Or forto winne or forto lese；
Ben alle avised forto chese。
Tho tok this kniht a yerde on honde；
And goth there as the cofres stonde；
And with assent of everichon
He leith his yerde upon that on；
And seith the king hou thilke same
Thei chese in reguerdoun be name；
And preith him that thei mote it have。
The king； which wolde his honour save； 2370
Whan he hath herd the commun vois；
Hath granted hem here oghne chois
And tok hem therupon the keie。
Bot for he wolde it were seie
What good thei have； as thei suppose；
He bad anon the cofre unclose；
Which was fulfild with straw and stones：
Thus be thei served al at ones。
This king thanne in the same stede
Anon that other cofre undede； 2380
Where as thei sihen gret richesse；
Wel more than thei couthen gesse。
〃Lo；〃 seith the king； 〃nou mai ye se
That ther is no defalte in me；
Forthi miself I wole aquyte；
And bereth ye youre oghne wyte
Of that fortune hath you refused。〃
Thus was this wise king excused；
And thei lefte of here evele speche
And mercy of here king beseche。 2390
Somdiel to this matiere lik
I finde a tale； hou Frederik；
Of Rome that time Emperour；
Herde； as he wente； a gret clamour
Of tuo beggers upon the weie。
That on of hem began to seie；
〃Ha lord； wel mai the man be riche
Whom that a king list forto riche。〃
That other saide nothing so；
Bot； 〃He is riche and wel bego； 2400
To whom that god wole sende wele。〃
And thus thei maden wordes fele；
Wherof this lord hath hiede nome；
And dede hem bothe forto come
To the Paleis； wher he schal ete；
And bad ordeine for here mete
Tuo Pastes； whiche he let do make。
A capoun in that on was bake；
And in that other forto winne
Of florins al that mai withinne 2410
He let do pute a gret richesse；
And evene aliche； as man mai gesse；
Outward thei were bothe tuo。
This begger was comanded tho；
He that which hield him to the king；
That he ferst chese upon this thing：
He sih hem； bot he felte hem noght；
So that upon his oghne thoght
He ches the Capoun and forsok
That other； which his fela tok。 2420
Bot whanne he wiste hou that it ferde；
He seide alowd； that men it herde；
〃Nou have I certeinly conceived
That he mai lihtly be deceived；
That tristeth unto mannes helpe；
Bot wel is him whom god wol helpe；
For he stant on the siker side；
Which elles scholde go beside：
I se my fela wel recovere；
And I mot duelle stille povere。〃 2430
Thus spak this begger his entente；
And povere he cam and povere he wente；
Of that he hath richesse soght；
His infortune it wolde noght。
So mai it schewe in sondri wise；
Betwen fortune and covoitise
The chance is cast upon a Dee；
Bot yit fulofte a man mai se
Ynowe of suche natheles；
Whiche evere pute hemself in press 2440
To gete hem good； and yit thei faile。
And forto speke of this entaile
Touchende of love in thi matiere；
Mi goode Sone； as thou miht hiere；
That riht as it with tho men stod
Of infortune of worldes good；
As thou hast herd me telle above；
Riht so fulofte it stant be love：
Thogh thou coveite it everemore；
Thou schalt noght have o diel the more； 2450
Bot only that which thee is schape；
The remenant is bot a jape。
And natheles ynowe of tho
Ther ben； that nou coveiten so；
That where as thei a womman se；
Ye ten or tuelve thogh ther be；
The love is nou so unavised；
That wher the beaute stant assised；
The mannes herte anon is there；
And rouneth tales in hire Ere； 2460
And seith hou that he loveth streite；
And thus he set him to coveite；
An hundred thogh he sihe aday。
So wolde he more thanne he may；
Bot for the grete covoitise
Of sotie and of fol emprise
In ech of hem he fint somwhat
That pleseth him； or this or that；
Som on； for sche is whit of skin；
Som on； for sche is noble of kin； 2470
Som on； for sche hath rodi chieke；
Som on； for that sche semeth mieke；
Som on； for sche hath yhen greie；
Som on； for sche can lawhe and pleie；
Som on； for sche is long and smal；
Som on； for sche is lyte and tall；
Som on； for sche is pale and bleche；
Som on； for sche is softe of speche；
Som on； for that sche is camused；
Som on； for sche hath noght ben used； 2480
Som on； for sche can daunce and singe；
So that som thing to his likinge
He fint； and thogh nomore he fiele；
Bot that sche hath a litel hiele；
It is ynow that he therfore
Hire love； and thus an hundred score；
Whil thei be newe； he wolde he hadde；
Whom he forsakth； sche schal be badde。
The blinde man no colour demeth；
But al is on； riht as him semeth； 2490
So hath his lust no juggement；
Whom covoitise of love blent。
Him thenkth that to his covoitise
Hou al the world ne mai suffise；
For be his wille he wolde have alle；
If that it mihte so befalle：
Thus is he commun as the Strete；
I sette noght of his beyete。
Mi Sone； hast thou such covoitise？
Nai； fader； such love I despise； 2500
And whil I live schal don evere；
For in good feith yit hadde I levere；
Than to coveite in such a weie；
To ben for evere til I deie
As povere as Job； and loveles；
Outaken on； for haveles
His thonkes is noman alyve。
For that a man scholde al unthryve
Ther oghte no wisman coveite；
The lawe was noght set so streite： 2510
Forthi miself withal to save；
Such on ther is I wolde have；
And non of al these othre mo。
Mi Sone； of that thou woldest so；
I am noght wroth； bot over this
I wol thee tellen hou it is。
For ther be men； whiche otherwise；
Riht only for the covoitise
Of that thei sen a womman riche；
Ther wol thei al here love affiche； 2520
Noght for the beaute of hire face；
Ne yit for vertu ne for grace；
Which sche hath elles riht ynowh；
Bot for the Park and for the plowh；
And other thing which therto longeth：
For in non other wise hem longeth
To love； bot thei profit finde；
And if the profit be behinde；
Here love is evere lesse and lesse；
For after that sche hath richesse； 2530
Her love is of proporcion。
If thou hast such condicion；
Mi Sone； tell riht as it is。
Min holi fader； nay ywiss；
Condicion such have I non。
For trewli； fader； I love oon
So wel with al myn hertes thoght；
That certes； thogh sche hadde noght；
And were as povere as Medea；
Which was exiled for Creusa； 2540
I wolde hir noght the lasse love；
Ne thogh sche were at hire above；
As was the riche qwen Candace；
Which to deserve love and grace
To Alisandre； that was king；
Yaf many a worthi riche thing；
Or elles as Pantasilee；
Which was the quen of Feminee；
And gret richesse with hir nam；
Whan sche for love of Hector cam 2550
To Troie in rescousse of the toun；…
I am of such condicion；
That thogh mi ladi of hirselve
Were also riche as suche tuelve；
I couthe noght； thogh it wer so；
No betre love hir than I do。
For I love in so plein a wise；
That forto speke of coveitise；
As for poverte or for richesse
Mi love is nouther mor ne lesse。 2560
For in good feith I trowe this；
So coveitous noman ther is；
Forwhy and he mi ladi sihe；
That he thurgh lokinge of his yhe
Ne scholde have such a strok withinne；
That for no gold he mihte winne
He scholde noght hire love asterte；
Bot if he lefte there his herte；
Be so it were such a man；
That couthe Skile of a womman。 2570
For ther be men so ruide some；
Whan thei among the wommen come；
Thei gon under proteccioun；
That love and his affeccioun
Ne schal noght take hem be the slieve；
For thei ben out of that believe；
Hem lusteth of no ladi chiere；
Bot evere thenken there and hiere
Wher that here gold is in the cofre；
And wol non other love profre： 2580
Bot who so wot what love amounteth
And be resoun trewliche acompteth；
Than mai he knowe and taken hiede
That al the lust of wommanhiede；
Which mai ben in a ladi face；
Mi ladi hath； and ek of grace
If men schull yiven hire a pris；
Thei mai wel seie hou sche is wys
And sobre and simple of contenance；
And al that to good governance 2590
Belongeth of a worthi wiht
Sche hath pleinli： for thilke nyht
That sche was bore； as for the nones
Nature sette in hire at ones
Beaute with bounte so besein；
That I mai wel afferme and sein；
I sawh yit nevere creature
Of comlihied and of feture
In eny kinges regioun
Be lich hire in comparisoun： 2600
And therto； as I have you told；
Yit hath sche more a thousendfold
Of bounte； and schortli to telle；
Sche is the pure hed and welle
And Mirour and ensample of goode。
Who so hir vertus understode；
Me thenkth it oughte ynow suffise
Withouten other covoitise
To love such on and to serve；
Which with hire chiere can deserve 2610
To be beloved betre ywiss
Than sche per cas that richest is
And hath of gold a Milion。
Such hath be myn opinion
And evere schal： bot natheles
I seie noght sche is haveles；
That sche nys riche and wel at ese；
And hath ynow wherwith to plese
Of worldes good whom that hire liste；
Bot o thing wolde I wel ye wiste； 2620
That nevere for no worldes good
Min herte untoward hire stod；
Bot only riht for pure love；
That wot the hihe god above。
Nou； fader； what seie ye therto？
Mi Sone； I seie it is wel do。
For tak of this riht good believe；
What man that wole himself relieve
To love in eny other wise；
He schal wel finde his coveitise 2630
Schal sore grieve him ate laste；
For such a love mai noght laste。
Bot nou； men sein； in oure daies
Men maken bot a fewe assaies；
Bot if the cause be richesse；
Forthi the love is wel the lesse。
And who that wolde ensamples telle；
Be olde daies as thei felle；
Than mihte a man wel understonde
Such love mai noght longe stonde。 2640
Now herkne； Sone； and thou schalt hiere
A gret ensample of this matiere。
To trete upon the cas of love；
So as we tolden hiere above；
I finde write a wonder thing。
Of Puile whilom was a king；
A man of hih complexioun
And yong； bot his affeccioun
After the nature of his age
Was yit noght falle in his corage 2650
The lust of wommen forto knowe。
So it betidde upon a throwe
This lord fell into gret seknesse：
Phisique hath don the besinesse
Of sondri cures manyon
To make him hol； and therupon
A worthi maister which ther was
Yaf him conseil upon this cas；
That if he wolde have parfit hele；
He scholde with a womman dele； 2660
A freissh； a yong； a lusti wiht；
To don him compaignie a nyht：
For thanne he seide him redily；
That he schal be al hol therby；
And