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Is that a man himself defende
Of thing which is noght to comende； 2770
Wherof ben fewe now aday。
And natheles； so as I may
Make unto thi memoire knowe；
The pointz of Slowthe thou schalt knowe。
Explicit Liber Tercius
Incipit Liber Quartus
Dicunt accidiam fore nutricem viciorum；
Torpet et in cunctis tarda que lenta bonis：
Que fieri possent hodie transfert piger in cras；
Furatoque prius ostia claudit equo。
Poscenti tardo negat emolumenta Cupido；
Set Venus in celeri ludit amore viri。
Upon the vices to procede
After the cause of mannes dede；
The ferste point of Slowthe I calle
Lachesce； and is the chief of alle；
And hath this propreliche of kinde；
To leven alle thing behinde。
Of that he mihte do now hier
He tarieth al the longe yer；
And everemore he seith； 〃Tomorwe〃；
And so he wol his time borwe； 10
And wissheth after 〃God me sende；〃
That whan he weneth have an ende；
Thanne is he ferthest to beginne。
Thus bringth he many a meschief inne
Unwar； til that he be meschieved；
And may noght thanne be relieved。
And riht so nowther mor ne lesse
It stant of love and of lachesce：
Som time he slowtheth in a day
That he nevere after gete mai。 20
Now； Sone； as of this ilke thing；
If thou have eny knowleching；
That thou to love hast don er this；
Tell on。 Mi goode fader； yis。
As of lachesce I am beknowe
That I mai stonde upon his rowe；
As I that am clad of his suite：
For whanne I thoghte mi poursuite
To make； and therto sette a day
To speke unto the swete May； 30
Lachesce bad abide yit；
And bar on hond it was no wit
Ne time forto speke as tho。
Thus with his tales to and fro
Mi time in tariinge he drowh：
Whan ther was time good ynowh；
He seide； 〃An other time is bettre；
Thou schalt mowe senden hire a lettre；
And per cas wryte more plein
Than thou be Mowthe durstest sein。〃 40
Thus have I lete time slyde
For Slowthe； and kepte noght my tide；
So that lachesce with his vice
Fulofte hath mad my wit so nyce；
That what I thoghte speke or do
With tariinge he hield me so；
Til whanne I wolde and mihte noght。
I not what thing was in my thoght；
Or it was drede； or it was schame；
Bot evere in ernest and in game 50
I wot ther is long time passed。
Bot yit is noght the love lassed；
Which I unto mi ladi have；
For thogh my tunge is slowh to crave
At alle time； as I have bede；
Min herte stant evere in o stede
And axeth besiliche grace；
The which I mai noght yit embrace。
And god wot that is malgre myn；
For this I wot riht wel a fin； 60
Mi grace comth so selde aboute；
That is the Slowthe of which I doute
Mor than of al the remenant
Which is to love appourtenant。
And thus as touchende of lachesce；
As I have told； I me confesse
To you； mi fader； and beseche
That furthermor ye wol me teche；
And if ther be to this matiere
Som goodly tale forto liere 70
How I mai do lachesce aweie；
That ye it wolden telle I preie。
To wisse thee； my Sone； and rede；
Among the tales whiche I rede；
An old ensample therupon
Now herkne； and I wol tellen on。
Ayein Lachesce in loves cas
I finde how whilom Eneas；
Whom Anchises to Sone hadde；
With gret navie； which he ladde 80
Fro Troie； aryveth at Cartage；
Wher for a while his herbergage
He tok； and it betidde so；
With hire which was qweene tho
Of the Cite his aqueintance
He wan； whos name in remembrance
Is yit； and Dido sche was hote；
Which loveth Eneas so hote
Upon the wordes whiche he seide；
That al hire herte on him sche leide 90
And dede al holi what he wolde。
Bot after that； as it be scholde；
Fro thenne he goth toward Ytaile
Be Schipe； and there his arivaile
Hath take； and schop him forto ryde。
Bot sche； which mai noght longe abide
The hote peine of loves throwe；
Anon withinne a litel throwe
A lettre unto hir kniht hath write；
And dede him pleinly forto wite； 100
If he made eny tariinge；
To drecche of his ayeincomynge；
That sche ne mihte him fiele and se；
Sche scholde stonde in such degre
As whilom stod a Swan tofore；
Of that sche hadde hire make lore；
For sorwe a fethere into hire brain
Sche schof and hath hireselve slain；
As king Menander in a lay
The sothe hath founde； wher sche lay 110
Sprantlende with hire wynges tweie；
As sche which scholde thanne deie
For love of him which was hire make。
〃And so schal I do for thi sake；〃
This qweene seide； 〃wel I wot。〃
Lo； to Enee thus sche wrot
With many an other word of pleinte：
Bot he； which hadde hise thoghtes feinte
Towardes love and full of Slowthe；
His time lette； and that was rowthe： 120
For sche； which loveth him tofore；
Desireth evere more and more；
And whan sche sih him tarie so；
Hire herte was so full of wo；
That compleignende manyfold
Sche hath hire oghne tale told；
Unto hirself and thus sche spak：
〃Ha； who fond evere such a lak
Of Slowthe in eny worthi kniht？
Now wot I wel my deth is diht 130
Thurgh him which scholde have be mi lif。〃
Bot forto stinten al this strif；
Thus whan sche sih non other bote；
Riht evene unto hire herte rote
A naked swerd anon sche threste；
And thus sche gat hireselve reste
In remembrance of alle slowe。
Wherof； my Sone； thou miht knowe
How tariinge upon the nede
In loves cause is forto drede； 140
And that hath Dido sore aboght；
Whos deth schal evere be bethoght。
And overmore if I schal seche
In this matiere an other spieche；
In a Cronique I finde write
A tale which is good to wite。
At Troie whan king Ulixes
Upon the Siege among the pres
Of hem that worthi knihtes were
Abod long time stille there； 150
In thilke time a man mai se
How goodli that Penolope；
Which was to him his trewe wif；
Of his lachesce was pleintif；
Wherof to Troie sche him sende
Hire will be lettre； thus spekende：
〃Mi worthi love and lord also；
It is and hath ben evere so；
That wher a womman is al one；
It makth a man in his persone 160
The more hardi forto wowe；
In hope that sche wolde bowe
To such thing as his wille were；
Whil that hire lord were elleswhere。
And of miself I telle this；
For it so longe passed is；
Sithe ferst than ye fro home wente；
That welnyh every man his wente
To there I am； whil ye ben oute；
Hath mad； and ech of hem aboute； 170
Which love can； my love secheth；
With gret preiere and me besecheth：
And some maken gret manace；
That if thei mihten come in place；
Wher that thei mihte here wille have；
Ther is nothing me scholde save；
That thei ne wolde werche thinges；
And some tellen me tidynges
That ye ben ded； and some sein
That certeinly ye ben besein 180
To love a newe and leve me。
Bot hou as evere that it be；
I thonke unto the goddes alle；
As yit for oght that is befalle
Mai noman do my chekes rede：
Bot natheles it is to drede；
That Lachesse in continuance
Fortune mihte such a chance；
Which noman after scholde amende。〃
Lo； thus this ladi compleignende 190
A lettre unto hire lord hath write；
And preyde him that he wolde wite
And thenke hou that sche was al his；
And that he tarie noght in this；
Bot that he wolde his love aquite；
To hire ayeinward and noght wryte；
Bot come himself in alle haste；
That he non other paper waste；
So that he kepe and holde his trowthe
Withoute lette of eny Slowthe。 200
Unto hire lord and love liege
To Troie； wher the grete Siege
Was leid； this lettre was conveied。
And he； which wisdom hath pourveied
Of al that to reson belongeth；
With gentil herte it underfongeth：
And whan he hath it overrad；
In part he was riht inly glad；
And ek in part he was desesed：
Bot love his herte hath so thorghsesed 210
With pure ymaginacioun；
That for non occupacioun
Which he can take on other side；
He mai noght flitt his herte aside
Fro that his wif him hadde enformed；
Wherof he hath himself conformed
With al the wille of his corage
To schape and take the viage
Homward； what time that he mai：
So that him thenketh of a day 220
A thousand yer； til he mai se
The visage of Penolope；
Which he desireth most of alle。
And whan the time is so befalle
That Troie was destruid and brent；
He made non delaiement；
Bot goth him home in alle hihe；
Wher that he fond tofore his yhe
His worthi wif in good astat：
And thus was cessed the debat 230
Of love； and Slowthe was excuse