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And to Cupide I make a yifte；
That who as evere pris deserve
Of armes； I wol love serve；
And thogh I scholde hem bothe kepe；
Als wel yit wolde I take kepe
Whan it were time to abide；
As forto travaile and to ryde： 1690
For how as evere a man laboure；
Cupide appointed hath his houre。
For I have herd it telle also；
Achilles lefte hise armes so
Bothe of himself and of his men
At Troie for Polixenen；
Upon hire love whanne he fell；
That for no chance that befell
Among the Grecs or up or doun；
He wolde noght ayein the toun 1700
Ben armed； for the love of hire。
And so me thenketh； lieve Sire；
A man of armes mai him reste
Somtime in hope for the beste；
If he mai finde a weie nerr。
What scholde I thanne go so ferr
In strange londes many a mile
To ryde； and lese at hom therwhile
Mi love？ It were a schort beyete
To winne chaf and lese whete。 1710
Bot if mi ladi bidde wolde；
That I for hire love scholde
Travaile； me thenkth trewely
I mihte fle thurghout the Sky；
And go thurghout the depe Se；
For al ne sette I at a stre
What thonk that I mihte elles gete。
What helpeth it a man have mete；
Wher drinke lacketh on the bord？
What helpeth eny mannes word 1720
To seie hou I travaile faste；
Wher as me faileth ate laste
That thing which I travaile fore？
O in good time were he bore；
That mihte atteigne such a mede。
Bot certes if I mihte spede
With eny maner besinesse
Of worldes travail； thanne I gesse；
Ther scholde me non ydelschipe
Departen fro hir ladischipe。 1730
Bot this I se； on daies nou
The blinde god； I wot noght hou；
Cupido； which of love is lord；
He set the thinges in discord；
That thei that lest to love entende
Fulofte he wole hem yive and sende
Most of his grace； and thus I finde
That he that scholde go behinde；
Goth many a time ferr tofore：
So wot I noght riht wel therfore； 1740
On whether bord that I schal seile。
Thus can I noght miself conseile；
Bot al I sette on aventure；
And am； as who seith； out of cure
For ought that I can seie or do：
For everemore I finde it so；
The more besinesse I leie；
The more that I knele and preie
With goode wordes and with softe；
The more I am refused ofte； 1750
With besinesse and mai noght winne。
And in good feith that is gret Sinne；
For I mai seie； of dede and thoght
That ydel man have I be noght；
For hou as evere I be deslaied；
Yit evermore I have assaied。
Bot thogh my besinesse laste；
Al is bot ydel ate laste；
For whan theffect is ydelnesse；
I not what thing is besinesse。 1760
Sei； what availeth al the dede；
Which nothing helpeth ate nede？
For the fortune of every fame
Schal of his ende bere a name。
And thus for oght is yit befalle；
An ydel man I wol me calle
As after myn entendement：
Bot upon youre amendement；
Min holi fader； as you semeth；
Mi reson and my cause demeth。 1770
Mi Sone； I have herd thi matiere；
Of that thou hast thee schriven hiere：
And forto speke of ydel fare；
Me semeth that thou tharst noght care；
Bot only that thou miht noght spede。
And therof； Sone； I wol thee rede；
Abyd； and haste noght to faste；
Thi dees ben every dai to caste；
Thou nost what chance schal betyde。
Betre is to wayte upon the tyde 1780
Than rowe ayein the stremes stronge：
For thogh so be thee thenketh longe；
Per cas the revolucion
Of hevene and thi condicion
Ne be noght yit of on acord。
Bot I dar make this record
To Venus； whos Prest that I am；
That sithen that I hidir cam
To hiere； as sche me bad； thi lif；
Wherof thou elles be gultif； 1790
Thou miht hierof thi conscience
Excuse； and of gret diligence；
Which thou to love hast so despended；
Thou oghtest wel to be comended。
Bot if so be that ther oght faile；
Of that thou slowthest to travaile
In armes forto ben absent；
And for thou makst an argument
Of that thou seidest hiere above；
Hou Achilles thurgh strengthe of love 1800
Hise armes lefte for a throwe；
Thou schalt an other tale knowe；
Which is contraire； as thou schalt wite。
For this a man mai finde write；
Whan that knyhthode schal be werred；
Lust mai noght thanne be preferred；
The bedd mot thanne be forsake
And Schield and spere on honde take；
Which thing schal make hem after glade；
Whan thei ben worthi knihtes made。 1810
Wherof； so as it comth to honde；
A tale thou schalt understonde；
Hou that a kniht schal armes suie；
And for the while his ese eschuie。
Upon knyhthode I rede thus；
How whilom whan the king Nauplus；
The fader of Palamades；
Cam forto preien Ulixes
With othre Gregois ek also；
That he with hem to Troie go； 1820
Wher that the Siege scholde be；
Anon upon Penolope
His wif； whom that he loveth hote；
Thenkende； wolde hem noght behote。
Bot he schop thanne a wonder wyle；
How that he scholde hem best beguile；
So that he mihte duelle stille
At home and welde his love at wille：
Wherof erli the morwe day
Out of his bedd； wher that he lay； 1830
Whan he was uppe； he gan to fare
Into the field and loke and stare；
As he which feigneth to be wod：
He tok a plowh； wher that it stod；
Wherinne anon in stede of Oxes
He let do yoken grete foxes；
And with gret salt the lond he siew。
But Nauplus； which the cause kniew；
Ayein the sleihte which he feigneth
An other sleihte anon ordeigneth。 1840
And fell that time Ulixes hadde
A chyld to Sone； and Nauplus radde
How men that Sone taken scholde；
And setten him upon the Molde；
Wher that his fader hield the plowh；
In thilke furgh which he tho drowh。
For in such wise he thoghte assaie；
Hou it Ulixes scholde paie；
If that he were wod or non。
The knihtes for this child forthgon； 1850
Thelamacus anon was fett；
Tofore the plowh and evene sett；
Wher that his fader scholde dryve。
Bot whan he sih his child； als blyve
He drof the plowh out of the weie；
And Nauplus tho began to seie；
And hath half in a jape cryd：
〃O Ulixes； thou art aspyd：
What is al this thou woldest meene？
For openliche it is now seene 1860
That thou hast feigned al this thing；
Which is gret schame to a king；
Whan that for lust of eny slowthe
Thou wolt in a querele of trowthe
Of armes thilke honour forsake；
And duelle at hom for loves sake：
For betre it were honour to winne
Than love； which likinge is inne。
Forthi tak worschipe upon honde；
And elles thou schalt understonde 1870
These othre worthi kinges alle
Of Grece； which unto thee calle；
Towardes thee wol be riht wrothe；
And grieve thee per chance bothe：
Which schal be tothe double schame
Most for the hindrynge of thi name；
That thou for Slouthe of eny love
Schalt so thi lustes sette above
And leve of armes the knyhthode；
Which is the pris of thi manhode 1880
And oghte ferst to be desired。〃
Bot he； which hadde his herte fyred
Upon his wif； whan he this herde；
Noght o word therayein ansuerde；
Bot torneth hom halvinge aschamed；
And hath withinne himself so tamed
His herte； that al the sotie
Of love for chivalerie
He lefte； and be him lief or loth；
To Troie forth with hem he goth； 1890
That he him mihte noght excuse。
Thus stant it； if a knyht refuse
The lust of armes to travaile；
Ther mai no worldes ese availe；
Bot if worschipe be with al。
And that hath schewed overal；
For it sit wel in alle wise
A kniht to ben of hih emprise
And puten alle drede aweie；
For in this wise； I have herd seie； 1900
The worthi king Protheselai
On his passage wher he lai
Towardes Troie thilke Siege；
Sche which was al his oghne liege；
Laodomie his lusti wif；
Which for his love was pensif；
As he which al hire herte hadde；
Upon a thing wherof sche dradde
A lettre； forto make him duelle
Fro Troie； sende him； thus to telle； 1910
Hou sche hath axed of the wyse
Touchende of him in such a wise；
That thei have don hire understonde；
Towardes othre hou so it stonde；
The destine it hath so schape
That he schal noght the deth ascape
In cas that he arryve at Troie。
Forthi as to hir worldes joie
With al hire herte sche him preide；
And many an other cause alleide； 1920
That he with hire at home abide。
Bot he hath cast hir lettre aside；
As he which tho no maner hiede
Tok of hire wommannysshe drede；
And forth he goth； as noght ne were；
To Troie； and was the ferste there
Which londeth； and tok arryvaile：
For him was levere in the bata