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For this thou miht wel understonde；
That man mai wel noght longe stonde
Which is wyndrunke of comun us；
For he hath lore the vertus；
Wherof reson him scholde clothe；
And that was seene upon hem bothe。 550
Men sein ther is non evidence；
Wherof to knowe a difference
Betwen the drunken and the wode；
For thei be nevere nouther goode；
For wher that wyn doth wit aweie；
Wisdom hath lost the rihte weie；
That he no maner vice dredeth；
Nomore than a blind man thredeth
His nedle be the Sonnes lyht；
Nomore is reson thanne of myht； 560
Whan he with drunkeschipe is blent。
And in this point thei weren schent；
This Galba bothe and ek Vitelle；
Upon the cause as I schal telle；
Wherof good is to taken hiede。
For thei tuo thurgh her drunkenhiede
Of witles excitacioun
Oppressede al the nacion
Of Spaigne； for of fool usance；
Which don was of continuance 570
Of hem； whiche alday drunken were；
Ther was no wif ne maiden there；
What so thei were； or faire or foule；
Whom thei ne token to defoule；
Wherof the lond was often wo：
And ek in othre thinges mo
Thei wroghten many a sondri wrong。
Bot hou so that the dai be long；
The derke nyht comth ate laste：
God wolde noght thei scholden laste； 580
And schop the lawe in such a wise；
That thei thurgh dom to the juise
Be dampned forto be forlore。
Bot thei； that hadden ben tofore
Enclin to alle drunkenesse；…
Here ende thanne bar witnesse；
For thei in hope to assuage
The peine of deth； upon the rage
That thei the lasse scholden fiele；
Of wyn let fille full a Miele； 590
And dronken til so was befalle
That thei her strengthes losten alle
Withouten wit of eny brain；
And thus thei ben halfdede slain；
That hem ne grieveth bot a lyte。
Mi Sone； if thou be forto wyte
In eny point which I have seid；
Wherof thi wittes ben unteid；
I rede clepe hem hom ayein。
I schal do； fader； as ye sein； 600
Als ferforth as I mai suffise：
Bot wel I wot that in no wise
The drunkeschipe of love aweie
I mai remue be no weie；
It stant noght upon my fortune。
Bot if you liste to comune
Of the seconde Glotonie；
Which cleped is Delicacie；
Wherof ye spieken hier tofore；
Beseche I wolde you therfore。 610
Mi Sone； as of that ilke vice；
Which of alle othre is the Norrice；
And stant upon the retenue
Of Venus； so as it is due；
The proprete hou that it fareth
The bok hierafter nou declareth。
Of this chapitre in which we trete
There is yit on of such diete；
To which no povere mai atteigne；
For al is Past of paindemeine 620
And sondri wyn and sondri drinke；
Wherof that he wole ete and drinke：
Hise cokes ben for him affaited；
So that his body is awaited；
That him schal lacke no delit；
Als ferforth as his appetit
Sufficeth to the metes hote。
Wherof this lusti vice is hote
Of Gule the Delicacie；
Which al the hole progenie 630
Of lusti folk hath undertake
To feede； whil that he mai take
Richesses wherof to be founde：
Of Abstinence he wot no bounde；
To what profit it scholde serve。
And yit phisique of his conserve
Makth many a restauracioun
Unto his recreacioun；
Which wolde be to Venus lief。
Thus for the point of his relief 640
The coc which schal his mete arraie；
Bot he the betre his mouth assaie；
His lordes thonk schal ofte lese；
Er he be served to the chese：
For ther mai lacke noght so lyte；
That he ne fint anon a wyte；
For bot his lust be fully served；
Ther hath no wiht his thonk deserved。
And yit for mannes sustenance；
To kepe and holde in governance； 650
To him that wole his hele gete
Is non so good as comun mete：
For who that loketh on the bokes；
It seith； confeccion of cokes；
A man him scholde wel avise
Hou he it toke and in what wise。
For who that useth that he knoweth；
Ful selden seknesse on him groweth；
And who that useth metes strange；
Though his nature empeire and change 660
It is no wonder； lieve Sone；
Whan that he doth ayein his wone；
For in Phisique this I finde；
Usage is the seconde kinde。
And riht so changeth his astat
He that of love is delicat：
For though he hadde to his hond
The beste wif of al the lond；
Or the faireste love of alle；
Yit wolde his herte on othre falle 670
And thenke hem mor delicious
Than he hath in his oghne hous：
Men sein it is nou ofte so；
Avise hem wel； thei that so do。
And forto speke in other weie；
Fulofte time I have herd seie；
That he which hath no love achieved；
Him thenkth that he is noght relieved；
Thogh that his ladi make him chiere；
So as sche mai in good manere 680
Hir honour and hir name save；
Bot he the surplus mihte have。
Nothing withstondende hire astat；
Of love more delicat
He set hire chiere at no delit；
Bot he have al his appetit。
Mi Sone； if it be with thee so；
Tell me。 Myn holi fader； no：
For delicat in such a wise
Of love； as ye to me devise； 690
Ne was I nevere yit gultif；
For if I hadde such a wif
As ye speke of； what scholde I more？
For thanne I wolde neveremore
For lust of eny wommanhiede
Myn herte upon non other fiede：
And if I dede； it were a wast。
Bot al withoute such repast
Of lust； as ye me tolde above；
Of wif； or yit of other love； 700
I faste； and mai no fode gete；
So that for lacke of deinte mete；
Of which an herte mai be fedd；
I go fastende to my bedd。
Bot myhte I geten； as ye tolde；
So mochel that mi ladi wolde
Me fede with hir glad semblant；
Though me lacke al the remenant；
Yit scholde I somdel ben abeched
And for the time wel refreched。 710
Bot certes； fader； sche ne doth；
For in good feith； to telle soth；
I trowe； thogh I scholde sterve；
Sche wolde noght hire yhe swerve；
Min herte with o goodly lok
To fede； and thus for such a cok
I mai go fastinge everemo：
Bot if so is that eny wo
Mai fede a mannes herte wel；
Therof I have at every meel 720
Of plente more than ynowh；
Bot that is of himself so towh；
Mi stomac mai it noght defie。
Lo； such is the delicacie
Of love； which myn herte fedeth；
Thus have I lacke of that me nedeth。
Bot for al this yit natheles
I seie noght I am gylteles；
That I somdel am delicat：
For elles were I fulli mat； 730
Bot if that I som lusti stounde
Of confort and of ese founde；
To take of love som repast；
For thogh I with the fulle tast
The lust of love mai noght fiele；
Min hunger otherwise I kiele
Of smale lustes whiche I pike；
And for a time yit thei like；
If that ye wisten what I mene。
Nou； goode Sone； schrif thee clene 740
Of suche deyntes as ben goode；
Wherof thou takst thin hertes fode。
Mi fader； I you schal reherce；
Hou that mi fodes ben diverse；
So as thei fallen in degre。
O fiedinge is of that I se；
An other is of that I here；
The thridde； as I schal tellen here；
It groweth of min oghne thoght：
And elles scholde I live noght； 750
For whom that failleth fode of herte；
He mai noght wel the deth asterte。
Of sihte is al mi ferste fode；
Thurgh which myn yhe of alle goode
Hath that to him is acordant；
A lusti fode sufficant。
Whan that I go toward the place
Wher I schal se my ladi face；
Min yhe； which is loth to faste；
Beginth to hungre anon so faste； 760
That him thenkth of on houre thre；
Til I ther come and he hire se：
And thanne after his appetit
He takth a fode of such delit；
That him non other deynte nedeth。
Of sondri sihtes he him fedeth：
He seth hire face of such colour；
That freisshere is than eny flour；
He seth hire front is large and plein
Withoute fronce of eny grein； 770
He seth hire yhen lich an hevene；
He seth hire nase strauht and evene；
He seth hire rode upon the cheke；
He seth hire rede lippes eke；
Hire chyn acordeth to the face；
Al that he seth is full of grace；
He seth hire necke round and clene；
Therinne mai no bon be sene；
He seth hire handes faire and whyte；
For al this thing withoute wyte 780
He mai se naked ate leste；
So is it wel the more feste
And wel the mor Delicacie
Unto the fiedinge of myn yhe。
He seth hire schapthe forth withal；
Hire bodi round； hire middel smal；
So wel begon with good array；
Which passeth al the lust of Maii；
Whan he is most with softe schoures
Ful clothed in his lusti floures。 790
With suche sihtes by and by
Min yhe is fed； bot finaly；
Whan he the port and the manere
Seth of hire wommanysshe chere；
Than hath he such del