Wher that Diane hirselve stod； 6270
Sche thoghte come unaperceived。
Bot therof sche was al deceived；
For whan sche cam a litel nyh；
And that Diane hire wombe syh；
Sche seide； 〃Awey； thou foule beste；
For thin astat is noght honeste
This chaste water forto touche；
For thou hast take such a touche；
Which nevere mai ben hol ayein。〃
And thus goth sche which was forlein 6280
With schame； and fro the Nimphes fledde；
Til whanne that nature hire spedde；
That of a Sone； which Archas
Was named； sche delivered was。
And tho Juno； which was the wif
Of Jupiter； wroth and hastif；
In pourpos forto do vengance
Cam forth upon this ilke chance；
And to Calistona sche spak；
And sette upon hir many a lak； 6290
And seide； 〃Ha； nou thou art atake；
That thou thi werk myht noght forsake。
Ha； thou ungoodlich ypocrite；
Hou thou art gretly forto wyte！
Bot nou thou schalt ful sore abie
That ilke stelthe and micherie；
Which thou hast bothe take and do；
Wherof thi fader Lichao
Schal noght be glad； whan he it wot；
Of that his dowhter was so hot； 6300
That sche hath broke hire chaste avou。
Bot I thee schal chastise nou；
Thi grete beaute schal be torned；
Thurgh which that thou hast be mistorned；
Thi large frount； thin yhen greie；
I schal hem change in other weie；
And al the feture of thi face
In such a wise I schal deface；
That every man thee schal forbere。〃
With that the liknesse of a bere 6310
Sche tok and was forschape anon。
Withinne a time and therupon
Befell that with a bowe on honde；
To hunte and gamen forto fonde；
Into that wode goth to pleie
Hir Sone Archas； and in his weie
It hapneth that this bere cam。
And whan that sche good hiede nam；
Wher that he stod under the bowh；
Sche kneu him wel and to him drouh； 6320
For thogh sche hadde hire forme lore；
The love was noght lost therfore
Which kinde hath set under his lawe。
Whan sche under the wodesschawe
Hire child behield； sche was so glad；
That sche with bothe hire armes sprad；
As thogh sche were in wommanhiede；
Toward him cam； and tok non hiede
Of that he bar a bowe bent。
And he with that an Arwe hath hent 6330
And gan to teise it in his bowe；
As he that can non other knowe；
Bot that it was a beste wylde。
Bot Jupiter； which wolde schylde
The Moder and the Sone also；
Ordeineth for hem bothe so；
That thei for evere were save。
Bot thus； mi Sone； thou myht have
Ensample； hou that it is to fle
To robbe the virginite 6340
Of a yong innocent aweie：
And overthis be other weie；
In olde bokes as I rede；
Such Robberie is forto drede；
And nameliche of thilke good
Which every womman that is good
Desireth forto kepe and holde；
As whilom was be daies olde。
For if thou se mi tale wel
Of that was tho； thou miht somdiel 6350
Of old ensample taken hiede；
Hou that the flour of maidenhiede
Was thilke time holde in pris。
And so it was； and so it is；
And so it schal for evere stonde：
And for thou schalt it understonde；
Nou herkne a tale next suiende；
Hou maidenhod is to commende。
Of Rome among the gestes olde
I finde hou that Valerie tolde 6360
That what man tho was Emperour
Of Rome； he scholde don honour
To the virgine； and in the weie；
Wher he hire mette； he scholde obeie
In worschipe of virginite；
Which tho was of gret dignite。
Noght onliche of the wommen tho；
Bot of the chaste men also
It was commended overal：
And forto speke in special 6370
Touchende of men； ensample I finde；
Phyryns； which was of mannes kinde
Above alle othre the faireste
Of Rome and ek the comelieste；
That wel was hire which him mihte
Beholde and have of him a sihte。
Thus was he tempted ofte sore；
Bot for he wolde be nomore
Among the wommen so coveited；
The beaute of his face streited 6380
He hath； and threste out bothe hise yhen；
That alle wommen whiche him syhen
Thanne afterward； of him ne roghte：
And thus his maidehiede he boghte。
So mai I prove wel forthi；
Above alle othre under the Sky；
Who that the vertus wolde peise；
Virginite is forto preise；
Which； as thapocalips recordeth；
To Crist in hevene best acordeth。 6390
So mai it schewe wel therfore；
As I have told it hier tofore；
In hevene and ek in Erthe also
It is accept to bothe tuo。
And if I schal more over this
Declare what this vertu is；
I finde write upon this thing
Of Valentinian the king
And Emperour be thilke daies；
A worthi knyht at alle assaies； 6400
Hou he withoute Mariage
Was of an hundred wynter Age；
And hadde ben a worthi kniht
Bothe of his lawe and of his myht。
Bot whan men wolde his dedes peise
And his knyhthode of Armes preise；
Of that he dede with his hondes；
Whan he the kinges and the londes
To his subjeccion put under；
Of al that pris hath he no wonder； 6410
For he it sette of non acompte；
And seide al that may noght amonte
Ayeins o point which he hath nome；
That he his fleissh hath overcome：
He was a virgine； as he seide；
On that bataille his pris he leide。
Lo nou； my Sone； avise thee。
Yee； fader； al this wel mai be；
Bot if alle othre dede so；
The world of men were sone go： 6420
And in the lawe a man mai finde；
Hou god to man be weie of kinde
Hath set the world to multeplie；
And who that wol him justefie；
It is ynouh to do the lawe。
And natheles youre goode sawe
Is good to kepe； who so may；
I wol noght therayein seie nay。
Mi Sone； take it as I seie；
If maidenhod be take aweie 6430
Withoute lawes ordinance；
It mai noght failen of vengance。
And if thou wolt the sothe wite；
Behold a tale which is write；
Hou that the King Agamenon；
Whan he the Cite of Lesbon
Hath wonne； a Maiden ther he fond；
Which was the faireste of the Lond
In thilke time that men wiste。
He tok of hire what him liste 6440
Of thing which was most precious；
Wherof that sche was dangerous。
This faire Maiden cleped is
Criseide； douhter of Crisis；
Which was that time in special
Of thilke temple principal；
Wher Phebus hadde his sacrifice；
So was it wel the more vice。
Agamenon was thanne in weie
To Troieward； and tok aweie 6450
This Maiden； which he with him ladde；
So grete a lust in hire he hadde。
Bot Phebus； which hath gret desdeign
Of that his Maiden was forlein；
Anon as he to Troie cam；
Vengance upon this dede he nam
And sende a comun pestilence。
Thei soghten thanne here evidence
And maden calculacion；
To knowe in what condicion 6460
This deth cam in so sodeinly；
And ate laste redyly
The cause and ek the man thei founde：
And forth withal the same stounde
Agamenon opposed was；
Which hath beknowen al the cas
Of the folie which he wroghte。
And therupon mercy thei soghte
Toward the god in sondri wise
With preiere and with sacrifise； 6470
The Maide and hom ayein thei sende；
And yive hire good ynouh to spende
For evere whil sche scholde live：
And thus the Senne was foryive
And al the pestilence cessed。
Lo； what it is to ben encressed
Of love which is evele wonne。
It were betre noght begonne
Than take a thing withoute leve；
Which thou most after nedes leve； 6480
And yit have malgre forth withal。
Forthi to robben overal
In loves cause if thou beginne；
I not what ese thou schalt winne。
Mi Sone； be wel war of this；
For thus of Robberie it is。
Mi fader； youre ensamplerie
In loves cause of Robberie
I have it riht wel understonde。
Bot overthis； hou so it stonde； 6490
Yit wolde I wite of youre aprise
What thing is more of Covoitise。
With Covoitise yit I finde
A Servant of the same kinde；
Which Stelthe is hote； and Mecherie
With him is evere in compainie。
Of whom if I schal telle soth；
He stalketh as a Pocok doth；
And takth his preie so covert；
That noman wot it in apert。 6500
For whan he wot the lord from home；
Than wol he stalke aboute and rome；
And what thing he fint in his weie；
Whan that he seth the men aweie；
He stelth it and goth forth withal；
That therof noman knowe schal。
And ek fulofte he goth a nyht
Withoute Mone or sterreliht；
And with his craft the dore unpiketh；
And takth therinne what him liketh： 6510
And if the dore be so schet；
That he be of his entre let；
He wole in ate wyndou crepe；
And whil the lord is faste aslepe；
He stelth what thing as him best list；
And goth his weie er it be wist。
Fulofte also be lyhte of day
Yit wole he stele and make assay；
Under the cote his hond he put；
Til he the mannes Purs have cut； 6520
And rifleth that he fint therinne。
And thus he auntreth him to winne；
And berth an horn and noght ne bloweth；
For noman of his conseil knoweth；
What he mai gete of his Michinge；
It is al bile under the winge。
And as an hound that goth to folde
And hath ther taken what he wolde；
His mouth upon the gras he wypeth；
And so with feigned chiere him slypeth； 6530
That what as evere of schep he strangle；
Ther is noman therof schal jangle；
As forto knowen who it dede；
Riht so doth Stelthe in every stede；
Where as him list his preie take。
He can so wel his cause make
And so wel feigne and so wel glose；
That ther ne schal noman suppose；
Bot that he were an innocent；
And thus a mannes yhe he blent： 6540
So that this craft I mai remene
Withouten help of eny mene。
Ther be lovers of that degre；
Which al here lust in privete；
As who seith； geten al be Stelthe；
And ofte atteignen to gret welthe
As for the time that it lasteth。
For love awaiteth evere and casteth
Hou he mai stele and cacche his preie；
Whan he therto mai finde a weie： 6550
For be it nyht or be it day；
He takth his part； whan that he may；
And if he mai nomore do；
Yit wol he stele a cuss or tuo。
Mi Sone； what seist thou therto？
Tell if thou dedest evere so。
Mi fader； hou？ Mi Sone； thus；…
If thou hast stolen eny cuss
Or other thing which therto longeth；
For noman suche thieves hongeth： 6560
Tell on forthi and sei the trouthe。
Mi fader； nay； and that is routhe；
For be mi will I am a thief；
Bot sche that is to me most lief；
Yit dorste I nevere in privete
Noght ones take hire be the kne；
To stele of hire or this or that；
And if I dorste； I wot wel what：
And natheles； bot if I lie；
Be Stelthe ne be Robberie 6570
Of love； which fell in mi thoght；
To hire dede I nevere noght。
Bot as men sein； wher herte is failed；
Ther schal no castell ben assailed；
Bot thogh I hadde hertes ten；
And were als strong as alle men；
If