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〃Pauline； the god Anubus
Hath sent ous bothe Prestes hiere；
And seith he woll to thee appiere
Be nyhtes time himself alone；
For love he hath to thi persone： 840
And therupon he hath ous bede；
That we in Ysis temple a stede
Honestely for thee pourveie；
Wher thou be nyhte； as we thee seie；
Of him schalt take avisioun。
For upon thi condicioun；
The which is chaste and ful of feith；
Such pris； as he ous tolde； he leith；
That he wol stonde of thin acord；
And forto bere hierof record 850
He sende ous hider bothe tuo。〃
Glad was hire innocence tho
Of suche wordes as sche herde；
With humble chiere and thus answerde；
And seide that the goddes wille
Sche was al redy to fulfille；
That be hire housebondes leve
Sche wolde in Ysis temple at eve
Upon hire goddes grace abide；
To serven him the nyhtes tide。 860
The Prestes tho gon hom ayein；
And sche goth to hire sovereign；
Of goddes wille and as it was
Sche tolde him al the pleine cas；
Wherof he was deceived eke；
And bad that sche hire scholde meke
Al hol unto the goddes heste。
And thus sche； which was al honeste
To godward after hire entente；
At nyht unto the temple wente； 870
Wher that the false Prestes were；
And thei receiven hire there
With such a tokne of holinesse；
As thogh thei syhen a godesse；
And al withinne in prive place
A softe bedd of large space
Thei hadde mad and encourtined；
Wher sche was afterward engined。
Bot sche； which al honour supposeth；
The false Prestes thanne opposeth； 880
And axeth be what observance
Sche myhte most to the plesance
Of godd that nyhtes reule kepe：
And thei hire bidden forto slepe
Liggende upon the bedd alofte；
For so； thei seide； al stille and softe
God Anubus hire wolde awake。
The conseil in this wise take；
The Prestes fro this lady gon；
And sche； that wiste of guile non； 890
In the manere as it was seid
To slepe upon the bedd is leid；
In hope that sche scholde achieve
Thing which stod thanne upon bilieve；
Fulfild of alle holinesse。
Bot sche hath failed； as I gesse；
For in a closet faste by
The Duck was hid so prively
That sche him myhte noght perceive；
And he； that thoghte to deceive； 900
Hath such arrai upon him nome；
That whanne he wolde unto hir come；
It scholde semen at hire yhe
As thogh sche verrailiche syhe
God Anubus； and in such wise
This ypocrite of his queintise
Awaiteth evere til sche slepte。
And thanne out of his place he crepte
So stille that sche nothing herde；
And to the bedd stalkende he ferde； 910
And sodeinly； er sche it wiste；
Beclipt in armes he hire kiste：
Wherof in wommanysshe drede
Sche wok and nyste what to rede；
Bot he with softe wordes milde
Conforteth hire and seith； with childe
He wolde hire make in such a kynde
That al the world schal have in mynde
The worschipe of that ilke Sone；
For he schal with the goddes wone； 920
And ben himself a godd also。
With suche wordes and with mo；
The whiche he feigneth in his speche；
This lady wit was al to seche；
As sche which alle trowthe weneth：
Bot he； that alle untrowthe meneth；
With blinde tales so hire ladde；
That all his wille of hire he hadde。
And whan him thoghte it was ynowh；
Ayein the day he him withdrowh 930
So prively that sche ne wiste
Wher he becom； bot as him liste
Out of the temple he goth his weie。
And sche began to bidde and preie
Upon the bare ground knelende；
And after that made hire offrende；
And to the Prestes yiftes grete
Sche yaf； and homward be the Strete。
The Duck hire mette and seide thus：
〃The myhti godd which Anubus 940
Is hote； he save the； Pauline；
For thou art of his discipline
So holy； that no mannes myht
Mai do that he hath do to nyht
Of thing which thou hast evere eschuied。
Bot I his grace have so poursuied；
That I was mad his lieutenant：
Forthi be weie of covenant
Fro this day forth I am al thin；
And if thee like to be myn； 950
That stant upon thin oghne wille。〃
Sche herde his tale and bar it stille；
And hom sche wente； as it befell；
Into hir chambre； and ther sche fell
Upon hire bedd to wepe and crie；
And seide： 〃O derke ypocrisie；
Thurgh whos dissimilacion
Of fals ymaginacion
I am thus wickedly deceived！
Bot that I have it aperceived 960
I thonke unto the goddes alle；
For thogh it ones be befalle；
It schal nevere eft whil that I live；
And thilke avou to godd I yive。〃
And thus wepende sche compleigneth；
Hire faire face and al desteigneth
With wofull teres of hire ije；
So that upon this agonie
Hire housebonde is inne come；
And syh how sche was overcome 970
With sorwe； and axeth what hire eileth。
And sche with that hirself beweileth
Welmore than sche dede afore；
And seide； 〃Helas； wifhode is lore
In me； which whilom was honeste；
I am non other than a beste；
Now I defouled am of tuo。〃
And as sche myhte speke tho；
Aschamed with a pitous onde
Sche tolde unto hir housebonde 980
The sothe of al the hole tale；
And in hire speche ded and pale
Sche swouneth welnyh to the laste。
And he hire in hise armes faste
Uphield； and ofte swor his oth
That he with hire is nothing wroth；
For wel he wot sche may ther noght：
Bot natheles withinne his thoght
His herte stod in sori plit；
And seide he wolde of that despit 990
Be venged； how so evere it falle；
And sende unto hise frendes alle。
And whan thei weren come in fere；
He tolde hem upon this matiere；
And axeth hem what was to done：
And thei avised were sone；
And seide it thoghte hem for the beste
To sette ferst his wif in reste；
And after pleigne to the king
Upon the matiere of this thing。 1000
Tho was this wofull wif conforted
Be alle weies and desported；
Til that sche was somdiel amended；
And thus a day or tuo despended；
The thridde day sche goth to pleigne
With many a worthi Citezeine；
And he with many a Citezein。
Whan themperour it herde sein；
And knew the falshed of the vice；
He seide he wolde do justice： 1010
And ferst he let the Prestes take；
And for thei scholde it noght forsake；
He put hem into questioun；
Bot thei of the suggestioun
Ne couthen noght a word refuse；
Bot for thei wolde hemself excuse；
The blame upon the Duck thei leide。
Bot therayein the conseil seide
That thei be noght excused so；
For he is on and thei ben tuo； 1020
And tuo han more wit then on；
So thilke excusement was non。
And over that was seid hem eke；
That whan men wolden vertu seke；
Men scholde it in the Prestes finde；
Here ordre is of so hyh a kinde；
That thei be Duistres of the weie：
Forthi； if eny man forsueie
Thurgh hem； thei be noght excusable。
And thus be lawe resonable 1030
Among the wise jugges there
The Prestes bothe dampned were；
So that the prive tricherie
Hid under fals Ipocrisie
Was thanne al openliche schewed；
That many a man hem hath beschrewed。
And whan the Prestes weren dede；
The temple of thilke horrible dede
Thei thoghten purge； and thilke ymage；
Whos cause was the pelrinage； 1040
Thei drowen out and als so faste
Fer into Tibre thei it caste；
Wher the Rivere it hath defied：
And thus the temple purified
Thei have of thilke horrible Sinne；
Which was that time do therinne。
Of this point such was the juise；
Bot of the Duck was other wise：
For he with love was bestad；
His dom was noght so harde lad； 1050
For Love put reson aweie
And can noght se the rihte weie。
And be this cause he was respited；
So that the deth him was acquited；
Bot for al that he was exiled；
For he his love hath so beguiled；
That he schal nevere come ayein：
For who that is to trowthe unplein；
He may noght failen of vengance。
And ek to take remembrance 1060
Of that Ypocrisie hath wroght
On other half； men scholde noght
To lihtly lieve al that thei hiere；
Bot thanne scholde a wisman stiere
The Schip； whan suche wyndes blowe：
For ferst thogh thei beginne lowe；
At ende thei be noght menable；
Bot al tobreken Mast and Cable；
So that the Schip with sodein blast；
Whan men lest wene； is overcast； 1070
As now fulofte a man mai se：
And of old time how it hath be
I finde a gret experience；
Wherof to take an evidence
Good is； and to be war also
Of the peril； er him be wo。
Of hem that ben so derk withinne；
At Troie also if we beginne；
Ipocrisie it hath betraied：
For whan th