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Thus hope I wel； if that I go； 7430
That sche for me wol so ordeine；
That thei matiere forto pleigne
Schul have； er that I come ayein。
Nou have ye herd that I wol sein：
Sey ye what stant in youre avis。〃
And every man tho seide his；
And sundri causes thei recorde；
Bot ate laste thei acorde
That Paris schal to Grece wende；
And thus the parlement tok ende。 7440
Cassandra； whan sche herde of this；
The which to Paris Soster is；
Anon sche gan to wepe and weile；
And seide； 〃Allas； what mai ous eile？
Fortune with hire blinde whiel
Ne wol noght lete ous stonde wel：
For this I dar wel undertake；
That if Paris his weie take；
As it is seid that he schal do；
We ben for evere thanne undo。〃 7450
This； which Cassandre thanne hihte；
In al the world as it berth sihte；
In bokes as men finde write；
Is that Sibille of whom ye wite；
That alle men yit clepen sage。
Whan that sche wiste of this viage；
Hou Paris schal to Grece fare；
No womman mihte worse fare
Ne sorwe more than sche dede；
And riht so in the same stede 7460
Ferde Helenus； which was hir brother；
Of prophecie and such an other：
And al was holde bot a jape；
So that the pourpos which was schape；
Or were hem lief or were hem loth；
Was holde； and into Grece goth
This Paris with his retenance。
And as it fell upon his chance；
Of Grece he londeth in an yle；
And him was told the same whyle 7470
Of folk which he began to freyne；
Tho was in thyle queene Heleyne；
And ek of contres there aboute
Of ladis many a lusti route；
With mochel worthi poeple also。
And why thei comen theder tho；
The cause stod in such a wise；…
For worschipe and for sacrifise
That thei to Venus wolden make；
As thei tofore hadde undertake； 7480
Some of good will； some of beheste；
For thanne was hire hihe feste
Withinne a temple which was there。
Whan Paris wiste what thei were；
Anon he schop his ordinance
To gon and don his obeissance
To Venus on hire holi day；
And dede upon his beste aray。
With gret richesse he him behongeth；
As it to such a lord belongeth； 7490
He was noght armed natheles；
Bot as it were in lond of pes；
And thus he goth forth out of Schipe
And takth with him his felaschipe：
In such manere as I you seie
Unto the temple he hield his weie。
Tydinge； which goth overal
To grete and smale； forth withal
Com to the queenes Ere and tolde
Hou Paris com； and that he wolde 7500
Do sacrifise to Venus：
And whan sche herde telle thus；
Sche thoghte； hou that it evere be；
That sche wole him abyde and se。
Forth comth Paris with glad visage
Into the temple on pelrinage；
Wher unto Venus the goddesse
He yifth and offreth gret richesse；
And preith hir that he preie wolde。
And thanne aside he gan beholde； 7510
And sih wher that this ladi stod；
And he forth in his freisshe mod
Goth ther sche was and made her chiere；
As he wel couthe in his manere；
That of his wordes such plesance
Sche tok； that al hire aqueintance；
Als ferforth as the herte lay；
He stal er that he wente away。
So goth he forth and tok his leve；
And thoghte； anon as it was eve； 7520
He wolde don his Sacrilegge；
That many a man it scholde abegge。
Whan he to Schipe ayein was come；
To him he hath his conseil nome；
And al devised the matiere
In such a wise as thou schalt hiere。
Withinne nyht al prively
His men he warneth by and by；
That thei be redy armed sone
For certein thing which was to done： 7530
And thei anon ben redi alle；
And ech on other gan to calle；
And went hem out upon the stronde
And tok a pourpos ther alonde
Of what thing that thei wolden do；
Toward the temple and forth thei go。
So fell it； of devocion
Heleine in contemplacion
With many an other worthi wiht
Was in the temple and wok al nyht； 7540
To bidde and preie unto thymage
Of Venus； as was thanne usage；
So that Paris riht as him liste
Into the temple； er thei it wiste；
Com with his men al sodeinly；
And alle at ones sette ascry
In hem whiche in the temple were；
For tho was mochel poeple there；
Bot of defense was no bote；
So soffren thei that soffre mote。 7550
Paris unto the queene wente；
And hire in bothe hise armes hente
With him and with his felaschipe；
And forth thei bere hire unto Schipe。
Up goth the Seil and forth thei wente；
And such a wynd fortune hem sente；
Til thei the havene of Troie cauhte；
Where out of Schipe anon thei strauhte
And gon hem forth toward the toun；
The which cam with processioun 7560
Ayein Paris to sen his preie。
And every man began to seie
To Paris and his felaschipe
Al that thei couthen of worschipe；
Was non so litel man in Troie；
That he ne made merthe and joie
Of that Paris hath wonne Heleine。
Bot al that merthe is sorwe and peine
To Helenus and to Cassaundre；
For thei it token schame and sklaundre 7570
And lost of al the comun grace；
That Paris out of holi place
Be Stelthe hath take a mannes wif；
Wherof that he schal lese his lif
And many a worthi man therto；
And al the Cite be fordo；
Which nevere schal be mad ayein。
And so it fell； riht as thei sein；
The Sacrilege which he wroghte
Was cause why the Gregois soughte 7580
Unto the toun and it beleie；
And wolden nevere parte aweie；
Til what be sleihte and what be strengthe
Thei hadde it wonne in brede and lengthe；
And brent and slayn that was withinne。
Now se； mi Sone； which a sinne
Is Sacrilege in holy stede：
Be war therfore and bidd thi bede；
And do nothing in holy cherche；
Bot that thou miht be reson werche。 7590
And ek tak hiede of Achilles；
Whan he unto his love ches
Polixena； that was also
In holi temple of Appollo；
Which was the cause why he dyde
And al his lust was leyd asyde。
And Troilus upon Criseide
Also his ferste love leide
In holi place； and hou it ferde；
As who seith； al the world it herde； 7600
Forsake he was for Diomede；
Such was of love his laste mede。
Forthi； mi Sone； I wolde rede；
Be this ensample as thou myht rede；
Sech elles； wher thou wolt； thi grace；
And war the wel in holi place
What thou to love do or speke；
In aunter if it so be wreke
As thou hast herd me told before。
And tak good hiede also therfore 7610
Upon what forme； of Avarice
Mor than of eny other vice；
I have divided in parties
The branches； whiche of compainies
Thurghout the world in general
Ben nou the leders overal；
Of Covoitise and of Perjure；
Of fals brocage and of Usure；
Of Skarsnesse and Unkindeschipe；
Which nevere drouh to felaschipe； 7620
Of Robberie and privi Stelthe；
Which don is for the worldes welthe；
Of Ravine and of Sacrilegge；
Which makth the conscience agregge；
Althogh it mai richesse atteigne；
It floureth； bot it schal noght greine
Unto the fruit of rihtwisnesse。
Bot who that wolde do largesse
Upon the reule as it is yive；
So myhte a man in trouthe live 7630
Toward his god； and ek also
Toward the world； for bothe tuo
Largesse awaiteth as belongeth；
To neither part that he ne wrongeth；
He kepth himself； he kepth his frendes；
So stant he sauf to bothe hise endes；
That he excedeth no mesure；
So wel he can himself mesure：
Wherof； mi Sone； thou schalt wite；
So as the Philosophre hath write。 7640
Betwen the tuo extremites
Of vice stant the propretes
Of vertu； and to prove it so
Tak Avarice and tak also
The vice of Prodegalite；
Betwen hem Liberalite；
Which is the vertu of Largesse；
Stant and governeth his noblesse。
For tho tuo vices in discord
Stonde evere； as I finde of record； 7650
So that betwen here tuo debat
Largesse reuleth his astat。
For in such wise as Avarice；
As I tofore have told the vice；
Thurgh streit holdinge and thurgh skarsnesse
Stant in contraire to Largesse；
Riht so stant Prodegalite
Revers； bot noght in such degre。
For so as Avarice spareth；
And forto kepe his tresor careth； 7660
That other al his oghne and more
Ayein the wise mannes lore
Yifth and despendeth hiere and there；
So that him reccheth nevere where。
While he mai borwe； he wol despende；
Til ate laste he seith； 〃I wende〃；
Bot that is spoken al to late；
For thanne is poverte ate gate
And takth him evene be the slieve；
For erst wol he no wisdom lieve。 7670
And riht as Avarice is Sinne；
That wolde his tresor kepe and winne；
Riht so is Prodegalite：
Bot of Largesse in his degre；
Which ev