Chapter 23

Among the Greks, out of the weie As thei that reson putte aweie, Ther was, as the Cronique seith, Of misbelieve an other feith, That thei here goddes and goddesses, As who seith, token al to gesses 840 Of suche as weren full of vice, To whom thei made here sacrifice. The hihe god, so as thei seide, To whom thei most worschipe leide, Saturnus hihte, and king of Crete He hadde be; bot of his sete He was put doun, as he which stod In frenesie, and was so wod, That fro his wif, which Rea hihte, Hise oghne children he to plihte, 850 And eet hem of his comun wone. Bot Jupiter, which was his Sone And of full age, his fader bond And kutte of with his oghne hond Hise genitals, whiche als so faste Into the depe See he caste; Wherof the Greks afferme and seie, Thus whan thei were caste aweie, Cam Venus forth be weie of kinde. And of Saturne also I finde 860 How afterward into an yle This Jupiter him dede exile, Wher that he stod in gret meschief. Lo, which a god thei maden chief! And sithen that such on was he, Which stod most hihe in his degre Among the goddes, thou miht knowe, These othre, that ben more lowe, Ben litel worth, as it is founde.

For Jupiter was the secounde, 870 Which Juno hadde unto his wif; And yit a lechour al his lif He was, and in avouterie He wroghte many a tricherie; And for he was so full of vices, Thei cleped him god of delices: Of whom, if thou wolt more wite, Ovide the Poete hath write. Bot yit here Sterres bothe tuo, Saturne and Jupiter also, 880 Thei have, althogh thei be to blame, Attitled to here oghne name.

Mars was an other in that lawe, The which in Dace was forthdrawe, Of whom the clerk Vegecius Wrot in his bok, and tolde thus, Hou he into Ytaile cam, And such fortune ther he nam That he a Maiden hath oppressed, Which in hire ordre was professed, 890 As sche which was the Prioresse In Vestes temple the goddesse, So was sche wel the mor to blame. Dame Ylia this ladi name Men clepe, and ek sche was also The kinges dowhter that was tho, Which Mynitor be name hihte. So that ayein the lawes ryhte Mars thilke time upon hire that Remus and Romulus begat, 900 Whiche after, whan thei come in Age, Of knihthode and of vassellage Ytaile al hol thei overcome And foundeden the grete Rome; In Armes and of such emprise Thei weren, that in thilke wise Here fader Mars for the mervaile The god was cleped of bataille. Thei were his children bothe tuo, Thurgh hem he tok his name so, 910 Ther was non other cause why: And yit a Sterre upon the Sky He hath unto his name applied, In which that he is signified.

An other god thei hadden eke, To whom for conseil thei beseke, The which was brother to Venus, Appollo men him clepe thus. He was an Hunte upon the helles, Ther was with him no vertu elles, 920 Wherof that enye bokes karpe, Bot only that he couthe harpe; Which whanne he walked over londe, Fulofte time he tok on honde, To gete him with his sustienance, For lacke of other pourveance. And otherwhile of his falshede He feignede him to conne arede Of thing which after scholde falle; Wherof among hise sleyhtes alle 930 He hath the lewed folk deceived, So that the betre he was received. Lo now, thurgh what creacion He hath deificacion, And cleped is the god of wit To suche as be the foles yit.

An other god, to whom thei soghte, Mercurie hihte, and him ne roghte What thing he stal, ne whom he slowh. Of Sorcerie he couthe ynowh, 940 That whanne he wolde himself transforme, Fulofte time he tok the forme Of womman and his oghne lefte; So dede he wel the more thefte. A gret spekere in alle thinges He was also, and of lesinges An Auctour, that men wiste non An other such as he was on. And yit thei maden of this thief A god, which was unto hem lief, 950 And clepede him in tho believes The god of Marchantz and of thieves. Bot yit a sterre upon the hevene He hath of the planetes sevene.

But Vulcanus, of whom I spak, He hadde a courbe upon the bak, And therto he was hepehalt: Of whom thou understonde schalt, He was a schrewe in al his youthe, And he non other vertu couthe 960 Of craft to helpe himselve with, Bot only that he was a Smith With Jupiter, which in his forge Diverse thinges made him forge; So wot I noght for what desir Thei clepen him the god of fyr.

King of Cizile Ypolitus A Sone hadde, and Eolus He hihte, and of his fader grant He hield be weie of covenant 970 The governance of every yle Which was longende unto Cizile, Of hem that fro the lond forein Leie open to the wynd al plein. And fro thilke iles to the londe Fulofte cam the wynd to honde: After the name of him forthi The wyndes cleped Eoli Tho were, and he the god of wynd. Lo nou, hou this believe is blynd! 980

The king of Crete Jupiter, The same which I spak of er, Unto his brother, which Neptune Was hote, it list him to comune Part of his good, so that be Schipe He mad him strong of the lordschipe Of al the See in tho parties; Wher that he wroghte his tyrannyes, And the strange yles al aboute He wan, that every man hath doute 990 Upon his marche forto saile; For he anon hem wolde assaile And robbe what thing that thei ladden, His sauf conduit bot if thei hadden. Wherof the comun vois aros In every lond, that such a los He cawhte, al nere it worth a stre, That he was cleped of the See The god be name, and yit he is With hem that so believe amis. 1000 This Neptune ek was thilke also, Which was the ferste foundour tho Of noble Troie, and he forthi Was wel the more lete by.

The loresman of the Schepherdes, And ek of hem that ben netherdes, Was of Archade and hihte Pan: Of whom hath spoke many a man; For in the wode of Nonarcigne, Enclosed with the tres of Pigne, 1010 And on the Mont of Parasie He hadde of bestes the baillie, And ek benethe in the valleie, Wher thilke rivere, as men seie, Which Ladon hihte, made his cours, He was the chief of governours Of hem that kepten tame bestes, Wherof thei maken yit the festes In the Cite Stinfalides. And forth withal yit natheles 1020 He tawhte men the forthdrawinge Of bestaile, and ek the makinge Of Oxen, and of hors the same, Hou men hem scholde ryde and tame: Of foules ek, so as we finde, Ful many a soubtiel craft of kinde He fond, which noman knew tofore. Men dede him worschipe ek therfore, That he the ferste in thilke lond Was which the melodie fond 1030 Of Riedes, whan thei weren ripe, With double pipes forto pipe; Therof he yaf the ferste lore, Til afterward men couthe more. To every craft for mannes helpe He hadde a redi wit to helpe Thurgh naturel experience: And thus the nyce reverence Of foles, whan that he was ded, The fot hath torned to the hed, 1040 And clepen him god of nature, For so thei maden his figure.

An other god, so as thei fiele, Which Jupiter upon Samele Begat in his avouterie, Whom, forto hide his lecherie, That non therof schal take kepe, In a Montaigne forto kepe, Which Dyon hihte and was in Ynde, He sende, in bokes as I finde: 1050 And he be name Bachus hihte, Which afterward, whan that he mihte, A wastour was, and al his rente In wyn and bordel he despente. Bot yit, al were he wonder badde, Among the Greks a name he hadde; Thei cleped him the god of wyn, And thus a glotoun was dyvyn.

Ther was yit Esculapius A godd in thilke time as thus. 1060 His craft stod upon Surgerie, Bot for the lust of lecherie, That he to Daires dowhter drowh, It felle that Jupiter him slowh: And yit thei made him noght forthi A god, and was no cause why. In Rome he was long time also A god among the Romeins tho; For, as he seide, of his presence Ther was destruid a pestilence, 1070 Whan thei to thyle of Delphos wente, And that Appollo with hem sente This Esculapius his Sone, Among the Romeins forto wone. And there he duelte for a while, Til afterward into that yle, Fro whenne he cam, ayein he torneth, Where al his lyf that he sojorneth Among the Greks, til that he deide. And thei upon him thanne leide 1080 His name, and god of medicine He hatte after that ilke line.

An other god of Hercules Thei made, which was natheles A man, bot that he was so strong, In al this world that brod and long So myhti was noman as he. Merveiles tuelve in his degre, As it was couth in sondri londes, He dede with hise oghne hondes 1090 Ayein geantz and Monstres bothe, The whiche horrible were and lothe, Bot he with strengthe hem overcam: Wherof so gret a pris he nam, That thei him clepe amonges alle The god of strengthe, and to him calle. And yit ther is no reson inne, For he a man was full of sinne, Which proved was upon his ende, For in a rage himself he brende; 1100 And such a cruel mannes dede Acordeth nothing with godhede.

Thei hadde of goddes yit an other, Which Pluto hihte, and was the brother Of Jupiter, and he fro youthe With every word which cam to mouthe, Of eny thing whan he was wroth, He wolde swere his commun oth, Be Lethen and be Flegeton, Be Cochitum and Acheron, 1110 The whiche, after the bokes telle, Ben the chief flodes of the helle: Be Segne and Stige he swor also, That ben the depe Pettes tuo Of helle the most principal. Pluto these othes overal Swor of his commun custummance, Til it befell upon a chance, That he for Jupiteres sake Unto the goddes let do make 1120 A sacrifice, and for that dede On of the pettes for his mede In helle, of which I spak of er, Was granted him; and thus he ther Upon the fortune of this thing The name tok of helle king.

Lo, these goddes and wel mo Among the Greks thei hadden tho, And of goddesses manyon, Whos names thou schalt hiere anon, 1130 And in what wise thei deceiven The foles whiche here feith receiven.

So as Saturne is soverein Of false goddes, as thei sein, So is Sibeles of goddesses The Moder, whom withoute gesses The folk Payene honoure and serve, As thei the whiche hire lawe observe. Bot forto knowen upon this Fro when sche cam and what sche is, 1140 Bethincia the contre hihte, Wher sche cam ferst to mannes sihte; And after was Saturnes wif, Be whom thre children in hire lif Sche bar, and thei were cleped tho Juno, Neptunus and Pluto, The whiche of nyce fantasie The poeple wolde deifie. And for hire children were so, Sibeles thanne was also 1150 Mad a goddesse, and thei hire calle The moder of the goddes alle. So was that name bore forth, And yit the cause is litel worth.

A vois unto Saturne tolde Hou that his oghne Sone him scholde Out of his regne putte aweie; And he be cause of thilke weie, That him was schape such a fate, Sibele his wif began to hate 1160 And ek hire progenie bothe. And thus, whil that thei were wrothe, Be Philerem upon a dai In his avouterie he lai, On whom he Jupiter begat; And thilke child was after that Which wroghte al that was prophecied, As it tofore is specefied: So that whan Jupiter of Crete Was king, a wif unto him mete 1170 The Dowhter of Sibele he tok, And that was Juno, seith the bok. Of his deificacion After the false oppinion, That have I told, so as thei meene; And for this Juno was the queene Of Jupiter and Soster eke, The foles unto hire sieke, And sein that sche is the goddesse Of Regnes bothe and of richesse: 1180 And ek sche, as thei understonde, The water Nimphes hath in honde To leden at hire oghne heste; And whan hir list the Sky tempeste, The reinbowe is hir Messager. Lo, which a misbelieve is hier! That sche goddesse is of the Sky I wot non other cause why.

An other goddesse is Minerve, To whom the Greks obeie and serve: 1190 And sche was nyh the grete lay Of Triton founde, wher sche lay A child forcast, bot what sche was Ther knew noman the sothe cas. Bot in Aufrique sche was leid In the manere as I have seid, And caried fro that ilke place Into an Yle fer in Trace, The which Palene thanne hihte, Wher a Norrice hir kepte and dihte. 1200 And after, for sche was so wys That sche fond ferst in hire avis The cloth makinge of wolle and lyn, Men seiden that sche was divin, And the goddesse of Sapience Thei clepen hire in that credence.

Of the goddesse which Pallas Is cleped sondri speche was. On seith hire fader was Pallant, Which in his time was geant, 1210 A cruel man, a bataillous: An other seith hou in his hous Sche was the cause why he deide. And of this Pallas some ek seide That sche was Martes wif; and so Among the men that weren tho Of misbelieve in the riote The goddesse of batailles hote She was, and yit sche berth the name. Now loke, hou they be forto blame. 1220

Saturnus after his exil Fro Crete cam in gret peril Into the londes of Ytaile, And ther he dede gret mervaile, Wherof his name duelleth yit. For he fond of his oghne wit The ferste craft of plowh tilinge, Of Eringe and of corn sowinge, And how men scholden sette vines And of the grapes make wynes; 1230 Al this he tawhte, and it fell so, His wif, the which cam with him tho, Was cleped Cereres be name, And for sche tawhte also the same, And was his wif that ilke throwe, As it was to the poeple knowe, Thei made of Ceres a goddesse, In whom here tilthe yit thei blesse, And sein that Tricolonius Hire Sone goth amonges ous 1240 And makth the corn good chep or dere, Riht as hire list fro yer to yeere; So that this wif be cause of this Goddesse of Cornes cleped is.

King Jupiter, which his likinge Whilom fulfelde in alle thinge, So priveliche aboute he ladde His lust, that he his wille hadde Of Latona, and on hire that Diane his dowhter he begat 1250 Unknowen of his wif Juno. And afterward sche knew it so, That Latona for drede fledde Into an Ile, wher sche hedde Hire wombe, which of childe aros. Thilke yle cleped was Delos; In which Diana was forthbroght, And kept so that hire lacketh noght. And after, whan sche was of Age, Sche tok non hiede of mariage, 1260 Bot out of mannes compaignie Sche tok hire al to venerie In forest and in wildernesse For ther was al hire besinesse Be daie and ek be nyhtes tyde With arwes brode under the side And bowe in honde, of which sche slowh And tok al that hir liste ynowh Of bestes whiche ben chacable: Wherof the Cronique of this fable 1270 Seith that the gentils most of alle Worschipen hire and to hire calle, And the goddesse of hihe helles, Of grene trees, of freisshe welles, They clepen hire in that believe, Which that no reson mai achieve.

Proserpina, which dowhter was Of Cereres, befell this cas: Whil sche was duellinge in Cizile, Hire moder in that ilke while 1280 Upon hire blessinge and hire heste Bad that sche scholde ben honeste, And lerne forto weve and spinne, And duelle at hom and kepe hire inne. Bot sche caste al that lore aweie, And as sche wente hir out to pleie, To gadre floures in a pleine, And that was under the monteine Of Ethna, fell the same tyde That Pluto cam that weie ryde, 1290 And sodeinly, er sche was war, He tok hire up into his char. And as thei riden in the field, Hire grete beaute he behield, Which was so plesant in his ije, That forto holde in compainie He weddeth hire and hield hire so To ben his wif for everemo. And as thou hast tofore herd telle Hou he was cleped god of helle, 1300 So is sche cleped the goddesse Be cause of him, ne mor ne lesse.

Lo, thus, mi Sone, as I thee tolde, The Greks whilom be daies olde Here goddes hadde in sondri wise, And thurgh the lore of here aprise The Romeins hielden ek the same. And in the worschipe of here name To every godd in special Thei made a temple forth withal, 1310 And ech of hem his yeeres dai Attitled hadde; and of arai The temples weren thanne ordeigned, And ek the poeple was constreigned To come and don here sacrifice; The Prestes ek in here office Solempne maden thilke festes. And thus the Greks lich to the bestes The men in stede of god honoure, Whiche mihten noght hemself socoure, 1320 Whil that thei were alyve hiere. And over this, as thou schalt hiere,

The Greks fulfild of fantasie Sein ek that of the helles hihe The goddes ben in special, Bot of here name in general Thei hoten alle Satiri. Ther ben of Nimphes proprely In the believe of hem also: Oreades thei seiden tho 1330 Attitled ben to the monteines; And for the wodes in demeynes To kepe, tho ben Driades; Of freisshe welles Naiades; And of the Nimphes of the See I finde a tale in proprete, Hou Dorus whilom king of Grece, Which hadde of infortune a piece,— His wif forth with hire dowhtres alle, So as the happes scholden falle, 1340 With many a gentil womman there Dreint in the salte See thei were: Wherof the Greks that time seiden, And such a name upon hem leiden, Nereïdes that thei ben hote, The Nimphes whiche that thei note To regne upon the stremes salte. Lo now, if this believe halte! Bot of the Nimphes as thei telle, In every place wher thei duelle 1350 Thei ben al redi obeissant As damoiselles entendant To the goddesses, whos servise Thei mote obeie in alle wise; Wherof the Greks to hem beseke With tho that ben goddesses eke, And have in hem a gret credence.

And yit withoute experience Salve only of illusion, Which was to hem dampnacion, 1360 For men also that were dede Thei hadden goddes, as I rede, And tho be name Manes hihten, To whom ful gret honour thei dihten, So as the Grekes lawe seith, Which was ayein the rihte feith.

Thus have I told a gret partie; Bot al the hole progenie Of goddes in that ilke time To long it were forto rime. 1370 Bot yit of that which thou hast herd, Of misbelieve hou it hath ferd, Ther is a gret diversite.

Mi fader, riht so thenketh me. Bot yit o thing I you beseche, Which stant in alle mennes speche, The godd and the goddesse of love, Of whom ye nothing hier above Have told, ne spoken of her fare, That ye me wolden now declare 1380 Hou thei ferst comen to that name.

Mi Sone, I have it left for schame, Be cause I am here oghne Prest; Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest Upon the schrifte of thi matiere, Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere: And understond nou wel the cas. Venus Saturnes dowhter was, Which alle danger putte aweie Of love, and fond to lust a weie; 1390 So that of hire in sondri place Diverse men felle into grace, And such a lusti lif sche ladde, That sche diverse children hadde, Nou on be this, nou on be that. Of hire it was that Mars beyat A child, which cleped was Armene; Of hire also cam Andragene, To whom Mercurie fader was: Anchises begat Eneas 1400 Of hire also, and Ericon Biten begat, and therupon, Whan that sche sih ther was non other, Be Jupiter hire oghne brother Sche lay, and he begat Cupide. And thilke Sone upon a tyde, Whan he was come unto his Age, He hadde a wonder fair visage, And fond his Moder amourous, And he was also lecherous: 1410 So whan thei weren bothe al one, As he which yhen hadde none To se reson, his Moder kiste; And sche also, that nothing wiste Bot that which unto lust belongeth, To ben hire love him underfongeth. Thus was he blind, and sche unwys: Bot natheles this cause it is, Why Cupide is the god of love, For he his moder dorste love. 1420 And sche, which thoghte hire lustes fonde, Diverse loves tok in honde, Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere: And for sche wolde hirselve skiere, Sche made comun that desport, And sette a lawe of such a port, That every womman mihte take What man hire liste, and noght forsake To ben als comun as sche wolde. Sche was the ferste also which tolde 1430 That wommen scholde here bodi selle; Semiramis, so as men telle, Of Venus kepte thilke aprise, And so dede in the same wise Of Rome faire Neabole, Which liste hire bodi to rigole; Sche was to every man felawe, And hild the lust of thilke lawe, Which Venus of hirself began; Wherof that sche the name wan, 1440 Why men hire clepen the goddesse Of love and ek of gentilesse, Of worldes lust and of plesance.

Se nou the foule mescreance Of Greks in thilke time tho, Whan Venus tok hire name so. Ther was no cause under the Mone Of which thei hadden tho to done, Of wel or wo wher so it was, That thei ne token in that cas 1450 A god to helpe or a goddesse. Wherof, to take mi witnesse,

The king of Bragmans Dindimus Wrot unto Alisandre thus: In blaminge of the Grekes feith And of the misbelieve, he seith How thei for every membre hadden A sondri god, to whom thei spradden Here armes, and of help besoghten.

Minerve for the hed thei soghten, 1460 For sche was wys, and of a man The wit and reson which he can Is in the celles of the brayn, Wherof thei made hire soverain.

Mercurie, which was in his dawes A gret spekere of false lawes, On him the kepinge of the tunge Thei leide, whan thei spieke or sunge.

For Bachus was a glotoun eke, Him for the throte thei beseke, 1470 That he it wolde waisshen ofte With swote drinkes and with softe.

The god of schuldres and of armes Was Hercules; for he in armes The myhtieste was to fihte, To him tho Limes they behihte.

The god whom that thei clepen Mart The brest to kepe hath for his part, Forth with the herte, in his ymage That he adresce the corage. 1480

And of the galle the goddesse, For sche was full of hastifesse Of wraththe and liht to grieve also, Thei made and seide it was Juno.

Cupide, which the brond afyre Bar in his hond, he was the Sire Of the Stomak, which builleth evere, Wherof the lustes ben the levere.

To the goddesse Cereres, Which of the corn yaf hire encress 1490 Upon the feith that tho was take, The wombes cure was betake;

And Venus thurgh the Lecherie, For which that thei hire deifie, Sche kept al doun the remenant To thilke office appourtenant.

Thus was dispers in sondri wise The misbelieve, as I devise, With many an ymage of entaile, Of suche as myhte hem noght availe; 1500 For thei withoute lyves chiere Unmyhti ben to se or hiere Or speke or do or elles fiele; And yit the foles to hem knele, Which is here oghne handes werk. Ha lord, hou this believe is derk, And fer fro resonable wit! And natheles thei don it yit: That was to day a ragged tre, To morwe upon his majeste 1510 Stant in the temple wel besein. How myhte a mannes resoun sein That such a Stock mai helpe or grieve? Bot thei that ben of such believe And unto suche goddes calle, It schal to hem riht so befalle, And failen ate moste nede. Bot if thee list to taken hiede And of the ferste ymage wite, Petornius therof hath write 1520 And ek Nigargorus also; And thei afferme and write so, That Promotheus was tofore And fond the ferste craft therfore, And Cirophanes, as thei telle, Thurgh conseil which was take in helle, In remembrance of his lignage Let setten up the ferste ymage.

Of Cirophanes seith the bok, That he for sorwe, which he tok 1530 Of that he sih his Sone ded, Of confort knew non other red, Bot let do make in remembrance A faire ymage of his semblance And sette it in the market place, Which openly tofore his face Stod every dai to don him ese. And thei that thanne wolden plese The fader, scholden it obeie, Whan that they comen thilke weie. 1540

And of Ninus king of Assire I rede hou that in his empire He was next after the secounde Of hem that ferst ymages founde. For he riht in semblable cas Of Belus, which his fader was Fro Nembroth in the rihte line, Let make of gold and Stones fine A precious ymage riche After his fader evene liche; 1550 And therupon a lawe he sette, That every man of pure dette With sacrifice and with truage Honoure scholde thilke ymage: So that withinne time it fell, Of Belus cam the name of Bel, Of Bel cam Belzebub, and so The misbelieve wente tho.