schalt；
He was a schrewe in al his youthe；
And he non other vertu couthe 960
Of craft to helpe himselve with；
Bot only that he was a Smith
With Jupiter； which in his forge
Diverse thinges made him forge；
So wot I noght for what desir
Thei clepen him the god of fyr。
King of Cizile Ypolitus
A Sone hadde； and Eolus
He hihte； and of his fader grant
He hield be weie of covenant 970
The governance of every yle
Which was longende unto Cizile；
Of hem that fro the lond forein
Leie open to the wynd al plein。
And fro thilke iles to the londe
Fulofte cam the wynd to honde：
After the name of him forthi
The wyndes cleped Eoli
Tho were； and he the god of wynd。
Lo nou； hou this believe is blynd！ 980
The king of Crete Jupiter；
The same which I spak of er；
Unto his brother； which Neptune
Was hote； it list him to comune
Part of his good； so that be Schipe
He mad him strong of the lordschipe
Of al the See in tho parties；
Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes；
And the strange yles al aboute
He wan； that every man hath doute 990
Upon his marche forto saile；
For he anon hem wolde assaile
And robbe what thing that thei ladden；
His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden。
Wherof the comun vois aros
In every lond； that such a los
He cawhte； al nere it worth a stre；
That he was cleped of the See
The god be name； and yit he is
With hem that so believe amis。 1000
This Neptune ek was thilke also；
Which was the ferste foundour tho
Of noble Troie； and he forthi
Was wel the more lete by。
The loresman of the Schepherdes；
And ek of hem that ben netherdes；
Was of Archade and hihte Pan：
Of whom hath spoke many a man；
For in the wode of Nonarcigne；
Enclosed with the tres of Pigne； 1010
And on the Mont of Parasie
He hadde of bestes the baillie；
And ek benethe in the valleie；
Wher thilke rivere； as men seie；
Which Ladon hihte； made his cours；
He was the chief of governours
Of hem that kepten tame bestes；
Wherof thei maken yit the festes
In the Cite Stinfalides。
And forth withal yit natheles 1020
He tawhte men the forthdrawinge
Of bestaile； and ek the makinge
Of Oxen； and of hors the same；
Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame：
Of foules ek； so as we finde；
Ful many a soubtiel craft of kinde
He fond； which noman knew tofore。
Men dede him worschipe ek therfore；
That he the ferste in thilke lond
Was which the melodie fond 1030
Of Riedes； whan thei weren ripe；
With double pipes forto pipe；
Therof he yaf the ferste lore；
Til afterward men couthe more。
To every craft for mannes helpe
He hadde a redi wit to helpe
Thurgh naturel experience：
And thus the nyce reverence
Of foles； whan that he was ded；
The fot hath torned to the hed； 1040
And clepen him god of nature；
For so thei maden his figure。
An other god； so as thei fiele；
Which Jupiter upon Samele
Begat in his avouterie；
Whom； forto hide his lecherie；
That non therof schal take kepe；
In a Montaigne forto kepe；
Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde；
He sende； in bokes as I finde： 1050
And he be name Bachus hihte；
Which afterward； whan that he mihte；
A wastour was； and al his rente
In wyn and bordel he despente。
Bot yit； al were he wonder badde；
Among the Greks a name he hadde；
Thei cleped him the god of wyn；
And thus a glotoun was dyvyn。
Ther was yit Esculapius
A godd in thilke time as thus。 1060
His craft stod upon Surgerie；
Bot for the lust of lecherie；
That he to Daires dowhter drowh；
It felle that Jupiter him slowh：
And yit thei made him noght forthi
A god； and was no cause why。
In Rome he was long time also
A god among the Romeins tho；
For； as he seide； of his presence
Ther was destruid a pestilence； 1070
Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente；
And that Appollo with hem sente
This Esculapius his Sone；
Among the Romeins forto wone。
And there he duelte for a while；
Til afterward into that yle；
Fro whenne he cam； ayein he torneth；
Where al his lyf that he sojorneth
Among the Greks； til that he deide。
And thei upon him thanne leide 1080
His name； and god of medicine
He hatte after that ilke line。
An other god of Hercules
Thei made； which was natheles
A man； bot that he was so strong；
In al this world that brod and long
So myhti was noman as he。
Merveiles tuelve in his degre；
As it was couth in sondri londes；
He dede with hise oghne hondes 1090
Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe；
The whiche horrible were and lothe；
Bot he with strengthe hem overcam：
Wherof so gret a pris he nam；
That thei him clepe amonges alle
The god of strengthe； and to him calle。
And yit ther is no reson inne；
For he a man was full of sinne；
Which proved was upon his ende；
For in a rage himself he brende； 1100
And such a cruel mannes dede
Acordeth nothing with godhede。
Thei hadde of goddes yit an other；
Which Pluto hihte； and was the brother
Of Jupiter； and he fro youthe
With every word which cam to mouthe；
Of eny thing whan he was wroth；
He wolde swere his commun oth；
Be Lethen and be Flegeton；
Be Cochitum and Acheron； 1110
The whiche； after the bokes telle；
Ben the chief flodes of the helle：
Be Segne and Stige he swor also；
That ben the depe Pettes tuo
Of helle the most principal。
Pluto these othes overal
Swor of his commun custummance；
Til it befell upon a chance；
That he for Jupiteres sake
Unto the goddes let do make 1120
A sacrifice； and for that dede
On of the pettes for his mede
In helle； of which I spak of er；
Was granted him； and thus he ther
Upon the fortune of this thing
The name tok of helle king。
Lo； these goddes and wel mo
Among the Greks thei hadden tho；
And of goddesses manyon；
Whos names thou schalt hiere anon； 1130
And in what wise thei deceiven
The foles whiche here feith receiven。
So as Saturne is soverein
Of false goddes； as thei sein；
So is Sibeles of goddesses
Th