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Mi Sone； if that thou wistest al；
What Cheste doth in special
To love and to his welwillinge；
Thou woldest flen his knowlechinge 600
And lerne to be debonaire。
For who that most can speke faire
Is most acordende unto love：
Fair speche hath ofte brought above
Ful many a man； as it is knowe；
Which elles scholde have be riht lowe
And failed mochel of his wille。
Forthi hold thou thi tunge stille
And let thi witt thi wille areste；
So that thou falle noght in Cheste； 610
Which is the source of gret destance：
And tak into thi remembrance
If thou miht gete pacience；
Which is the leche of alle offence；
As tellen ous these olde wise：
For whan noght elles mai suffise
Be strengthe ne be mannes wit；
Than pacience it oversit
And overcomth it ate laste；
Bot he mai nevere longe laste； 620
Which wol noght bowe er that he breke。
Tak hiede； Sone； of that I speke。
Mi fader； of your goodli speche
And of the witt which ye me teche
I thonke you with al myn herte：
For that world schal me nevere asterte；
That I ne schal your wordes holde；
Of Pacience as ye me tolde；
Als ferforth as myn herte thenketh；
And of my wraththe it me forthenketh。 630
Bot； fader； if ye forth withal
Som good ensample in special
Me wolden telle of som Cronique；
It scholde wel myn herte like
Of pacience forto hiere；
So that I mihte in mi matiere
The more unto my love obeie
And puten mi desese aweie。
Mi Sone； a man to beie him pes
Behoveth soffre as Socrates 640
Ensample lefte； which is write：
And for thou schalt the sothe wite；
Of this ensample what I mene；
Althogh it be now litel sene
Among the men thilke evidence；
Yit he was upon pacience
So sett； that he himself assaie
In thing which mihte him most mispaie
Desireth； and a wickid wif
He weddeth； which in sorwe and strif 650
Ayein his ese was contraire。
Bot he spak evere softe and faire；
Til it befell； as it is told；
In wynter； whan the dai is cold；
This wif was fro the welle come；
Wher that a pot with water nome
Sche hath； and broghte it into house；
And sih how that hire seli spouse
Was sett and loked on a bok
Nyh to the fyr； as he which tok 660
His ese for a man of age。
And sche began the wode rage；
And axeth him what devel he thoghte；
And bar on hond that him ne roghte
What labour that sche toke on honde；
And seith that such an Housebonde
Was to a wif noght worth a Stre。
He seide nowther nay ne ye；
Bot hield him stille and let hire chyde；
And sche； which mai hirself noght hyde； 670
Began withinne forto swelle；
And that sche broghte in fro the welle；
The waterpot sche hente alofte
And bad him speke； and he al softe
Sat stille and noght a word ansuerde；
And sche was wroth that he so ferde；
And axeth him if he be ded；
And al the water on his hed
Sche pourede oute and bad awake。
Bot he； which wolde noght forsake 680
His Pacience； thanne spak；
And seide how that he fond no lak
In nothing which sche hadde do：
For it was wynter time tho；
And wynter； as be weie of kinde
Which stormy is； as men it finde；
Ferst makth the wyndes forto blowe；
And after that withinne a throwe
He reyneth and the watergates
Undoth； 〃and thus my wif algates； 690
Which is with reson wel besein；
Hath mad me bothe wynd and rein
After the Sesoun of the yer。〃
And thanne he sette him nerr the fer；
And as he mihte hise clothes dreide；
That he nomore o word ne seide；
Wherof he gat him somdel reste；
For that him thoghte was the beste。
I not if thilke ensample yit
Acordeth with a mannes wit； 700
To soffre as Socrates tho dede：
And if it falle in eny stede
A man to lese so his galle；
Him oghte among the wommen alle
In loves Court be juggement
The name bere of Pacient；
To yive ensample to the goode
Of pacience how that it stode；
That othre men it mihte knowe。
And； Sone； if thou at eny throwe 710
Be tempted ayein Pacience；
Tak hiede upon this evidence；
It schal per cas the lasse grieve。
Mi fader； so as I believe；
Of that schal be no maner nede；
For I wol take so good hiede；
That er I falle in such assai；
I thenke eschuie it； if I mai。
Bot if ther be oght elles more
Wherof I mihte take lore； 720
I preie you； so as I dar；
Now telleth； that I mai be war；
Som other tale in this matiere。
Sone； it is evere good to lere；
Wherof thou miht thi word restreigne；
Er that thou falle in eny peine。
For who that can no conseil hyde；
He mai noght faile of wo beside；
Which schal befalle er he it wite；
As I finde in the bokes write。 730
Yit cam ther nevere good of strif；
To seche in all a mannes lif：
Thogh it beginne on pure game；
Fulofte it torneth into grame
And doth grevance upon som side。
Wherof the grete Clerk Ovide
After the lawe which was tho
Of Jupiter and of Juno
Makth in his bokes mencioun
How thei felle at dissencioun 740
In manere as it were a borde；
As thei begunne forto worde
Among hemself in privete：
And that was upon this degree；
Which of the tuo more amorous is；
Or man or wif。 And upon this
Thei mihten noght acorde in on；
And toke a jugge therupon；
Which cleped is Tiresias；
And bede him demen in the cas； 750
And he withoute avisement
Ayein Juno yaf juggement。
This goddesse upon his ansuere
Was wroth and wolde noght forbere；
Bot tok awey for everemo
The liht fro bothe hise yhen tuo。
Whan Jupiter this harm hath sein；
An other bienfait therayein
He yaf； and such a grace him doth；
That for he wiste he seide soth； 760
A Sothseiere he was for evere：
Bot yit that other were levere；
Have had the lokinge of his yhe；
Than of his word the prophecie；
Bot how so that the sothe wente；
Strif was the cause of that he hente
So gret a peine bodily。
Mi Sone； be thou war ther by；
And hold thi tunge stille clos：
For who that hath his word desclos 770
Er that he wite what he mene；
He is fulofte nyh his tene
And lest ful many time grace；
Wher that he wolde his thonk pourchace。
And over this； my Sone diere；
Of othre men； if thou miht hiere
In privete what thei have wroght；
Hold conseil and descoevere it noght；
For Cheste can no conseil hele；
Or be it wo or be it wele： 780
And tak a tale into thi mynde；
The which of olde ensample I finde。
Phebus； which makth the daies lihte；
A love he hadde； which tho hihte
Cornide； whom aboven alle
He pleseth： bot what schal befalle
Of love ther is noman knoweth；
Bot as fortune hire happes throweth。
So it befell upon a chaunce；
A yong kniht tok hire aqueintance 790
And hadde of hire al that he wolde：
Bot a fals bridd； which sche hath holde
And kept in chambre of pure yowthe；
Discoevereth all that evere he cowthe。
This briddes name was as tho
Corvus； the which was thanne also
Welmore whyt than eny Swan；
And he that schrewe al that he can
Of his ladi to Phebus seide；
And he for wraththe his swerd outbreide； 800
With which Cornide anon he slowh。
Bot after him was wo ynowh；
And tok a full gret repentance；
Wherof in tokne and remembrance
Of hem whiche usen wicke speche；
Upon this bridd he tok this wreche；
That ther he was snow whyt tofore；
Evere afterward colblak therfore
He was transformed； as it scheweth；
And many a man yit him beschreweth； 810
And clepen him into this day
A Raven； be whom yit men mai
Take evidence； whan he crieth；
That som mishapp it signefieth。
Be war therfore and sei the beste；
If thou wolt be thiself in reste；
Mi goode Sone； as I the rede。
For in an other place I rede
Of thilke Nimphe which Laar hihte：
For sche the privete be nyhte； 820
How Jupiter lay be Jutorne；
Hath told； god made hire overtorne：
Hire tunge he kutte； and into helle
For evere he sende hir forto duelle；
As sche that was noght worthi hiere
To ben of love a Chamberere；
For sche no conseil cowthe hele。
And suche adaies be now fele
In loves Court； as it is seid；
That lete here tunges gon unteid。 830
Mi Sone； be thou non of tho；
To jangle and telle tales so；
And namely that thou ne chyde；
For Cheste can no conseil hide；
For Wraththe seide nevere wel。
Mi fader； soth is everydel
That ye me teche； and I wol holde
The reule to which I am holde；
To fle the Cheste； as ye me bidde；
For wel is him that nevere chidde。 840
Now tell me forth if ther be more
As touchende unto Wraththes lore。
Of Wraththe yit t