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For good mai ofte time save 2840
The love which scholde elles spille。
Bot god； which wot myn hertes wille；
I dar wel take to witnesse；
Yit was I nevere for richesse
Beset with mariage non；
For al myn herte is upon on
So frely； that in the persone
Stant al my worldes joie al one：
I axe nouther Park ne Plowh；
If I hire hadde； it were ynowh； 2850
Hir love scholde me suffise
Withouten other coveitise。
Lo now； mi fader； as of this；
Touchende of me riht as it is；
Mi schrifte I am beknowe plein；
And if ye wole oght elles sein；
Of covoitise if ther be more
In love； agropeth out the sore。
Mi Sone； thou schalt understonde
Hou Coveitise hath yit on honde 2860
In special tuo conseilours；
That ben also hise procurours。
The ferst of hem is Falswitnesse；
Which evere is redi to witnesse
What thing his maister wol him hote：
Perjurie is the secounde hote；
Which spareth noght to swere an oth；
Thogh it be fals and god be wroth。
That on schal falswitnesse bere；
That other schal the thing forswere； 2870
Whan he is charged on the bok。
So what with hepe and what with crok
Thei make here maister ofte winne
And wol noght knowe what is sinne
For coveitise； and thus； men sain；
Thei maken many a fals bargain。
Ther mai no trewe querele arise
In thilke queste and thilke assise；
Where as thei tuo the poeple enforme；
For thei kepe evere o maner forme； 2880
That upon gold here conscience
Thei founde； and take here evidence；
And thus with falswitnesse and othes
Thei winne hem mete and drinke and clothes。
Riht so ther be； who that hem knewe；
Of thes lovers ful many untrewe：
Nou mai a womman finde ynowe；
That ech of hem； whan he schal wowe；
Anon he wole his hand doun lein
Upon a bok； and swere and sein 2890
That he wole feith and trouthe bere；
And thus he profreth him to swere
To serven evere til he die；
And al is verai tricherie。
For whan the sothe himselven trieth；
The more he swerth； the more he lieth；
Whan he his feith makth althermest；
Than mai a womman truste him lest；
For til he mai his will achieve；
He is no lengere forto lieve。 2900
Thus is the trouthe of love exiled；
And many a good womman beguiled。
And ek to speke of Falswitnesse；
There be nou many suche； I gesse；
That lich unto the provisours
Thei make here prive procurours；
To telle hou ther is such a man；
Which is worthi to love and can
Al that a good man scholde kunne；
So that with lesinge is begunne 2910
The cause in which thei wole procede；
And also siker as the crede
Thei make of that thei knowen fals。
And thus fulofte aboute the hals
Love is of false men embraced；
Bot love which is so pourchaced
Comth afterward to litel pris。
Forthi； mi Sone； if thou be wis；
Nou thou hast herd this evidence；
Thou miht thin oghne conscience 2920
Oppose； if thou hast ben such on。
Nai； god wot； fader I am non；
Ne nevere was； for as men seith；
Whan that a man schal make his feith；
His herte and tunge moste acorde；
For if so be that thei discorde；
Thanne is he fals and elles noght：
And I dar seie； as of my thoght；
In love it is noght descordable
Unto mi word； bot acordable。 2930
And in this wise； fader； I
Mai riht wel swere and salvely；
That I mi ladi love wel；
For that acordeth everydel。
It nedeth noght to mi sothsawe
That I witnesse scholde drawe；
Into this dai for nevere yit
Ne mihte it sinke into mi wit；
That I my conseil scholde seie
To eny wiht； or me bewreie 2940
To sechen help in such manere；
Bot only of mi ladi diere。
And thogh a thousend men it wiste；
That I hire love； and thanne hem liste
With me to swere and to witnesse；
Yit were that no falswitnesse；
For I dar on this trouthe duelle；
I love hire mor than I can telle。
Thus am I； fader； gulteles；
As ye have herd； and natheles 2950
In youre dom I put it al。
Mi Sone； wite in special；
It schal noght comunliche faile；
Al thogh it for a time availe
That Falswitnesse his cause spede；
Upon the point of his falshiede
It schal wel afterward be kid；
Wherof； so as it is betid；
Ensample of suche thinges blinde
In a Cronique write I finde。 2960
The Goddesse of the See Thetis；
Sche hadde a Sone； and his name is
Achilles； whom to kepe and warde；
Whil he was yong； as into warde
Sche thoghte him salfly to betake；
As sche which dradde for his sake
Of that was seid in prophecie；
That he at Troie scholde die；
Whan that the Cite was belein。
Forthi； so as the bokes sein； 2970
Sche caste hire wit in sondri wise；
Hou sche him mihte so desguise
That noman scholde his bodi knowe：
And so befell that ilke throwe；
Whil that sche thoghte upon this dede；
Ther was a king； which Lichomede
Was hote； and he was wel begon
With faire dowhtres manyon；
And duelte fer out in an yle。
Nou schalt thou hiere a wonder wyle： 2980
This queene； which the moder was
Of Achilles； upon this cas
Hire Sone； as he a Maiden were；
Let clothen in the same gere
Which longeth unto wommanhiede：
And he was yong and tok non hiede；
Bot soffreth al that sche him dede。
Wherof sche hath hire wommen bede
And charged be here othes alle；
Hou so it afterward befalle； 2990
That thei discovere noght this thing；
Bot feigne and make a knowleching；
Upon the conseil which was nome；
In every place wher thei come
To telle and to witnesse this；
Hou he here ladi dowhter is。
And riht in such a maner wise
Sche bad thei scholde hire don servise；
So that Achilles underfongeth
As to a yong ladi belongeth 3000
Honour； servise and reverence。
For Thetis with gret diligence
Him hath so tawht and so afaited；
That； hou so that it were awaited；
With sobre and goodli contenance
He scholde his wommanhiede avance；
That non the sothe knowe myhte；
Bot that in every mannes syhte
He scholde seme a pure Maide。
And in such wise as sche him saide； 3010
Achilles； which that ilke while
Was yong； upon himself to smyle
Began； whan he was so besein。
And thus； after the bokes sein；
With frette of Perle upon his hed；
Al freissh betwen the whyt and red；
As he which tho was tendre of Age；
Stod the colour in his visage；
That forto loke upon his cheke
And sen his childly manere eke； 3020
He was a womman to beholde。
And thanne his moder to him tolde；
That sche him hadde so begon
Be cause that sche thoghte gon
To Lichomede at thilke tyde；
Wher that sche seide he scholde abyde
Among hise dowhtres forto duelle。
Achilles herde his moder telle；
And wiste noght the cause why；
And natheles ful buxomly 3030
He was redy to that sche bad；
Wherof his moder was riht glad；
To Lichomede and forth thei wente。
And whan the king knew hire entente；
And sih this yonge dowhter there；
And that it cam unto his Ere
Of such record； of such witnesse；
He hadde riht a gret gladnesse
Of that he bothe syh and herde；
As he that wot noght hou it ferde 3040
Upon the conseil of the nede。
Bot for al that king Lichomede
Hath toward him this dowhter take；
And for Thetis his moder sake
He put hire into compainie
To duelle with Dei5damie；
His oghne dowhter； the eldeste；
The faireste and the comelieste
Of alle hise doghtres whiche he hadde。
Lo； thus Thetis the cause ladde； 3050
And lefte there Achilles feigned；
As he which hath himself restreigned
In al that evere he mai and can
Out of the manere of a man；
And tok his wommannysshe chiere；
Wherof unto his beddefere
Dei5damie he hath be nyhte。
Wher kinde wole himselve rihte；
After the Philosophres sein；
Ther mai no wiht be therayein： 3060
And that was thilke time seene。
The longe nyhtes hem betuene
Nature； which mai noght forbere；
Hath mad hem bothe forto stere：
Thei kessen ferst； and overmore
The hihe weie of loves lore
Thei gon； and al was don in dede；
Wherof lost is the maydenhede；
And that was afterward wel knowe。
For it befell that ilke throwe 3070
At Troie； wher the Siege lay
Upon the cause of Menelay
And of his queene dame Heleine；
The Gregois hadden mochel peine
Alday to fihte and to assaile。
Bot for thei mihten noght availe
So noble a Cite forto winne；
A prive conseil thei beginne；
In sondri wise wher thei trete；
And ate laste among the grete 3080
Thei fellen unto this acord；
That Prothes； of his record
Which was an Astronomien
And ek a gret Magicien；
Scholde of his