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Here berdes weren hore and whyte；
Ther was of kinde bot a lite；
That thei ne semen fulli dede。
Thei comen to the kyng and bede
Som of his good par charite；
And he with gret humilite 2050
Out of his Char to grounde lepte；
And hem in bothe hise armes kepte
And keste hem bothe fot and hond
Before the lordes of his lond；
And yaf hem of his good therto：
And whanne he hath this dede do；
He goth into his char ayein。
Tho was Murmur； tho was desdeign；
Tho was compleignte on every side；
Thei seiden of here oghne Pride 2060
Eche until othre： 〃What is this？
Oure king hath do this thing amis；
So to abesse his realte
That every man it myhte se；
And humbled him in such a wise
To hem that were of non emprise。〃
Thus was it spoken to and fro
Of hem that were with him tho
Al prively behinde his bak；
Bot to himselven noman spak。 2070
The kinges brother in presence
Was thilke time； and gret offence
He tok therof； and was the same
Above alle othre which most blame
Upon his liege lord hath leid；
And hath unto the lordes seid；
Anon as he mai time finde；
Ther schal nothing be left behinde；
That he wol speke unto the king。
Now lest what fell upon this thing。 2080
The day was merie and fair ynowh；
Echon with othre pleide and lowh；
And fellen into tales newe；
How that the freisshe floures grewe；
And how the grene leves spronge；
And how that love among the yonge
Began the hertes thanne awake；
And every bridd hath chose hire make：
And thus the Maies day to thende
Thei lede； and hom ayein thei wende。 2090
The king was noght so sone come；
That whanne he hadde his chambre nome；
His brother ne was redi there；
And broghte a tale unto his Ere
Of that he dede such a schame
In hindringe of his oghne name；
Whan he himself so wolde drecche；
That to so vil a povere wrecche
Him deigneth schewe such simplesce
Ayein thastat of his noblesce： 2100
And seith he schal it nomor use；
And that he mot himself excuse
Toward hise lordes everychon。
The king stod stille as eny ston；
And to his tale an Ere he leide；
And thoghte more than he seide：
Bot natheles to that he herde
Wel cortaisly the king answerde；
And tolde it scholde be amended。
And thus whan that her tale is ended； 2110
Al redy was the bord and cloth；
The king unto his Souper goth
Among the lordes to the halle；
And whan thei hadden souped alle；
Thei token leve and forth thei go。
The king bethoghte himselve tho
How he his brother mai chastie；
That he thurgh his Surquiderie
Tok upon honde to despreise
Humilite； which is to preise； 2120
And therupon yaf such conseil
Toward his king that was noght heil；
Wherof to be the betre lered；
He thenkth to maken him afered。
It fell so that in thilke dawe
Ther was ordeined be the lawe
A trompe with a sterne breth；
Which cleped was the Trompe of deth：
And in the Court wher the king was
A certein man this Trompe of bras 2130
Hath in kepinge； and therof serveth；
That whan a lord his deth deserveth；
He schal this dredful trompe blowe
Tofore his gate； and make it knowe
How that the jugement is yove
Of deth； which schal noght be foryove。
The king； whan it was nyht； anon
This man asente and bad him gon
To trompen at his brother gate；
And he； which mot so don algate； 2140
Goth forth and doth the kynges heste。
This lord； which herde of this tempeste
That he tofore his gate blew；
Tho wiste he be the lawe and knew
That he was sikerliche ded：
And as of help he wot no red；
Bot sende for hise frendes alle
And tolde hem how it is befalle。
And thei him axe cause why；
Bot he the sothe noght forthi 2150
Ne wiste； and ther was sorwe tho：
For it stod thilke tyme so；
This trompe was of such sentence；
That therayein no resistence
Thei couthe ordeine be no weie；
That he ne mot algate deie；
Bot if so that he may pourchace
To gete his liege lordes grace。
Here wittes therupon thei caste；
And ben apointed ate laste。 2160
This lord a worthi ladi hadde
Unto his wif； which also dradde
Hire lordes deth； and children five
Betwen hem two thei hadde alyve；
That weren yonge and tendre of age；
And of stature and of visage
Riht faire and lusty on to se。
Tho casten thei that he and sche
Forth with here children on the morwe；
As thei that were full of sorwe； 2170
Al naked bot of smok and scherte；
To tendre with the kynges herte；
His grace scholden go to seche
And pardoun of the deth beseche。
Thus passen thei that wofull nyht；
And erly； whan thei sihe it lyht；
Thei gon hem forth in such a wise
As thou tofore hast herd devise；
Al naked bot here schortes one。
Thei wepte and made mochel mone； 2180
Here Her hangende aboute here Eres；
With sobbinge and with sory teres
This lord goth thanne an humble pas；
That whilom proud and noble was；
Wherof the Cite sore afflyhte；
Of hem that sihen thilke syhte：
And natheless al openly
With such wepinge and with such cri
Forth with hise children and his wif
He goth to preie for his lif。 2190
Unto the court whan thei be come；
And men therinne have hiede nome；
Ther was no wiht； if he hem syhe；
Fro water mihte kepe his yhe
For sorwe which thei maden tho。
The king supposeth of this wo；
And feigneth as he noght ne wiste；
Bot natheles at his upriste
Men tolden him how that it ferde：
And whan that he this wonder herde； 2200
In haste he goth into the halle；
And alle at ones doun thei falle；
If eny pite may be founde。
The king； which seth hem go to grounde；
Hath axed hem what is the fere；
Why thei be so despuiled there。
His brother seide： 〃Ha lord； mercy！
I wot non other cause why；
Bot only that this nyht ful late
The trompe of deth was at my gate 2210
In tokne that I scholde deie；
Thus be we come forto preie
That ye mi worldes deth respite。〃
〃Ha fol； how thou art forto wyte；〃
The king unto his brother seith；
〃That thou art of so litel feith；
That only for a trompes soun
Hast gon despuiled thurgh the toun；
Thou and thi wif in such manere
Forth with thi children that ben here； 2220
In sihte of alle men aboute；
For that thou seist thou art in doute
Of deth； which stant under the lawe
Of man； and man it mai withdrawe；
So that it mai par chance faile。
Now schalt thou noght forthi mervaile
That I doun fro my Charr alihte；
Whanne I behield tofore my sihte
In hem that were of so grete age
Min oghne deth thurgh here ymage； 2230
Which god hath set be lawe of kynde；
Wherof I mai no bote finde：
For wel I wot； such as thei be；
Riht such am I in my degree；
Of fleissh and blod； and so schal deie。
And thus； thogh I that lawe obeie
Of which the kinges ben put under；
It oghte ben wel lasse wonder
Than thou； which art withoute nede
For lawe of londe in such a drede； 2240
Which for tacompte is bot a jape；
As thing which thou miht overscape。
Forthi； mi brother； after this
I rede； sithen that so is
That thou canst drede a man so sore；
Dred god with al thin herte more：
For al schal deie and al schal passe；
Als wel a Leoun as an asse；
Als wel a beggere as a lord；
Towardes deth in on acord 2250
Thei schullen stonde。〃 And in this wise
The king hath with hise wordes wise
His brother tawht and al foryive。
Forthi； mi Sone； if thou wolt live
In vertu； thou most vice eschuie；
And with low herte humblesce suie；
So that thou be noght surquidous。
Mi fader； I am amorous；
Wherof I wolde you beseche
That ye me som ensample teche； 2260
Which mihte in loves cause stonde。
Mi Sone； thou schalt understonde；
In love and othre thinges alle
If that Surquiderie falle；
It may to him noght wel betide
Which useth thilke vice of Pride；
Which torneth wisdom to wenynge
And Sothfastnesse into lesynge
Thurgh fol ymaginacion。
And for thin enformacion； 2270
That thou this vice as I the rede
Eschuie schalt； a tale I rede；
Which fell whilom be daies olde；
So as the clerk Ovide tolde。
Ther was whilom a lordes Sone；
Which of his Pride a nyce wone
Hath cawht； that worthi to his liche；
To sechen al the worldes riche；
Ther was no womman forto love。
So hihe he sette himselve above 2280
Of stature and of beaute bothe；
That him thoghte alle wommen lothe：
So was ther no comparisoun
As toward his condicioun。
This yonge lord Narcizus hihte：
No strengthe of love bowe mihte
His herte； whic