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Into a chambre forto kepe；
Til he of leisir hadde slepe。
And tho this Prest was sone unbounde；
And up a couche fro the grounde 160
To slepe he was leid softe ynowh；
And whanne he wok； the king him drowh
To his presence and dede him chiere；
So that this Prest in such manere；
Whil that him liketh； there he duelleth：
And al this he to Bachus telleth；
Whan that he cam to him ayein。
And whan that Bachus herde sein
How Mide hath don his courtesie；
Him thenkth it were a vilenie； 170
Bot he rewarde him for his dede；
So as he mihte of his godhiede。
Unto this king this god appiereth
And clepeth； and that other hiereth：
This god to Mide thonketh faire
Of that he was so debonaire
Toward his Prest； and bad him seie：
What thing it were he wolde preie；
He scholde it have； of worldes good。
This king was glad； and stille stod； 180
And was of his axinge in doute；
And al the world he caste aboute；
What thing was best for his astat；
And with himself stod in debat
Upon thre pointz； the whiche I finde
Ben lievest unto mannes kinde。
The ferste of hem it is delit；
The tuo ben worschipe and profit。
And thanne he thoghte； 〃If that I crave
Delit； thogh I delit mai have； 190
Delit schal passen in myn age：
That is no siker avantage；
For every joie bodily
Schal ende in wo： delit forthi
Wol I noght chese。 And if worschipe
I axe and of the world lordschipe；
That is an occupacion
Of proud ymaginacion；
Which makth an herte vein withinne；
Ther is no certain forto winne； 200
For lord and knave al is o weie；
Whan thei be bore and whan thei deie。
And if I profit axe wolde；
I not in what manere I scholde
Of worldes good have sikernesse；
For every thief upon richesse
Awaiteth forto robbe and stele：
Such good is cause of harmes fele。
And also； thogh a man at ones
Of al the world withinne his wones 210
The tresor myhte have everydel；
Yit hadde he bot o mannes del
Toward himself； so as I thinke；
Of clothinge and of mete and drinke；
For more； outake vanite；
Ther hath no lord in his degre。〃
And thus upon the pointz diverse
Diverseliche he gan reherce
What point him thoghte for the beste；
Bot pleinly forto gete him reste 220
He can so siker weie caste。
And natheles yit ate laste
He fell upon the coveitise
Of gold； and thanne in sondri wise
He thoghte； as I have seid tofore；
Hou tresor mai be sone lore；
And hadde an inly gret desir
Touchende of such recoverir；
Hou that he mihte his cause availe
To gete him gold withoute faile。 230
Withinne his herte and thus he preiseth
The gold； and seith hou that it peiseth
Above al other metall most：
〃The gold；〃 he seith； 〃may lede an host
To make werre ayein a King；
The gold put under alle thing；
And set it whan him list above；
The gold can make of hate love
And werre of pes and ryht of wrong；
And long to schort and schort to long； 240
Withoute gold mai be no feste；
Gold is the lord of man and beste；
And mai hem bothe beie and selle；
So that a man mai sothly telle
That al the world to gold obeieth。〃
Forthi this king to Bachus preieth
To grante him gold； bot he excedeth
Mesure more than him nedeth。
Men tellen that the maladie
Which cleped is ydropesie 250
Resembled is unto this vice
Be weie of kinde of Avarice：
The more ydropesie drinketh；
The more him thursteth； for him thinketh
That he mai nevere drinke his fille；
So that ther mai nothing fulfille
The lustes of his appetit：
And riht in such a maner plit
Stant Avarice and evere stod；
The more he hath of worldes good； 260
The more he wolde it kepe streyte；
And evere mor and mor coveite。
And riht in such condicioun
Withoute good discrecioun
This king with avarice is smite；
That al the world it myhte wite：
For he to Bachus thanne preide；
That wherupon his hond he leide；
It scholde thurgh his touche anon
Become gold； and therupon 270
This god him granteth as he bad。
Tho was this king of Frige glad；
And forto put it in assai
With al the haste that he mai；
He toucheth that； he toucheth this；
And in his hond al gold it is；
The Ston； the Tree； the Lef； the gras；
The flour； the fruit； al gold it was。
Thus toucheth he； whil he mai laste
To go； bot hunger ate laste 280
Him tok； so that he moste nede
Be weie of kinde his hunger fede。
The cloth was leid； the bord was set；
And al was forth tofore him fet；
His disch； his coppe； his drinke； his mete；
Bot whanne he wolde or drinke or ete；
Anon as it his mouth cam nyh；
It was al gold； and thanne he syh
Of Avarice the folie。
And he with that began to crie； 290
And preide Bachus to foryive
His gilt； and soffre him forto live
And be such as he was tofore；
So that he were not forlore。
This god； which herde of his grevance；
Tok rowthe upon his repentance；
And bad him go forth redily
Unto a flod was faste by；
Which Paceole thanne hyhte；
In which as clene as evere he myhte 300
He scholde him waisshen overal；
And seide him thanne that he schal
Recovere his ferste astat ayein。
This king； riht as he herde sein；
Into the flod goth fro the lond；
And wissh him bothe fot and hond；
And so forth al the remenant；
As him was set in covenant：
And thanne he syh merveilles strange；
The flod his colour gan to change； 310
The gravel with the smale Stones
To gold thei torne bothe at ones；
And he was quit of that he hadde；
And thus fortune his chance ladde。
And whan he sih his touche aweie；
He goth him hom the rihte weie
And liveth forth as he dede er；
And putte al Avarice afer；
And the richesse of gold despiseth；
And seith that mete and cloth sufficeth。 320
Thus hath this king experience
Hou foles don the reverence
To gold； which of his oghne kinde
Is lasse worth than is the rinde
To sustienance of mannes fode；
And thanne he made lawes goode
And al his thing sette upon skile：
He bad his poeple forto tile
Here lond； and live under the lawe；
And that thei scholde also forthdrawe 330
Bestaile； and seche non encress
Of gold； which is the breche of pes。
For this a man mai finde write；
Tofor the time； er gold was smite
In Coign； that men the florin knewe；
Ther was welnyh noman untrewe；
Tho was ther nouther schield ne spere
Ne dedly wepne forto bere；
Tho was the toun withoute wal；
Which nou is closed overal； 340
Tho was ther no brocage in londe；
Which nou takth every cause on honde：
So mai men knowe； hou the florin
Was moder ferst of malengin
And bringere inne of alle werre；
Wherof this world stant out of herre
Thurgh the conseil of Avarice；
Which of his oghne propre vice
Is as the helle wonderfull；
For it mai neveremor be full； 350
That what as evere comth therinne；
Awey ne may it nevere winne。
Bot Sone myn； do thou noght so；
Let al such Avarice go；
And tak thi part of that thou hast：
I bidde noght that thou do wast；
Bot hold largesce in his mesure；
And if thou se a creature；
Which thurgh poverte is falle in nede；
Yif him som good； for this I rede 360
To him that wol noght yiven here；
What peine he schal have elleswhere。
Ther is a peine amonges alle
Benethe in helle； which men calle
The wofull peine of Tantaly；
Of which I schal thee redely
Devise hou men therinne stonde。
In helle； thou schalt understonde；
Ther is a flod of thilke office；
Which serveth al for Avarice： 370
What man that stonde schal therinne；
He stant up evene unto the chinne；
Above his hed also ther hongeth
A fruyt； which to that peine longeth；
And that fruit toucheth evere in on
His overlippe： and therupon
Swich thurst and hunger him assaileth；
That nevere his appetit ne faileth。
Bot whanne he wolde his hunger fede；
The fruit withdrawth him ate nede； 380
And thogh he heve his hed on hyh；
The fruit is evere aliche nyh；
So is the hunger wel the more：
And also； thogh him thurste sore
And to the water bowe a doun；
The flod in such condicioun
Avaleth； that his drinke areche
He mai noght。 Lo nou； which a wreche；
That mete and drinke is him so couth；
And yit ther comth non in his mouth！ 390
Lich to the peines of this flod
Stant Avarice in worldes good：
He hath ynowh and yit him nedeth；
For his skarsnesse it him forbiedeth；
And evere his hunger after more
Travaileth him aliche sore；
So is he peined overal。
Forthi thi goodes forth withal；
Mi Sone