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So that the lasse I am to wyte；
Thogh I ne conne bot a lyte
Of othre thinges that ben wise：
I am noght tawht in such a wise；
For it is noght my comun us
To speke of vices and vertus；
Bot al of love and of his lore；
For Venus bokes of nomore 270
Me techen nowther text ne glose。
Bot for als moche as I suppose
It sit a prest to be wel thewed；
And schame it is if he be lewed；
Of my Presthode after the forme
I wol thi schrifte so enforme；
That ate leste thou schalt hiere
The vices； and to thi matiere
Of love I schal hem so remene；
That thou schalt knowe what thei mene。 280
For what a man schal axe or sein
Touchende of schrifte； it mot be plein；
It nedeth noght to make it queinte；
For trowthe hise wordes wol noght peinte：
That I wole axe of the forthi；
My Sone； it schal be so pleinly；
That thou schalt knowe and understonde
The pointz of schrifte how that thei stonde。〃
Betwen the lif and deth I herde
This Prestes tale er I answerde； 290
And thanne I preide him forto seie
His will； and I it wolde obeie
After the forme of his apprise。
Tho spak he tome in such a wise；
And bad me that I scholde schrive
As touchende of my wittes fyve；
And schape that thei were amended
Of that I hadde hem misdispended。
For tho be proprely the gates；
Thurgh whiche as to the herte algates 300
Comth alle thing unto the feire；
Which may the mannes Soule empeire。
And now this matiere is broght inne；
Mi Sone； I thenke ferst beginne
To wite how that thin yhe hath stonde；
The which is； as I understonde；
The moste principal of alle；
Thurgh whom that peril mai befalle。
And forto speke in loves kinde；
Ful manye suche a man mai finde； 310
Whiche evere caste aboute here yhe；
To loke if that thei myhte aspie
Fulofte thing which hem ne toucheth；
Bot only that here herte soucheth
In hindringe of an other wiht；
And thus ful many a worthi knyht
And many a lusti lady bothe
Have be fulofte sythe wrothe。
So that an yhe is as a thief
To love； and doth ful gret meschief； 320
And also for his oghne part
Fulofte thilke firy Dart
Of love； which that evere brenneth；
Thurgh him into the herte renneth：
And thus a mannes yhe ferst
Himselve grieveth alther werst；
And many a time that he knoweth
Unto his oghne harm it groweth。
Mi Sone； herkne now forthi
A tale； to be war therby 330
Thin yhe forto kepe and warde；
So that it passe noght his warde。
Ovide telleth in his bok
Ensample touchende of mislok；
And seith hou whilom ther was on；
A worthi lord； which Acteon
Was hote； and he was cousin nyh
To him that Thebes ferst on hyh
Up sette； which king Cadme hyhte。
This Acteon； as he wel myhte； 340
Above alle othre caste his chiere；
And used it fro yer to yere；
With Houndes and with grete Hornes
Among the wodes and the thornes
To make his hunting and his chace：
Where him best thoghte in every place
To finde gamen in his weie；
Ther rod he forto hunte and pleie。
So him befell upon a tide
On his hunting as he cam ride； 350
In a Forest al one he was：
He syh upon the grene gras
The faire freisshe floures springe；
He herde among the leves singe
The Throstle with the nyhtingale：
Thus er he wiste into a Dale
He cam； wher was a litel plein；
All round aboute wel besein
With buisshes grene and Cedres hyhe；
And ther withinne he caste his yhe。 360
Amidd the plein he syh a welle；
So fair ther myhte noman telle；
In which Diana naked stod
To bathe and pleie hire in the flod
With many a Nimphe； which hire serveth。
Bot he his yhe awey ne swerveth
Fro hire； which was naked al；
And sche was wonder wroth withal；
And him； as sche which was godesse；
Forschop anon； and the liknesse 370
Sche made him taken of an Hert；
Which was tofore hise houndes stert；
That ronne besiliche aboute
With many an horn and many a route；
That maden mochel noise and cry：
And ate laste unhappely
This Hert his oghne houndes slowhe
And him for vengance al todrowhe。
Lo now； my Sone； what it is
A man to caste his yhe amis； 380
Which Acteon hath dere aboght；
Be war forthi and do it noght。
For ofte； who that hiede toke；
Betre is to winke than to loke。
And forto proven it is so；
Ovide the Poete also
A tale which to this matiere
Acordeth seith； as thou schalt hiere。
In Metamor it telleth thus；
How that a lord which Phorces 390
Was hote； hadde dowhtres thre。
Bot upon here nativite
Such was the constellacion；
That out of mannes nacion
Fro kynde thei be so miswent；
That to the liknesse of Serpent
Thei were bore； and so that on
Of hem was cleped Stellibon；
That other soster Suriale；
The thridde； as telleth in the tale； 400
Medusa hihte； and natheles
Of comun name Gorgones
In every contre ther aboute；
As Monstres whiche that men doute；
Men clepen hem； and bot on yhe
Among hem thre in pourpartie
Thei hadde； of which thei myhte se；
Now hath it this； now hath it sche；
After that cause and nede it ladde；
Be throwes ech of hem it hadde。 410
A wonder thing yet more amis
Ther was； wherof I telle al this：
What man on hem his chiere caste
And hem behield； he was als faste
Out of a man into a Ston
Forschape； and thus ful manyon
Deceived were； of that thei wolde
Misloke； wher that thei ne scholde。
Bot Perses that worthi knyht；
Whom Pallas of hir grete myht 420
Halp； and tok him a Schield therto；
And ek the god Mercurie also
Lente him a swerd； he； as it fell；
Beyende Athlans the hihe hell
These Monstres soghte； and there he fond
Diverse men of thilke lond
Thurgh sihte of hem mistorned were；
Stondende as Stones hiere and there。
Bot he； which wisdom and prouesse
Hadde of the god and the godesse； 430
The Schield of Pallas gan enbrace；
With which he covereth sauf his face；
Mercuries Swerd and out he drowh；
And so he bar him that he slowh
These dredful Monstres alle thre。
Lo now； my Sone； avise the；
That thou thi sihte noght misuse：
Cast noght thin yhe upon Meduse；
That thou be torned into Ston：
For so wys man was nevere non； 440
Bot if he wel his yhe kepe
And take of fol delit no kepe；
That he with lust nys ofte nome；
Thurgh strengthe of love and overcome。
Of mislokynge how it hath ferd；
As I have told； now hast thou herd；
My goode Sone； and tak good hiede。
And overthis yet I thee rede
That thou be war of thin heringe；
Which to the Herte the tidinge 450
Of many a vanite hath broght；
To tarie with a mannes thoght。
And natheles good is to hiere
Such thing wherof a man may lere
That to vertu is acordant；
And toward al the remenant
Good is to torne his Ere fro；
For elles； bot a man do so；
Him may fulofte mysbefalle。
I rede ensample amonges alle； 460
Wherof to kepe wel an Ere
It oghte pute a man in fere。
A Serpent； which that Aspidis
Is cleped； of his kynde hath this；
That he the Ston noblest of alle；
The which that men Carbuncle calle；
Berth in his hed above on heihte。
For which whan that a man be sleyhte；
The Ston to winne and him to daunte；
With his carecte him wolde enchaunte； 470
Anon as he perceiveth that；
He leith doun his on Ere al plat
Unto the ground； and halt it faste；
And ek that other Ere als faste
He stoppeth with his tail so sore；
That he the wordes lasse or more
Of his enchantement ne hiereth；
And in this wise himself he skiereth；
So that he hath the wordes weyved
And thurgh his Ere is noght deceived。 480
An othre thing； who that recordeth；
Lich unto this ensample acordeth；
Which in the tale of Troie I finde。
Sirenes of a wonder kynde
Ben Monstres； as the bokes tellen；
And in the grete Se thei duellen：
Of body bothe and of visage
Lik unto wommen of yong age
Up fro the Navele on hih thei be；
And doun benethe； as men mai se； 490
Thei bere of fisshes the figure。
And overthis of such nature
Thei ben； that with so swete a stevene
Lik to the melodie of hevene
In wommanysshe vois thei singe；
With notes of so gret likinge；
Of such mesure； of such musike；
Wherof the Schipes thei beswike
That passen be the costes there。
For whan the Schipmen leie an Ere 500
Unto the vois； in here avys
Thei wene it be a Paradys；
Which after is to hem an helle。
For reson may noght with hem duelle；
Whan thei tho grete lustes hiere；
Thei conne noght here Schipes stiere；
So besiliche upon the note
Thei herkne； and in such wise assote；
That thei here rihte cours and weie
Foryete； and to here Ere obeie； 510
And seilen til it so befalle
That thei into the peril falle；
Where as the Schipes be todrawe；
And thei ben with the Monstres slawe。
Bot fro this peril natheles
With his wisdom king Uluxes
Ascapeth and it overpasseth；
For he tofor the hond compasseth
That noman of his compaignie
Hath pouer unto that folie 520
His Ere for no lust to caste；
For he hem stoppede alle faste；
That non of hem mai hiere hem singe。
So whan they comen forth seilinge；
Ther was such governance on honde；
That thei the Monstres have withstonde
And slain of hem a gret partie。
Thus was he sauf with his navie；
This wise king； thurgh governance。
Wherof； my Sone； in remembrance 530
Thou myht ensample taken hiere；
As I have told； and what thou hiere
Be wel war； and yif no credence；
Bot if thou se more evidence。
For if thou woldest take kepe
And wisly cowthest warde and kepe
Thin yhe