Ther schal no castell ben assailed；
Bot thogh I hadde hertes ten；
And were als strong as alle men；
If I be noght myn oghne man
And dar noght usen that I can；
I mai miselve noght recovere。
Thogh I be nevere man so povere； 6580
I bere an herte and hire it is；
So that me faileth wit in this；
Hou that I scholde of myn acord
The servant lede ayein the lord：
For if mi fot wolde awher go；
Or that min hand wolde elles do；
Whan that myn herte is therayein；
The remenant is al in vein。
And thus me lacketh alle wele；
And yit ne dar I nothing stele 6590
Of thing which longeth unto love：
And ek it is so hyh above；
I mai noght wel therto areche；
Bot if so be at time of speche；
Ful selde if thanne I stele may
A word or tuo and go my way。
Betwen hire hih astat and me
Comparison ther mai non be；
So that I fiele and wel I wot；
Al is to hevy and to hot 6600
To sette on hond withoute leve：
And thus I mot algate leve
To stele that I mai noght take；
And in this wise I mot forsake
To ben a thief ayein mi wille
Of thing which I mai noght fulfille。
For that Serpent which nevere slepte
The flees of gold so wel ne kepte
In Colchos； as the tale is told；
That mi ladi a thousendfold 6610
Nys betre yemed and bewaked；
Wher sche be clothed or be naked。
To kepe hir bodi nyht and day；
Sche hath a wardein redi ay；
Which is so wonderful a wyht；
That him ne mai no mannes myht
With swerd ne with no wepne daunte；
Ne with no sleihte of charme enchaunte；
Wherof he mihte be mad tame；
And Danger is his rihte name； 6620
Which under lock and under keie；
That noman mai it stele aweie；
Hath al the Tresor underfonge
That unto love mai belonge。
The leste lokinge of hire yhe
Mai noght be stole； if he it syhe；
And who so gruccheth for so lyte；
He wolde sone sette a wyte
On him that wolde stele more。
And that me grieveth wonder sore； 6630
For this proverbe is evere newe；
That stronge lokes maken trewe
Of hem that wolden stele and pyke：
For so wel can ther noman slyke
Be him ne be non other mene；
To whom Danger wol yive or lene
Of that tresor he hath to kepe。
So thogh I wolde stalke and crepe；
And wayte on eve and ek on morwe；
Of Danger schal I nothing borwe； 6640
And stele I wot wel may I noght：
And thus I am riht wel bethoght；
Whil Danger stant in his office；
Of Stelthe； which ye clepe a vice；
I schal be gultif neveremo。
Therfore I wolde he were ago
So fer that I nevere of him herde；
Hou so that afterward it ferde：
For thanne I mihte yit per cas
Of love make som pourchas 6650
Be Stelthe or be som other weie；
That nou fro me stant fer aweie。
Bot； fader； as ye tolde above；
Hou Stelthe goth a nyht for love；
I mai noght wel that point forsake；
That ofte times I ne wake
On nyhtes； whan that othre slepe；
Bot hou； I prei you taketh kepe。
Whan I am loged in such wise
That I be nyhte mai arise； 6660
At som wyndowe and loken oute
And se the housinge al aboute；
So that I mai the chambre knowe
In which mi ladi； as I trowe；
Lyth in hir bed and slepeth softe；
Thanne is myn herte a thief fulofte：
For there I stonde to beholde
The longe nyhtes that ben colde；
And thenke on hire that lyth there。
And thanne I wisshe that I were 6670
Als wys as was Nectanabus
Or elles as was Prothes；
That couthen bothe of nigromaunce
In what liknesse； in what semblaunce；
Riht as hem liste； hemself transforme：
For if I were of such a forme；
I seie thanne I wolde fle
Into the chambre forto se
If eny grace wolde falle；
So that I mihte under the palle 6680
Som thing of love pyke and stele。
And thus I thenke thoghtes fele；
And thogh therof nothing be soth；
Yit ese as for a time it doth：
Bot ate laste whanne I finde
That I am falle into my mynde；
And se that I have stonde longe
And have no profit underfonge；
Than stalke I to mi bedd withinne。
And this is al that evere I winne 6690
Of love； whanne I walke on nyht：
Mi will is good； bot of mi myht
Me lacketh bothe and of mi grace；
For what so that mi thoght embrace；
Yit have I noght the betre ferd。
Mi fader； lo； nou have ye herd
What I be Stelthe of love have do；
And hou mi will hath be therto：
If I be worthi to penance
I put it on your ordinance。 6700
Mi Sone； of Stelthe I the behiete；
Thogh it be for a time swete；
At ende it doth bot litel good；
As be ensample hou that it stod
Whilom； I mai thee telle nou。
I preie you； fader； sei me hou。
Mi Sone； of him which goth be daie
Be weie of Stelthe to assaie；
In loves cause and takth his preie；
Ovide seide as I schal seie； 6710
And in his Methamor he tolde
A tale； which is good to holde。
The Poete upon this matiere
Of Stelthe wrot in this manere。
Venus； which hath this lawe in honde
Of thing which mai noght be withstonde；
As sche which the tresor to warde
Of love hath withinne hir warde；
Phebum to love hath so constreigned；
That he withoute reste is peined 6720
With al his herte to coveite
A Maiden； which was warded streyte
Withinne chambre and kept so clos；
That selden was whan sche desclos
Goth with hir moder forto pleie。
Leuchotoe； so as men seie；
This Maiden hihte； and Orchamus
Hir fader was； and befell thus。
This doughter； that was kept so deere；
And hadde be fro yer to yeere 6730
Under hir moder discipline
A clene Maide and a Virgine；
Upon the whos nativite
Of comelihiede and of beaute
Nature hath set al that sche may；
That lich unto the fresshe Maii；
Which othre monthes of the yeer
Surmonteth； so withoute pier
Was of this Maiden the feture。
Wherof Phebus out of mesure 6740
Hire loveth； and on every syde
Awaiteth； if so mai betyde；
That he thurgh eny sleihte myhte
Hire lusti maidenhod unrihte；
The which were al his worldes welthe。
And thus lurkende upon his stelthe
In his await so longe he lai；
Til it befell upon a dai；
That he thurghout hir chambre wall
Cam in al sodeinliche； and stall 6750
That thing which was to him so lief。
Bot wo the while； he was a thief！
For Venus； which was enemie
Of thilke loves micherie；
Discovereth al the pleine cas
To Clymene； which thanne was
Toward Phebus his concubine。
And sche to lette the covine
Of thilke love； dedli wroth
To pleigne upon this Maide goth； 6760
And tolde hire fader hou it stod；
Wherof for sorwe welnyh wod
Unto hire moder thus he saide：
〃Lo； what it is to kepe a Maide！
To Phebus dar I nothing speke；
Bot upon hire I schal be wreke；
So that these Maidens after this
Mow take ensample； what it is
To soffre her maidenhed be stole；
Wherof that sche the deth schal thole。〃 6770
And bad with that do make a pet；
Wherinne he hath his douhter set；
As he that wol no pite have；
So that sche was al quik begrave
And deide anon in his presence。
Bot Phebus； for the reverence
Of that sche hadde be his love；
Hath wroght thurgh his pouer above；
That sche sprong up out of the molde
Into a flour was named golde； 6780
Which stant governed of the Sonne。
And thus whan love is evele wonne；
Fulofte it comth to repentaile。
Mi fader； that is no mervaile；
Whan that the conseil is bewreid。
Bot ofte time love hath pleid
And stole many a prive game；
Which nevere yit cam into blame；
Whan that the thinges weren hidde。
Bot in youre tale； as it betidde； 6790
Venus discoverede al the cas；
And ek also brod dai it was；
Whan Phebus such a Stelthe wroghte；
Wherof the Maide in blame he broghte；
That afterward sche was so lore。
Bot for ye seiden nou tofore
Hou stelthe of love goth be nyhte；
And doth hise thinges out of syhte；
Therof me liste also to hiere
A tale lich to the matiere； 6800
Wherof I myhte ensample take。
Mi goode Sone； and for thi sake；
So as it fell be daies olde；
And so as the Poete it tolde；
Upon the nyhtes micherie
Nou herkne a tale of Poesie。
The myhtieste of alle men
Whan Hercules with Eolen；
Which was the love of his corage；
Togedre upon a Pelrinage 6810
Towardes Rome scholden go；
It fell hem be the weie so；
That thei upon a dai a Cave
Withinne a roche founden have；
Which was real and glorious
And of Entaile curious；
Be name and Thophis it was hote。
The Sonne schon tho wonder hote；
As it was in the Somer tyde；
This Hercules； which be his syde 6820
Hath Eolen his love there；
Whan thei at thilke cave were；
He seide it thoghte him for the beste
That sche hire for the hete reste
Al thilke day and thilke nyht；
And sche； that was a lusti wyht；
It liketh hire al that he seide：
And thus thei duelle there and pleide
The longe dai。 And so befell；
This Cave was under the hell 6830
Of Tymolus； which was begrowe
With vines； and at thilke throwe
Faunus with Saba the goddesse；
Be whom the large wildernesse
In thilke time stod governed；
Weere in a place； as I am lerned；
Nyh by； which Bachus wode hihte。
This Faunus tok a gret insihte
Of Eolen； that was so nyh；
For whan that he hire beaute syh； 6840
Out of his wit he was assoted；
And in his herte it hath so noted；
That he forsok the Nimphes alle；
And seide he wolde； hou so it falle；
Assaie an other forto winne；
So that his hertes thoght withinne
He sette and caste hou that he myhte
Of love pyke awey be nyhte
That he be daie in other wise
To stele mihte noght suffise： 6850
And therupon his time he waiteth。
Nou tak good hiede hou love afaiteth
Him which withal is overcome。
Faire Eolen； whan sche was come
With Hercules into the Cave；
Sche seide him that sche wolde have
Hise clothes of and hires bothe；
That ech of hem scholde other clothe。
And al was do riht as sche bad；
He hath hire in hise clothes clad 6860
And caste on hire his gulion；
Which of the Skyn of a Leoun
Was mad； as he upon the weie
It slouh； and overthis to pleie
Sche tok his grete Mace also
And knet it at hir gerdil tho。
So was sche lich the man arraied；
And Hercules thanne hath assaied
To clothen him in hire array：
And thus thei jape forth the dai； 6870
Til that her Souper redy were。
And whan thei hadden souped there；
Thei schopen hem to gon to reste；
And as it thoghte hem for the beste；
Thei bede； as for that ilke nyht；
Tuo sondri beddes to be dyht；
For thei togedre ligge nolde；
Be cause that thei offre wolde
Upon the morwe here sacrifice。
The servantz deden here office 6880
And sondri beddes made anon；
Wherin that thei to reste gon
Ech be himself in sondri p