That to myn Ere gret confort
Thei don； as thei that ben delices。
For al the metes and the spices；
That eny Lombard couthe make；
Ne be so lusti forto take
Ne so ferforth restauratif；
I seie as for myn oghne lif； 860
As ben the wordes of hire mouth：
For as the wyndes of the South
Ben most of alle debonaire；
So whan hir list to speke faire；
The vertu of hire goodly speche
Is verraily myn hertes leche。
And if it so befalle among；
That sche carole upon a song；
Whan I it hiere I am so fedd；
That I am fro miself so ledd； 870
As thogh I were in paradis；
For certes； as to myn avis；
Whan I here of hir vois the stevene；
Me thenkth it is a blisse of hevene。
And ek in other wise also
Fulofte time it falleth so；
Min Ere with a good pitance
Is fedd of redinge of romance
Of Ydoine and of Amadas；
That whilom weren in mi cas； 880
And eke of othre many a score；
That loveden longe er I was bore。
For whan I of here loves rede；
Min Ere with the tale I fede；
And with the lust of here histoire
Somtime I drawe into memoire
Hou sorwe mai noght evere laste；
And so comth hope in ate laste；
Whan I non other fode knowe。
And that endureth bot a throwe； 890
Riht as it were a cherie feste；
Bot forto compten ate leste；
As for the while yit it eseth
And somdel of myn herte appeseth：
For what thing to myn Ere spreedeth；
Which is plesant； somdel it feedeth
With wordes suche as he mai gete
Mi lust； in stede of other mete。
Lo thus； mi fader； as I seie；
Of lust the which myn yhe hath seie； 900
And ek of that myn Ere hath herd；
Fulofte I have the betre ferd。
And tho tuo bringen in the thridde；
The which hath in myn herte amidde
His place take； to arraie
The lusti fode； which assaie
I mot； and nameliche on nyhtes；
Whan that me lacketh alle sihtes；
And that myn heringe is aweie；
Thanne is he redy in the weie 910
Mi reresouper forto make；
Of which myn hertes fode I take。
This lusti cokes name is hote
Thoght； which hath evere hise pottes hote
Of love buillende on the fyr
With fantasie and with desir；
Of whiche er this fulofte he fedde
Min herte； whanne I was abedde；
And thanne he set upon my bord
Bothe every syhte and every word 920
Of lust； which I have herd or sein。
Bot yit is noght mi feste al plein；
Bot al of woldes and of wisshes；
Therof have I my fulle disshes；
Bot as of fielinge and of tast；
Yit mihte I nevere have o repast。
And thus； as I have seid aforn；
I licke hony on the thorn；
And as who seith； upon the bridel
I chiewe； so that al is ydel 930
As in effect the fode I have。
Bot as a man that wolde him save；
Whan he is seck； be medicine；
Riht so of love the famine
I fonde in al that evere I mai
To fiede and dryve forth the day；
Til I mai have the grete feste；
Which al myn hunger myhte areste。
Lo suche ben mi lustes thre；
Of that I thenke and hiere and se 940
I take of love my fiedinge
Withoute tastinge or fielinge：
And as the Plover doth of Eir
I live； and am in good espeir
That for no such delicacie
I trowe I do no glotonie。
And natheles to youre avis；
Min holi fader； that be wis；
I recomande myn astat
Of that I have be delicat。 950
Mi Sone； I understonde wel
That thou hast told hier everydel；
And as me thenketh be thi tale；
It ben delices wonder smale；
Wherof thou takst thi loves fode。
Bot； Sone； if that thou understode
What is to ben delicious；
Thou woldest noght be curious
Upon the lust of thin astat
To ben to sore delicat； 960
Wherof that thou reson excede：
For in the bokes thou myht rede；
If mannes wisdom schal be suied；
It oghte wel to ben eschuied
In love als wel as other weie；
For； as these holi bokes seie；
The bodely delices alle
In every point； hou so thei falle；
Unto the Soule don grievance。
And forto take in remembrance； 970
A tale acordant unto this；
Which of gret understondinge is
To mannes soule resonable；
I thenke telle； and is no fable。
Of Cristes word； who wole it rede；
Hou that this vice is forto drede
In thevangile it telleth plein；
Which mot algate be certein；
For Crist himself it berth witnesse。
And thogh the clerk and the clergesse 980
In latin tunge it rede and singe；
Yit for the more knoulechinge
Of trouthe； which is good to wite；
I schal declare as it is write
In Engleissh； for thus it began。
Crist seith： 〃Ther was a riche man；
A mihti lord of gret astat；
And he was ek so delicat
Of his clothing； that everyday
Of pourpre and bisse he made him gay； 990
And eet and drank therto his fille
After the lustes of his wille；
As he which al stod in delice
And tok non hiede of thilke vice。
And as it scholde so betyde；
A povere lazre upon a tyde
Cam to the gate and axed mete：
Bot there mihte he nothing gete
His dedly hunger forto stanche；
For he； which hadde his fulle panche 1000
Of alle lustes ate bord；
Ne deigneth noght to speke a word；
Onliche a Crumme forto yive；
Wherof the povere myhte live
Upon the yifte of his almesse。
Thus lai this povere in gret destresse
Acold and hungred ate gate；
Fro which he mihte go no gate；
So was he wofulli besein。
And as these holi bokes sein； 1010
The houndes comen fro the halle；
Wher that this sike man was falle；
And as he lay ther forto die；
The woundes of his maladie
Thei licken forto don him ese。
Bot he was full of such desese；
That he mai noght the deth eschape；
Bot as it was that time schape；
The Soule fro the bodi passeth；
And he whom nothing overpasseth； 1020
The hihe god； up to the hevene
Him tok； wher he hath set him evene
In Habrahammes barm on hyh；
Wher he the hevene joie syh
And hadde al that he have wolde。
And fell； as it befalle scholde；
This riche man the same throwe
With soudein deth was overthrowe；
And forth withouten eny wente
Into the helle straght he wente； 1030
The fend into the fyr him drouh；
Wher that he hadde peine ynouh
Of flamme which that evere brenneth。
And as his yhe aboute renneth；
Toward the hevene he cast his lok；
Wher that he syh and hiede tok
Hou Lazar set was in his Se
Als ferr as evere he mihte se
With Habraham； and thanne he preide
Unto the Patriarch and seide： 1040
〃Send Lazar doun fro thilke Sete；
And do that he his finger wete
In water； so that he mai droppe
Upon my tunge； forto stoppe
The grete hete in which I brenne。〃
Bot Habraham answerde thenne
And seide to him in this wise：
〃Mi Sone； thou thee miht avise
And take into thi remembrance；
Hou Lazar hadde gret penance； 1050
Whyl he was in that other lif；
Bot thou in al thi lust jolif
The bodily delices soghtest：
Forthi； so as thou thanne wroghtest；
Nou schalt thou take thi reward
Of dedly peine hierafterward
In helle； which schal evere laste；
And this Lazar nou ate laste
The worldes peine is overronne；
In hevene and hath his lif begonne 1060
Of joie； which is endeles。
Bot that thou preidest natheles；
That I schal Lazar to the sende
With water on his finger ende；
Thin hote tunge forto kiele；
Thou schalt no such graces fiele；
For to that foule place of Sinne；
For evere in which thou schalt ben inne；
Comth non out of this place thider；
Ne non of you mai comen hider； 1070
Thus be yee parted nou atuo。〃
The riche ayeinward cride tho：
〃O Habraham； sithe it so is；
That Lazar mai noght do me this
Which I have axed in this place；
I wolde preie an other grace。
For I have yit of brethren fyve；
That with mi fader ben alyve
Togedre duellende in on hous；
To whom； as thou art gracious； 1080
I preie that thou woldest sende
Lazar； so that he mihte wende
To warne hem hou the world is went；
That afterward thei be noght schent
Of suche peines as I drye。
Lo； this I preie and this I crie；
Now I may noght miself amende。〃
The Patriarch anon suiende
To his preiere ansuerde nay；
And seide him hou that everyday 1090
His brethren mihten knowe and hiere
Of Moi5ses on Erthe hiere
And of prophetes othre mo；
What hem was best。 And he seith no；
Bot if ther mihte a man aryse
Fro deth to lyve in such a wise；
To tellen hem hou that it were；
He seide hou thanne of pure fere
Thei scholden wel be war therby。
Quod Habraham： 〃Nay sikerly； 1100
For if thei nou wol noght obeie
To suche as techen hem the weie；
And alday preche and alday telle
Hou that it stant of hevene and helle；
Thei wol noght thanne taken hiede；
Thogh it befelle so in dede
That eny ded man were arered；
To ben of him no betre lered
Than of an other man alyve。〃
If thou； mi Sone； canst descryve 1110
This tale； as Crist himself it tolde；
Thou schalt have cause to beholde；
To se so gret an evidence；
Wherof the sothe experience
Hath schewed openliche at ije；
That bodili delicacie
Of him which yeveth non almesse
Schal after falle in gret destresse。
And that was sene upon the riche：
For he ne wolde unto his liche 1120
A Crumme yiven of his bred；
Thanne afterward； whan he was ded；
A drope of water him was werned。
Thus mai a mannes wit be lerned
Of hem that so delices taken；
Whan thei with deth ben overtaken；
That erst was swete is thanne sour。
Bot he that is a governour
Of worldes good； if he be wys；
Withinne his herte he set no pris 1130
Of al the world； and yit he useth
The good； that he nothing refuseth；
As he which lord is of the thinges。
The Nouches and the riche ringes；
The cloth of gold and the Perrie
He takth； and yit delicacie
He leveth； thogh he were al this。
The beste mete that ther is
He ett； and drinkth the beste drinke；
Bot hou that evere he ete or drinke； 1140
Delicacie he put aweie；
As he which goth the rihte weie
Noght only forto fiede and clothe
His bodi； bot his soule bothe。
Bot thei that taken otherwise
Here lustes； ben none of the wise；
And that whilom was schewed eke；
If thou these olde bokes seke；
Als wel be reson as be kinde；
Of olde ensample as men mai finde。 1150
What man that wolde him wel avise；
Delicacie is to despise；
Whan kinde acordeth noght withal；
Wherof ensample in special
Of Nero whilom mai be told；
Which ayein kinde manyfold
Hise lustes tok； til ate laste
That god him wolde al overcaste；
Of whom the Cronique is so plein；
Me list nomore of him to sein。 1160
And natheles for glotonie
Of bodili Delicacie；
To knowe his stomak hou it ferde；
Of that noman tofore herde；
Which he withinne himself bethoghte；
A wonder soubtil t