In many a place as I have go；
And yit love I nevere on of tho；
Bot forto drive forth the dai。
For lieveth wel； myn herte is ay
Withoute mo for everemore
Al upon on； for I nomore
Desire bot hire love al one：
So make I many a prive mone； 7800
For wel I fiele I have despended
Mi longe love and noght amended
Mi sped； for oght I finde yit。
If this be wast to youre wit
Of love； and Prodegalite；
Nou； goode fader； demeth ye：
Bot of o thing I wol me schryve；
That I schal for no love thryve；
Bot if hirself me wol relieve。
Mi Sone； that I mai wel lieve： 7810
And natheles me semeth so；
For oght that thou hast yit misdo
Of time which thou hast despended；
It mai with grace ben amended。
For thing which mai be worth the cost
Per chaunce is nouther wast ne lost；
For what thing stant on aventure；
That can no worldes creature
Telle in certein hou it schal wende；
Til he therof mai sen an ende。 7820
So that I not as yit therfore
If thou； mi Sone； hast wonne or lore：
For ofte time； as it is sene；
Whan Somer hath lost al his grene
And is with Wynter wast and bare；
That him is left nothing to spare；
Al is recovered in a throwe；
The colde wyndes overblowe；
And still be the scharpe schoures；
And soudeinliche ayein his floures 7830
The Somer hapneth and is riche：
And so per cas thi graces liche；
Mi Sone； thogh thou be nou povere
Of love； yit thou miht recovere。
Mi fader； certes grant merci：
Ye have me tawht so redeli；
That evere whil I live schal
The betre I mai be war withal
Of thing which ye have seid er this。
Bot overmore hou that it is； 7840
Toward mi schrifte as it belongeth；
To wite of othre pointz me longeth；
Wherof that ye me wolden teche
With al myn herte I you beseche。
Explicit Liber Quintus。
Incipit Liber Sextus
Est gula； que nostrum maculavit prima parentem
Ex vetito pomo； quo dolet omnis homo
Hec agit； ut corpus anime contraria spirat；
Quo caro fit crassa； spiritus atque macer。
Intus et exterius si que virtutis habentur；
Potibus ebrietas conviciata ruit。
Mersa sopore labis； que Bachus inebriat hospes；
Indignata Venus oscula raro premit。
The grete Senne original；
Which every man in general
Upon his berthe hath envenymed；
In Paradis it was mystymed：
Whan Adam of thilke Appel bot；
His swete morscel was to hot；
Which dedly made the mankinde。
And in the bokes as I finde；
This vice； which so out of rule
Hath sette ous alle； is cleped Gule； 10
Of which the branches ben so grete；
That of hem alle I wol noght trete；
Bot only as touchende of tuo
I thenke speke and of no mo；
Wherof the ferste is Dronkeschipe；
Which berth the cuppe felaschipe。
Ful many a wonder doth this vice；
He can make of a wisman nyce；
And of a fool； that him schal seme
That he can al the lawe deme； 20
And yiven every juggement
Which longeth to the firmament
Bothe of the sterre and of the mone；
And thus he makth a gret clerk sone
Of him that is a lewed man。
Ther is nothing which he ne can；
Whil he hath Dronkeschipe on honde；
He knowth the See； he knowth the stronde；
He is a noble man of armes；
And yit no strengthe is in his armes： 30
Ther he was strong ynouh tofore；
With Dronkeschipe it is forlore；
And al is changed his astat；
And wext anon so fieble and mat；
That he mai nouther go ne come；
Bot al togedre him is benome
The pouer bothe of hond and fot；
So that algate abide he mot。
And alle hise wittes he foryet；
The which is to him such a let； 40
That he wot nevere what he doth；
Ne which is fals； ne which is soth；
Ne which is dai； ne which is nyht；
And for the time he knowth no wyht；
That he ne wot so moche as this；
What maner thing himselven is；
Or he be man； or he be beste。
That holde I riht a sori feste；
Whan he that reson understod
So soudeinliche is woxe wod； 50
Or elles lich the dede man；
Which nouther go ne speke can。
Thus ofte he is to bedde broght；
Bot where he lith yit wot he noght；
Til he arise upon the morwe；
And thanne he seith； 〃O； which a sorwe
It is a man be drinkeles！〃
So that halfdrunke in such a res
With dreie mouth he sterte him uppe；
And seith； 〃Nou baillez a the cuppe。〃 60
That made him lese his wit at eve
Is thanne a morwe al his beleve；
The cuppe is al that evere him pleseth；
And also that him most deseseth；
It is the cuppe whom he serveth；
Which alle cares fro him kerveth
And alle bales to him bringeth：
In joie he wepth； in sorwe he singeth；
For Dronkeschipe is so divers；
It may no whyle stonde in vers。 70
He drinkth the wyn； bot ate laste
The wyn drynkth him and bint him faste；
And leith him drunke be the wal；
As him which is his bonde thral
And al in his subjeccion。
And lich to such condicion；
As forto speke it other wise；
It falleth that the moste wise
Ben otherwhile of love adoted；
And so bewhaped and assoted； 80
Of drunke men that nevere yit
Was non； which half so loste his wit
Of drinke； as thei of such thing do
Which cleped is the jolif wo；
And waxen of here oghne thoght
So drunke； that thei knowe noght
What reson is； or more or lesse。
Such is the kinde of that sieknesse；
And that is noght for lacke of brain；
Bot love is of so gret a main； 90
That where he takth an herte on honde；
Ther mai nothing his miht withstonde：
The wise Salomon was nome；
And stronge Sampson overcome；
The knihtli David him ne mihte
Rescoue； that he with the sihte
Of Bersabee ne was bestad；
Virgile also was overlad；
And Aristotle was put under。
Forthi； mi Sone； it is no wonder 100
If thou be drunke of love among；
Which is above alle othre strong：
And if so is that thou so be；
Tell me thi Schrifte in privite；
It is no schame of such a thew
A yong man to be dronkelew。
Of such Phisique I can a part；
And as me semeth be that art；
Thou scholdest be Phisonomie
Be schapen to that maladie 110
Of lovedrunke； and that is routhe。
Ha； holi fader； al is trouthe
That ye me telle： I am beknowe
That I with love am so bethrowe；
And al myn herte is so thurgh sunke；
That I am verrailiche drunke；
And yit I mai bothe speke and go。
Bot I am overcome so；
And torned fro miself so clene；
That ofte I wot noght what I mene； 120
So that excusen I ne mai
Min herte； fro the ferste day
That I cam to mi ladi kiththe；
I was yit sobre nevere siththe。
Wher I hire se or se hire noght；
With musinge of min oghne thoght；
Of love； which min herte assaileth；
So drunke I am； that mi wit faileth
And al mi brain is overtorned；
And mi manere so mistorned； 130
That I foryete al that I can
And stonde lich a mased man；
That ofte； whanne I scholde pleie；
It makth me drawe out of the weie
In soulein place be miselve；
As doth a labourer to delve；
Which can no gentil mannes chere；
Or elles as a lewed Frere；
Whan he is put to his penance；
Riht so lese I mi contienance。 140
And if it nedes to betyde；
That I in compainie abyde；
Wher as I moste daunce and singe
The hovedance and carolinge；
Or forto go the newefot；
I mai noght wel heve up mi fot；
If that sche be noght in the weie；
For thanne is al mi merthe aweie；
And waxe anon of thoght so full；
Wherof mi limes ben so dull； 150
I mai unethes gon the pas。
For thus it is and evere was；
Whanne I on suche thoghtes muse；
The lust and merthe that men use；
Whan I se noght mi ladi byme；
Al is foryete for the time
So ferforth that mi wittes changen
And alle lustes fro me strangen；
That thei seie alle trewely；
And swere； that it am noght I。 160
For as the man which ofte drinketh；
With win that in his stomac sinketh
Wext drunke and witles for a throwe；
Riht so mi lust is overthrowe；
And of myn oghne thoght so mat
I wexe； that to myn astat
Ther is no lime wol me serve；
Bot as a drunke man I swerve；
And suffre such a Passion；
That men have gret compassion； 170
And everich be himself merveilleth
What thing it is that me so eilleth。
Such is the manere of mi wo
Which time that I am hire fro；
Til eft ayein that I hire se。
Bot thanne it were a nycete
To telle you hou that I fare：
For whanne I mai upon hire stare；
Hire wommanhede； hire gentilesse；
Myn herte is full of such gladnesse； 180
That overpasseth so mi wit；
That I wot nevere where it sit；
Bot am so drunken of that sihte；
Me thenkth that for the time I mihte
Riht sterte thurgh the hole wall；
And thanne I mai wel； if I schal；
Bothe singe and daunce and lepe aboute；
And holde forth the lusti route。
Bot natheles it falleth so
Fulofte； that I fro hire go 190
Ne mai； bot as it were a stake；
I stonde avisement to take
And loke upon hire faire face；
That for the while out of the place
For al the world ne myhte I wende。
Such lust comth thanne unto mi mende；
So that withoute mete or drinke；
Of lusti thoughtes whiche I thinke
Me thenkth I mihte stonden evere；
And so it were to me levere 200
Than such a sihte forto leve；
If that sche wolde yif me leve
To have so mochel of mi wille。
And thus thenkende I stonde stille
Withoute blenchinge of myn yhe；
Riht as me thoghte that I syhe
Of Paradis the moste joie：
And so therwhile I me rejoie；
Into myn herte a gret desir；
The which is hotere than the fyr； 210
Al soudeinliche upon me renneth；
That al mi thoght withinne brenneth；
And am so ferforth overcome；
That I not where I am become；
So that among the hetes stronge
In stede of drinke I underfonge
A thoght so swete in mi corage；
That nevere Pyment ne vernage
Was half so swete forto drinke。
For as I wolde； thanne I thinke 220
As thogh I were at myn above；
For so thurgh drunke I am of love；
That al that mi sotye demeth
Is soth； as thanne it to me semeth。
And whyle I mai tho thoghtes kepe；
Me thenkth as thogh I were aslepe
And that I were in goddes barm；
Bot whanne I se myn oghne harm；
And that I soudeinliche awake
Out of my thought； and hiede take 230
Hou that the sothe stant in dede；
Thanne is mi sekernesse in drede
And joie torned into wo；
So that the hete is al ago
Of such sotie as I was inne。
And thanne ayeinward I beginne
To take of love a newe thorst；
The which me grieveth altherworst；
For thanne comth the blanche fievere；
With chele and makth me so to chievere； 240
And so it coldeth at myn herte；
That wonder is hou I asterte；
In such a point that I ne deie：
For cer