So as Saturne is soverein
Of false goddes； as thei sein；
So is Sibeles of goddesses
The Moder； whom withoute gesses
The folk Payene honoure and serve；
As thei the whiche hire lawe observe。
Bot forto knowen upon this
Fro when sche cam and what sche is； 1140
Bethincia the contre hihte；
Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte；
And after was Saturnes wif；
Be whom thre children in hire lif
Sche bar； and thei were cleped tho
Juno； Neptunus and Pluto；
The whiche of nyce fantasie
The poeple wolde deifie。
And for hire children were so；
Sibeles thanne was also 1150
Mad a goddesse； and thei hire calle
The moder of the goddes alle。
So was that name bore forth；
And yit the cause is litel worth。
A vois unto Saturne tolde
Hou that his oghne Sone him scholde
Out of his regne putte aweie；
And he be cause of thilke weie；
That him was schape such a fate；
Sibele his wif began to hate 1160
And ek hire progenie bothe。
And thus； whil that thei were wrothe；
Be Philerem upon a dai
In his avouterie he lai；
On whom he Jupiter begat；
And thilke child was after that
Which wroghte al that was prophecied；
As it tofore is specefied：
So that whan Jupiter of Crete
Was king； a wif unto him mete 1170
The Dowhter of Sibele he tok；
And that was Juno； seith the bok。
Of his deificacion
After the false oppinion；
That have I told； so as thei meene；
And for this Juno was the queene
Of Jupiter and Soster eke；
The foles unto hire sieke；
And sein that sche is the goddesse
Of Regnes bothe and of richesse： 1180
And ek sche； as thei understonde；
The water Nimphes hath in honde
To leden at hire oghne heste；
And whan hir list the Sky tempeste；
The reinbowe is hir Messager。
Lo； which a misbelieve is hier！
That sche goddesse is of the Sky
I wot non other cause why。
An other goddesse is Minerve；
To whom the Greks obeie and serve： 1190
And sche was nyh the grete lay
Of Triton founde； wher sche lay
A child forcast； bot what sche was
Ther knew noman the sothe cas。
Bot in Aufrique sche was leid
In the manere as I have seid；
And caried fro that ilke place
Into an Yle fer in Trace；
The which Palene thanne hihte；
Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte。 1200
And after； for sche was so wys
That sche fond ferst in hire avis
The cloth makinge of wolle and lyn；
Men seiden that sche was divin；
And the goddesse of Sapience
Thei clepen hire in that credence。
Of the goddesse which Pallas
Is cleped sondri speche was。
On seith hire fader was Pallant；
Which in his time was geant； 1210
A cruel man； a bataillous：
An other seith hou in his hous
Sche was the cause why he deide。
And of this Pallas some ek seide
That sche was Martes wif； and so
Among the men that weren tho
Of misbelieve in the riote
The goddesse of batailles hote
She was； and yit sche berth the name。
Now loke； hou they be forto blame。 1220
Saturnus after his exil
Fro Crete cam in gret peril
Into the londes of Ytaile；
And ther he dede gret mervaile；
Wherof his name duelleth yit。
For he fond of his oghne wit
The ferste craft of plowh tilinge；
Of Eringe and of corn sowinge；
And how men scholden sette vines
And of the grapes make wynes； 1230
Al this he tawhte； and it fell so；
His wif； the which cam with him tho；
Was cleped Cereres be name；
And for sche tawhte also the same；
And was his wif that ilke throwe；
As it was to the poeple knowe；
Thei made of Ceres a goddesse；
In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse；
And sein that Tricolonius
Hire Sone goth amonges ous 1240
And makth the corn good chep or dere；
Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere；
So that this wif be cause of this
Goddesse of Cornes cleped is。
King Jupiter； which his likinge
Whilom fulfelde in alle thinge；
So priveliche aboute he ladde
His lust； that he his wille hadde
Of Latona； and on hire that
Diane his dowhter he begat 1250
Unknowen of his wif Juno。
And afterward sche knew it so；
That Latona for drede fledde
Into an Ile； wher sche hedde
Hire wombe； which of childe aros。
Thilke yle cleped was Delos；
In which Diana was forthbroght；
And kept so that hire lacketh noght。
And after； whan sche was of Age；
Sche tok non hiede of mariage； 1260
Bot out of mannes compaignie
Sche tok hire al to venerie
In forest and in wildernesse
For ther was al hire besinesse
Be daie and ek be nyhtes tyde
With arwes brode under the side
And bowe in honde； of which sche slowh
And tok al that hir liste ynowh
Of bestes whiche ben chacable：
Wherof the Cronique of this fable 1270
Seith that the gentils most of alle
Worschipen hire and to hire calle；
And the goddesse of hihe helles；
Of grene trees； of freisshe welles；
They clepen hire in that believe；
Which that no reson mai achieve。
Proserpina； which dowhter was
Of Cereres； befell this cas：
Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile；
Hire moder in that ilke while 1280
Upon hire blessinge and hire heste
Bad that sche scholde ben honeste；
And lerne forto weve and spinne；
And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne。
Bot sche caste al that lore aweie；
And as sche wente hir out to pleie；
To gadre floures in a pleine；
And that was under the monteine
Of Ethna； fell the same tyde
That Pluto cam that weie ryde； 1290
And sodeinly； er sche was war；
He tok hire up into his char。
And as thei riden in the field；
Hire grete beaute he behield；
Which was so plesant in his ije；
That forto holde in compainie
He weddeth hire and hield hire so
To ben his wif for everemo。
And as thou hast tofore herd telle
Hou he was cleped god of helle； 1300
So is sche cleped the goddesse
Be cause of him； ne mor ne lesse。
Lo； thus； mi Sone； as I thee tolde；
The Greks whilom be daies olde
Here goddes hadde in sondri wise；
And thurgh the lore of here aprise
The Romeins hielden ek the same。
And in the worschipe of here name
To every godd in special
Thei made a temple forth withal； 1310
And ech of hem his yeeres dai
Attitled hadde； and of arai
The temples weren thanne ordeigned；
And ek the poeple was constreigned
To come and don here sacrifice；
The Prestes ek in here office
Solempne maden thilke festes。
And thus the Greks lich to the bestes
The men in stede of god honoure；
Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure； 1320
Whil that thei were alyve hiere。
And over this； as thou schalt hiere；
The Greks fulfild of fantasie
Sein ek that of the helles hihe
The goddes ben in special；
Bot of here name in general
Thei hoten alle Satiri。
Ther ben of Nimphes proprely
In the believe of hem also：
Oreades thei seiden tho 1330
Attitled ben to the monteines；
And for the wodes in demeynes
To kepe； tho ben Driades；
Of freisshe welles Naiades；
And of the Nimphes of the See
I finde a tale in proprete；
Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece；
Which hadde of infortune a piece；…
His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle；
So as the happes scholden falle； 1340
With many a gentil womman there
Dreint in the salte See thei were：
Wherof the Greks that time seiden；
And such a name upon hem leiden；
Nerei5des that thei ben hote；
The Nimphes whiche that thei note
To regne upon the stremes salte。
Lo now； if this believe halte！
Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle；
In every place wher thei duelle 1350
Thei ben al redi obeissant
As damoiselles entendant
To the goddesses； whos servise
Thei mote obeie in alle wise；
Wherof the Greks to hem beseke
With tho that ben goddesses eke；
And have in hem a gret credence。
And yit withoute experience
Salve only of illusion；
Which was to hem dampnacion； 1360
For men also that were dede
Thei hadden goddes； as I rede；
And tho be name Manes hihten；
To whom ful gret honour thei dihten；
So as the Grekes lawe seith；
Which was ayein the rihte feith。
Thus have I told a gret partie；
Bot al the hole progenie
Of goddes in that ilke time
To long it were forto rime。 1370
Bot yit of that which thou hast herd；
Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd；
Ther is a gret diversite。
Mi fader； riht so thenketh me。
Bot yit o thing I you beseche；
Which stant in alle mennes speche；
The godd and the goddesse of love；
Of whom ye nothing hier above
Have told； ne spoken of her fare；
That ye me wolden now declare 1380
Hou thei ferst comen to that name。
Mi Sone； I have it left for schame；
Be cause I am here oghne Prest；
Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest
Upon the schrifte of thi matiere；
Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere：
And understond nou wel the cas。
Venus Saturnes dowhter was；
Which alle danger putte aweie
Of love； and fond to lust a weie； 1390
So that of hire in sondri place
Diverse men felle into grace；
And such a lusti lif sche ladde；
That sche diverse children hadde；
Nou on be this； nou on be that。
Of hire it was that Mars beyat
A child； which cleped was Armene；
Of hire also cam Andragene；
To whom Mercurie fader was：
Anchises begat Eneas 1400
Of hire also； and Ericon
Biten begat； and therupon；
Whan that sche sih ther was non other；
Be Jupiter hire oghne brother
Sche lay； and he begat Cupide。
And thilke Sone upon a tyde；
Whan he was come unto his Age；
He hadde a wonder fair visage；
And fond his Moder amourous；
And he was also lecherous： 1410
So whan thei weren bothe al one；
As he which yhen hadde none
To se reson； his Moder kiste；
And sche also； that nothing wiste
Bot that which unto lust belongeth；
To ben hire love him underfongeth。
Thus was he blind； and sche unwys：
Bot natheles this cause it is；
Why Cupide is the god of love；
For he his moder dorste love。 1420
And sche； which thoghte hire lustes fonde；
Diverse loves tok in honde；
Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere：
And for sche wolde hirselve skiere；
Sche made comun that desport；
And sette a lawe of such a port；
That every womman mihte take
What man hire liste； and noght forsake
To ben als comun as sche wolde。
Sche was the ferste also which tolde 1430
That wommen scholde here bodi selle；
Semiramis； so as men telle；
Of Venus kepte thilke aprise；
And so dede in the same wise
Of Rome faire Neabole；
Which liste hire bodi to rigole；
Sche was to every man felawe；
And hild the lust of thilke lawe；
Which Venus of hirself began；
Wherof that sche the name wan； 1440
Why men hire clepen the goddesse
Of love and ek of gentilesse；
Of worldes lust and of plesance。
Se nou the foule mescreance
Of Grek