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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 other stede；
Bot let it passen as it com。
Now； fader； say what is thi dom；
And hou thou wolt that I be peined
For such Semblant as I have feigned。
Mi Sone； if reson be wel peised；
Ther mai no vertu ben unpreised
Ne vice non be set in pris。
Forthi； my Sone； if thou be wys； 2080
Do no viser upon thi face；
Which as wol noght thin herte embrace：
For if thou do； withinne a throwe
To othre men it schal be knowe；
So miht thou lihtli falle in blame
And lese a gret part of thi name。
And natheles in this degree
Fulofte time thou myht se
Of suche men that now aday
This vice setten in a say： 2090
I speke it for no mannes blame；
Bot forto warne thee the same。
Mi Sone； as I mai hiere talke
In every place where I walke；
I not if it be so or non；
Bot it is manye daies gon
That I ferst herde telle this；
How Falssemblant hath ben and is
Most comunly fro yer to yere
With hem that duelle among ous here； 2100
Of suche as we Lombardes calle。
For thei ben the slyeste of alle；
So as men sein in toune aboute；
To feigne and schewe thing withoute
Which is revers to that withinne：
Wherof that thei fulofte winne；
Whan thei be reson scholden lese；
Thei ben the laste and yit thei chese；
And we the ferste； and yit behinde
We gon； there as we scholden finde 2110
The profit of oure oghne lond：
Thus gon thei fre withoute bond
To don her profit al at large；
And othre men bere al the charge。
Of Lombardz unto this covine；
Whiche alle londes conne engine；
Mai Falssemblant in special
Be likned； for thei overal；
Wher as they thenken forto duelle；
Among hemself； so as thei telle； 2120
Ferst ben enformed forto lere
A craft which cleped is Fa crere：
For if Fa crere come aboute；
Thanne afterward hem stant no doute
To voide with a soubtil hond
The beste goodes of the lond
And bringe chaf and take corn。
Where as Fa crere goth toforn；
In all his weie he fynt no lette；
That Dore can non huissher schette 2130
In which him list to take entre：
And thus the conseil most secre
Of every thing Fa crere knoweth；
Which into strange place he bloweth；
Where as he wot it mai most grieve。
And thus Fa crere makth believe；
So that fulofte he hath deceived；
Er that he mai ben aperceived。
Thus is this vice forto drede；
For who these olde bokes rede 2140
Of suche ensamples as were ar；
Him oghte be the more war
Of alle tho that feigne chiere；
Wherof thou schalt a tale hiere。
Of Falssemblant which is believed
Ful many a worthi wiht is grieved；
And was long time er we wer bore。
To thee； my Sone； I wol therfore
A tale telle of Falssemblant；
Which falseth many a covenant； 2150
And many a fraude of fals conseil
Ther ben hangende upon his Seil：
And that aboghten gulteles
Bothe Deianire and Hercules；
The whiche in gret desese felle
Thurgh Falssemblant； as I schal telle。
Whan Hercules withinne a throwe
Al only hath his herte throwe
Upon this faire Deianire；
It fell him on a dai desire； 2160
Upon a Rivere as he stod；
That passe he wolde over the flod
Withoute bot； and with him lede
His love； bot he was in drede
For tendresce of that swete wiht；
For he knew noght the forde ariht。
Ther was a Geant thanne nyh；
Which Nessus hihte； and whanne he sih
This Hercules and Deianyre；
Withinne his herte he gan conspire； 2170
As he which thurgh his tricherie
Hath Hercules in gret envie；
Which he bar in his herte loke；
And thanne he thoghte it schal be wroke。
Bot he ne dorste natheles
Ayein this worthi Hercules
Falle in debat as forto feihte；
Bot feigneth Semblant al be sleihte
Of frendschipe and of alle goode；
And comth where as thei bothe stode； 2180
And makth hem al the chiere he can；
And seith that as here oghne man
He is al redy forto do
What thing he mai； and it fell so
That thei upon his Semblant triste；
And axen him if that he wiste
What thing hem were best to done；
So that thei mihten sauf and sone
The water passe； he and sche。
And whan Nessus the privete 2190
Knew of here herte what it mente；
As he that was of double entente；
He made hem riht a glad visage；
And whanne he herde of the passage
Of him and hire； he thoghte guile；
And feigneth Semblant for a while
To don hem plesance and servise；
Bot he thoghte al an other wise。
This Nessus with hise wordes slyhe
Yaf such conseil tofore here yhe 2200
Which semeth outward profitable
And was withinne deceivable。
He bad hem of the Stremes depe
That thei be war and take kepe；
So as thei knowe noght the pas；
Bot forto helpe in such a cas；
He seith himself that for here ese
He wolde； if that it mihte hem plese；
The passage of the water take；
And for this ladi undertake 2210
To bere unto that other stronde
And sauf to sette hire up alonde；
And Hercules may thanne also
The weie knowe how he schal go：
And herto thei acorden alle。
Bot what as after schal befalle；
Wel payd was Hercules of this；
And this Geant also glad is；
And tok this ladi up alofte
And set hire on his schuldre softe； 2220
And in the flod began to wade；
As he which no grucchinge made；
And bar hire over sa