19 The gees for fere flowen over the trees; Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and pouped, 23 And therwithal they shryked and they houped;24 580 It semed as that heven sholde falle. Now, gode men, I pray yow herkneth alle! Lo, how fortune turneth sodeinly The hope and pryde eek of hir enemy! This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak, 585 In al his drede, un-to the fox he spak, And seyde, "sire, if that I were as ye, Yet sholde I seyn (as wis25 god helpe me), 'Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle! A verray pestilence up-on yow falle! Now am I come un-to this wodes syde, Maugree your heed,26 the cok shal heer abyde; 590 9 615 620 Lo, swich it is for to be recchelees, And necligent, and truste on flaterye. But ye that holden this tale a folye,10 As of a fox, or of a cok and hen, Taketh the moralitee, good men. For seint Paul seith, that al that writen is, Toll our doctryne12 it is y-write, y-wis. Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille. Now, gode god, if that it be thy wille, As seith my lord, so make us alle good men; And bringe us to his heighe blisse. Amen. O glotonye, ful of cursednesse, Lo, how dere, shortly for to sayn, 175 Adam our fader, and his wyf also, Fro Paradys to labour and to wo Were driven for that vyce, it is no drede;29 For whyl that Adam fasted, as I rede, 180 He was in Paradys; and whan that he Eet of the fruyt defended30 on the tree, Anon he was out-cast to wo and peyne. O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne!31 O, wiste a man how many maladyes Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes, He wolde been the more mesurable32 Of his diete, sittinge at his table. Allas! the shorte throte, the tendre mouth, Maketh that, Est and West, and North and South, 185 190. In erthe, in eir, in water men to-swinke33 To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drinke! 4 prosper. 8 prattles. 18 it seemed to them. 21 fruit sellers. 24 Seneca. 14 gambling. 27 wretch. 28 bought. 17 tear in pieces. 31 complain. 11 for. 18 251 Bledinge ay at his nose in dronkenesse; And now that I have spoke of glotonye, 23 265 Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn, Lordes may fynden other maner pley 305 And swere in dome,7 and eek in rightwisnesse;" But ydel swering is a cursednesse. 310 By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye, This dagger shal thurgh-out thyn herte go" This fruyt cometh of the bicched 15 bones two, Forswering, ire, falsnesse, homicyde. Thise ryotoures three, of whiche I telle, 341 "Sir," quod this boy, "it nedeth neveradel, 18 It was me told, er ye cam heer, two houres; He was, pardee, an old felawe19 of youres; And sodeynly he was yslayn to-night, 345 For-dronke,20 as he sat on his bench upright; Ther cam a privee theef, men clepeth21 Deeth, That in this contree al the peple sleeth, And with his spere he smoot his herte atwo, 349 And wente his wey with-outen wordes mo. He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence: How that the seconde heste of him is And, maister, er ye come in his presence, I trowe his habitacioun be there; By goddes dignitee, er it be night." Togidres han thise three her trouthes plight, To live and dyen ech of hem for other, 375 As though he were his owene yboren brother. And up they sterte al dronken, in this rage, And forth they goon towardes that village, Of which the taverner had spoke biforn, And many a grisly ooth than han they Ne deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf; Thus walke I, lyk a restelees caityf, 400 And on the ground, which is my modres gate, I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late, And seye, 'leve15 moder, leet me in! Lo, how I vanish, flesh, and blood, and skin! Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste? Moder, with yow wolde I change my cheste, 406 That in my chambre longe tyme hath be, Ye! for an heyre clowt 16 to wrappe me!' But yet to me she wol nat do that grace, For which ful pale and welked17 is my face. 410 aspye, 23 24 430 Tel wher he is, or thou shalt it abye,2 By god, and by the holy sacrament! For soothly thou art oon of his assent,25 To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!" "Now, sirs," quod he, "if that yow be so leef26 To finde Deeth, turne up this croked wey, For in that grove I lafte him, by my fey, Under a tree, and ther he wol abyde; 435 Nat for27 your boost28 he wol him no-thing hyde. 19 before. 1 hence. 2 servant. 3 forewarned. • born. 4 honorable. 7 seize. 15 dear. 10 bad luck to you. 14 must. of one mind. 8 protect. 9 churl. 11 art thou. 12 wrapped up. 13 looked. 16 hair cloth. 20 advice. 24 rue. 27 on account of. |