confessio amantis-第22部分
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In al that evere he mihte most:
What man that mihte wepne bere
Of alle he wolde non forbere;
So that it mihte noght be nombred;
The folk which after was encombred 1770
Thurgh him; that god wolde overthrowe。
Anon it was at Rome knowe;
The pompe which that Perse ladde;
And the Romeins that time hadde
A Consul; which was cleped thus
Be name; Paul Emilius;
A noble; a worthi kniht withalle;
And he; which chief was of hem alle;
This werre on honde hath undertake。
And whanne he scholde his leve take 1780
Of a yong dowhter which was his;
Sche wepte; and he what cause it is
Hire axeth; and sche him ansuerde
That Perse is ded; and he it herde;
And wondreth what sche meene wolde:
And sche upon childhode him tolde
That Perse hir litel hound is ded。
With that he pulleth up his hed
And made riht a glad visage;
And seide how that was a presage 1790
Touchende unto that other Perse;
Of that fortune him scholde adverse;
He seith; for such a prenostik
Most of an hound was to him lik:
For as it is an houndes kinde
To berke upon a man behinde;
Riht so behinde his brother bak
With false wordes whiche he spak
He hath do slain; and that is rowthe。
〃Bot he which hateth alle untrowthe; 1800
The hihe god; it schal redresse;
For so my dowhter prophetesse
Forth with hir litel houndes deth
Betokneth。〃 And thus forth he geth
Conforted of this evidence;
With the Romeins in his defence
Ayein the Greks that ben comende。
This Perses; as noght seende
This meschief which that him abod;
With al his multitude rod; 1810
And prided him upon the thing;
Of that he was become a king;
And how he hadde his regne gete;
Bot he hath al the riht foryete
Which longeth unto governance。
Wherof thurgh goddes ordinance
It fell; upon the wynter tide
That with his host he scholde ride
Over Danubie thilke flod;
Which al befrose thanne stod 1820
So harde; that he wende wel
To passe: bot the blinde whiel;
Which torneth ofte er men be war;
Thilke ys which that the horsmen bar
Tobrak; so that a gret partie
Was dreint; of the chivalerie
The rerewarde it tok aweie;
Cam non of hem to londe dreie。
Paulus the worthi kniht Romein
Be his aspie it herde sein; 1830
And hasteth him al that he may;
So that upon that other day
He cam wher he this host beheld;
And that was in a large feld;
Wher the Baneres ben desplaied。
He hath anon hise men arraied;
And whan that he was embatailled;
He goth and hath the feld assailed;
And slowh and tok al that he fond;
Wherof the Macedoyne lond; 1840
Which thurgh king Alisandre honoured
Long time stod; was tho devoured。
To Perse and al that infortune
Thei wyte; so that the comune
Of al the lond his heir exile;
And he despeired for the while
Desguised in a povere wede
To Rome goth; and ther for nede
The craft which thilke time was;
To worche in latoun and in bras; 1850
He lerneth for his sustienance。
Such was the Sones pourveance;
And of his fader it is seid;
In strong prisoun that he was leid
In Albe; wher that he was ded
For hunger and defalte of bred。
The hound was tokne and prophecie
That lich an hound he scholde die;
Which lich was of condicioun;
Whan he with his detraccioun 1860
Bark on his brother so behinde。
Lo; what profit a man mai finde;
Which hindre wole an other wiht。
Forthi with al thin hole miht;
Mi Sone; eschuie thilke vice。
Mi fader; elles were I nyce:
For ye therof so wel have spoke;
That it is in myn herte loke
And evere schal: bot of Envie;
If ther be more in his baillie 1870
Towardes love; sai me what。
Mi Sone; as guile under the hat
With sleyhtes of a tregetour
Is hidd; Envie of such colour
Hath yit the ferthe deceivant;
The which is cleped Falssemblant;
Wherof the matiere and the forme
Now herkne and I thee schal enforme。
Of Falssemblant if I schal telle;
Above alle othre it is the welle 1880
Out of the which deceipte floweth。
Ther is noman so wys that knoweth
Of thilke flod which is the tyde;
Ne how he scholde himselven guide
To take sauf passage there。
And yit the wynd to mannes Ere
Is softe; and as it semeth oute
It makth clier weder al aboute;
Bot thogh it seme; it is noght so。
For Falssemblant hath everemo 1890
Of his conseil in compaignie
The derke untrewe Ypocrisie;
Whos word descordeth to his thoght:
Forthi thei ben togedre broght
Of o covine; of on houshold;
As it schal after this be told。
Of Falssemblant it nedeth noght
To telle of olde ensamples oght;
For al dai in experience
A man mai se thilke evidence 1900
Of faire wordes whiche he hiereth;
Bot yit the barge Envie stiereth
And halt it evere fro the londe;
Wher Falssemblant with Ore on honde
It roweth; and wol noght arive;
Bot let it on the wawes dryve
In gret tempeste and gret debat;
Wherof that love and his astat
Empeireth。 And therfore I rede;
Mi Sone; that thou fle and drede 1910
This vice; and what that othre sein;
Let thi Semblant be trewe and plein。
For Falssemblant is thilke vice;
Which nevere was withoute office:
Wher that Envie thenkth to guile;
He schal be for that ilke while
Of prive conseil Messagier。
For whan his semblant is most clier;
Thanne is he most derk in his thoght;
Thogh men him se; thei knowe him noght; 1920
Bot as it scheweth in the glas
Thing which therinne nevere was;
So scheweth it in his visage
That nevere was in his corage:
Thus doth he al his thing with sleyhte。
Now ley thi conscience in weyhte;
Mi goode Sone; and schrif the hier;
If thou were evere Custummer
To Falssemblant in eny wise。
For ought I can me yit avise; 1930
Mi goode fader; certes no。
If I for love have oght do so;
Now asketh; I wol praie yow:
For elles I wot nevere how
Of Falssemblant that I have gilt。
Mi Sone; and sithen that thou wilt
That I schal axe; gabbe noght;
Bot tell if evere was thi thoght
With Falssemblant and coverture
To wite of eny creature 1940
How that he was with love lad;
So were he sori; were he glad;
Whan that thou wistest how it were;
Al that he rounede in thin Ere
Thou toldest forth in other place;
To setten him fro loves grace
Of what womman that thee beste liste;
Ther as noman his conseil wiste
Bot thou; be whom he was deceived
Of love; and from his pourpos weyved; 1950
And thoghtest that his destourbance
Thin oghne cause scholde avance;
As who saith; 〃I am so celee;
Ther mai no mannes privete
Be heled half so wel as myn。〃
Art thou; mi Sone; of such engin?
Tell on。 Mi goode fader; nay
As for the more part I say;
Bot of somdiel I am beknowe;
That I mai stonde in thilke rowe 1960
Amonges hem that Saundres use。
I wol me noght therof excuse;
That I with such colour ne steyne;
Whan I my beste Semblant feigne
To my felawh; til that I wot
Al his conseil bothe cold and hot:
For be that cause I make him chiere;
Til I his love knowe and hiere;
And if so be myn herte soucheth
That oght unto my ladi toucheth 1970
Of love that he wol me telle;
Anon I renne unto the welle
And caste water in the fyr;
So that his carte amidd the Myr;
Be that I have his conseil knowe;
Fulofte sithe I overthrowe;
Whan that he weneth best to stonde。
Bot this I do you understonde;
If that a man love elles where;
So that my ladi be noght there; 1980
And he me telle; I wole it hide;
Ther schal no word ascape aside;
For with deceipte of no semblant
To him breke I no covenant;
Me liketh noght in other place
To lette noman of his grace;
Ne forto ben inquisitif
To knowe an other mannes lif:
Wher that he love or love noght;
That toucheth nothing to my thoght; 1990
Bot al it passeth thurgh myn Ere
Riht as a thing that nevere were;
And is foryete and leid beside。
Bot if it touche on eny side
Mi ladi; as I have er spoken;
Myn Eres ben noght thanne loken;
For certes; whanne that betitt;
My will; myn herte and al my witt
Ben fully set to herkne and spire
What eny man wol speke of hire。 2000
Thus have I feigned compaignie
Fulofte; for I wolde aspie
What thing it is that eny man
Telle of mi worthi lady can:
And for tuo causes I do this;
The ferste cause wherof is;…
If that I myhte ofherkne and seke
That eny man of hire mispeke;
I wolde excuse hire so fully;
That whan sche wist in inderly; 2010
Min hope scholde be the more
To have hir thank for everemore。
That other cause; I you assure;
Is; why that I be coverture
Have feigned semblant ofte time
To hem that passen alday byme
And ben lovers als wel as I;
For this I weene trewely;
That ther is of hem alle non;
That thei ne loven everich on 2020
Mi ladi: for sothliche I lieve
And durste setten it in prieve;
Is non so wys that scholde asterte;
Bot he were lustles in his herte;
Forwhy and he my ladi sihe;
Hir visage and hir goodlych yhe;
Bot he hire lovede; er he wente。
And for that such is myn entente;
That is the cause of myn aspie;
Why that I feigne compaignie 2030
And make felawe overal;
For gladly wolde I knowen al
And holde me covert alway;
That I fulofte ye or nay
Ne liste ansuere in eny wise;
Bot feigne semblant as the wise
And herkne tales; til I knowe
Mi ladi lovers al arowe。
And whanne I hiere how thei have wroght;
I fare as thogh I herde it noght 2040
And as I no word understode;
Bot that is nothing for here goode:
For lieveth wel; the sothe is this;
That whanne I knowe al how it is;
I wol bot forthren hem a lite;
Bot al the worste I can endite
I telle it to my ladi plat
In forthringe of myn oghne astat;
And hindre hem al that evere I may。
Bot for al that yit dar I say; 2050
I finde unto miself no bote;
Althogh myn herte nedes mote
Thurgh strengthe of love al that I hiere
Discovere unto my ladi diere:
For in good feith I have no miht
To hele fro that swete wiht;
If that it touche hire eny thing。
Bot this wot wel the hevene king;
That sithen ferst this world began;
Unto non other strange man 2060
Ne feigned I semblant ne chiere;
To wite or axe of his matiere;
Thogh that he lovede ten or tuelve;
Whanne it was noght my ladi selve:
Bot if he wolde axe eny red
Al onlich of his oghne hed;
How he with other love ferde;
His tales with myn Ere I herde;
Bot to myn herte cam it noght
Ne sank no deppere in my thoght; 2070
Bot hield conseil; as I was bede;
And tolde it nevere in