按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
For he doth al his thing be gesse；
And voideth alle sikernesse。 1890
Non other conseil good him siemeth
Bot such as he himselve diemeth；
For in such wise as he compasseth；
His wit al one alle othre passeth；
And is with pride so thurghsoght；
That he alle othre set at noght；
And weneth of himselven so；
That such as he ther be nomo；
So fair； so semly； ne so wis；
And thus he wolde bere a pris 1900
Above alle othre； and noght forthi
He seith noght ones 〃grant mercy〃
To godd； which alle grace sendeth；
So that his wittes he despendeth
Upon himself； as thogh ther were
No godd which myhte availe there：
Bot al upon his oghne witt
He stant； til he falle in the pitt
So ferr that he mai noght arise。
And riht thus in the same wise 1910
This vice upon the cause of love
So proudly set the herte above；
And doth him pleinly forto wene
That he to loven eny qwene
Hath worthinesse and sufficance；
And so withoute pourveance
Fulofte he heweth up so hihe；
That chippes fallen in his yhe；
And ek ful ofte he weneth this；
Ther as he noght beloved is； 1920
To be beloved alther best。
Now； Sone； tell what so thee lest
Of this that I have told thee hier。
Ha； fader； be noght in a wer：
I trowe ther be noman lesse；
Of eny maner worthinesse；
That halt him lasse worth thanne I
To be beloved； and noght forthi
I seie in excusinge of me；
To alle men that love is fre。 1930
And certes that mai noman werne；
For love is of himself so derne；
It luteth in a mannes herte：
Bot that ne schal me noght asterte；
To wene forto be worthi
To loven； bot in hir mercy。
Bot； Sire； of that ye wolden mene；
That I scholde otherwise wene
To be beloved thanne I was；
I am beknowe as in that cas。 1940
Mi goode Sone； tell me how。
Now lest； and I wol telle yow；
Mi goode fader； how it is。
Fulofte it hath befalle or this
Thurgh hope that was noght certein；
Mi wenynge hath be set in vein
To triste in thing that halp me noght；
Bot onliche of myn oughne thoght。
For as it semeth that a belle
Lik to the wordes that men telle 1950
Answerth； riht so ne mor ne lesse；
To yow； my fader； I confesse；
Such will my wit hath overset；
That what so hope me behet；
Ful many a time I wene it soth；
Bot finali no spied it doth。
Thus may I tellen； as I can；
Wenyng beguileth many a man；
So hath it me； riht wel I wot：
For if a man wole in a Bot 1960
Which is withoute botme rowe；
He moste nedes overthrowe。
Riht so wenyng hath ferd be me：
For whanne I wende next have be；
As I be my wenynge caste；
Thanne was I furthest ate laste；
And as a foll my bowe unbende；
Whan al was failed that I wende。
Forthi； my fader； as of this；
That my wenynge hath gon amis 1970
Touchende to Surquiderie；
Yif me my penance er I die。
Bot if ye wolde in eny forme
Of this matiere a tale enforme；
Which were ayein this vice set；
I scholde fare wel the bet。
Mi Sone； in alle maner wise
Surquiderie is to despise；
Wherof I finde write thus。
The proude knyht Capanes 1980
He was of such Surquiderie；
That he thurgh his chivalerie
Upon himself so mochel triste；
That to the goddes him ne liste
In no querele to beseche；
Bot seide it was an ydel speche；
Which caused was of pure drede；
For lack of herte and for no nede。
And upon such presumpcioun
He hield this proude opinioun； 1990
Til ate laste upon a dai；
Aboute Thebes wher he lay；
Whan it of Siege was belein；
This knyht； as the Croniqes sein；
In alle mennes sihte there；
Whan he was proudest in his gere；
And thoghte how nothing myhte him dere；
Ful armed with his schield and spere
As he the Cite wolde assaile；
Godd tok himselve the bataille 2000
Ayein his Pride； and fro the sky
A firy thonder sodeinly
He sende； and him to pouldre smot。
And thus the Pride which was hot；
Whan he most in his strengthe wende；
Was brent and lost withouten ende：
So that it proeveth wel therfore；
The strengthe of man is sone lore；
Bot if that he it wel governe。
And over this a man mai lerne 2010
That ek fulofte time it grieveth；
Whan that a man himself believeth；
As thogh it scholde him wel beseme
That he alle othre men can deme；
And hath foryete his oghne vice。
A tale of hem that ben so nyce；
And feigne hemself to be so wise；
I schal thee telle in such a wise；
Wherof thou schalt ensample take
That thou no such thing undertake。 2020
I finde upon Surquiderie；
How that whilom of Hungarie
Be olde daies was a King
Wys and honeste in alle thing：
And so befell upon a dai；
And that was in the Monthe of Maii；
As thilke time it was usance；
This kyng with noble pourveance
Hath for himself his Charr araied；
Wher inne he wolde ride amaied 2030
Out of the Cite forto pleie；
With lordes and with gret nobleie
Of lusti folk that were yonge：
Wher some pleide and some songe；
And some gon and some ryde；
And some prike here hors aside
And bridlen hem now in now oute。
The kyng his yhe caste aboute；
Til he was ate laste war
And syh comende ayein his char 2040
Two pilegrins of so gret age；
That lich unto a dreie ymage
Thei weren pale and fade hewed；
And as a bussh which is besnewed；
Here berdes weren hore and whyte；
Ther was of kinde bot a lite；
That thei ne semen fulli dede。
Thei comen to the kyng and bede
Som of his good par charite；
And he with gret humilite 2050
Out of his Char to grounde lepte；
And hem in bothe hise armes kepte
And keste hem bothe fot and hond
Before the lordes of his lond；
And yaf hem of his good therto：
And whanne he hath this dede do；
He goth into his char ayein。
Tho was Murmur； tho was desdeign；
Tho was compleignte on every side；
Thei seiden of here oghne Pride 2060
Eche until othre： 〃What is this？
Oure king hath do this thing amis；
So to abesse his realte
That every man it myhte se；
And humbled him in such a wise
To hem that were of non emprise。〃
Thus was it spoken to and fro
Of hem that were with him tho
Al prively behinde his bak；
Bot to himselven noman spak。 2070
The kinges brother in presence
Was thilke time； and gret offence
He tok therof； and was the same
Above alle othre which most blame
Upon his liege lord hath leid；
And hath unto the lordes seid；
Anon as he mai time finde；
Ther schal nothing be left behinde；
That he wol speke unto the king。
Now lest what fell upon this thing。 2080
The day was merie and fair ynowh；
Echon with othre pleide and lowh；
And fellen into tales newe；
How that the freisshe floures grewe；
And how the grene leves spronge；
And how that love among the yonge
Began the hertes thanne awake；
And every bridd hath chose hire make：
And thus the Maies day to thende
Thei lede； and hom ayein thei wende。 2090
The king was noght so sone come；
That whanne he hadde his chambre nome；
His brother ne was redi there；
And broghte a tale unto his Ere
Of that he dede such a schame
In hindringe of his oghne name；
Whan he himself so wolde drecche；
That to so vil a povere wrecche
Him deigneth schewe such simplesce
Ayein thastat of his noblesce： 2100
And seith he schal it nomor use；
And that he mot himself excuse
Toward hise lordes everychon。
The king stod stille as eny ston；
And to his tale an Ere he leide；
And thoghte more than he seide：
Bot natheles to that he herde
Wel cortaisly the king answerde；
And tolde it scholde be amended。
And thus whan that her tale is ended； 2110
Al redy was the bord and cloth；
The king unto his Souper goth
Among the lordes to the halle；
And whan thei hadden souped alle；
Thei token leve and forth thei go。
The king bethoghte himselve tho
How he his brother mai chastie；
That he thurgh his Surquiderie
Tok upon honde to despreise
Humilite； which is to preise； 2120
And therupon yaf such conseil
Toward his king that was noght heil；
Wherof to be the betre lered；
He thenkth to maken him afered。
It fell so that in thilke dawe
Ther was ordeined be the lawe
A trompe with a sterne breth；
Which cleped was the Trompe of deth：
And in the Court wher the king was
A certein man this Trompe of bras 2130
Hath in kepinge； and therof serveth；
That whan a lord his deth deserveth；
He schal this dredful trompe blowe
Tofore his gate； and make it knowe
How that the jugement is yove
Of deth； which schal noght be foryove。
The king； whan it was nyht； anon
This man asente and bad him gon
To trompen at his brother gate；
And he； which mot so don algate； 2140
Goth forth and doth the kynges heste。
This lord； which herde of this tempeste
That he tofore his gate blew；
Tho wiste he be the lawe and knew
That he was sikerliche ded：
And as of help he wot no red；
Bot sende for hise frendes alle
And tolde hem how it is befalle。
And thei him axe cause why；
Bot he the sothe noght forthi 2150
Ne wiste； and ther was sorwe tho：
For it stod thilke tyme so；
This trompe was of such sentence；
That therayein no resistence
Thei couthe ordeine be no weie；
That he ne mot algate deie；
Bot if so that he may pourchace
To gete his liege lordes grace。
Here wittes therupon thei caste；
And ben apointed ate laste。 2160
This lord a worthi ladi hadde
Unto his wif； which also dradde
Hire lordes deth； and children five
Betwen hem two thei hadde alyve；
That weren yonge and tendre of age；
And of stature and of visage
Riht faire and lusty on to se。
Tho