CONFESSIO AMANTIS 23 suote, Of Othrin and Olimpe also, 5 Peneie and ek Spercheidos. To hem sche wente and ther sche nom Bothe of the water and the fom, The sond and ek the smale stones, Whiche-as sche ches out for the nones; " 7 And of the Rede See a part That was behovelich to hire art Sche tok, and after that aboute 9 Sche soughte sondri sedes oute In daies and in nyhtes nyne, 4011 With gret travaile and with gret pyne, 4020 Hir char sche let áwai to gon, And tok out ferst that was therinne; Of art magique and the maistresse, 12 As sche which dede hir hole entente. 4030 4040 ⚫ took 7 chose 8 for the purpose 9 groves 10 covered 11 again 12 entire purpose 16 drew 17 put forgot 13 twain, two 14 pits 15 slew 8 And to the queene Proserpine. And so sche soghte out al the line Of hem that longen to that craft, Behinde was no name laft,2 4050 And preide hem alle, as sche wel couthe,3 To grante Eson his ferste youthę. This olde Eson broght forth was tho; Awei sche bad alle othre go, Upon peril that mihte falle; And with that word thei wenten alle, The blake wether tho sche tok, nature 10 now and again 11 where 12 place 13 like 14 lark Somtime kacleth as a hen, Bot who that wole of wondres hiere, A part ek of the horned oule, 8 4110 4120 4130 4140 4150 1 becomes strange 2 fairy 3 that surpasses human nature began equipment 6 boil 7 bark 8 remedy bill 10 intestine 11 healing 12 quickly 13 stir 14 meadow Medea thanne knew and wiste And sek and trouble and fieble and cold. Of herbes al the beste jus, And poured it into his wounde; That made his veynes fulle and sounde. And tho sche made his wounde clos, And tok his hand, and up he ros. 5 And tho sche yaf him drinke a drauhte, Of which his youthe ayein he cauhte, His hed, his herte and his visage Lich unto twenty wynter age; Hise hore heres were away, And lich unto the freisshe Maii, Whan passed ben the colde schoures, Riht so recovereth he his floures. 4159 4170 16 25 For love of ur 15 Lord / liveden ful streite, Coveyte 19 not in cuntre / to cairen 20 aboute, As hit semeth to ure sighte/ that suche men thryveth; And summe, murthhes 25 to maken / as munstrals cunne,28 And gete gold with here 18 gle, / giltles, I trowe. Bote japers 27 and jangelers,2 / Judas children, Founden hem fantasyes / and fooles hem maaden, And habbeth wit at heore 18 wille / to worchen yif hem luste,20 37 And hedden' leve to lyen / al heore lyf aftir. 25 49 2 Grete lobres 3 and longe / that loth weore to swynke Clotheden hem in copes / to beo knowen for bretheren; And summe schopen hem to hermytes / heore ese to have. 8 55 I fond there freres," / all the foure ordres, Prechinge the peple / for profyt of heore wombes,' Glosynge the Gospel / as hem good liketh," For covetyse of copes / construeth hit ille; For monye 10 of this maistres/mowen hem at lyking, For moneye togedere; 13 11 clothen. and heore marchaundie / meeten 60 Seththe 13 Charite hath be1 chapmon,15 / and cheef to schriven 10 lordes, faste. Mony ferlyes han 17 bifalle / in a fewe yeres. But 18 Holychirche and heo 1 / holde bet 20 togedere, The moste mischeef on molde 21/is mountyng up 22 he a prest 65 And brought forth a bulle / with bisschopes seles, And seide that himself mighte / asoylen 23 hem Ther prechede a pardoner, / as were, alle 25 Of falsnesse and fastinge / and of vouwes i-broken.24 The lewede men levide 20 him wel/ and likede his speche, And comen up knelynge / to kissen his bulle; 70 He bonchede 27 hem with his brevet / and blered 28 heore eiyen,2 29 1 had 2 I have omitted two lines, which probably were not in the earliest version. 3 lubbers labor shaped them to, became friars 7 bellies 8 interpreting according to their own desire 10 many may money 13 since 14 been 15 trader 16 shrive, confess many wonders have 18 unless 19 she, i.e. Charity 20 better 21 earth 22 as if 23 absolve 24 broken vows 25 ignorant 26 believed banged 28 blinded 29 eyes 30 reached, got 31 licence 32 33 your gluttons 34 rascals practice ears 37 it is not all the fault of 38 if it were not for them 7 8 And yif we grucche of his gamen / he wil greve us alle, Cracche 10 us, or clawe us / and in his cloches " holde, That us lotheth the lyf / or 12 he lete us passe. 155 Myghte we with any witte / his wille withstonde, We myghte be lordes aloft / and lyven at owre ese." A raton 13 of renon,1 / most renable 15 of tonge, Seide for a sovereygne / help to hymselve: 16 "I have y-sein segges, quod he,/ "in the cité 17 of London 18 185 To cracchy us and al owre kynde, / though we croupe under benches. For-thi I conseille alle the comune / to lat the catte worthe," And be we never so bolde / the belle hym to shewe; For I herde my sire seyn,10/ is sevene yere ypassed, There" the catte is a kitoun / the courte is ful elyng; 12 190 That witnisseth Holi-write,/who-so wil it rede, Ve terre ubi puer rex est,13 &c. For may no renke 14 there rest have / for ratones bi nyghte. The while he caccheth conynges 15/he coveiteth nought owre caroyne," 16 27 Ne carpyng' of this coler/ that costed me nevre. And though it had coste me catel3/ biknowen' it I nolde,s But suffre as hym-self wolde / to do as hym liketh, 205 Coupled and uncoupled / to cacche what thei mowe." For-thi uche a wise wighte I warne / wite wel his owne.". What this meteles bemeneth,10/ ye men that be merye, Devine ye, for I ne dar," / bi dere God in hevene! FROM PASSUS VI (A—TEXT) 12 [Now riden this folk / and walken on fote, To seche 13 that seint 14/in selcouthe 15 londis;] Bote 16 ther were fewe men so wys/ that couthe 17 the wei thider, Bote 16 blustrede forth as bestes / over valeyes and hulles; 25 19 20 5 9 Til late and longe / that thei a leod metten "From Synay," he seide, / "and from the Sepul cre; At Bethleem and at Babiloyne, / I have ben in bothe; |