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And is so wo begon therfore；
That he withinne his thoght conceiveth
Tristesce； and so himself deceiveth；
That he wanhope bringeth inne；
Wher is no confort to beginne；
Bot every joie him is deslaied：
So that withinne his herte affraied 3400
A thousend time with o breth
Wepende he wissheth after deth；
Whan he fortune fint adverse。
For thanne he wole his hap reherce；
As thogh his world were al forlore；
And seith； 〃Helas； that I was bore＇
Hou schal I live？ hou schal I do？
For nou fortune is thus mi fo；
I wot wel god me wol noght helpe。
What scholde I thanne of joies yelpe； 3410
Whan ther no bote is of mi care？
So overcast is my welfare；
That I am schapen al to strif。
Helas； that I nere of this lif；
Er I be fulliche overtake＇〃
And thus he wol his sorwe make；
As god him mihte noght availe：
Bot yit ne wol he noght travaile
To helpe himself at such a nede；
Bot slowtheth under such a drede； 3420
Which is affermed in his herte；
Riht as he mihte noght asterte
The worldes wo which he is inne。
Also whan he is falle in Sinne；
Him thenkth he is so ferr coupable；
That god wol noght be merciable
So gret a Sinne to foryive；
And thus he leeveth to be schrive。
And if a man in thilke throwe
Wolde him consaile； he wol noght knowe 3430
The sothe； thogh a man it finde：
For Tristesce is of such a kinde；
That forto meintiene his folie；
He hath with him Obstinacie；
Which is withinne of such a Slouthe；
That he forsaketh alle trouthe；
And wole unto no reson bowe；
And yit ne can he noght avowe
His oghne skile bot of hed：
Thus dwyneth he； til he be ded； 3440
In hindringe of his oghne astat。
For where a man is obstinat；
Wanhope folweth ate laste；
Which mai noght after longe laste；
Till Slouthe make of him an ende。
Bot god wot whider he schal wende。
Mi Sone； and riht in such manere
Ther be lovers of hevy chiere；
That sorwen mor than it is ned；
Whan thei be taried of here sped 3450
And conne noght hemselven rede；
Bot lesen hope forto spede
And stinten love to poursewe；
And thus thei faden hyde and hewe；
And lustles in here hertes waxe。
Hierof it is that I wolde axe；
If thou； mi Sone； art on of tho。
Ha； goode fader； it is so；
Outake a point； I am beknowe；
For elles I am overthrowe 3460
In al that evere ye have seid。
Mi sorwe is everemore unteid；
And secheth overal my veines；
Bot forto conseile of mi peines；
I can no bote do therto；
And thus withouten hope I go；
So that mi wittes ben empeired；
And I； as who seith； am despeired
To winne love of thilke swete；
Withoute whom； I you behiete； 3470
Min herte； that is so bestad；
Riht inly nevere mai be glad。
For be my trouthe I schal noght lie；
Of pure sorwe； which I drye
For that sche seith sche wol me noght；
With drecchinge of myn oghne thoght
In such a wanhope I am falle；
That I ne can unethes calle；
As forto speke of eny grace；
Mi ladi merci to pourchace。 3480
Bot yit I seie noght for this
That al in mi defalte it is；
For I cam nevere yit in stede；
Whan time was； that I my bede
Ne seide； and as I dorste tolde：
Bot nevere fond I that sche wolde；
For oght sche knew of min entente；
To speke a goodly word assente。
And natheles this dar I seie；
That if a sinful wolde preie 3490
To god of his foryivenesse
With half so gret a besinesse
As I have do to my ladi；
In lacke of askinge of merci
He scholde nevere come in Helle。
And thus I mai you sothli telle；
Save only that I crie and bidde；
I am in Tristesce al amidde
And fulfild of Desesperance：
And therof yif me mi penance； 3500
Min holi fader； as you liketh。
Mi Sone； of that thin herte siketh
With sorwe； miht thou noght amende；
Til love his grace wol thee sende；
For thou thin oghne cause empeirest
What time as thou thiself despeirest。
I not what other thing availeth；
Of hope whan the herte faileth；
For such a Sor is incurable；
And ek the goddes ben vengable： 3510
And that a man mai riht wel frede；
These olde bokes who so rede；
Of thing which hath befalle er this：
Now hier of what ensample it is。
Whilom be olde daies fer
Of Mese was the king Theucer；
Which hadde a kniht to Sone； Iphis：
Of love and he so maistred is；
That he hath set al his corage；
As to reguard of his lignage； 3520
Upon a Maide of lou astat。
Bot thogh he were a potestat
Of worldes good； he was soubgit
To love； and put in such a plit；
That he excedeth the mesure
Of reson； that himself assure
He can noght； for the more he preide；
The lass love on him sche leide。
He was with love unwys constreigned；
And sche with resoun was restreigned： 3530
The lustes of his herte he suieth；
And sche for dred schame eschuieth；
And as sche scholde； tok good hiede
To save and kepe hir wommanhiede。
And thus the thing stod in debat
Betwen his lust and hire astat：
He yaf； he sende； he spak be mouthe；
Bot yit for oght that evere he couthe
Unto his sped he fond no weie；
So that he caste his hope aweie； 3540
Withinne his herte and gan despeire
Fro dai to dai； and so empeire；
That he hath lost al his delit
Of lust； of Slep； of Appetit；
That he thurgh strengthe of love lasseth
His wit； and resoun overpasseth。
As he which of his lif ne rowhte；
His deth upon himself he sowhte；
So that be nyhte his weie he nam；
Ther wiste non wher he becam； 3550
The nyht was derk； ther schon no Mone；
Tofore the gates he cam sone；
Wher that this yonge Maiden was
And with this wofull word； 〃Helas！〃
Hise dedli pleintes he began
So stille that ther was noman
It herde； and thanne he seide thus：
〃O thou Cupide； o thou Venus；
Fortuned be whos ordinaunce
Of love is every mannes chaunce； 3560
Ye knowen al min hole herte；
That I ne mai your hond asterte；
On you is evere that I crie；
And yit you deigneth noght to plie；
Ne toward me youre Ere encline。
Thus for I se no medicine
To make an ende of mi querele；
My deth schal be in stede of hele。
Ha； thou mi wofull ladi diere；
Which duellest with thi fader hiere 3570
And slepest in thi bedd at ese；
Thou wost nothing of my desese。
Hou thou and I be now unmete。
Ha lord； what swevene schalt thou mete；
What dremes hast thou nou on honde？
Thou slepest there； and I hier stonde。
Thogh I no deth to the deserve；
Hier schal I for thi love sterve；
Hier schal a kinges Sone dye
For love and for no felonie； 3580
Wher thou therof have joie or sorwe；
Hier schalt thou se me ded tomorwe。
O herte hard aboven alle；
This deth； which schal to me befalle
For that thou wolt noght do me grace；
Yit schal be told in many a place；
Hou I am ded for love and trouthe
In thi defalte and in thi slouthe：
Thi Daunger schal to manye mo
Ensample be for everemo； 3590
Whan thei my wofull deth recorde。〃
And with that word he tok a Corde；
With which upon the gate tre
He hyng himself； that was pite。
The morwe cam； the nyht is gon；
Men comen out and syhe anon
Wher that this yonge lord was ded：
Ther was an hous withoute red；
For noman knew the cause why；
Ther was wepinge and ther was cry。 3600
This Maiden； whan that sche it herde；
And sih this thing hou it misferde；
Anon sche wiste what it mente；
And al the cause hou it wente
To al the world sche tolde it oute；
And preith to hem that were aboute
To take of hire the vengance；
For sche was cause of thilke chaunce；
Why that this kinges Sone is split。
Sche takth upon hirself the gilt； 3610
And is al redi to the peine
Which eny man hir wole ordeigne：
And bot if eny other wolde；
Sche seith that sche hirselve scholde
Do wreche with hire oghne hond；
Thurghout the world in every lond
That every lif therof schal speke；
Hou sche hirself i scholde wreke。
Sche wepth； sche crith； sche swouneth ofte；
Sche caste hire yhen up alofte 3620
And seide among ful pitously：
〃A godd； thou wost wel it am I；
For whom Iphis is thus besein：
Ordeine so； that men mai sein
A thousend wynter after this；
Hou such a Maiden dede amis；
And as I dede； do to me：
For I ne dede no pite
To him； which for mi love is lore；
Do no pite to me therfore。〃 3630
And with this word sche fell to grounde
Aswoune； and ther sche lay a stounde。
The goddes； whiche hir pleigntes herde
And syhe hou wofully sche ferde；
Hire lif thei toke awey anon；
And schopen hire into a Ston
After the forme of hire ym