That every man spekth of hir wel。
Bot sche wole take of me no del；
And yit sche wot wel that I wolde
Yive and do bothe what I scholde 4760
To plesen hire in al my myht：
Be reson this wot every wyht；
For that mai be no weie asterte；
Ther sche is maister of the herte；
Sche mot be maister of the good。
For god wot wel that al my mod
And al min herte and al mi thoght
And al mi good； whil I have oght；
Als freliche as god hath it yive；
It schal ben hires； while I live； 4770
Riht as hir list hirself commande。
So that it nedeth no demande；
To axe of me if I be scars
To love； for as to tho pars
I wole ansuere and seie no。
Mi Sone； that is riht wel do。
For often times of scarsnesse
It hath be sen； that for the lesse
Is lost the more； as thou schalt hiere
A tale lich to this matiere。 4780
Skarsnesse and love acorden nevere；
For every thing is wel the levere；
Whan that a man hath boght it diere：
And forto speke in this matiere；
For sparinge of a litel cost
Fulofte time a man hath lost
The large cote for the hod。
What man that scars is of his good
And wol noght yive； he schal noght take：
With yifte a man mai undertake 4790
The hihe god to plese and queme；
With yifte a man the world mai deme；
For every creature bore；
If thou him yive； is glad therfore；
And every gladschipe； as I finde；
Is confort unto loves kinde
And causeth ofte a man to spede。
So was he wys that ferst yaf mede；
For mede kepeth love in house；
Bot wher the men ben coveitouse 4800
And sparen forto yive a part；
Thei knowe noght Cupides art：
For his fortune and his aprise
Desdeigneth alle coveitise
And hateth alle nygardie。
And forto loke of this partie；
A soth ensample； hou it is so；
I finde write of Babio；
Which hadde a love at his menage；
Ther was non fairere of hire age； 4810
And hihte Viola be name；
Which full of youthe and ful of game
Was of hirself； and large and fre；
Bot such an other chinche as he
Men wisten noght in al the lond；
And hadde affaited to his hond
His servant； the which Spodius
Was hote。 And in this wise thus
The worldes good of sufficance
Was had； bot likinge and plesance； 4820
Of that belongeth to richesse
Of love； stod in gret destresse；
So that this yonge lusty wyht
Of thing which fell to loves riht
Was evele served overal；
That sche was wo bego withal；
Til that Cupide and Venus eke
A medicine for the seke
Ordeigne wolden in this cas。
So as fortune thanne was； 4830
Of love upon the destine
It fell； riht as it scholde be；
A freissh； a fre； a frendly man
That noght of Avarice can；
Which Croceus be name hihte；
Toward this swete caste his sihte；
And ther sche was cam in presence。
Sche sih him large of his despence；
And amorous and glad of chiere；
So that hir liketh wel to hiere 4840
The goodly wordes whiche he seide；
And therupon of love he preide；
Of love was al that he mente；
To love and for sche scholde assente；
He yaf hire yiftes evere among。
Bot for men sein that mede is strong；
It was wel seene at thilke tyde；
For as it scholde of ryht betyde；
This Viola largesce hath take
And the nygard sche hath forsake： 4850
Of Babio sche wol no more；
For he was grucchende everemore；
Ther was with him non other fare
Bot forto prinche and forto spare；
Of worldes muk to gete encress。
So goth the wrecche loveles；
Bejaped for his Skarcete；
And he that large was and fre
And sette his herte to despende；
This Croceus； the bowe bende； 4860
Which Venus tok him forto holde；
And schotte als ofte as evere he wolde。
Lo； thus departeth love his lawe；
That what man wol noght be felawe
To yive and spende； as I thee telle；
He is noght worthi forto duelle
In loves court to be relieved。
Forthi； my Sone； if I be lieved；
Thou schalt be large of thi despence。
Mi fader； in mi conscience 4870
If ther be eny thing amis；
I wol amende it after this；
Toward mi love namely。
Mi Sone； wel and redely
Thou seist； so that wel paid withal
I am； and forthere if I schal
Unto thi schrifte specefie
Of Avarices progenie
What vice suieth after this；
Thou schalt have wonder hou it is； 4880
Among the folk in eny regne
That such a vice myhte regne；
Which is comun at alle assaies；
As men mai finde nou adaies。
The vice lik unto the fend；
Which nevere yit was mannes frend；
And cleped is Unkindeschipe；
Of covine and of felaschipe
With Avarice he is withholde。
Him thenkth he scholde noght ben holde 4890
Unto the moder which him bar；
Of him mai nevere man be war；
He wol noght knowe the merite；
For that he wolde it noght aquite；
Which in this world is mochel used；
And fewe ben therof excused。
To telle of him is endeles；
Bot this I seie natheles；
Wher as this vice comth to londe；
Ther takth noman his thonk on honde； 4900
Thogh he with alle his myhtes serve；
He schal of him no thonk deserve。
He takth what eny man wol yive；
Bot whil he hath o day to live；
He wol nothing rewarde ayein；
He gruccheth forto yive o grein；
Wher he hath take a berne full。
That makth a kinde herte dull；
To sette his trust in such frendschipe；
Ther as he fint no kindeschipe； 4910
And forto speke wordes pleine；
Thus hiere I many a man compleigne；
That nou on daies thou schalt finde
At nede fewe frendes kinde；
What thou hast don for hem tofore；
It is foryete； as it were lore。
The bokes speken of this vice；
And telle hou god of his justice；
Be weie of kinde and ek nature
And every lifissh creature； 4920
The lawe also； who that it kan；
Thei dampnen an unkinde man。
It is al on to seie unkinde
As thing which don is ayein kinde；
For it with kinde nevere stod
A man to yelden evel for good。
For who that wolde taken hede；
A beste is glad of a good dede；
And loveth thilke creature
After the lawe of his nature 4930
Which doth him ese。 And forto se
Of this matiere Auctorite；
Fulofte time it hath befalle；
Wherof a tale amonges alle；
Which is of olde ensamplerie；
I thenke forto specefie。
To speke of an unkinde man；
I finde hou whilom Adrian；
Of Rome which a gret lord was；
Upon a day as he per cas 4940
To wode in his huntinge wente；
It hapneth at a soudein wente；
After his chace as he poursuieth；
Thurgh happ； the which noman eschuieth；
He fell unwar into a pet；
Wher that it mihte noght be let。
The pet was dep and he fell lowe；
That of his men non myhte knowe
Wher he becam； for non was nyh；
Which of his fall the meschief syh。 4950
And thus al one ther he lay
Clepende and criende al the day
For socour and deliverance；
Til ayein Eve it fell per chance；
A while er it began to nyhte；
A povere man； which Bardus hihte；
Cam forth walkende with his asse；
And hadde gadred him a tasse
Of grene stickes and of dreie
To selle； who that wolde hem beie； 4960
As he which hadde no liflode；
Bot whanne he myhte such a lode
To toune with his Asse carie。
And as it fell him forto tarie
That ilke time nyh the pet；
And hath the trusse faste knet；
He herde a vois； which cride dimme；
And he his Ere to the brimme
Hath leid； and herde it was a man；
Which seide； 〃Ha； help hier Adrian； 4970
And I wol yiven half mi good。〃
The povere man this understod；
As he that wolde gladly winne；
And to this lord which was withinne
He spak and seide； 〃If I thee save；
What sikernesse schal I have
Of covenant； that afterward
Thou wolt me yive such reward
As thou behihtest nou tofore？〃
That other hath his othes swore 4980
Be hevene and be the goddes alle；
If that it myhte so befalle
That he out of the pet him broghte；
Of all the goodes whiche he oghte
He schal have evene halvendel。
This Bardus seide he wolde wel；
And with this word his Asse anon
He let untrusse； and therupon
Doun goth the corde into the pet；
To which he hath at ende knet 4990
A staf； wherby； he seide； he wolde
That Adrian him scholde holde。
Bot it was tho per chance falle；
Into that pet was also falle
An Ape； which at thilke throwe；
Whan that the corde cam doun lowe；
Al sodeinli therto he skipte
And it in bothe hise armes clipte。
And Bardus with his Asse anon
Him hath updrawe； and he is gon。 5000
But whan he sih it was an Ape；
He wende al hadde ben a jape
Of faierie； and sore him dradde：
And Adrian eftsone gradde
For help； and cride and preide faste；
And he eftsone his corde caste；
Bot whan it cam unto the grounde；
A gret Serpent it hath bewounde；
The which Bardus anon up drouh。
And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh； 5010
It was fantosme； bot yit he herde
The vois； and he therto ansuerde；
〃What wiht art thou in goddes name？〃
〃I am；〃 quod Adrian； 〃the same；
Whos good thou schalt have evene half。〃
Quod Bardus； 〃Thanne a goddes half
The thridde time assaie I schal〃：
And caste his corde forth withal
Into the pet； and whan it cam
To him； this lord of Rome it nam； 5020
And therupon him hath adresced；
And with his hand fulofte blessed；
And thanne he bad to Bardus hale。
And he； which understod his tale；
Betwen him and his Asse al softe
Hath drawe and set him up alofte
Withouten harm al esely。
He seith noght ones 〃grant merci；〃
Bot strauhte him forth to the cite；
And let this povere Bardus be。 5030
And natheles this simple man
His covenant； so as he can；
Hath axed； and that other seide；
If so be that he him umbreide
Of oght that hath be speke or do；
It schal ben venged on him so；
That him were betre to be ded。
And he can tho non other red；
But on his asse ayein he caste
His trusse； and hieth homward faste： 5040
And whan that he cam hom to bedde；
He tolde his wif hou that he spedde。
Bot finaly to speke oght more
Unto this lord he dradde him sore；
So that a word ne dorste he sein：
And thus upon the morwe ayein；
In the manere as I recorde；
Forth with his Asse and with his corde
To gadre wode； as he dede er；
He goth； and whan that he cam ner 5050
Unto the place where he wolde；
He hath his Ape anon beholde；
Which hadde gadred al aboute
Of stickes hiere and there a route；
And leide hem redy to his hond；
Wherof he made his trosse and bond；
Fro dai to dai and in this wise
This Ape profreth his servise；
So that he hadde of wode ynouh。
Upon a time and as he drouh 5060
Toward the wode； he sih besyde
The grete gastli Serpent glyde；
Til that sche cam in his presence；
And in hir kinde a reverence
Sche hath him do； an