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This was the wise ecclesiaste；
The fame of whom schal evere laste；
That he the myhti god forsok；
Ayein the lawe whanne he tok
His wyves and his concubines
Of hem that weren Sarazines；
For whiche he dede ydolatrie。
For this I rede of his sotie：
Sche of Sidoyne so him ladde；
That he knelende his armes spradde 4500
To Astrathen with gret humblesse；
Which of hire lond was the goddesse：
And sche that was a Moabite
So ferforth made him to delite
Thurgh lust； which al his wit devoureth；
That he Chamos hire god honoureth。
An other Amonyte also
With love him hath assoted so；
Hire god Moloch that with encense
He sacreth； and doth reverence 4510
In such a wise as sche him bad。
Thus was the wiseste overlad
With blinde lustes whiche he soghte；
Bot he it afterward aboghte。
For Achias Selonites；
Which was prophete； er his decess；
Whil he was in hise lustes alle；
Betokneth what schal after falle。
For on a day； whan that he mette
Jeroboam the knyht； he grette 4520
And bad him that he scholde abyde；
To hiere what him schal betyde。
And forth withal Achias caste
His mantell of； and also faste
He kut it into pieces twelve；
Wherof tuo partz toward himselve
He kepte； and al the remenant；
As god hath set his covenant；
He tok unto Jeroboas；
Of Nabal which the Sone was； 4530
And of the kinges court a knyht：
And seide him； 〃Such is goddes myht；
As thou hast sen departed hiere
Mi mantell； riht in such manere
After the deth of Salomon
God hath ordeigned therupon；
This regne thanne he schal divide：
Which time thou schalt ek abide；
And upon that division
The regne as in proporcion 4540
As thou hast of mi mantell take；
Thou schalt receive； I undertake。
And thus the Sone schal abie
The lustes and the lecherie
Of him which nou his fader is。〃
So forto taken hiede of this；
It sit a king wel to be chaste；
For elles he mai lihtly waste
Himself and ek his regne bothe；
And that oghte every king to lothe。 4550
O； which a Senne violent；
Wherof so wys a king was schent；
That the vengance in his persone
Was noght ynouh to take al one；
Bot afterward； whan he was passed；
It hath his heritage lassed；
As I more openli tofore
The tale tolde。 And thus therfore
The Philosophre upon this thing
Writ and conseileth to a king； 4560
That he the surfet of luxure
Schal tempre and reule of such mesure；
Which be to kinde sufficant
And ek to reson acordant；
So that the lustes ignorance
Be cause of no misgovernance；
Thurgh which that he be overthrowe；
As he that wol no reson knowe。
For bot a mannes wit be swerved；
Whan kinde is dueliche served； 4570
It oghte of reson to suffise；
For if it falle him otherwise；
He mai tho lustes sore drede。
For of Anthonie thus I rede；
Which of Severus was the Sone；
That he his lif of comun wone
Yaf holy unto thilke vice；
And ofte time he was so nyce；
Wherof nature hire hath compleigned
Unto the god； which hath desdeigned 4580
The werkes whiche Antonie wroghte
Of lust； whiche he ful sore aboghte：
For god his forfet hath so wroke
That in Cronique it is yit spoke。
Bot forto take remembrance
Of special misgovernance
Thurgh covoitise and injustice
Forth with the remenant of vice；
And nameliche of lecherie；
I finde write a gret partie 4590
Withinne a tale； as thou schalt hiere；
Which is thensample of this matiere。
So as these olde gestes sein；
The proude tirannyssh Romein
Tarquinus； which was thanne king
And wroghte many a wrongful thing；
Of Sones hadde manyon；
Among the whiche Arrons was on；
Lich to his fader of maneres；
So that withinne a fewe yeres 4600
With tresoun and with tirannie
Thei wonne of lond a gret partie；
And token hiede of no justice；
Which due was to here office
Upon the reule of governance；
Bot al that evere was plesance
Unto the fleisshes lust thei toke。
And fell so； that thei undertoke
A werre； which was noght achieved；
Bot ofte time it hadde hem grieved； 4610
Ayein a folk which thanne hihte
The Gabiens： and al be nyhte
This Arrons； whan he was at hom
In Rome； a prive place he nom
Withinne a chambre； and bet himselve
And made him woundes ten or tuelve
Upon the bak； as it was sene；
And so forth with hise hurtes grene
In al the haste that he may
He rod； and cam that other day 4620
Unto Gabie the Cite；
And in he wente： and whan that he
Was knowe； anon the gates schette；
The lordes alle upon him sette
With drawe swerdes upon honde。
This Arrons wolde hem noght withstonde；
Bot seide； 〃I am hier at your wille；
Als lief it is that ye me spille；
As if myn oghne fader dede。〃
And forthwith in the same stede 4630
He preide hem that thei wolde se；
And schewede hem in what degre
His fader and hise brethren bothe；
Whiche； as he seide； weren wrothe；
Him hadde beten and reviled；
For evere and out of Rome exiled。
And thus he made hem to believe；
And seide； if that he myhte achieve
His pourpos； it schal wel be yolde；
Be so that thei him helpe wolde。 4640
Whan that the lordes hadde sein
Hou wofully he was besein；
Thei token Pite of his grief；
Bot yit it was hem wonder lief
That Rome him hadde exiled so。
These Gabiens be conseil tho
Upon the goddes made him swere；
That he to hem schal trouthe bere
And strengthen hem with al his myht；
And thei also him have behiht 4650
To helpen him in his querele。
Thei schopen thanne for his hele
That he was bathed and enoignt；
Til that he was in lusti point；
And what he wolde thanne he hadde；
That he al hol the cite ladde
Riht as he wolde himself divise。
And thanne he thoghte him in what wise
He myhte his tirannie schewe；
And to his conseil tok a schrewe； 4660
Whom to his fader forth he sente
In his message； and he tho wente；
And preide his fader forto seie
Be his avis； and finde a weie；
Hou they the cite myhten winne；
Whil that he stod so wel therinne。
And whan the messager was come
To Rome； and hath in conseil nome
The king； it fell per chance so
That thei were in a gardin tho； 4670
This messager forth with the king。
And whanne he hadde told the thing
In what manere that it stod；
And that Tarquinus understod
Be the message hou that it ferde；
Anon he tok in honde a yerde；
And in the gardin as thei gon；
The lilie croppes on and on；
Wher that thei weren sprongen oute；
He smot of； as thei stode aboute； 4680
And seide unto the messager：
〃Lo； this thing； which I do nou hier；
Schal ben in stede of thin ansuere；
And in this wise as I me bere；
Thou schalt unto mi Sone telle。〃
And he no lengere wolde duelle；
Bot tok his leve and goth withal
Unto his lord； and told him al；
Hou that his fader hadde do。
Whan Arrons herde him telle so； 4690
Anon he wiste what it mente；
And therto sette al his entente；
Til he thurgh fraude and tricherie
The Princes hefdes of Gabie
Hath smiten of； and al was wonne：
His fader cam tofore the Sonne
Into the toun with the Romeins；
And tok and slowh the citezeins
Withoute reson or pite；
That he ne spareth no degre。 4700
And for the sped of this conqueste
He let do make a riche feste
With a sollempne Sacrifise
In Phebus temple； and in this wise
Whan the Romeins assembled were；
In presence of hem alle there；
Upon thalter whan al was diht
And that the fyres were alyht；
From under thalter sodeinly
An hidous Serpent openly 4710
Cam out and hath devoured al
The Sacrifice； and ek withal
The fyres queynt； and forth anon；
So as he cam； so is he gon
Into the depe ground ayein。
And every man began to sein；
〃Ha lord； what mai this signefie？〃
And therupon thei preie and crie
To Phebus； that thei mihten knowe
The cause： and he the same throwe 4720
With gastly vois； that alle it herde；
The Romeins in this wise ansuerde；
And seide hou for the wikkidnesse
Of Pride and of unrihtwisnesse；
That Tarquin and his Sone hath do；
The Sacrifice is wasted so；
Which myhte noght ben acceptable
Upon such Senne abhominable。
And over that yit he hem wisseth；
And seith that which of hem ferst kisseth 4730
His moder； he schal take wrieche
Upon the wrong： and of that speche
Thei ben withinne here hertes glade；
Thogh thei outward no semblant made。
Ther was a knyht which Brutus hihte；
And he with al the haste he myhte
To grounde fell and therthe kiste；
Bot non of hem the