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A mannes thoght withoute speche
God wot； and yit that men beseche
His will is； for withoute bedes
He doth his grace in fewe stedes：
And what man that foryet himselve；
Among a thousand be noght tuelve； 720
That wol him take in remembraunce；
Bot lete him falle and take his chaunce。
Forthi pull up a besi herte；
Mi Sone； and let nothing asterte
Of love fro thi besinesse：
For touchinge of foryetelnesse；
Which many a love hath set behinde；
A tale of gret ensample I finde；
Wherof it is pite to wite
In the manere as it is write。 730
King Demephon； whan he be Schipe
To Troieward with felaschipe
Sailende goth； upon his weie
It hapneth him at Rodopeie；
As Eolus him hadde blowe；
To londe； and rested for a throwe。
And fell that ilke time thus；
The dowhter of Ligurgius；
Which qweene was of the contre；
Was sojournende in that Cite 740
Withinne a Castell nyh the stronde；
Wher Demephon cam up to londe。
Phillis sche hihte； and of yong age
And of stature and of visage
Sche hadde al that hire best besemeth。
Of Demephon riht wel hire qwemeth；
Whan he was come； and made him chiere；
And he； that was of his manere
A lusti knyht； ne myhte asterte
That he ne sette on hire his herte； 750
So that withinne a day or tuo
He thoghte； how evere that it go；
He wolde assaie the fortune；
And gan his herte to commune
With goodly wordes in hire Ere；
And forto put hire out of fere；
He swor and hath his trowthe pliht
To be for evere hire oghne knyht。
And thus with hire he stille abod；
Ther while his Schip on Anker rod； 760
And hadde ynowh of time and space
To speke of love and seche grace。
This ladi herde al that he seide；
And hou he swor and hou he preide；
Which was as an enchantement
To hire； that was innocent：
As thogh it were trowthe and feith；
Sche lieveth al that evere he seith；
And as hire infortune scholde；
Sche granteth him al that he wolde。 770
Thus was he for the time in joie；
Til that he scholde go to Troie；
Bot tho sche made mochel sorwe；
And he his trowthe leith to borwe
To come； if that he live may；
Ayein withinne a Monthe day；
And therupon thei kisten bothe：
Bot were hem lieve or were hem lothe；
To Schipe he goth and forth he wente
To Troie； as was his ferste entente。 780
The daies gon； the Monthe passeth；
Hire love encresceth and his lasseth；
For him sche lefte slep and mete；
And he his time hath al foryete；
So that this wofull yonge qweene；
Which wot noght what it mihte meene；
A lettre sende and preide him come；
And seith how sche is overcome
With strengthe of love in such a wise；
That sche noght longe mai suffise 790
To liven out of his presence；
And putte upon his conscience
The trowthe which he hath behote；
Wherof sche loveth him so hote；
Sche seith； that if he lengere lette
Of such a day as sche him sette；
Sche scholde sterven in his Slowthe；
Which were a schame unto his trowthe。
This lettre is forth upon hire sonde；
Wherof somdiel confort on honde 800
Sche tok； as she that wolde abide
And waite upon that ilke tyde
Which sche hath in hire lettre write。
Bot now is pite forto wite；
As he dede erst； so he foryat
His time eftsone and oversat。
Bot sche； which mihte noght do so；
The tyde awayteth everemo；
And caste hire yhe upon the See：
Somtime nay； somtime yee； 810
Somtime he cam； somtime noght；
Thus sche desputeth in hire thoght
And wot noght what sche thenke mai；
Bot fastende al the longe day
Sche was into the derke nyht；
And tho sche hath do set up lyht
In a lanterne on hih alofte
Upon a Tour； wher sche goth ofte；
In hope that in his cominge
He scholde se the liht brenninge； 820
Wherof he mihte his weies rihte
To come wher sche was be nyhte。
Bot al for noght； sche was deceived；
For Venus hath hire hope weyved；
And schewede hire upon the Sky
How that the day was faste by；
So that withinne a litel throwe
The daies lyht sche mihte knowe。
Tho sche behield the See at large；
And whan sche sih ther was no barge 830
Ne Schip； als ferr as sche may kenne；
Doun fro the Tour sche gan to renne
Into an Herber all hire one；
Wher many a wonder woful mone
Sche made； that no lif it wiste；
As sche which all hire joie miste；
That now sche swouneth； now sche pleigneth；
And al hire face sche desteigneth
With teres； whiche； as of a welle
The stremes； from hire yhen felle； 840
So as sche mihte and evere in on
Sche clepede upon Demephon；
And seide； 〃Helas； thou slowe wiht；
Wher was ther evere such a knyht；
That so thurgh his ungentilesce
Of Slowthe and of foryetelnesse
Ayein his trowthe brak his stevene？〃
And tho hire yhe up to the hevene
Sche caste； and seide； 〃O thou unkinde；
Hier schalt thou thurgh thi Slowthe finde； 850
If that thee list to come and se；
A ladi ded for love of thee；
So as I schal myselve spille；
Whom； if it hadde be thi wille；
Thou mihtest save wel ynowh。〃
With that upon a grene bowh
A Ceinte of Selk； which sche ther hadde；
Sche knette； and so hireself sche ladde；
That sche aboute hire whyte swere
It dede； and hyng hirselven there。 860
Wherof the goddes were amoeved；
And Demephon was so reproeved；
That of the goddes providence
Was schape such an evidence
Evere afterward ayein the slowe；
That Phillis in the same throwe
Was schape into a Notetre；
That alle men it mihte se；
And after Phillis Philliberd
This tre was cleped in the yerd； 870
And yit for Demephon to schame
Into this dai it berth the name。
This wofull chance how that it ferde
Anon as Demephon it herde；
And every man it hadde in speche；
His sorwe was noght tho to seche；
He gan his Slowthe forto banne；
Bot it was al to late thanne。
Lo thus； my Sone； miht thou wite
Ayein this vice how it is write； 880
For noman mai the harmes gesse；
That fallen thurgh foryetelnesse；
Wherof that I thi schrifte have herd。
Bot yit of Slowthe hou it hath ferd
In other wise I thenke oppose；
If thou have gult； as I suppose。
Fulfild of Slowthes essamplaire
Ther is yit on； his Secretaire；
And he is cleped Negligence：
Which wol noght loke his evidence； 890
Wherof he mai be war tofore；
Bot whanne he hath his cause lore；
Thanne is he wys after the hond：
Whanne helpe may no maner bond；
Thanne ate ferste wolde he binde：
Thus everemore he stant behinde。
Whanne he the thing mai noght amende；
Thanne is he war； and seith at ende；
〃Ha； wolde god I hadde knowe＇〃
Wherof bejaped with a mowe 900
He goth； for whan the grete Stiede
Is stole； thanne he taketh hiede；
And makth the stable dore fast：
Thus evere he pleith an aftercast
Of al that he schal seie or do。
He hath a manere eke also；
Him list noght lerne to be wys；
For he set of no vertu pris
Bot as him liketh for the while；
So fieleth he fulofte guile； 910
Whan that he weneth siker stonde。
And thus thou miht wel understonde；
Mi Sone； if thou art such in love；
Thou miht noght come at thin above
Of that thou woldest wel achieve。
Mi holi fader； as I lieve；
I mai wel with sauf conscience
Excuse me of necgligence
Towardes love in alle wise：
For thogh I be non of the wise； 920
I am so trewly amerous；
That I am evere curious
Of hem that conne best enforme
To knowe and witen al the forme；
What falleth unto loves craft。
Bot yit ne fond I noght the haft；
Which mihte unto that bladd acorde；
For nevere herde I man recorde
What thing it is that myhte availe
To winne love withoute faile。 930
Yit so fer cowthe I nevere finde
Man that be resoun ne be kinde
Me cowthe teche such an art；
That he ne failede of a part；
And as toward myn oghne wit；
Controeve cowthe I nevere yit
To finden eny sikernesse；
That me myhte outher more or lesse
Of love make forto spede：
For lieveth wel withoute drede； 940
If that ther were such a weie；
As certeinliche as I schal deie
I hadde it lerned longe ago。
Bot I wot wel ther is non so：
And natheles it may wel be；
I am so rude in my degree
And ek mi wittes ben so dulle；
That I ne mai noght to the fulle
Atteigne to so hih a lore。
Bot this I dar seie overmore； 950
Althogh mi wit ne be noght strong；
It is noght on mi will along；
For that is besi nyht and day
To lerne al that he lerne may；
How that I mihte love winne：
Bot yit I am as to beginne
Of that I wolde make an ende；
And for I not h