To don him compaignie a nyht：
For thanne he seide him redily；
That he schal be al hol therby；
And otherwise he kneu no cure。
This king； which stod in aventure
Of lif and deth； for medicine
Assented was； and of covine
His Steward； whom he tristeth wel；
He tok； and tolde him everydel； 2670
Hou that this maister hadde seid：
And therupon he hath him preid
And charged upon his ligance；
That he do make porveance
Of such on as be covenable
For his plesance and delitable；
And bad him； hou that evere it stod；
That he schal spare for no good；
For his will is riht wel to paie。
The Steward seide he wolde assaie： 2680
Bot nou hierafter thou schalt wite；
As I finde in the bokes write；
What coveitise in love doth。
This Steward； forto telle soth；
Amonges al the men alyve
A lusti ladi hath to wyve；
Which natheles for gold he tok
And noght for love； as seith the bok。
A riche Marchant of the lond
Hir fader was； and hire fond 2690
So worthily； and such richesse
Of worldes good and such largesse
With hire he yaf in mariage；
That only for thilke avantage
Of good this Steward hath hire take；
For lucre and noght for loves sake；
And that was afterward wel seene；
Nou herkne what it wolde meene。
This Steward in his oghne herte
Sih that his lord mai noght asterte 2700
His maladie； bot he have
A lusti womman him to save；
And thoghte he wolde yive ynowh
Of his tresor； wherof he drowh
Gret coveitise into his mynde；
And sette his honour fer behynde。
Thus he； whom gold hath overset；
Was trapped in his oghne net；
The gold hath mad hise wittes lame；
So that sechende his oghne schame 2710
He rouneth in the kinges Ere；
And seide him that he wiste where
A gentile and a lusti on
Tho was； and thider wolde he gon：
Bot he mot yive yiftes grete；
For bot it be thurgh grete beyete
Of gold； he seith； he schal noght spede。
The king him bad upon the nede
That take an hundred pound he scholde；
And yive it where that he wolde； 2720
Be so it were in worthi place：
And thus to stonde in loves grace
This king his gold hath abandouned。
And whan this tale was full rouned；
The Steward tok the gold and wente；
Withinne his herte and many a wente
Of coveitise thanne he caste；
Wherof a pourpos ate laste
Ayein love and ayein his riht
He tok； and seide hou thilke nyht 2730
His wif schal ligge be the king；
And goth thenkende upon this thing
Toward his In； til he cam hom
Into the chambre； and thanne he nom
His wif； and tolde hire al the cas。
And sche； which red for schame was；
With bothe hire handes hath him preid
Knelende and in this wise seid；
That sche to reson and to skile
In what thing that he bidde wile 2740
Is redy forto don his heste；
Bot this thing were noght honeste；
That he for gold hire scholde selle。
And he tho with hise wordes felle
Forth with his gastly contienance
Seith that sche schal don obeissance
And folwe his will in every place；
And thus thurgh strengthe of his manace
Hir innocence is overlad；
Wherof sche was so sore adrad 2750
That sche his will mot nede obeie。
And therupon was schape a weie；
That he his oghne wif be nyhte
Hath out of alle mennes sihte
So prively that non it wiste
Broght to the king； which as him liste
Mai do with hire what he wolde。
For whan sche was ther as sche scholde；
With him abedde under the cloth；
The Steward tok his leve and goth 2760
Into a chambre faste by；
Bot hou he slep； that wot noght I；
For he sih cause of jelousie。
Bot he； which hath the compainie
Of such a lusti on as sche；
Him thoghte that of his degre
Ther was noman so wel at ese：
Sche doth al that sche mai to plese；
So that his herte al hol sche hadde；
And thus this king his joie ladde； 2770
Til it was nyh upon the day。
The Steward thanne wher sche lay
Cam to the bedd； and in his wise
Hath bede that sche scholde arise。
The king seith； 〃Nay； sche schal noght go。〃
His Steward seide ayein； 〃Noght so；
For sche mot gon er it be knowe；
And so I swor at thilke throwe；
Whan I hire fette to you hiere。〃
The king his tale wol noght hiere； 2780
And seith hou that he hath hire boght；
Forthi sche schal departe noght；
Til he the brighte dai beholde。
And cawhte hire in hise armes folde；
As he which liste forto pleie；
And bad his Steward gon his weie；
And so he dede ayein his wille。
And thus his wif abedde stille
Lay with the king the longe nyht；
Til that it was hih Sonne lyht； 2790
Bot who sche was he knew nothing。
Tho cam the Steward to the king
And preide him that withoute schame
In savinge of hire goode name
He myhte leden hom ayein
This lady； and hath told him plein
Hou that it was his oghne wif。
The king his Ere unto this strif
Hath leid； and whan that he it herde；
Welnyh out of his wit he ferde； 2800
And seide； 〃Ha； caitif most of alle；
Wher was it evere er this befalle；
That eny cokard in this wise
Betok his wif for coveitise？
Thou hast bothe hire and me beguiled
And ek thin oghne astat reviled；
Wherof that buxom unto thee
Hierafter schal sche nevere be。
For this avou to god I make；
After this day if I thee take； 2810
Thou schalt ben honged and todrawe。
Nou loke anon thou be withdrawe；
So that I se thee neveremore。〃
This Steward thanne dradde him sore；
With al the haste that he mai
And fledde awei that same dai；
And was exiled out of londe。
Lo； there a nyce housebonde；
Which thus hath lost his wif for evere！
Bot natheles sche hadde a levere； 2820
The king hire weddeth and honoureth；
Wherof hire name sche socoureth；
Which erst was lost thurgh coveitise
Of him； that ladde hire other wise；
And hath himself also forlore。
Mi Sone； be thou war therfore；
Wher thou schalt love in eny place；
That thou no covoitise embrace；
The which is noght of loves kinde。
Bot for al that a man mai finde 2830
Nou in this time of thilke rage
Ful gret desese in mariage；
Whan venym melleth with the Sucre
And mariage is mad for lucre；
Or for the lust or for the hele：
What man that schal with outher dele；
He mai noght faile to repente。
Mi fader； such is myn entente：
Bot natheles good is to have；
For good mai ofte time save 2840
The love which scholde elles spille。
Bot god； which wot myn hertes wille；
I dar wel take to witnesse；
Yit was I nevere for richesse
Beset with mariage non；
For al myn herte is upon on
So frely； that in the persone
Stant al my worldes joie al one：
I axe nouther Park ne Plowh；
If I hire hadde； it were ynowh； 2850
Hir love scholde me suffise
Withouten other coveitise。
Lo now； mi fader； as of this；
Touchende of me riht as it is；
Mi schrifte I am beknowe plein；
And if ye wole oght elles sein；
Of covoitise if ther be more
In love； agropeth out the sore。
Mi Sone； thou schalt understonde
Hou Coveitise hath yit on honde 2860
In special tuo conseilours；
That ben also hise procurours。
The ferst of hem is Falswitnesse；
Which evere is redi to witnesse
What thing his maister wol him hote：
Perjurie is the secounde hote；
Which spareth noght to swere an oth；
Thogh it be fals and god be wroth。
That on schal falswitnesse bere；
That other schal the thing forswere； 2870
Whan he is charged on the bok。
So what with hepe and what with crok
Thei make here maister ofte winne
And wol noght knowe what is sinne
For coveitise； and thus； men sain；
Thei maken many a fals bargain。
Ther mai no trewe querele arise
In thilke queste and thilke assise；
Where as thei tuo the poeple enforme；
For thei kepe evere o maner forme； 2880
That upon gold here conscience
Thei founde； and take here evidence；
And thus with falswitnesse and othes
Thei winne hem mete and drinke and clothes。
Riht so ther be； who that hem knewe；
Of thes lovers ful many untrewe：
Nou mai a womman finde ynowe；
That ech of hem； whan he schal wowe；
Anon he wole his hand doun lein
Upon a bok； and swere and sein 2890
That he wole feith and trouthe bere；
And thus he profreth him to swere
To serven evere til he die；
And al is verai tricherie。
For whan the sothe himselven trieth；
The more he swerth； the more he lieth；
Whan he his feith makth althermest；
Than mai a womman truste him lest；
For til he mai his will achieve；
He is no lengere forto lieve。 2900
Thus is the trouthe of love exiled；
And many a good womman beguiled。
And ek to speke of Falswitnesse；
There be nou many suche； I gesse；
That lich unto the provisours
Thei make here prive procurours；
To telle hou ther is such a man；
Which is worthi to love and can
Al that a good man scholde kunne；
So that with lesinge is begunne 2910
The cause in which thei wole procede；
And also siker as the crede
Thei make of that thei knowen fals。
And thus fulofte aboute the hals
Love is of false men embraced；
Bot love which is so pourchaced
Comth afterward to litel pris。
Forthi； mi Sone； if thou be wis；
Nou thou hast herd this evidence；
Thou miht thin oghne conscience 2920
Oppose； if thou hast ben such on。
Nai； god wot； fader I am non；
Ne nevere was； for as men seith；
Whan that a man schal make his feith；
His herte and tunge moste acorde；
For if so be that thei discorde；
Thanne is he fals and elles noght：
And I dar seie； as of my thoght；
In love it is noght descordable
Unto mi word； bot acordable。 2930
And in this wise； fader； I
Mai riht wel swere and salvely；
That I mi ladi love wel；
For that acordeth everydel。
It nedeth noght to mi sothsawe
That I witnesse scholde drawe；
Into this dai for nevere yit
Ne mihte it sinke into mi wit；
That I my conseil scholde seie
To eny wiht； or me bewreie 2940
To sechen help in such manere；
Bot only of mi ladi diere。
And thogh a thousend men it wiste；
That I hire love； and thanne hem liste
With me to swere and to witnesse；
Yit were that no falswitnesse；
For I dar on this trouthe duelle；
I love hire mor than I can telle。
Thus am I； fader； gulteles；
As ye have herd； and natheles 2950
In youre dom I put it al。
Mi Sone； wite in special；
It schal noght comunliche faile；
Al thogh it for a time availe
That Falswitnesse his cause spede；
Upon the point of his falshiede
It schal wel afterward be kid；
Wherof； so as it is betid；
Ensample of suche thinges blinde
In a Cronique write I finde。 2960
The Goddesse of the See Thetis；
Sche hadde a Sone； and his name is
Achilles； who