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That ye me wolden now declare 1380
Hou thei ferst comen to that name。
Mi Sone； I have it left for schame；
Be cause I am here oghne Prest；
Bot for thei stonden nyh thi brest
Upon the schrifte of thi matiere；
Thou schalt of hem the sothe hiere：
And understond nou wel the cas。
Venus Saturnes dowhter was；
Which alle danger putte aweie
Of love； and fond to lust a weie； 1390
So that of hire in sondri place
Diverse men felle into grace；
And such a lusti lif sche ladde；
That sche diverse children hadde；
Nou on be this； nou on be that。
Of hire it was that Mars beyat
A child； which cleped was Armene；
Of hire also cam Andragene；
To whom Mercurie fader was：
Anchises begat Eneas 1400
Of hire also； and Ericon
Biten begat； and therupon；
Whan that sche sih ther was non other；
Be Jupiter hire oghne brother
Sche lay； and he begat Cupide。
And thilke Sone upon a tyde；
Whan he was come unto his Age；
He hadde a wonder fair visage；
And fond his Moder amourous；
And he was also lecherous： 1410
So whan thei weren bothe al one；
As he which yhen hadde none
To se reson； his Moder kiste；
And sche also； that nothing wiste
Bot that which unto lust belongeth；
To ben hire love him underfongeth。
Thus was he blind； and sche unwys：
Bot natheles this cause it is；
Why Cupide is the god of love；
For he his moder dorste love。 1420
And sche； which thoghte hire lustes fonde；
Diverse loves tok in honde；
Wel mo thanne I the tolde hiere：
And for sche wolde hirselve skiere；
Sche made comun that desport；
And sette a lawe of such a port；
That every womman mihte take
What man hire liste； and noght forsake
To ben als comun as sche wolde。
Sche was the ferste also which tolde 1430
That wommen scholde here bodi selle；
Semiramis； so as men telle；
Of Venus kepte thilke aprise；
And so dede in the same wise
Of Rome faire Neabole；
Which liste hire bodi to rigole；
Sche was to every man felawe；
And hild the lust of thilke lawe；
Which Venus of hirself began；
Wherof that sche the name wan； 1440
Why men hire clepen the goddesse
Of love and ek of gentilesse；
Of worldes lust and of plesance。
Se nou the foule mescreance
Of Greks in thilke time tho；
Whan Venus tok hire name so。
Ther was no cause under the Mone
Of which thei hadden tho to done；
Of wel or wo wher so it was；
That thei ne token in that cas 1450
A god to helpe or a goddesse。
Wherof； to take mi witnesse；
The king of Bragmans Dindimus
Wrot unto Alisandre thus：
In blaminge of the Grekes feith
And of the misbelieve； he seith
How thei for every membre hadden
A sondri god； to whom thei spradden
Here armes； and of help besoghten。
Minerve for the hed thei soghten； 1460
For sche was wys； and of a man
The wit and reson which he can
Is in the celles of the brayn；
Wherof thei made hire soverain。
Mercurie； which was in his dawes
A gret spekere of false lawes；
On him the kepinge of the tunge
Thei leide； whan thei spieke or sunge。
For Bachus was a glotoun eke；
Him for the throte thei beseke； 1470
That he it wolde waisshen ofte
With swote drinkes and with softe。
The god of schuldres and of armes
Was Hercules； for he in armes
The myhtieste was to fihte；
To him tho Limes they behihte。
The god whom that thei clepen Mart
The brest to kepe hath for his part；
Forth with the herte； in his ymage
That he adresce the corage。 1480
And of the galle the goddesse；
For sche was full of hastifesse
Of wraththe and liht to grieve also；
Thei made and seide it was Juno。
Cupide； which the brond afyre
Bar in his hond； he was the Sire
Of the Stomak； which builleth evere；
Wherof the lustes ben the levere。
To the goddesse Cereres；
Which of the corn yaf hire encress 1490
Upon the feith that tho was take；
The wombes cure was betake；
And Venus thurgh the Lecherie；
For which that thei hire deifie；
Sche kept al doun the remenant
To thilke office appourtenant。
Thus was dispers in sondri wise
The misbelieve； as I devise；
With many an ymage of entaile；
Of suche as myhte hem noght availe； 1500
For thei withoute lyves chiere
Unmyhti ben to se or hiere
Or speke or do or elles fiele；
And yit the foles to hem knele；
Which is here oghne handes werk。
Ha lord； hou this believe is derk；
And fer fro resonable wit！
And natheles thei don it yit：
That was to day a ragged tre；
To morwe upon his majeste 1510
Stant in the temple wel besein。
How myhte a mannes resoun sein
That such a Stock mai helpe or grieve？
Bot thei that ben of such believe
And unto suche goddes calle；
It schal to hem riht so befalle；
And failen ate moste nede。
Bot if thee list to taken hiede
And of the ferste ymage wite；
Petornius therof hath write 1520
And ek Nigargorus also；
And thei afferme and write so；
That Promothes was tofore
And fond the ferste craft therfore；
And Cirophanes； as thei telle；
Thurgh conseil which was take in helle；
In remembrance of his lignage
Let setten up the ferste ymage。
Of Cirophanes seith the bok；
That he for sorwe； which he tok 1530
Of that he sih his Sone ded；
Of confort knew non other red；
Bot let do make in remembrance
A faire ymage of his semblance
And sette it in the market place；
Which openly tofore his face
Stod every dai to don him ese。
And thei that thanne wolden plese
The fader； scholden it obeie；
Whan that they comen thilke weie。 1540
And of Ninus king of Assire
I rede hou that in his empire
He was next after the secounde
Of hem that ferst ymages founde。
For he riht in semblable cas
Of Belus； which his fader was
Fro Nembroth in the rihte line；
Let make of gold and Stones fine
A precious ymage riche
After his fader evene liche； 1550
And therupon a lawe he sette；
That every man of pure dette
With sacrifice and with truage
Honoure scholde thilke ymage：
So that withinne time it fell；
Of Belus cam the name of Bel；
Of Bel cam Belzebub； and so
The misbelieve wente tho。
The thridde ymage next to this
Was； whan the king of Grece Apis 1560
Was ded； thei maden a figure
In resemblance of his stature。
Of this king Apis seith the bok
That Serapis his name tok；
In whom thurgh long continuance
Of misbelieve a gret creance
Thei hadden； and the reverence
Of Sacrifice and of encence
To him thei made： and as thei telle；
Among the wondres that befelle； 1570
Whan Alisandre fro Candace
Cam ridende； in a wilde place
Undur an hull a Cave he fond；
And Candalus； which in that lond
Was bore； and was Candaces Sone；
Him tolde hou that of commun wone
The goddes were in thilke cave。
And he； that wolde assaie and have
A knowlechinge if it be soth；
Liht of his hors and in he goth； 1580
And fond therinne that he soghte：
For thurgh the fendes sleihte him thoghte；
Amonges othre goddes mo
That Serapis spak to him tho；
Whom he sih there in gret arrai。
And thus the fend fro dai to dai
The worschipe of ydolatrie
Drowh forth upon the fantasie
Of hem that weren thanne blinde
And couthen noght the trouthe finde。 1590
Thus hast thou herd in what degre
Of Grece； Egipte and of Caldee
The misbelieves whilom stode；
And hou so that thei be noght goode
Ne trewe； yit thei sprungen oute；
Wherof the wyde world aboute
His part of misbelieve tok。
Til so befell； as seith the bok；
That god a poeple for himselve
Hath chose of the lignages tuelve； 1600
Wherof the sothe redely；
As it is write in Genesi；
I thenke telle in such a wise
That it schal be to thin apprise。
After the flod； fro which Noe5
Was sauf； the world in his degre
Was mad； as who seith； newe ayein；
Of flour； of fruit； of gras； of grein；
Of beste； of bridd and of mankinde；
Which evere hath be to god unkinde： 1610
For noght withstondende al the fare；
Of that this world was mad so bare
And afterward it was restored；
Among the men was nothing mored
Towardes god of good lyvynge；
Bot al was torned to likinge
After the fleissh； so that foryete
Was he which yaf hem lif and mete；
Of hevene and Erthe creatour。
And thus cam forth the grete errour； 1620
That thei the hihe god ne knewe；
Bot maden othre goddes newe；
As thou hast herd me seid tofore：
Ther was noman that time bore；
That he ne hadde after his chois
A god； to whom he yaf his vois。
Wherof the misbelieve cam
Into the time of Habraham：
Bot he fond ou