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Be lich hire in comparisoun： 2600
And therto； as I have you told；
Yit hath sche more a thousendfold
Of bounte； and schortli to telle；
Sche is the pure hed and welle
And Mirour and ensample of goode。
Who so hir vertus understode；
Me thenkth it oughte ynow suffise
Withouten other covoitise
To love such on and to serve；
Which with hire chiere can deserve 2610
To be beloved betre ywiss
Than sche per cas that richest is
And hath of gold a Milion。
Such hath be myn opinion
And evere schal： bot natheles
I seie noght sche is haveles；
That sche nys riche and wel at ese；
And hath ynow wherwith to plese
Of worldes good whom that hire liste；
Bot o thing wolde I wel ye wiste； 2620
That nevere for no worldes good
Min herte untoward hire stod；
Bot only riht for pure love；
That wot the hihe god above。
Nou； fader； what seie ye therto？
Mi Sone； I seie it is wel do。
For tak of this riht good believe；
What man that wole himself relieve
To love in eny other wise；
He schal wel finde his coveitise 2630
Schal sore grieve him ate laste；
For such a love mai noght laste。
Bot nou； men sein； in oure daies
Men maken bot a fewe assaies；
Bot if the cause be richesse；
Forthi the love is wel the lesse。
And who that wolde ensamples telle；
Be olde daies as thei felle；
Than mihte a man wel understonde
Such love mai noght longe stonde。 2640
Now herkne； Sone； and thou schalt hiere
A gret ensample of this matiere。
To trete upon the cas of love；
So as we tolden hiere above；
I finde write a wonder thing。
Of Puile whilom was a king；
A man of hih complexioun
And yong； bot his affeccioun
After the nature of his age
Was yit noght falle in his corage 2650
The lust of wommen forto knowe。
So it betidde upon a throwe
This lord fell into gret seknesse：
Phisique hath don the besinesse
Of sondri cures manyon
To make him hol； and therupon
A worthi maister which ther was
Yaf him conseil upon this cas；
That if he wolde have parfit hele；
He scholde with a womman dele； 2660
A freissh； a yong； a lusti wiht；
To don him compaignie a nyht：
For thanne he seide him redily；
That he schal be al hol therby；
And otherwise he kneu no cure。
This king； which stod in aventure
Of lif and deth； for medicine
Assented was； and of covine
His Steward； whom he tristeth wel；
He tok； and tolde him everydel； 2670
Hou that this maister hadde seid：
And therupon he hath him preid
And charged upon his ligance；
That he do make porveance
Of such on as be covenable
For his plesance and delitable；
And bad him； hou that evere it stod；
That he schal spare for no good；
For his will is riht wel to paie。
The Steward seide he wolde assaie： 2680
Bot nou hierafter thou schalt wite；
As I finde in the bokes write；
What coveitise in love doth。
This Steward； forto telle soth；
Amonges al the men alyve
A lusti ladi hath to wyve；
Which natheles for gold he tok
And noght for love； as seith the bok。
A riche Marchant of the lond
Hir fader was； and hire fond 2690
So worthily； and such richesse
Of worldes good and such largesse
With hire he yaf in mariage；
That only for thilke avantage
Of good this Steward hath hire take；
For lucre and noght for loves sake；
And that was afterward wel seene；
Nou herkne what it wolde meene。
This Steward in his oghne herte
Sih that his lord mai noght asterte 2700
His maladie； bot he have
A lusti womman him to save；
And thoghte he wolde yive ynowh
Of his tresor； wherof he drowh
Gret coveitise into his mynde；
And sette his honour fer behynde。
Thus he； whom gold hath overset；
Was trapped in his oghne net；
The gold hath mad hise wittes lame；
So that sechende his oghne schame 2710
He rouneth in the kinges Ere；
And seide him that he wiste where
A gentile and a lusti on
Tho was； and thider wolde he gon：
Bot he mot yive yiftes grete；
For bot it be thurgh grete beyete
Of gold； he seith； he schal noght spede。
The king him bad upon the nede
That take an hundred pound he scholde；
And yive it where that he wolde； 2720
Be so it were in worthi place：
And thus to stonde in loves grace
This king his gold hath abandouned。
And whan this tale was full rouned；
The Steward tok the gold and wente；
Withinne his herte and many a wente
Of coveitise thanne he caste；
Wherof a pourpos ate laste
Ayein love and ayein his riht
He tok； and seide hou thilke nyht 2730
His wif schal ligge be the king；
And goth thenkende upon this thing
Toward his In； til he cam hom
Into the chambre； and thanne he nom
His wif； and tolde hire al the cas。
And sche； which red for schame was；
With bothe hire handes hath him preid
Knelende and in this wise seid；
That sche to reson and to skile
In what thing that he bidde wile 2740
Is redy forto don his heste；
Bot this thing were noght honeste；
That he for gold hire scholde selle。
And he tho with hise wordes felle
Forth with his gastly contienance
Seith that sche schal don obeissance
And folwe his will in every place；
And thus thurgh strengthe of his manace
Hir innocence is overlad；
Wherof sche was so sore adrad 2750
That sche his will mot nede obeie。
And therupon was schape a weie；
That he his oghne wif be nyhte
Hath out of alle mennes sihte
So prively that non it wiste
Broght to the king； which as him liste
Mai do with hire what he wolde。
For whan sche was ther as sche scholde；
With him abedde under the cloth；
The Steward tok his leve and goth 2760
Into a chambre faste by；
Bot hou he slep； that wot noght I；
For he sih cause of jelousie。
Bot he； which hath the compainie
Of such a lusti on as sche；
Him thoghte that of his degre
Ther was noman so wel at ese：
Sche doth al that sche mai to plese；
So that his herte al hol sche hadde；
And thus this king his joie ladde； 2770
Til it was nyh upon the day。
The Steward thanne wher sche lay
Cam to the bedd； and in his wise
Hath bede that sche scholde arise。
The king seith； 〃Nay； sche schal noght go。〃
His Steward seide ayein； 〃Noght so；
For sche mot gon er it be knowe；
And so I swor at thilke throwe；
Whan I hire fette to you hiere。〃
The king his tale wol noght hiere； 2780
And seith hou that he hath hire boght；
Forthi sche schal departe noght；
Til he the brighte dai beholde。
And cawhte hire in hise armes folde；
As he which liste forto pleie；
And bad his Steward gon his weie；
And so he dede ayein his wille。
And thus his wif abedde stille
Lay with the king the longe nyht；
Til that it was hih Sonne lyht； 2790
Bot who sche was he knew nothing。
Tho cam the Steward to the king
And preide him that withoute schame
In savinge of hire goode name
He myhte leden hom ayein
This lady； and hath told him plein
Hou that it was his oghne wif。
The king his Ere unto this strif
Hath leid； and whan that he it herde；
Welnyh out of his wit he ferde； 2800
And seide； 〃Ha； caitif most of alle；
Wher was it evere er this befalle；
That eny cokard in this wise
Betok his wif for coveitise？
Thou hast bothe hire and me beguiled
And ek thin oghne astat reviled；
Wherof that buxom unto thee
Hierafter schal sche nevere be。
For this avou to god I make；
After this day if I thee take； 2810
Thou schalt ben honged and todrawe。
Nou loke anon thou be withdrawe；
So that I se thee neveremore。〃
This Steward thanne dradde him sore；
With al the haste that he mai
And fledde awei that same dai；
And was exiled out of londe。
Lo； there a nyce housebonde；
Which thus hath lost his wif for evere！
Bot natheles sche hadde a levere； 2820
The king hire weddeth and honoureth；
Wherof hire name sche socoureth；
Which erst was lost thurgh coveitise
Of him； that ladde hire other wise；
And hath himself also forlore。
Mi Sone； be thou war therfore；
Wher thou schalt love in eny place；
That thou no covoitise embrace；
The which is noght of loves kinde。
Bot for al that a man mai finde 2830
Nou in this time of thilke rage
Ful gret desese in mariage；
Whan venym melleth with the Sucre
And mariage is mad for lucre；
Or for the lust or for the hele：
What man that schal with outher dele；
He mai noght faile to repente。
Mi fader； such is myn entente：
Bot natheles good is to have；
For good mai ofte time save 2840
The love which scholde elles spille。
Bot god； which wot myn hertes wi