That stod so faste in his degre； 1320
That I ne stonde more faste
Upon hire love； and mai noght caste
Min herte awey； althogh I wolde。
For god wot； thogh I nevere scholde
Sen hir with yhe after this day；
Yit stant it so that I ne may
Hir love out of my brest remue。
This is a wonder retenue；
That malgre wher sche wole or non
Min herte is everemore in on； 1330
So that I can non other chese；
Bot whether that I winne or lese；
I moste hire loven til I deie；
And thus I breke as be that weie
Hire hestes and hir comandinges；
Bot trewliche in non othre thinges。
Forthi； my fader； what is more
Touchende to this ilke lore
I you beseche； after the forme
That ye pleinly me wolde enforme； 1340
So that I may myn herte reule
In loves cause after the reule。
Toward this vice of which we trete
Ther ben yit tweie of thilke estrete；
Here name is Murmur and Compleignte：
Ther can noman here chiere peinte；
To sette a glad semblant therinne；
For thogh fortune make hem wynne；
Yit grucchen thei； and if thei lese；
Ther is no weie forto chese； 1350
Wherof thei myhten stonde appesed。
So ben thei comunly desesed；
Ther may no welthe ne poverte
Attempren hem to the decerte
Of buxomnesse be no wise：
For ofte time thei despise
The goode fortune as the badde；
As thei no mannes reson hadde；
Thurgh pride； wherof thei be blinde。
And ryht of such a maner kinde 1360
Ther be lovers； that thogh thei have
Of love al that thei wolde crave；
Yit wol thei grucche be som weie；
That thei wol noght to love obeie
Upon the trowthe； as thei do scholde；
And if hem lacketh that thei wolde；
Anon thei falle in such a peine；
That evere unbuxomly thei pleigne
Upon fortune； and curse and crie；
That thei wol noght here hertes plie 1370
To soffre til it betre falle。
Forthi if thou amonges alle
Hast used this condicioun；
Mi Sone； in thi Confessioun
Now tell me pleinly what thou art。
Mi fader； I beknowe a part；
So as ye tolden hier above
Of Murmur and Compleignte of love；
That for I se no sped comende；
Ayein fortune compleignende 1380
I am； as who seith； everemo：
And ek fulofte tyme also；
Whan so is that I se and hiere
Or hevy word or hevy chiere
Of my lady； I grucche anon；
Bot wordes dar I speke non；
Wherof sche myhte be desplesed；
Bot in myn herte I am desesed：
With many a Murmur； god it wot；
Thus drinke I in myn oghne swot； 1390
And thogh I make no semblant；
Min herte is al desobeissant；
And in this wise I me confesse
Of that ye clepe unbuxomnesse。
Now telleth what youre conseil is。
Mi Sone； and I thee rede this；
What so befalle of other weie；
That thou to loves heste obeie
Als ferr as thou it myht suffise：
For ofte sithe in such a wise 1400
Obedience in love availeth；
Wher al a mannes strengthe faileth；
Wherof； if that the list to wite
In a Cronique as it is write；
A gret ensample thou myht fynde；
Which now is come to my mynde。
Ther was whilom be daies olde
A worthi knyht； and as men tolde
He was Nevoeu to themperour
And of his Court a Courteour： 1410
Wifles he was； Florent he hihte；
He was a man that mochel myhte；
Of armes he was desirous；
Chivalerous and amorous；
And for the fame of worldes speche；
Strange aventures forto seche；
He rod the Marches al aboute。
And fell a time； as he was oute；
Fortune； which may every thred
Tobreke and knette of mannes sped； 1420
Schop； as this knyht rod in a pas；
That he be strengthe take was；
And to a Castell thei him ladde；
Wher that he fewe frendes hadde：
For so it fell that ilke stounde
That he hath with a dedly wounde
Feihtende his oghne hondes slain
Branchus； which to the Capitain
Was Sone and Heir； wherof ben wrothe
The fader and the moder bothe。 1430
That knyht Branchus was of his hond
The worthieste of al his lond；
And fain thei wolden do vengance
Upon Florent； bot remembrance
That thei toke of his worthinesse
Of knyhthod and of gentilesse；
And how he stod of cousinage
To themperour； made hem assuage；
And dorsten noght slen him for fere：
In gret desputeisoun thei were 1440
Among hemself； what was the beste。
Ther was a lady； the slyheste
Of alle that men knewe tho；
So old sche myhte unethes go；
And was grantdame unto the dede：
And sche with that began to rede；
And seide how sche wol bringe him inne；
That sche schal him to dethe winne
Al only of his oghne grant；
Thurgh strengthe of verray covenant 1450
Withoute blame of eny wiht。
Anon sche sende for this kniht；
And of hire Sone sche alleide
The deth； and thus to him sche seide：
〃Florent； how so thou be to wyte
Of Branchus deth； men schal respite
As now to take vengement；
Be so thou stonde in juggement
Upon certein condicioun；
That thou unto a questioun 1460
Which I schal axe schalt ansuere；
And over this thou schalt ek swere；
That if thou of the sothe faile；
Ther schal non other thing availe；
That thou ne schalt thi deth receive。
And for men schal thee noght deceive；
That thou therof myht ben avised；
Thou schalt have day and tyme assised
And leve saufly forto wende；
Be so that at thi daies ende 1470
Thou come ayein with thin avys。
This knyht； which worthi was and wys；
This lady preith that he may wite；
And have it under Seales write；
What questioun it scholde be
For which he schal in that degree
Stonde of his lif in jeupartie。
With that sche feigneth compaignie；
And seith： 〃Florent； on love it hongeth
Al that to myn axinge longeth： 1480
What alle wommen most desire
This wole I axe； and in thempire
Wher as thou hast most knowlechinge
Tak conseil upon this axinge。〃
Florent this thing hath undertake；
The day was set； the time take；
Under his seal he wrot his oth；
In such a wise and forth he goth
Hom to his Emes court ayein；
To whom his aventure plein 1490
He tolde； of that him is befalle。
And upon that thei weren alle
The wiseste of the lond asent；
Bot natheles of on assent
Thei myhte noght acorde plat；
On seide this； an othre that。
After the disposicioun
Of naturel complexioun
To som womman it is plesance；
That to an other is grevance； 1500
Bot such a thing in special；
Which to hem alle in general
Is most plesant； and most desired
Above alle othre and most conspired；
Such o thing conne thei noght finde
Be Constellacion ne kinde：
And thus Florent withoute cure
Mot stonde upon his aventure；
And is al schape unto the lere；
As in defalte of his answere。 1510
This knyht hath levere forto dye
Than breke his trowthe and forto lye
In place ther as he was swore；
And schapth him gon ayein therfore。
Whan time cam he tok his leve；
That lengere wolde he noght beleve；
And preith his Em he be noght wroth；
For that is a point of his oth；
He seith； that noman schal him wreke；
Thogh afterward men hiere speke 1520
That he par aventure deie。
And thus he wente forth his weie
Alone as knyht aventurous；
And in his thoght was curious
To wite what was best to do：
And as he rod al one so；
And cam nyh ther he wolde be；
In a forest under a tre
He syh wher sat a creature；
A lothly wommannysch figure； 1530
That forto speke of fleisch and bon
So foul yit syh he nevere non。
This knyht behield hir redely；
And as he wolde have passed by；
Sche cleped him and bad abide；
And he his horse heved aside
Tho torneth； and to hire he rod；
And there he hoveth and abod；
To wite what sche wolde mene。
And sche began him to bemene； 1540
And seide： 〃Florent be thi name；
Thou hast on honde such a game；
That bot thou be the betre avised；
Thi deth is schapen and devised；
That al the world ne mai the save；
Bot if that thou my conseil have。〃
Florent； whan he this tale herde；
Unto this olde wyht answerde
And of hir conseil he hir preide。
And sche ayein to him thus seide： 1550
〃Florent； if I for the so schape；
That thou thurgh me thi deth ascape
And take worschipe of thi dede；
What schal I have to my mede？〃
〃What thing；〃 quod he； 〃that thou wolt axe。〃
〃I bidde nevere a betre taxe；〃
Quod sche； 〃bot ferst； er thou be sped；
Thou schalt me leve such a wedd；
That I wol have thi trowthe in honde
That thou schalt be myn housebonde。〃 1560
〃Nay；〃 seith Florent； 〃that may noght be。〃
〃Ryd thanne forth thi wey；〃 quod sche；
〃And if thou go withoute red；
Thou schalt be sekerliche ded。〃
Florent behihte hire good ynowh
Of lond； of rente； of park； of plowh；
Bot al that compteth sche at noght。
Tho fell this knyht in mochel thoght；
Now goth he forth； now comth ayein；
He wot noght what is best to sein； 1570
And thoghte； as he rod to and fro；
That chese he mot on of the tuo；
Or forto take hire to his wif
Or elles forto lese his lif。
And thanne he caste his avantage；
That sche was of so gret an age；
That sche mai live bot a while；
And thoghte put hire in an Ile；
Wher that noman hire scholde knowe；
Til sche with deth were overthrowe。 1580
And thus this yonge lusti knyht
Unto this olde lothly wiht
Tho seide： 〃If that non other chance
Mai make my deliverance；
Bot only thilke same speche
Which； as thou seist； thou schalt me teche；
Have hier myn hond； I schal thee wedde。〃
And thus his trowthe he leith to wedde。
With that sche frounceth up the browe：
〃This covenant I wol allowe；〃 1590
Sche seith： 〃if eny other thing
Bot that thou hast of my techyng
Fro deth thi body mai respite；
I woll thee of thi trowthe acquite；
And elles be non other weie。
Now herkne me what I schal seie。
Whan thou art come into the place；
Wher now thei maken gret manace
And upon thi comynge abyde；
Thei wole anon the same tide 1600
Oppose thee of thin answere。
I wot thou wolt nothing forbere
Of that thou wenest be thi beste；
And if thou myht so finde reste；
Wel is； for thanne is ther nomore。
And elles this schal be my lore；
That thou schalt seie； upon this Molde
That alle wommen lievest wolde
Be soverein of mannes love：
For what womman is so above； 1610
Sche hath； as who seith； al hire wille；
And elles may sche noght fulfille
What thing hir were lievest have。
With this answere thou schalt save
Thiself； and other wise noght。
And whan thou hast thin ende wroght；
Com hier ayein； thou schalt me finde；
And let nothing out of thi minde。〃
He goth him forth with hevy chiere；
As he that not in what manere 1620
He mai this worldes joie atteigne：
For if he d