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So that； mi fader； of this branche
I am gultif； to telle trouthe。
Mi Sone； that me thenketh routhe；
For lovedrunke is the meschief
Above alle othre the most chief；
If he no lusti thoght assaie；
Which mai his sori thurst allaie： 310
As for the time yit it lisseth
To him which other joie misseth。
Forthi； mi Sone； aboven alle
Thenk wel； hou so it the befalle；
And kep thi wittes that thou hast；
And let hem noght be drunke in wast：
Bot natheles ther is no wyht
That mai withstonde loves miht。
Bot why the cause is； as I finde；
Of that ther is diverse kinde 320
Of lovedrunke； why men pleigneth
After the court which al ordeigneth；
I wol the tellen the manere；
Nou lest； mi Sone； and thou schalt hiere。
For the fortune of every chance
After the goddes pourveance
To man it groweth from above；
So that the sped of every love
Is schape there； er it befalle。
For Jupiter aboven alle； 330
Which is of goddes soverein；
Hath in his celier； as men sein；
Tuo tonnes fulle of love drinke；
That maken many an herte sinke
And many an herte also to flete；
Or of the soure or of the swete。
That on is full of such piment；
Which passeth all entendement
Of mannes witt； if he it taste；
And makth a jolif herte in haste： 340
That other biter as the galle；
Which makth a mannes herte palle；
Whos drunkeschipe is a sieknesse
Thurgh fielinge of the biternesse。
Cupide is boteler of bothe；
Which to the lieve and to the lothe
Yifth of the swete and of the soure；
That some lawhe； and some loure。
Bot for so moche as he blind is；
Fulofte time he goth amis 350
And takth the badde for the goode；
Which hindreth many a mannes fode
Withoute cause； and forthreth eke。
So be ther some of love seke；
Whiche oghte of reson to ben hole；
And some comen to the dole
In happ and as hemselve leste
Drinke undeserved of the beste。
And thus this blinde Boteler
Yifth of the trouble in stede of cler 360
And ek the cler in stede of trouble：
Lo； hou he can the hertes trouble；
And makth men drunke al upon chaunce
Withoute lawe of governance。
If he drawe of the swete tonne；
Thanne is the sorwe al overronne
Of lovedrunke； and schalt noght greven
So to be drunken every even；
For al is thanne bot a game。
Bot whanne it is noght of the same； 370
And he the biter tonne draweth；
Such drunkeschipe an herte gnaweth
And fiebleth al a mannes thoght；
That betre him were have drunke noght
And al his bred have eten dreie；
For thanne he lest his lusti weie
With drunkeschipe； and wot noght whider
To go； the weies ben so slider；
In which he mai per cas so falle；
That he schal breke his wittes alle。 380
And in this wise men be drunke
After the drink that thei have drunke：
Bot alle drinken noght alike；
For som schal singe and som schal syke；
So that it me nothing merveilleth；
Mi Sone； of love that thee eilleth；
For wel I knowe be thi tale；
That thou hast drunken of the duale；
Which biter is； til god the sende
Such grace that thou miht amende。 390
Bot； Sone； thou schalt bidde and preie
In such a wise as I schal seie；
That thou the lusti welle atteigne
Thi wofull thurstes to restreigne
Of love； and taste the swetnesse；
As Bachus dede in his distresse；
Whan bodiliche thurst him hente
In strange londes where he wente。
This Bachus Sone of Jupiter
Was hote； and as he wente fer 400
Be his fadres assignement
To make a werre in Orient；
And gret pouer with him he ladde；
So that the heiere hond he hadde
And victoire of his enemys；
And torneth homward with his pris；
In such a contre which was dreie
A meschief fell upon the weie。
As he rod with his compainie
Nyh to the strondes of Lubie； 410
Ther myhte thei no drinke finde
Of water nor of other kinde；
So that himself and al his host
Were of defalte of drinke almost
Destruid； and thanne Bachus preide
To Jupiter； and thus he seide：
〃O hihe fader； that sest al；
To whom is reson that I schal
Beseche and preie in every nede；
Behold； mi fader； and tak hiede 420
This wofull thurst that we ben inne
To staunche； and grante ous forto winne；
And sauf unto the contre fare；
Wher that oure lusti loves are
Waitende upon oure hom cominge。〃
And with the vois of his preiynge；
Which herd was to the goddes hihe；
He syh anon tofore his yhe
A wether； which the ground hath sporned；
And wher he hath it overtorned； 430
Ther sprang a welle freissh and cler；
Wherof his oghne boteler
After the lustes of his wille
Was every man to drinke his fille。
And for this ilke grete grace
Bachus upon the same place
A riche temple let arere；
Which evere scholde stonde there
To thursti men in remembrance。
Forthi； mi Sone； after this chance 440
It sit thee wel to taken hiede
So forto preie upon thi nede；
As Bachus preide for the welle；
And thenk； as thou hast herd me telle；
Hou grace he gradde and grace he hadde。
He was no fol that ferst so radde；
For selden get a domb man lond：
Tak that proverbe； and understond
That wordes ben of vertu grete。
Forthi to speke thou ne lete； 450
And axe and prei erli and late
Thi thurst to quenche； and thenk algate；
The boteler which berth the keie
Is blind； as thou hast herd me seie；
And if it mihte so betyde；
That he upon the blinde side
Per cas the swete tonne arauhte；
Than schalt thou have a lusti drauhte
And waxe of lovedrunke sobre。
And thus I rede thou assobre 460
Thin herte in hope of such a grace；
For drunkeschipe in every place；
To whether side that it torne；
Doth harm and makth a man to sporne
And ofte falle in such a wise；
Wher he per cas mai noght arise。
And forto loke in evidence
Upon the sothe experience；
So as it hath befalle er this；
In every mannes mouth it is 470
Hou Tristram was of love drunke
With Bele Ysolde； whan thei drunke
The drink which Brangwein hem betok；
Er that king Marc his Eem hire tok
To wyve； as it was after knowe。
And ek； mi Sone； if thou wolt knowe；
As it hath fallen overmore
In loves cause； and what is more
Of drunkeschipe forto drede；
As it whilom befell in dede； 480
Wherof thou miht the betre eschuie
Of drunke men that thou ne suie
The compaignie in no manere；
A gret ensample thou schalt hiere。
This finde I write in Poesie
Of thilke faire Ipotacie；
Of whos beaute ther as sche was
Spak every man； … and fell per cas；
That Pirotos so him spedde；
That he to wyve hire scholde wedde； 490
Wherof that he gret joie made。
And for he wolde his love glade；
Ayein the day of mariage
Be mouthe bothe and be message
Hise frendes to the feste he preide；
With gret worschipe and； as men seide；
He hath this yonge ladi spoused。
And whan that thei were alle housed；
And set and served ate mete；
Ther was no wyn which mai be gete； 500
That ther ne was plente ynouh：
Bot Bachus thilke tonne drouh；
Wherof be weie of drunkeschipe
The greteste of the felaschipe
Were oute of reson overtake；
And Venus； which hath also take
The cause most in special；
Hath yove hem drinke forth withal
Of thilke cuppe which exciteth
The lust wherinne a man deliteth： 510
And thus be double weie drunke；
Of lust that ilke fyri funke
Hath mad hem； as who seith； halfwode；
That thei no reson understode；
Ne to non other thing thei syhen；
Bot hire； which tofore here yhen
Was wedded thilke same day；
That freisshe wif； that lusti May；
On hire it was al that thei thoghten。
And so ferforth here lustes soghten； 520
That thei the whiche named were
Centauri； ate feste there
Of on assent； of an acord
This yonge wif malgre hire lord
In such a rage awei forth ladden；
As thei whiche non insihte hadden
Bot only to her drunke fare；
Which many a man hath mad misfare
In love als wel as other weie。
Wherof； if I schal more seie 530
Upon the nature of the vice；
Of custume and of exercice
The mannes grace hou it fordoth；
A tale； which was whilom soth；
Of fooles that so drunken were；
I schal reherce unto thine Ere。
I rede in a Cronique thus
Of Galba and of Vitellus；
The whiche of Spaigne bothe were
The greteste of alle othre there； 540
And bothe of o condicion
After the disposicion
Of glotonie and drunkeschipe。
That was a sori felaschipe：
For this thou miht wel understonde；
That man mai wel noght longe stonde
Which is wyndrunke of comun us；
For he h