Chapter 43

The kinges Sone, which was nyh, And of this lady herde and syh The thinges as thei ben befalle, The resoun of hise wittes alle 4850 Hath lost; for love upon his part Cam thanne, and of his fyri dart With such a wounde him hath thurghsmite, That he mot nedes fiele and wite Of thilke blinde maladie, To which no cure of Surgerie Can helpe. Bot yit natheles At thilke time he hield his pes, That he no contienance made, Bot openly with wordes glade, 4860 So as he couthe in his manere, He spak and made frendly chiere, Til it was time forto go. And Collatin with him also His leve tok, so that be nyhte With al the haste that thei myhte Thei riden to the Siege ayein. Bot Arrons was so wo besein With thoghtes whiche upon him runne, That he al be the brode Sunne 4870 To bedde goth, noght forto reste, Bot forto thenke upon the beste And the faireste forth withal, That evere he syh or evere schal, So as him thoghte in his corage, Where he pourtreieth hire ymage: Ferst the fetures of hir face, In which nature hadde alle grace Of wommanly beaute beset, So that it myhte noght be bet; 4880 And hou hir yelwe her was tresced And hire atir so wel adresced, And hou sche spak, and hou sche wroghte, And hou sche wepte, al this he thoghte, That he foryeten hath no del, Bot al it liketh him so wel, That in the word nor in the dede Hire lacketh noght of wommanhiede. And thus this tirannysshe knyht Was soupled, bot noght half ariht, 4890 For he non other hiede tok, Bot that he myhte be som crok, Althogh it were ayein hire wille, The lustes of his fleissh fulfille; Which love was noght resonable, For where honour is remuable, It oghte wel to ben avised. Bot he, which hath his lust assised With melled love and tirannie, Hath founde upon his tricherie 4900 A weie which he thenkth to holde, And seith, “Fortune unto the bolde Is favorable forto helpe.” And thus withinne himself to yelpe, As he which was a wylde man, Upon his treson he began: And up he sterte, and forth he wente On horsebak, bot his entente Ther knew no wiht, and thus he nam The nexte weie, til he cam 4910 Unto Collacea the gate Of Rome, and it was somdiel late, Riht evene upon the Sonne set, As he which hadde schape his net Hire innocence to betrappe. And as it scholde tho mishappe, Als priveliche as evere he myhte He rod, and of his hors alyhte Tofore Collatines In, And al frendliche he goth him in, 4920 As he that was cousin of house. And sche, which is the goode spouse, Lucrece, whan that sche him sih, With goodli chiere drowh him nyh, As sche which al honour supposeth, And him, so as sche dar, opposeth Hou it stod of hire housebonde. And he tho dede hire understonde With tales feigned in his wise, Riht as he wolde himself devise, 4930 Wherof he myhte hire herte glade, That sche the betre chiere made, Whan sche the glade wordes herde, Hou that hire housebonde ferde. And thus the trouthe was deceived With slih tresoun, which was received To hire which mente alle goode; For as the festes thanne stode, His Souper was ryht wel arraied. Bot yit he hath no word assaied 4940 To speke of love in no degre; Bot with covert subtilite His frendly speches he affaiteth, And as the Tigre his time awaiteth In hope forto cacche his preie. Whan that the bordes were aweie And thei have souped in the halle, He seith that slep is on him falle, And preith he moste go to bedde; And sche with alle haste spedde, 4950 So as hire thoghte it was to done, That every thing was redi sone. Sche broghte him to his chambre tho And tok hire leve, and forth is go Into hire oghne chambre by, As sche that wende certeinly Have had a frend, and hadde a fo, Wherof fell after mochel wo.

This tirant, thogh he lyhe softe, Out of his bed aros fulofte, 4960 And goth aboute, and leide his Ere To herkne, til that alle were To bedde gon and slepten faste. And thanne upon himself he caste A mantell, and his swerd al naked He tok in honde; and sche unwaked Abedde lay, but what sche mette, God wot; for he the Dore unschette So prively that non it herde, The softe pas and forth he ferde 4970 Unto the bed wher that sche slepte, Al sodeinliche and in he crepte, And hire in bothe his Armes tok. With that this worthi wif awok, Which thurgh tendresce of wommanhiede Hire vois hath lost for pure drede, That o word speke sche ne dar: And ek he bad hir to be war, For if sche made noise or cry, He seide, his swerd lay faste by 4980 To slen hire and hire folk aboute. And thus he broghte hire herte in doute, That lich a Lomb whanne it is sesed In wolves mouth, so was desesed Lucrece, which he naked fond: Wherof sche swounede in his hond, And, as who seith, lay ded oppressed. And he, which al him hadde adresced To lust, tok thanne what him liste, And goth his wey, that non it wiste, 4990 Into his oghne chambre ayein, And clepede up his chamberlein, And made him redi forto ryde. And thus this lecherouse pride To horse lepte and forth he rod; And sche, which in hire bed abod, Whan that sche wiste he was agon, Sche clepede after liht anon And up aros long er the day, And caste awey hire freissh aray, 5000 As sche which hath the world forsake, And tok upon the clothes blake: And evere upon continuinge, Riht as men sen a welle springe, With yhen fulle of wofull teres, Hire her hangende aboute hire Eres, Sche wepte, and noman wiste why. Bot yit among full pitously Sche preide that thei nolden drecche Hire housebonde forto fecche 5010 Forth with hire fader ek also.

Thus be thei comen bothe tuo, And Brutus cam with Collatin, Which to Lucrece was cousin, And in thei wenten alle thre To chambre, wher thei myhten se The wofulleste upon this Molde, Which wepte as sche to water scholde. The chambre Dore anon was stoke, Er thei have oght unto hire spoke; 5020 Thei sihe hire clothes al desguised, And hou sche hath hirself despised, Hire her hangende unkemd aboute, Bot natheles sche gan to loute And knele unto hire housebonde; And he, which fain wolde understonde The cause why sche ferde so, With softe wordes axeth tho, “What mai you be, mi goode swete?” And sche, which thoghte hirself unmete 5030 And the lest worth of wommen alle, Hire wofull chiere let doun falle For schame and couthe unnethes loke. And thei therof good hiede toke, And preiden hire in alle weie That sche ne spare forto seie Unto hir frendes what hire eileth, Why sche so sore hirself beweileth, And what the sothe wolde mene. And sche, which hath hire sorwes grene, 5040 Hire wo to telle thanne assaieth, Bot tendre schame hire word delaieth, That sondri times as sche minte To speke, upon the point sche stinte. And thei hire bidden evere in on To telle forth, and therupon, Whan that sche sih sche moste nede, Hire tale betwen schame and drede Sche tolde, noght withoute peine. And he, which wolde hire wo restreigne, 5050 Hire housebonde, a sory man, Conforteth hire al that he can, And swor, and ek hire fader bothe, That thei with hire be noght wrothe Of that is don ayein hire wille; And preiden hire to be stille, For thei to hire have al foryive. Bot sche, which thoghte noght to live, Of hem wol no foryivenesse, And seide, of thilke wickednesse 5060 Which was unto hire bodi wroght, Al were it so sche myhte it noght, Nevere afterward the world ne schal Reproeven hire; and forth withal, Er eny man therof be war, A naked swerd, the which sche bar Withinne hire Mantel priveli, Betwen hire hondes sodeinly Sche tok, and thurgh hire herte it throng, And fell to grounde, and evere among, 5070 Whan that sche fell, so as sche myhte, Hire clothes with hire hand sche rihte, That noman dounward fro the kne Scholde eny thing of hire se: Thus lay this wif honestely, Althogh sche deide wofully.

Tho was no sorwe forto seke: Hire housebonde, hire fader eke Aswoune upon the bodi felle; Ther mai no mannes tunge telle 5080 In which anguisshe that thei were. Bot Brutus, which was with hem there, Toward himself his herte kepte, And to Lucrece anon he lepte, The blodi swerd and pulleth oute, And swor the goddes al aboute That he therof schal do vengance. And sche tho made a contienance, Hire dedlich yhe and ate laste In thonkinge as it were up caste, 5090 And so behield him in the wise, Whil sche to loke mai suffise. And Brutus with a manlich herte Hire housebonde hath mad up sterte Forth with hire fader ek also In alle haste, and seide hem tho That thei anon withoute lette A Beere for the body fette; Lucrece and therupon bledende He leide, and so forth out criende 5100 He goth into the Market place Of Rome: and in a litel space Thurgh cry the cite was assembled, And every mannes herte is trembled, Whan thei the sothe herde of the cas. And therupon the conseil was Take of the grete and of the smale, And Brutus tolde hem al the tale; And thus cam into remembrance Of Senne the continuance, 5110 Which Arrons hadde do tofore, And ek, long time er he was bore, Of that his fadre hadde do The wrong cam into place tho; So that the comun clamour tolde The newe schame of Sennes olde. And al the toun began to crie, “Awey, awey the tirannie Of lecherie and covoitise!” And ate laste in such a wise 5120 The fader in the same while Forth with his Sone thei exile, And taken betre governance. Bot yit an other remembrance That rihtwisnesse and lecherie Acorden noght in compaignie With him that hath the lawe on honde, That mai a man wel understonde, As be a tale thou shalt wite, Of olde ensample as it is write. 5130

At Rome whan that Apius, Whos other name is Claudius, Was governour of the cite, Ther fell a wonder thing to se Touchende a gentil Maide, as thus, Whom Livius Virginius Begeten hadde upon his wif: Men seiden that so fair a lif As sche was noght in al the toun. This fame, which goth up and doun, 5140 To Claudius cam in his Ere, Wherof his thoght anon was there, Which al his herte hath set afyre, That he began the flour desire Which longeth unto maydenhede, And sende, if that he myhte spede The blinde lustes of his wille. Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille, For sche stod upon Mariage; A worthi kniht of gret lignage, 5150 Ilicius which thanne hihte, Acorded in hire fader sihte Was, that he scholde his douhter wedde. Bot er the cause fully spedde, Hire fader, which in Romanie The ledinge of chivalerie In governance hath undertake, Upon a werre which was take Goth out with al the strengthe he hadde Of men of Armes whiche he ladde: 5160 So was the mariage left, And stod upon acord til eft.

The king, which herde telle of this, Hou that this Maide ordeigned is To Mariage, thoghte an other. And hadde thilke time a brother, Which Marchus Claudius was hote, And was a man of such riote Riht as the king himselve was: Thei tuo togedre upon this cas 5170 In conseil founden out this weie, That Marchus Claudius schal seie Hou sche be weie of covenant To his service appourtenant Was hol, and to non other man; And therupon he seith he can In every point witnesse take, So that sche schal it noght forsake. Whan that thei hadden schape so, After the lawe which was tho, 5180 Whil that hir fader was absent, Sche was somouned and assent To come in presence of the king And stonde in ansuere of this thing. Hire frendes wisten alle wel That it was falshed everydel, And comen to the king and seiden, Upon the comun lawe and preiden, So as this noble worthi knyht Hir fader for the comun riht 5190 In thilke time, as was befalle, Lai for the profit of hem alle Upon the wylde feldes armed, That he ne scholde noght ben harmed Ne schamed, whil that he were oute; And thus thei preiden al aboute.

For al the clamour that he herde, The king upon his lust ansuerde, And yaf hem only daies tuo Of respit; for he wende tho, 5200 That in so schorte a time appiere Hire fader mihte in no manere. Bot as therof he was deceived; For Livius hadde al conceived The pourpos of the king tofore, So that to Rome ayein therfore In alle haste he cam ridende, And lefte upon the field liggende His host, til that he come ayein. And thus this worthi capitein 5210 Appiereth redi at his day, Wher al that evere reson may Be lawe in audience he doth, So that his dowhter upon soth Of that Marchus hire hadde accused He hath tofore the court excused.

The king, which sih his pourpos faile, And that no sleihte mihte availe, Encombred of his lustes blinde The lawe torneth out of kinde, 5220 And half in wraththe as thogh it were, In presence of hem alle there Deceived of concupiscence Yaf for his brother the sentence, And bad him that he scholde sese This Maide and make him wel at ese; Bot al withinne his oghne entente He wiste hou that the cause wente, Of that his brother hath the wyte He was himselven forto wyte. 5230 Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong, Which was upon the king along, Bot ayein him was non Appel, And that the fader wiste wel: Wherof upon the tirannie, That for the lust of Lecherie His douhter scholde be deceived, And that Ilicius was weyved Untrewly fro the Mariage, Riht as a Leon in his rage, 5240 Which of no drede set acompte And not what pite scholde amounte, A naked swerd he pulleth oute, The which amonges al the route He threste thurgh his dowhter side, And al alowd this word he cride: “Lo, take hire ther, thou wrongfull king, For me is levere upon this thing To be the fader of a Maide, Thogh sche be ded, that if men saide 5250 That in hir lif sche were schamed And I therof were evele named.”

Tho bad the king men scholde areste His bodi, bot of thilke heste, Lich to the chaced wylde bor, The houndes whan he fieleth sor, Tothroweth and goth forth his weie, In such a wise forto seie This worthi kniht with swerd on honde His weie made, and thei him wonde, 5260 That non of hem his strokes kepte; And thus upon his hors he lepte, And with his swerd droppende of blod, The which withinne his douhter stod, He cam ther as the pouer was Of Rome, and tolde hem al the cas, And seide hem that thei myhten liere Upon the wrong of his matiere, That betre it were to redresce At hom the grete unrihtwisnesse, 5270 Than forto werre in strange place And lese at hom here oghne grace. For thus stant every mannes lif In jeupartie for his wif Or for his dowhter, if thei be Passende an other of beaute.

Of this merveile which thei sihe So apparant tofore here yhe, Of that the king him hath misbore, Here othes thei have alle swore 5280 That thei wol stonde be the riht. And thus of on acord upriht To Rome at ones hom ayein Thei torne, and schortly forto sein, This tirannye cam to mouthe, And every man seith what he couthe, So that the prive tricherie, Which set was upon lecherie, Cam openly to mannes Ere; And that broghte in the comun feere, 5290 That every man the peril dradde Of him that so hem overladde. Forthi, er that it worse falle, Thurgh comun conseil of hem alle Thei have here wrongfull king deposed, And hem in whom it was supposed The conseil stod of his ledinge Be lawe unto the dom thei bringe, Wher thei receiven the penance That longeth to such governance. 5300 And thus thunchaste was chastised, Wherof thei myhte ben avised That scholden afterward governe, And be this evidence lerne, Hou it is good a king eschuie The lust of vice and vertu suie.

To make an ende in this partie, Which toucheth to the Policie Of Chastite in special, As for conclusion final 5310 That every lust is to eschue Be gret ensample I mai argue: Hou in Rages a toun of Mede Ther was a Mayde, and as I rede, Sarra sche hihte, and Raguel Hir fader was; and so befell, Of bodi bothe and of visage Was non so fair of the lignage, To seche among hem alle, as sche; Wherof the riche of the cite, 5320 Of lusti folk that couden love, Assoted were upon hire love, And asken hire forto wedde. On was which ate laste spedde, Bot that was more for likinge, To have his lust, than for weddinge, As he withinne his herte caste, Which him repenteth ate laste. For so it fell the ferste nyht, That whanne he was to bedde dyht, 5330 As he which nothing god besecheth Bot al only hise lustes secheth, Abedde er he was fully warm And wolde have take hire in his Arm, Asmod, which was a fend of helle, And serveth, as the bokes telle, To tempte a man of such a wise, Was redy there, and thilke emprise, Which he hath set upon delit, He vengeth thanne in such a plit, 5340 That he his necke hathe writhe atuo. This yonge wif was sory tho, Which wiste nothing what it mente; And natheles yit thus it wente Noght only of this ferste man, Bot after, riht as he began, Sexe othre of hire housebondes Asmod hath take into hise bondes, So that thei alle abedde deiden, Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden, 5350 Noght for the lawe of Mariage, Bot for that ilke fyri rage In which that thei the lawe excede: For who that wolde taken hiede What after fell in this matiere, Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere. Whan sche was wedded to Thobie, And Raphael in compainie Hath tawht him hou to ben honeste, Asmod wan noght at thilke feste, 5360 And yit Thobie his wille hadde; For he his lust so goodly ladde, That bothe lawe and kinde is served, Wherof he hath himself preserved, That he fell noght in the sentence. O which an open evidence Of this ensample a man mai se, That whan likinge in the degre Of Mariage mai forsueie, Wel oghte him thanne in other weie 5370 Of lust to be the betre avised. For god the lawes hath assissed Als wel to reson as to kinde, Bot he the bestes wolde binde Only to lawes of nature, Bot to the mannes creature God yaf him reson forth withal, Wherof that he nature schal Upon the causes modefie, That he schal do no lecherie, 5380 And yit he schal hise lustes have. So ben the lawes bothe save And every thing put out of sclandre; As whilom to king Alisandre The wise Philosophre tawhte, Whan he his ferste lore cawhte, Noght only upon chastete, Bot upon alle honestete; Wherof a king himself mai taste, Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste 5390 Him oghte of reson forto be, Forth with the vertu of Pite, Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserve Toward his godd, that he preserve Him and his poeple in alle welthe Of pes, richesse, honour and helthe Hier in this world and elles eke.

Mi Sone, as we tofore spieke In schrifte, so as thou me seidest, And for thin ese, as thou me preidest, 5400 Thi love throghes forto lisse, That I thee wolde telle and wisse The forme of Aristotles lore, I have it seid, and somdiel more Of othre ensamples, to assaie If I thi peines myhte allaie Thurgh eny thing that I can seie.

Do wey, mi fader, I you preie: Of that ye have unto me told I thonke you a thousendfold. 5410 The tales sounen in myn Ere, Bot yit min herte is elleswhere, I mai miselve noght restreigne, That I nam evere in loves peine: Such lore couthe I nevere gete, Which myhte make me foryete O point, bot if so were I slepte, That I my tydes ay ne kepte To thenke of love and of his lawe; That herte can I noght withdrawe. 5420 Forthi, my goode fader diere, Lef al and speke of my matiere Touchende of love, as we begonne: If that ther be oght overronne Or oght foryete or left behinde Which falleth unto loves kinde, Wherof it nedeth to be schrive, Nou axeth, so that whil I live I myhte amende that is mys.

Mi goode diere Sone, yis. 5430 Thi schrifte forto make plein, Ther is yit more forto sein Of love which is unavised. Bot for thou schalt be wel avised Unto thi schrifte as it belongeth, A point which upon love hongeth And is the laste of alle tho, I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.

Explicit Liber Septimus.

Incipit Liber Octavus

_Que favet ad vicium vetus hec modo regula confert, Nec novus e contra qui docet ordo placet. Cecus amor dudum nondum sua lumina cepit, Quo Venus impositum devia fallit iter._

The myhti god, which unbegunne Stant of himself and hath begunne Alle othre thinges at his wille, The hevene him liste to fulfille Of alle joie, where as he Sit inthronized in his See, And hath hise Angles him to serve, Suche as him liketh to preserve, So that thei mowe noght forsueie: Bot Lucifer he putte aweie, 10 With al the route apostazied Of hem that ben to him allied, Whiche out of hevene into the helle From Angles into fendes felle; Wher that ther is no joie of lyht, Bot more derk than eny nyht The peine schal ben endeles; And yit of fyres natheles Ther is plente, bot thei ben blake, Wherof no syhte mai be take. 20

Thus whan the thinges ben befalle, That Luciferes court was falle Wher dedly Pride hem hath conveied, Anon forthwith it was pourveied Thurgh him which alle thinges may; He made Adam the sexte day In Paradis, and to his make Him liketh Eve also to make, And bad hem cresce and multiplie. For of the mannes Progenie, 30 Which of the womman schal be bore, The nombre of Angles which was lore, Whan thei out fro the blisse felle, He thoghte to restore, and felle In hevene thilke holy place Which stod tho voide upon his grace. Bot as it is wel wiste and knowe, Adam and Eve bot a throwe, So as it scholde of hem betyde, In Paradis at thilke tyde 40 Ne duelten, and the cause why, Write in the bok of Genesi, As who seith, alle men have herd, Hou Raphael the fyri swerd In honde tok and drof hem oute, To gete here lyves fode aboute Upon this wofull Erthe hiere. Metodre seith to this matiere, As he be revelacion It hadde upon avision, 50 Hou that Adam and Eve also Virgines comen bothe tuo Into the world and were aschamed, Til that nature hem hath reclamed To love, and tauht hem thilke lore, That ferst thei keste, and overmore Thei don that is to kinde due, Wherof thei hadden fair issue. A Sone was the ferste of alle, And Chain be name thei him calle; 60 Abel was after the secounde, And in the geste as it is founde, Nature so the cause ladde, Tuo douhtres ek Dame Eve hadde, The ferste cleped Calmana Was, and that other Delbora. Thus was mankinde to beginne; Forthi that time it was no Sinne The Soster forto take hire brother, Whan that ther was of chois non other: 70 To Chain was Calmana betake, And Delboram hath Abel take, In whom was gete natheles Of worldes folk the ferste encres. Men sein that nede hath no lawe, And so it was be thilke dawe And laste into the Secounde Age, Til that the grete water rage, Of Noeh which was seid the flod, The world, which thanne in Senne stod, 80 Hath dreint, outake lyves Eyhte. Tho was mankinde of litel weyhte; Sem, Cham, Japhet, of these thre, That ben the Sones of Noë, The world of mannes nacion Into multiplicacion Was tho restored newe ayein So ferforth, as the bokes sein, That of hem thre and here issue Ther was so large a retenue, 90 Of naciouns seventy and tuo; In sondri place ech on of tho The wyde world have enhabited. Bot as nature hem hath excited, Thei token thanne litel hiede, The brother of the Sosterhiede To wedde wyves, til it cam Into the time of Habraham. Whan the thridde Age was begunne, The nede tho was overrunne, 100 For ther was poeple ynouh in londe: Thanne ate ferste it cam to honde, That Sosterhode of mariage Was torned into cousinage, So that after the rihte lyne The Cousin weddeth the cousine. For Habraham, er that he deide, This charge upon his servant leide, To him and in this wise spak, That he his Sone Isaäc 110 Do wedde for no worldes good, Bot only to his oghne blod: Wherof this Servant, as he bad, Whan he was ded, his Sone hath lad To Bathuel, wher he Rebecke Hath wedded with the whyte necke; For sche, he wiste wel and syh, Was to the child cousine nyh.