Category: Poetry
To write anything like a biography of Gower, with the materials that exist, is an impossibility. Almost the only authentic records of him, apart from his writings, are his marriage-licence, his will, and his tomb in St. Saviour’s Church; and it was this last which furnished mo...
To write anything like a biography of Gower, with the materials that exist, is an impossibility. Almost the only authentic records of him, apart from his writings, are his marri...
2. Part 2The testator bequeathes his soul to the Creator, and his body to be buried in the church of the Canons of St. Mary Overes, in the place specially appointed for this purpose (‘in...
3. Part 3From the _Vox Clamantis_ it is evident that the rising of the Peasants produced a very powerful, indeed almost an overwhelming, impression upon his mind. He describes the terror...
4. Part 4The next day, Friday, is yet worse; no wisdom or courage avails against them, they rage like a lioness robbed of her young. O, how degenerate is the city which allows this, how...
5. Part 5CAP. XII. The monk who sets himself to observe his rule will live hardly and fast often, praying continually and doing penance for sin. He will submit himself humbly to his prio...
6. Part 6CAP. XX. Let each man remember what his condition is, and let him repent in time, turning himself to the service of his Creator. Let him submit to punishment in this life, that...
7. Part 7(6) The marginal note at iii. 375 and perhaps also iv. 587, and the marginal note at the end of the _Cronica Tripertita_; also f. 176 ‘Nota hic in fine--intendo,’ and the lines...
8. Part 8FORMER EDITIONS. The _Vox Clamantis_ was printed for the Roxburghe Club in the year 1850, edited by H. O. Coxe, Bodley’s Librarian. In the same volume were included the _Cronica...
9. Part 9[38] ‘Liverez a Richard Dancastre pour un Coler a luy doné par monseigneur le Conte de Derby par cause d’une autre Coler doné par monditseigneur a un Esquier John Gower, vynt et...
10. Part 10Cap^m. xxiiii. Hic describit qualiter omnia et singula que sacerdocii concernunt officium magne virtutis misteria designant. Et primo dicet de vestibus sacerdotalibus ex vtraque...
11. Part 11=In huius opusculi principio intendit compositor describere qualiter seruiles rustici impetuose contra ingenuos et nobiles regni insurrexerunt. Et quia res huiusmodi velut monst...
12. Part 12Cap^m. v. Post vidique canes stantes quasi millia dena[177] Latrantes, que suis vocibus arua tremunt. 380 En dederat cantus lucis prenuncius ales, Aera iam furiens verberat ira...
13. Part 13Cap^m. xii. Inter eos statuunt precones atque tribunos, Et pro lege suum velle licere iubent. Hoc sua iura ferunt preconis voce, quod omnis Sit domus exusta que maledicit eis: Q...
14. Part 14Sperserat ambiguas huius vaga fama per vrbes Rumoris sonitum, cordaque firma mouet; Euentuque graui recitatur publica clades, Nec de fortuna quo cadet ipse sapit. Sic magis ecce...
15. Part 15Cap^m. xviii. Ceruleus, rubeus, pingit geminus color arcum, Et furor ethereus vndique spersus adest; Desuper ira tonat, subtus rumpuntur abissi, Et de visceribus terra fluenta v...
16. Part 16[193] Cap. ix. _Heading._ 2 _After_ Graculus H₂ _has_ sibi statum regiminis presumpsit aliorum et in rei veritate ille Graculus fuit dux eorum, qui Graculus angilice vocatus est...
17. Part 17Cap^m. vi. Dum Dauid ipse scelus commisit, in aere pestis Congelat, et gentem sternit vbique suam: Et pro peccatis Sodomam combusserat ignis, Estque Chore culpis eius adusta dom...
18. Part 18=Hic tractat qualiter status et ordo mundi in tribus consistit gradibus, sunt enim, vt dicit, Clerus, Milicies, et Agricultores, de quorum errore mundi infortunia nobis contingu...
19. Part 19Cap^m. vii. Semper in aduersis est virtus maior, et ecce Lumen in obscuro clarius esse solet. Nobile vincendi genus est paciencia; vincit Qui patitur; si vis vincere, disce pati...
20. Part 20Cap^m. x. In libris cleri Rome sic scribere vidi: ‘Vt melius viuas, hec mea scripta legas. Vis seruire deo, vis noscere qualia querit? Hec lege, tuncque scies qualiter illud eri...
21. Part 21Cap^m. xv. O deus, omne patet tibi cor loquiturque voluntas, Et secreta tuo lumine nulla latent: Tu nosti, domine, quod quantum distat ab ortu Solis in occasum regula prima fugi...
22. Part 22Cap^m. xxii. Hoc dicit clerus, quod, quamuis crimine plenus Sit, non est laici ponere crimen ei; Alter et alterius cleri peccata fauore Excusat, quod in hiis stat sine lege reus...
23. Part 23[362] _Heading_ Hic loquitur quomodo de legibus positiuis quasi cotidie noua instituuntur nobis peccata, quibus tamen priusquam fiant prelati propter lucrum dispensant, et ea fi...
24. Part 24Cap^m. x. O comites claustri sub religione professi, Concludam breuibus, quid sit et ad quid onus. 390 Informatus ego sanctorum scripta reuolui, Que magis in vestram sunt memora...
25. Part 25Cap^m. xviii. Est qui precessor fiat velut ipse minister, Cuius in exemplum Cristus agebat idem: 810 Set qui discipulum Cristi se dicit, ad altum[446] Cum venit ipse statum, non...
26. Part 26Cap^m. i. Quid sit de clero dixi, dicamque secundo Quomodo Militibus competit ordo vetus. Primo milicia magno fit honore parata; Est tribus ex causis ipsa statuta prius. Ecclesi...
27. Part 27Cap^m. vii. O quam milicia terra consistit in ista Audax, preclara, si bene viuat ea![476] 470 Si non pro mundi lucro neque laude laboret,[477] Indomitus nec amor ferrea corda d...
28. Part 28Cap^m. xvi. Dum Susurro manet et vir linguosus in vrbe, Plebis in obprobrium scandala plura mouet; Nam linguosus homo reliquos velut altera pestis Ledit, et vt turbo sepe repent...
29. Part 29Cap^m. v. O qui iudicia vite mortis quoque rerum Clauditis in manibus appreciata lucris, 310 De qua iusticia vosmet saluare putatis, Cum sit lex aliis vendita vestra dolis? O di...
30. Part 30Cap^m. x. Sperne malos, cole prudentes, compesce rebelles, Da miseris, sontes respue, parce reis. Quicquid agas, vicio numquam mergatur honestum; Fama lucro, rebus preficiatur o...
31. Part 31Cap^m. xviii. ~Regia maiestas veneracior est super omnes,~ ~Dum probus in regno rex regit acta suo.~ 1160 ~Ipse deum primo placat, populique secundo~ ~Corda trahit, mundum sic h...
32. Part 32Cap^m. ii. Heu! quid opes opibus cumulat qui propria querit, Cum se nemo queat appropriare sibi? Nil possessus habet, quia quisquis habetur habere Nulla potest; se non possidet,...
33. Part 33Cap^m. vi. O si vera loquar, quicquid sibi mundus iniqum Gestat, homo solus est magis inde reus. 510 Scripta docent Genesis, primo cum conditor orbem Fecerat, hec dicens ipse cr...
34. Part 34Cap^m. xviii. Iustus et iniustus per mortem transit vterque, Terraque sorte pari corpus vtrumque vorat: Disparilis meriti restat tamen exitus horum, Est nam leta bonis mors et a...
35. Part 35=Hic loquitur qualiter ea que in hoc presenti libello quasi sompniando de mundi scripsit erroribus, non ex se tantum, set ex plebis voce communi concepit. Consulit tamen finalit...
36. Part 36=Hic in Secunda parte Cronice declarat qualiter rex, sub vmbra ficte concordie pacem dissimilans, tres proceres predictos dolose circumuenit; ita quod vnum ex istis iugulari, al...
37. Part 37O DOLOR in mente, set prothdolor ore loquente! [Sidenote: In hac secunda parte cronice compositor primo ea que post sequntur dolorosa infortunia doloroso corde deplangit.] Heuqu...
38. Part 38=Hic in tercia parte Cronice finaliter scribit qualiter rex antedictus, vtroque dei et hominum iure postposito, Strenuissimum Principem Dominum Henricum, tunc Derbeie[704] Comit...
39. Part 39[Sidenote: Hic in tercia parte cronice compositor in principio finem premeditans sub spe glorie future letatur.] TRISTIA post leta, post tristia sepe quieta, Si bene pensemus, s...
40. Part 40~Cronica Ricardi, qui sceptra tulit leopardi,~[732] [Sidenote: Hic in exemplum aliorum Ricardi demerita commemorans finaliter recapitulat.[731]] ~Vt patet, est dicta populo set...
41. Part 41Sunt duo cognati viciorum consociati, Orbem qui ledunt pariter, nec ab orbe recedunt: Iste fidem raram periurat, et alter auaram Causam custodit; socios tales deus odit. Primo p...
42. Part 42O deus immense, sub quo dominantur in ense Quidam morosi Reges, quidam viciosi, Disparibus meritis sic pax sic mocio litis Publica regnorum manifestant gesta suorum: Quicquid de...
43. Part 43Cap. ix. _Heading_, l. 3. It seems to be implied that the jay, which must often have been kept as a cage-bird and taught to talk, was commonly called ‘Wat,’ as the daw was calle...
44. Part 44957 ff. It seems best to take what follows as, in part at least, a dialogue between the author and the representative of the pope, who has just spoken. Soon however the speech p...
45. Part 45556. The neglect of the burden of a charge, while the honour of it is retained, is a constant theme of denunciation by our author: cp. iii. 116, and below, ll. 655 ff.
46. Part 461. Take the first letter of ‘mundus’ and add to it C three times repeated and six periods of five years, plus ten times five and seven. The date thus indicated is MCCC + 30 + 57...
47. Part 47310. _verbalis ... non iudicialis._ This appears to mean that the proceedings were confined to a recital of the circumstances connected with the deposition of Richard, and that...
48. Part 48_Aurora_ (of Peter Riga) referred to, i. 1019, 1695 ff., ii. 377, iii. 85, 167, 425, 531, 1077, 1118, 1145 ff., 1587, 1693, 1791 ff., 1853-1911, 1999-2035, iv. 305, 1059, v. 693...
49. Part 49