Part 50

900 these] þis AM ... E, B, W

912 Bot] ffor H₁ERB₂, B

923 hyhe] while H₁ERB₂, B

934 welweþ AJM, W (weloweth)

937 f. the ... the] þei ... þei (þay ... þay) AH₁ERB₂, B þer ... þer CL þese ... þey X þe ... þey G

939 þei (þay) daies H₁ ... R, B now the nyhtes] now be þe n. MCB₂, Δ now be þey (thei) n. H₁XG

946 aman F

950 Is to an] It is an H₁ERB₂, B

957 mistormeþ FKH₃

963 stant out of acord(e) H₁ERB₂, B

966 Why] Wiþ RCLB₂

967 as þe g. s. AG, W

976 margin existit A

982 be nome] benome FKH₃

1018 suche prise H₁ERB₂, B

1019 he om. RLB₂, B, W that H₁

1029 condicion F

1033 margin vexat H₁ERB₂, B

1038 And A

1055 S has lost a leaf (1055--i. 106)

1078 waxed FK

1087 As] And YERSn, B om. B₂

1088 god only may H₁ER, B god may only B₂

Incipit Liber Primus

I may noght strecche up to the hevene Min hand, ne setten al in evene This world, which evere is in balance: It stant noght in my sufficance So grete thinges to compasse, Bot I mot lete it overpasse And treten upon othre thinges. Forthi the Stile of my writinges [Sidenote: Postquam in Prologo tractatum hactenus existit, qualiter hodierne condicionis diuisio caritatis dileccionem superauit, intendit auctor ad presens suum libellum, cuius nomen Confessio Amantis nuncupatur, componere de illo amore, a quo non solum humanum genus, sed eciam cuncta animancia naturaliter subiciuntur. Et quia non nulli amantes ultra quam expedit desiderii passionibus crebro stimulantur, materia libri per totum super hiis specialius diffunditur.] Fro this day forth I thenke change And speke of thing is noght so strange, 10 [Sidenote: =P. i. 42=] Which every kinde hath upon honde, And wherupon the world mot stonde, And hath don sithen it began, And schal whil ther is any man; And that is love, of which I mene To trete, as after schal be sene. In which ther can noman him reule, For loves lawe is out of reule, That of tomoche or of tolite Welnyh is every man to wyte, 20

And natheles ther is noman In al this world so wys, that can Of love tempre the mesure, Bot as it falth in aventure: For wit ne strengthe may noght helpe, And he which elles wolde him yelpe Is rathest throwen under fote, Ther can no wiht therof do bote. For yet was nevere such covine, That couthe ordeine a medicine 30 To thing which god in lawe of kinde Hath set, for ther may noman finde The rihte salve of such a Sor. It hath and schal ben everemor That love is maister wher he wile, Ther can no lif make other skile; For wher as evere him lest to sette, Ther is no myht which him may lette. Bot what schal fallen ate laste, The sothe can no wisdom caste, 40 [Sidenote: =P. i. 43=] Bot as it falleth upon chance; For if ther evere was balance Which of fortune stant governed, I may wel lieve as I am lerned That love hath that balance on honde, Which wol no reson understonde. For love is blind and may noght se, Forthi may no certeinete Be set upon his jugement, Bot as the whiel aboute went 50 He yifth his graces undeserved, And fro that man which hath him served Fulofte he takth aweye his fees, As he that pleieth ate Dees, And therupon what schal befalle He not, til that the chance falle, Wher he schal lese or he schal winne. [Sidenote: [EXAMPLE OF THE AUTHOR.]] [Sidenote: Hic quasi in persona aliorum, quos amor alligat, fingens se auctor esse Amantem, varias eorum passiones variis huius libri distinccionibus per singula scribere proponit.] And thus fulofte men beginne, That if thei wisten what it mente, Thei wolde change al here entente. 60 And forto proven it is so, I am miselven on of tho, Which to this Scole am underfonge. For it is siththe go noght longe, As forto speke of this matiere, I may you telle, if ye woll hiere, A wonder hap which me befell, That was to me bothe hard and fell, Touchende of love and his fortune, The which me liketh to comune 70 [Sidenote: =P. i. 44=] And pleinly forto telle it oute. To hem that ben lovers aboute Fro point to point I wol declare And wryten of my woful care, Mi wofull day, my wofull chance, That men mowe take remembrance Of that thei schall hierafter rede: For in good feith this wolde I rede, That every man ensample take Of wisdom which him is betake, 80 And that he wot of good aprise To teche it forth, for such emprise Is forto preise; and therfore I Woll wryte and schewe al openly How love and I togedre mette, Wherof the world ensample fette Mai after this, whan I am go, Of thilke unsely jolif wo, Whos reule stant out of the weie, Nou glad and nou gladnesse aweie, 90 And yet it may noght be withstonde For oght that men may understonde.

Upon the point that is befalle Of love, in which that I am falle, [Sidenote: =P. i. 45=] I thenke telle my matiere: Now herkne, who that wol it hiere, Of my fortune how that it ferde. [Sidenote: Hic declarat materiam, dicens qualiter Cupido quodam ignito iaculo sui cordis memoriam graui vlcere perforauit, quod Venus percipiens ipsum, vt dicit, quasi in mortis articulo spasmatum, ad confitendum se Genio sacerdoti super amoris causa sic semiuiuum specialiter commendauit.] This enderday, as I forthferde To walke, as I yow telle may,-- And that was in the Monthe of Maii, 100 Whan every brid hath chose his make And thenkth his merthes forto make Of love that he hath achieved; Bot so was I nothing relieved, For I was further fro my love Than Erthe is fro the hevene above, As forto speke of eny sped: So wiste I me non other red, Bot as it were a man forfare Unto the wode I gan to fare, 110 Noght forto singe with the briddes, For whanne I was the wode amiddes, I fond a swote grene pleine, And ther I gan my wo compleigne Wisshinge and wepinge al myn one, For other merthes made I none. So hard me was that ilke throwe, That ofte sithes overthrowe To grounde I was withoute breth; And evere I wisshide after deth, 120 Whanne I out of my peine awok, [Sidenote: [HIS COMPLAINT TO CUPID AND VENUS.]] And caste up many a pitous lok Unto the hevene, and seide thus: ‘O thou Cupide, O thou Venus, [Sidenote: =P. i. 46=] Thou god of love and thou goddesse, Wher is pite? wher is meknesse? Now doth me pleinly live or dye, For certes such a maladie As I now have and longe have hadd, It myhte make a wisman madd, 130 If that it scholde longe endure. O Venus, queene of loves cure, Thou lif, thou lust, thou mannes hele, Behold my cause and my querele, And yif me som part of thi grace, So that I may finde in this place If thou be gracious or non.’ And with that word I sawh anon The kyng of love and qweene bothe; Bot he that kyng with yhen wrothe 140 His chiere aweiward fro me caste, And forth he passede ate laste. [Sidenote: [THE FIERY DART.]] Bot natheles er he forth wente A firy Dart me thoghte he hente And threw it thurgh myn herte rote: In him fond I non other bote, For lenger list him noght to duelle. [Sidenote: [VENUS QUEEN OF LOVE.]] Bot sche that is the Source and Welle Of wel or wo, that schal betide To hem that loven, at that tide 150 Abod, bot forto tellen hiere Sche cast on me no goodly chiere: Thus natheles to me sche seide, ‘What art thou, Sone?’ and I abreide [Sidenote: =P. i. 47=] Riht as a man doth out of slep, And therof tok sche riht good kep And bad me nothing ben adrad: Bot for al that I was noght glad, For I ne sawh no cause why. And eft scheo asketh, what was I: 160 I seide, ‘A Caitif that lith hiere: What wolde ye, my Ladi diere? Schal I ben hol or elles dye?’ Sche seide, ‘Tell thi maladie: What is thi Sor of which thou pleignest? Ne hyd it noght, for if thou feignest, I can do the no medicine.’ ‘Ma dame, I am a man of thyne, That in thi Court have longe served, And aske that I have deserved, 170 Som wele after my longe wo.’ And sche began to loure tho, And seide, ‘Ther is manye of yow Faitours, and so may be that thow Art riht such on, and be feintise Seist that thou hast me do servise.’ And natheles sche wiste wel, Mi world stod on an other whiel Withouten eny faiterie: Bot algate of my maladie 180 Sche bad me telle and seie hir trowthe. ‘Ma dame, if ye wolde have rowthe,’ Quod I, ‘than wolde I telle yow.’ ‘Sey forth,’ quod sche, ‘and tell me how; [Sidenote: =P. i. 48=] Schew me thi seknesse everydiel.’ ‘Ma dame, that can I do wel, Be so my lif therto wol laste.’ With that hir lok on me sche caste, And seide: ‘In aunter if thou live, Mi will is ferst that thou be schrive; 190 And natheles how that it is I wot miself, bot for al this [Sidenote: [GENIUS, THE PRIEST OF LOVE.]] Unto my prest, which comth anon, I woll thou telle it on and on, Bothe all thi thoght and al thi werk. O Genius myn oghne Clerk, Com forth and hier this mannes schrifte,’ Quod Venus tho; and I uplifte Min hefd with that, and gan beholde The selve Prest, which as sche wolde 200 Was redy there and sette him doun To hiere my confessioun.

iii. Confessus Genio si sit medicina salutis Experiar morbis, quos tulit ipsa Venus. Lesa quidem ferro medicantur membra saluti, Raro tamen medicum vulnus amoris habet.