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Upon the freisshe welles brinke；
And after that out of the plein
He torneth to the wode ayein。 1410
And Tisbee dorste noght remue；
Bot as a bridd which were in Mue
Withinne a buissh sche kepte hire clos
So stille that sche noght aros；
Unto hirself and pleigneth ay。
And fell； whil that sche there lay；
This Piramus cam after sone
Unto the welle； and be the Mone
He fond hire wimpel blodi there。
Cam nevere yit to mannes Ere 1420
Tidinge； ne to mannes sihte
Merveile； which so sore aflihte
A mannes herte； as it tho dede
To him； which in the same stede
With many a wofull compleignynge
Began his handes forto wringe；
As he which demeth sikerly
That sche be ded： and sodeinly
His swerd al nakid out he breide
In his folhaste； and thus he seide： 1430
〃I am cause of this felonie；
So it is resoun that I die；
As sche is ded be cause of me。〃
And with that word upon his kne
He fell； and to the goddes alle
Up to the hevene he gan to calle；
And preide； sithen it was so
That he may noght his love as tho
Have in this world； that of her grace
He miht hire have in other place； 1440
For hiere wolde he noght abide；
He seith： bot as it schal betide；
The Pomel of his swerd to grounde
He sette； and thurgh his herte a wounde
He made up to the bare hilte：
And in this wise himself he spilte
With his folhaste and deth he nam；
For sche withinne a while cam；
Wher he lai ded upon his knif。
So wofull yit was nevere lif 1450
As Tisbee was； whan sche him sih：
Sche mihte noght o word on hih
Speke oute； for hire herte schette；
That of hir lif no pris sche sette；
Bot ded swounende doun sche fell。
Til after； whanne it so befell
That sche out of hire traunce awok；
With many a wofull pitous lok
Hire yhe alwei among sche caste
Upon hir love； and ate laste 1460
Sche cawhte breth and seide thus：
〃O thou which cleped art Venus；
Goddesse of love； and thou； Cupide；
Which loves cause hast forto guide；
I wot now wel that ye be blinde；
Of thilke unhapp which I now finde
Only betwen my love and me。
This Piramus； which hiere I se
Bledende； what hath he deserved？
For he youre heste hath kept and served； 1470
And was yong and I bothe also：
Helas； why do ye with ous so？
Ye sette oure herte bothe afyre；
And maden ous such thing desire
Wherof that we no skile cowthe；
Bot thus oure freisshe lusti yowthe
Withoute joie is al despended；
Which thing mai nevere ben amended：
For as of me this wol I seie；
That me is levere forto deie 1480
Than live after this sorghful day。〃
And with this word； where as he lay；
Hire love in armes sche embraseth；
Hire oghne deth and so pourchaseth
That now sche wepte and nou sche kiste；
Til ate laste； er sche it wiste；
So gret a sorwe is to hire falle；
Which overgoth hire wittes alle。
As sche which mihte it noght asterte；
The swerdes point ayein hire herte 1490
Sche sette； and fell doun therupon；
Wherof that sche was ded anon：
And thus bothe on o swerd bledende
Thei weren founde ded liggende。
Now thou； mi Sone； hast herd this tale；
Bewar that of thin oghne bale
Thou be noght cause in thi folhaste；
And kep that thou thi witt ne waste
Upon thi thoght in aventure；
Wherof thi lyves forfeture 1500
Mai falle： and if thou have so thoght
Er this； tell on and hyde it noght。
Mi fader； upon loves side
Mi conscience I woll noght hyde；
How that for love of pure wo
I have ben ofte moeved so；
That with my wisshes if I myhte；
A thousand times； I yow plyhte；
I hadde storven in a day；
And therof I me schryve may； 1510
Though love fully me ne slowh；
Mi will to deie was ynowh；
So am I of my will coupable：
And yit is sche noght merciable；
Which mai me yive lif and hele。
Bot that hir list noght with me dele；
I wot be whos conseil it is；
And him wolde I long time er this；
And yit I wolde and evere schal；
Slen and destruie in special。 1520
The gold of nyne kinges londes
Ne scholde him save fro myn hondes；
In my pouer if that he were；
Bot yit him stant of me no fere
For noght that evere I can manace。
He is the hindrere of mi grace；
Til he be ded I mai noght spede；
So mot I nedes taken hiede
And schape how that he were aweie；
If I therto mai finde a weie。 1530
Mi Sone； tell me now forthi；
Which is that mortiel enemy
That thou manacest to be ded。
Mi fader； it is such a qwed；
That wher I come； he is tofore；
And doth so； that mi cause is lore。
What is his name？ It is Daunger；
Which is mi ladi consailer：
For I was nevere yit so slyh；
To come in eny place nyh 1540
Wher as sche was be nyht or day；
That Danger ne was redy ay；
With whom for speche ne for mede
Yit mihte I nevere of love spede；
For evere this I finde soth；
Al that my ladi seith or doth
To me； Daunger schal make an ende；
And that makth al mi world miswende：
And evere I axe his help； bot he
Mai wel be cleped sanz pite； 1550
For ay the more I to him bowe；
The lasse he wol my tale alowe。
He hath mi ladi so englued；
Sche wol noght that he be remued；
For evere he hangeth on hire Seil；
And is so prive of conseil；
That evere whanne I have oght bede；
I finde Danger in hire stede
And myn ansuere of him I have；
Bot for no merci that I crave； 1560
Of merci nevere a point I hadde。
I finde his ansuere ay so badde；
That werse mihte it nevere be：
And thus betwen Danger and me
Is evere werre til he dye。
Bot mihte I ben of such maistrie；
That I Danger hadde overcome；
With that were al my joie come。
Thus wolde I wonde for no Sinne；
Ne yit for al this world to winne； 1570
If that I mihte finde a sleyhte；
To leie al myn astat in weyhte；
I wolde him fro the Court dissevere；
So that he come ayeinward nevere。
Therfore I wisshe and wolde fain
That he were in som wise slain；
For while he stant in thilke place；
Ne gete I noght my ladi grace。
Thus hate I dedly thilke vice；
And wolde he stode in non office 1580
In place wher mi ladi is；
For if he do； I wot wel this；
That owther schal he deie or I
Withinne a while； and noght forthi
On my ladi fulofte I muse；
How that sche mai hirself excuse；
If that I deie in such a plit。
Me thenkth sche mihte noght be qwyt
That sche ne were an homicide：
And if it scholde so betide； 1590
As god forbiede it scholde be；
Be double weie it is pite。
For I； which al my will and witt
Have yove and served evere yit；
And thanne I scholde in such a wise
In rewardinge of my servise
Be ded； me thenkth it were a rowthe：
And furthermor； to telle trowthe；
Sche； that hath evere be wel named；
Were worthi thanne to be blamed 1600
And of reson to ben appeled；
Whan with o word sche mihte have heled
A man； and soffreth him so deie。
Ha； who sawh evere such a weie？
Ha； who sawh evere such destresse？
Withoute pite gentilesse；
Withoute mercy wommanhede；
That wol so quyte a man his mede；
Which evere hath be to love trewe。
Mi goode fader； if ye rewe 1610
Upon mi tale； tell me now；
And I wol stinte and herkne yow。
Mi Sone； attempre thi corage
Fro Wraththe； and let thin herte assuage：
For who so wole him underfonge；
He mai his grace abide longe；
Er he of love be received；
And ek also； bot it be weyved；
Ther mihte mochel thing befalle；
That scholde make a man to falle 1620
Fro love； that nevere afterward
Ne durste he loke thiderward。
In harde weies men gon softe；
And er thei clymbe avise hem ofte：
Men sen alday that rape reweth；
And who so wicked Ale breweth；
Fulofte he mot the werse drinke：
Betre is to flete than to sincke；
Betre is upon the bridel chiewe
Thanne if he felle and overthrewe； 1630
The hors and stikede in the Myr：
To caste water in the fyr
Betre is than brenne up al the hous：
The man which is malicious
And folhastif； fulofte he falleth；
And selden is whan love him calleth。
Forthi betre is to soffre a throwe
Than be to wilde and overthrowe；
Suffrance hath evere be the beste
To wissen him that secheth reste： 1640
And thus； if thou wolt love and spede；
Mi Sone； soffre； as I the rede。
What mai the Mous ayein the Cat？
And for this cause I axe that；
Who mai to love make a werre；
That he ne hath himself the werre？
Love axeth pes and evere schal；
And who that fihteth most withal
Schal lest conquere of his emprise：
For this thei tellen that ben wise； 1650
Wicke is to stryve and have the werse；
To hasten is noght worth a kerse；
Thing that a man mai noght achieve；
That mai noght wel be don at Eve；
It mot abide til the morwe。
Ne haste noght thin oghne sorwe；
Mi Sone； and tak this in thi witt；
He hath noght lost that wel abitt。
Ensample that it falleth thus；
Thou miht wel take of Piramus； 1660
Whan he in haste his swerd outdrowh
And on the point himselve slowh
For love of Tisbee pitously；
For he hire wympel fond blody
And wende a beste hire hadde slain；
Wher as him oghte have be riht fain；
For sche was there al sauf beside：
Bot for he wolde noght abide；
This meschief fell。 Forthi be war；
Mi Sone； as I the warne dar； 1670
Do thou nothing in such a res；
For suffrance is the welle of Pes。
Thogh thou to loves Court poursuie；
Yit sit it wel that thou eschuie
That thou the Court noght overhaste；
For so miht thou thi time waste；
Bot if thin happ therto be schape；
It mai noght helpe forto rape。
Therfore attempre thi corage；
Folhaste doth non av