I biede nevere as to my del
Bot of the hole an halvendel；
That is non excess； as me thenketh。
Bot natheles it me forthenketh；
For wel I wot that wol noght be；
For every day the betre I se 4460
That hou so evere I yive or lene
Mi love in place ther I mene；
For oght that evere I axe or crave；
I can nothing ayeinward have。
Bot yit for that I wol noght lete；
What so befalle of mi beyete；
That I ne schal hire yive and lene
Mi love and al mi thoght so clene；
That toward me schal noght beleve。
And if sche of hire goode leve 4470
Rewarde wol me noght again；
I wot the laste of my bargain
Schal stonde upon so gret a lost；
That I mai neveremor the cost
Recovere in this world til I die。
So that touchende of this partie
I mai me wel excuse and schal；
And forto speke forth withal；
If eny brocour for me wente；
That point cam nevere in myn entente： 4480
So that the more me merveilleth；
What thing it is mi ladi eilleth；
That al myn herte and al my time
Sche hath； and doth no betre bime。
I have herd seid that thoght is fre；
And natheles in privete
To you； mi fader； that ben hiere
Min hole schrifte forto hiere；
I dar min herte wel desclose。
Touchende usure； as I suppose； 4490
Which as ye telle in love is used；
Mi ladi mai noght ben excused；
That for o lokinge of hire ye5
Min hole herte til I dye
With al that evere I may and can
Sche hath me wonne to hire man：
Wherof； me thenkth； good reson wolde
That sche somdel rewarde scholde；
And yive a part； ther sche hath al。
I not what falle hierafter schal； 4500
Bot into nou yit dar I sein；
Hire liste nevere yive ayein
A goodli word in such a wise；
Wherof min hope mihte arise；
Mi grete love to compense。
I not hou sche hire conscience
Excuse wole of this usure；
Be large weyhte and gret mesure
Sche hath mi love； and I have noght
Of that which I have diere boght； 4510
And with myn herte I have it paid；
Bot al that is asyde laid；
And I go loveles aboute。
Hire oghte stonde if ful gret doute；
Til sche redresce such a sinne；
That sche wole al mi love winne
And yifth me noght to live by：
Noght als so moche as 〃grant mercy〃
Hir list to seie； of which I mihte
Som of mi grete peine allyhte。 4520
Bot of this point； lo； thus I fare
As he that paith for his chaffare；
And beith it diere； and yit hath non；
So mot he nedes povere gon：
Thus beie I diere and have no love；
That I ne mai noght come above
To winne of love non encress。
Bot I me wole natheles
Touchende usure of love aquite；
And if mi ladi be to wyte； 4530
I preie to god such grace hir sende
That sche be time it mot amende。
Mi Sone； of that thou hast ansuerd
Touchende Usure I have al herd；
Hou thou of love hast wonne smale：
Bot that thou tellest in thi tale
And thi ladi therof accusest；
Me thenkth tho wordes thou misusest。
For be thin oghne knowlechinge
Thou seist hou sche for o lokinge 4540
Thin hole herte fro the tok：
Sche mai be such； that hire o lok
Is worth thin herte manyfold；
So hast thou wel thin herte sold；
Whan thou hast that is more worth。
And ek of that thou tellest forth；
Hou that hire weyhte of love unevene
Is unto thin； under the hevene
Stod nevere in evene that balance
Which stant in loves governance。 4550
Such is the statut of his lawe；
That thogh thi love more drawe
And peise in the balance more；
Thou miht noght axe ayein therfore
Of duete； bot al of grace。
For love is lord in every place；
Ther mai no lawe him justefie
Be reddour ne be compaignie；
That he ne wole after his wille
Whom that him liketh spede or spille。 4560
To love a man mai wel beginne；
Bot whether he schal lese or winne；
That wot noman til ate laste：
Forthi coveite noght to faste；
Mi Sone； bot abyd thin ende；
Per cas al mai to goode wende。
Bot that thou hast me told and said；
Of o thing I am riht wel paid；
That thou be sleyhte ne be guile
Of no brocour hast otherwhile 4570
Engined love； for such dede
Is sore venged； as I rede。
Brocours of love that deceiven；
No wonder is thogh thei receiven
After the wrong that thei decerven；
For whom as evere that thei serven
And do plesance for a whyle；
Yit ate laste here oghne guile
Upon here oghne hed descendeth；
Which god of his vengance sendeth； 4580
As be ensample of time go
A man mai finde it hath be so。
It fell somtime； as it was sene；
The hihe goddesse and the queene
Juno tho hadde in compainie
A Maiden full of tricherie；
For sche was evere in on acord
With Jupiter； that was hire lord；
To gete him othre loves newe；
Thurgh such brocage and was untrewe 4590
Al otherwise than him nedeth。
Bot sche； which of no schame dredeth；
With queinte wordes and with slyhe
Blente in such wise hir lady yhe；
As sche to whom that Juno triste；
So that therof sche nothing wiste。
Bot so prive mai be nothing；
That it ne comth to knowleching；
Thing don upon the derke nyht
Is after knowe on daies liht： 4600
So it befell； that ate laste
Al that this slyhe maiden caste
Was overcast and overthrowe。
For as the sothe mot be knowe；
To Juno was don understonde
In what manere hir housebonde
With fals brocage hath take usure
Of love mor than his mesure；
Whan he tok othre than his wif；
Wherof this mayden was gultif； 4610
Which hadde ben of his assent。
And thus was al the game schent；
She soffreth him； as sche mot nede；
Bot the brocour of his misdede；
Sche which hir conseil yaf therto；
On hire is the vengance do：
For Juno with hire wordes hote；
This Maiden； which Eccho was hote；
Reproveth and seith in this wise：
〃O traiteresse； of which servise 4620
Hast thou thin oghne ladi served！
Thou hast gret peine wel deserved；
That thou canst maken it so queinte；
Thi slyhe wordes forto peinte
Towardes me； that am thi queene；
Wherof thou madest me to wene
That myn housbonde trewe were；
Whan that he loveth elleswhere；
Al be it so him nedeth noght。
Bot upon thee it schal be boght； 4630
Which art prive to tho doinges；
And me fulofte of thi lesinges
Deceived hast： nou is the day
That I thi while aquite may；
And for thou hast to me conceled
That my lord hath with othre deled；
I schal thee sette in such a kende；
That evere unto the worldes ende
Al that thou hierest thou schalt telle；
And clappe it out as doth a belle。〃 4640
And with that word sche was forschape；
Ther may no vois hire mouth ascape；
What man that in the wodes crieth；
Withoute faile Eccho replieth；
And what word that him list to sein；
The same word sche seith ayein。
Thus sche； which whilom hadde leve
To duelle in chambre； mot beleve
In wodes and on helles bothe；
For such brocage as wyves lothe； 4650
Which doth here lordes hertes change
And love in other place strange。
Forthi； if evere it so befalle；
That thou； mi Sone； amonges alle
Be wedded man； hold that thou hast；
For thanne al other love is wast。
O wif schal wel to thee suffise；
And thanne； if thou for covoitise
Of love woldest axe more；
Thou scholdest don ayein the lore 4660
Of alle hem that trewe be。
Mi fader； as in this degre
My conscience is noght accused；
For I no such brocage have used；
Wherof that lust of love is wonne。
Forthi spek forth； as ye begonne；
Of Avarice upon mi schrifte。
Mi Sone； I schal the branches schifte
Be ordre so as thei ben set；
On whom no good is wel beset。 4670
Blinde Avarice of his lignage
For conseil and for cousinage；
To be withholde ayein largesse；
Hath on； whos name is seid Skarsnesse；
The which is kepere of his hous；
And is so thurghout averous；
That he no good let out of honde；
Thogh god himself it wolde fonde；
Of yifte scholde he nothing have；
And if a man it wolde crave； 4680
He moste thanne faile nede；
Wher god himselve mai noght spede。
And thus Skarsnesse in every place
Be reson mai no thonk porchace；
And natheles in his degree
Above all othre most prive
With Avarice stant he this。
For he governeth that ther is
In ech astat of his office
After the reule of thilke vice； 4690
He takth； he kepth； he halt； he bint；
That lihtere is to fle the flint
Than gete of him in hard or neisshe
Only the value of a reysshe
Of good in helpinge of an other；
Noght thogh it were his oghne brother。
For in the cas of yifte and lone
Stant every man for him al one；
Him thenkth of his unkindeschipe
That him nedeth no felaschipe： 4700
Be so the bagge and he acorden；
Him reccheth noght what men recorden
Of him； or it be evel or good。
For al his trust is on his good；
So that al one he falleth ofte；
Whan he best weneth stonde alofte；
Als wel in love as other wise；
For love is evere of som reprise
To him that wole his love holde。
Forthi； mi Sone； as thou art holde； 4710
Touchende of this tell me thi schrifte：
Hast thou be scars or large of yifte
Unto thi love； whom thou servest？
For after that thou wel deservest
Of yifte； thou miht be the bet；
For that good holde I wel beset；
For why thou miht the betre fare；
Thanne is no wisdom forto spare。
For thus men sein； in every nede
He was wys that ferst made mede； 4720
For where as mede mai noght spede；
I not what helpeth other dede：
Fulofte he faileth of his game
That wol with ydel hand reclame
His hauk； as many a nyce doth。
Forthi； mi Sone； tell me soth
And sei the trouthe； if thou hast be
Unto thy love or skars or fre。
Mi fader； it hath stonde thus；
That if the tresor of Cresus 4730
And al the gold Octovien；
Forth with the richesse Yndien
Of Perles and of riche stones；
Were al togedre myn at ones；
I sette it at nomore acompte
Than wolde a bare straw amonte；
To yive it hire al in a day；
Be so that to that suete may
I myhte like or more or lesse。
And thus be cause of my scarsnesse 4740
Ye mai wel understonde and lieve
That I schal noght the worse achieve
The pourpos which is in my thoght。
Bot yit I yaf hir nevere noght；
Ne therto dorste a profre make；
For wel I wot sche wol noght take；
And yive wol sche noght also；
Sche is eschu of bothe tuo。
And this I trowe be the skile
Towardes me； for sche ne wile 4750
That I have eny cause of hope；
Noght also mochel as a drope。
Bot toward othre； as I mai se；
Sche takth and yifth in such degre；
That as be weie of frendlihiede
Sche can so kepe hir wommanhiede；
That every man spekth of hir wel。
Bot sche wole take of me no del；
And yit sche wot