Bot now to speke of thilke suete；
Whos beaute was withoute wane；
This faire Maiden Adriane； 5370
Whan that sche sih Theses sound；
Was nevere yit upon the ground
A gladder wyht that sche was tho。
Theses duelte a dai or tuo
Wher that Mynos gret chiere him dede：
Theses in a prive stede
Hath with this Maiden spoke and rouned；
That sche to him was abandouned
In al that evere that sche couthe；
So that of thilke lusty youthe 5380
Al prively betwen hem tweie
The ferste flour he tok aweie。
For he so faire tho behihte
That evere； whil he live mihte；
He scholde hire take for his wif；
And as his oghne hertes lif
He scholde hire love and trouthe bere；
And sche； which mihte noght forbere；
So sore loveth him ayein；
That what as evere he wolde sein 5390
With al hire herte sche believeth。
And thus his pourpos he achieveth；
So that assured of his trouthe
With him sche wente； and that was routhe。
Fedra hire yonger Soster eke；
A lusti Maide； a sobre； a meke；
Fulfild of alle curtesie；
For Sosterhode and compainie
Of love； which was hem betuene；
To sen hire Soster mad a queene； 5400
Hire fader lefte and forth sche wente
With him； which al his ferste entente
Foryat withinne a litel throwe；
So that it was al overthrowe；
Whan sche best wende it scholde stonde。
The Schip was blowe fro the londe；
Wherin that thei seilende were；
This Adriagne hath mochel fere
Of that the wynd so loude bleu；
As sche which of the See ne kneu； 5410
And preide forto reste a whyle。
And so fell that upon an yle；
Which Chyo hihte； thei ben drive；
Where he to hire his leve hath yive
That sche schal londe and take hire reste。
Bot that was nothing for the beste：
For whan sche was to londe broght；
Sche； which that time thoghte noght
Bot alle trouthe； and tok no kepe；
Hath leid hire softe forto slepe； 5420
As sche which longe hath ben forwacched；
Bot certes sche was evele macched
And fer from alle loves kinde；
For more than the beste unkinde
Theses； which no trouthe kepte；
Whil that this yonge ladi slepte；
Fulfild of his unkindeschipe
Hath al foryete the goodschipe
Which Adriane him hadde do；
And bad unto the Schipmen tho 5430
Hale up the seil and noght abyde；
And forth he goth the same tyde
Toward Athene； and hire alonde
He lefte； which lay nyh the stronde
Slepende； til that sche awok。
Bot whan that sche cast up hire lok
Toward the stronde and sih no wyht；
Hire herte was so sore aflyht；
That sche ne wiste what to thinke；
Bot drouh hire to the water brinke； 5440
Wher sche behield the See at large。
Sche sih no Schip； sche sih no barge
Als ferforth as sche mihte kenne：
〃Ha lord；〃 sche seide； 〃which a Senne；
As al the world schal after hiere；
Upon this woful womman hiere
This worthi kniht hath don and wroght！
I wende I hadde his love boght；
And so deserved ate nede；
Whan that he stod upon his drede； 5450
And ek the love he me behihte。
It is gret wonder hou he mihte
Towardes me nou ben unkinde；
And so to lete out of his mynde
Thing which he seide his oghne mouth。
Bot after this whan it is couth
And drawe into the worldes fame；
It schal ben hindringe of his name：
For wel he wot and so wot I；
He yaf his trouthe bodily； 5460
That he myn honour scholde kepe。〃
And with that word sche gan to wepe；
And sorweth more than ynouh：
Hire faire tresces sche todrouh；
And with hirself tok such a strif；
That sche betwen the deth and lif
Swounende lay fulofte among。
And al was this on him along；
Which was to love unkinde so；
Wherof the wrong schal everemo 5470
Stonde in Cronique of remembrance。
And ek it asketh a vengance
To ben unkinde in loves cas；
So as Theses thanne was；
Al thogh he were a noble kniht；
For he the lawe of loves riht
Forfeted hath in alle weie；
That Adriagne he putte aweie；
Which was a gret unkinde dede：
And after this； so as I rede； 5480
Fedra； the which hir Soster is；
He tok in stede of hire； and this
Fel afterward to mochel teene。
For thilke vice of which I meene；
Unkindeschipe； where it falleth；
The trouthe of mannes herte it palleth；
That he can no good dede aquite：
So mai he stonde of no merite
Towardes god； and ek also
Men clepen him the worldes fo； 5490
For he nomore than the fend
Unto non other man is frend；
Bot al toward himself al one。
Forthi； mi Sone； in thi persone
This vice above all othre fle。
Mi fader； as ye techen me；
I thenke don in this matiere。
Bot over this nou wolde I hiere；
Wherof I schal me schryve more。
Mi goode Sone； and for thi lore； 5500
After the reule of coveitise
I schal the proprete devise
Of every vice by and by。
Nou herkne and be wel war therby。
In the lignage of Avarice；
Mi Sone； yit ther is a vice；
His rihte name it is Ravine；
Which hath a route of his covine。
Ravine among the maistres duelleth；
And with his servantz； as men telleth； 5510
Extorcion is nou withholde：
Ravine of othre mennes folde
Makth his larder and paieth noght；
For wher as evere it mai be soght；
In his hous ther schal nothing lacke；
And that fulofte abyth the packe
Of povere men that duelle aboute。
Thus stant the comun poeple in doute；
Which can do non amendement；
For whanne him faileth paiement； 5520
Ravine makth non other skile；
Bot takth be strengthe what he wile。
So ben ther in the same wise
Lovers； as I thee schal devise；
That whan noght elles mai availe；
Anon with strengthe thei assaile
And gete of love the sesine；
Whan thei se time； be Ravine。
Forthi； mi Sone； schrif thee hier；
If thou hast ben a Raviner 5530
Of love。 Certes； fader； no：
For I mi ladi love so；
That thogh I were as was Pompeie；
That al the world me wolde obeie；
Or elles such as Alisandre；
I wolde noght do such a sklaundre；
It is no good man； which so doth。
In good feith； Sone； thou seist soth：
For he that wole of pourveance
Be such a weie his lust avance； 5540
He schal it after sore abie；
Bot if these olde ensamples lie。
Nou； goode fader； tell me on；
So as ye cunne manyon；
Touchende of love in this matiere。
Nou list； mi Sone； and thou schalt hiere；
So as it hath befalle er this；
In loves cause hou that it is
A man to take be Ravine
The preie which is femeline。 5550
Ther was a real noble king；
And riche of alle worldes thing；
Which of his propre enheritance
Athenes hadde in governance；
And who so thenke therupon；
His name was king Pandion。
Tuo douhtres hadde he be his wif；
The whiche he lovede as his lif；
The ferste douhter Progne hihte；
And the secounde； as sche wel mihte； 5560
Was cleped faire Philomene；
To whom fell after mochel tene。
The fader of his pourveance
His doughter Progne wolde avance；
And yaf hire unto mariage
A worthi king of hih lignage；
A noble kniht eke of his hond；
So was he kid in every lond；
Of Trace he hihte Teres；
The clerk Ovide telleth thus。 5570
This Teres his wif hom ladde；
A lusti lif with hire he hadde；
Til it befell upon a tyde；
This Progne； as sche lay him besyde；
Bethoughte hir hou it mihte be
That sche hir Soster myhte se；
And to hir lord hir will sche seide；
With goodly wordes and him preide
That sche to hire mihte go：
And if it liked him noght so； 5580
That thanne he wolde himselve wende；
Or elles be som other sende；
Which mihte hire diere Soster griete；
And schape hou that thei mihten miete。
Hir lord anon to that he herde
Yaf his acord； and thus ansuerde：
〃I wole；〃 he seide； 〃for thi sake
The weie after thi Soster take
Miself； and bringe hire； if I may。〃
And sche with that； there as he lay； 5590
Began him in hire armes clippe；
And kist him with hir softe lippe；
And seide； 〃Sire； grant mercy。〃
And he sone after was redy；
And tok his leve forto go；
In sori time dede he so。
This Teres goth forth to Schipe
With him and with his felaschipe；
Be See the rihte cours he nam；
Into the contre til he cam； 5600
Wher Philomene was duellinge；
And of hir Soster the tidinge
He tolde； and tho thei weren glade；
And mochel joie of him thei made。
The fader and the moder bothe
To leve here douhter weren lothe；
Bot if thei weren in presence；
And natheles at reverence
Of him； that wolde himself travaile；
Thei wolden noght he scholde faile 5610
Of that he preide； and yive hire leve：
And sche； that wolde noght beleve；
In alle haste made hire yare
Toward hir Soster forto fare；
With Teres and forth sche wente。
And he with al his hole entente；
Whan sche was fro hir frendes go；
Assoteth of hire love so；
His yhe myhte he noght withholde；
That he ne moste on hir beholde； 5620
And with the sihte he gan desire；
And sette his oghne herte on fyre；
And fyr； whan it to tow aprocheth；
To him anon the strengthe acrocheth；
Til with his hete it be devoured；
The tow ne mai noght be socoured。
And so that tirant raviner；
Whan that sche was in his pouer；
And he therto sawh time and place；
As he that lost hath alle grace； 5630
Foryat he was a wedded man；
And in a rage on hire he ran；
Riht as a wolf which takth his preie。
And sche began to crie and preie；
〃O fader； o mi moder diere；
Nou help！〃 Bot thei ne mihte it hiere；
And sche was of to litel myht
Defense ayein so ruide a knyht
To make； whanne he was so wod
That he no reson understod； 5640
Bot hield hire under in such wise；
That sche ne myhte noght arise；
Bot lay oppressed and desesed；
As if a goshauk hadde sesed
A brid； which dorste noght for fere
Remue： and thus this tirant there
Beraft hire such thing as men sein
Mai neveremor be yolde ayein；
And that was the virginite：
Of such Ravine it was pite。 5650
Bot whan sche to hirselven com；
And of hir meschief hiede nom；
And knew hou that sche was no maide；
With wofull herte thus sche saide；
〃O thou of alle men the worste；
Wher was ther evere man that dorste
Do such a dede as thou hast do？
That dai schal falle； I hope so；
That I schal telle out al mi fille；
And with mi speche I schal fulfille 5660
The wyde world in brede and lengthe。
That thou hast do to me be strengthe；
If I among the poeple duelle；
Unto the poeple I schal it telle；
And if I be withinne wall
Of Stones closed； thanne I schal
Unto the Stones clepe and crie；
And tellen hem thi felonie；
And if I to the wodes wende；
Ther schal I tellen tale and ende； 5670
And crie it to the briddes oute；
That thei schul h