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Unto the Patriarch and seide： 1040
〃Send Lazar doun fro thilke Sete；
And do that he his finger wete
In water； so that he mai droppe
Upon my tunge； forto stoppe
The grete hete in which I brenne。〃
Bot Habraham answerde thenne
And seide to him in this wise：
〃Mi Sone； thou thee miht avise
And take into thi remembrance；
Hou Lazar hadde gret penance； 1050
Whyl he was in that other lif；
Bot thou in al thi lust jolif
The bodily delices soghtest：
Forthi； so as thou thanne wroghtest；
Nou schalt thou take thi reward
Of dedly peine hierafterward
In helle； which schal evere laste；
And this Lazar nou ate laste
The worldes peine is overronne；
In hevene and hath his lif begonne 1060
Of joie； which is endeles。
Bot that thou preidest natheles；
That I schal Lazar to the sende
With water on his finger ende；
Thin hote tunge forto kiele；
Thou schalt no such graces fiele；
For to that foule place of Sinne；
For evere in which thou schalt ben inne；
Comth non out of this place thider；
Ne non of you mai comen hider； 1070
Thus be yee parted nou atuo。〃
The riche ayeinward cride tho：
〃O Habraham； sithe it so is；
That Lazar mai noght do me this
Which I have axed in this place；
I wolde preie an other grace。
For I have yit of brethren fyve；
That with mi fader ben alyve
Togedre duellende in on hous；
To whom； as thou art gracious； 1080
I preie that thou woldest sende
Lazar； so that he mihte wende
To warne hem hou the world is went；
That afterward thei be noght schent
Of suche peines as I drye。
Lo； this I preie and this I crie；
Now I may noght miself amende。〃
The Patriarch anon suiende
To his preiere ansuerde nay；
And seide him hou that everyday 1090
His brethren mihten knowe and hiere
Of Moi5ses on Erthe hiere
And of prophetes othre mo；
What hem was best。 And he seith no；
Bot if ther mihte a man aryse
Fro deth to lyve in such a wise；
To tellen hem hou that it were；
He seide hou thanne of pure fere
Thei scholden wel be war therby。
Quod Habraham： 〃Nay sikerly； 1100
For if thei nou wol noght obeie
To suche as techen hem the weie；
And alday preche and alday telle
Hou that it stant of hevene and helle；
Thei wol noght thanne taken hiede；
Thogh it befelle so in dede
That eny ded man were arered；
To ben of him no betre lered
Than of an other man alyve。〃
If thou； mi Sone； canst descryve 1110
This tale； as Crist himself it tolde；
Thou schalt have cause to beholde；
To se so gret an evidence；
Wherof the sothe experience
Hath schewed openliche at ije；
That bodili delicacie
Of him which yeveth non almesse
Schal after falle in gret destresse。
And that was sene upon the riche：
For he ne wolde unto his liche 1120
A Crumme yiven of his bred；
Thanne afterward； whan he was ded；
A drope of water him was werned。
Thus mai a mannes wit be lerned
Of hem that so delices taken；
Whan thei with deth ben overtaken；
That erst was swete is thanne sour。
Bot he that is a governour
Of worldes good； if he be wys；
Withinne his herte he set no pris 1130
Of al the world； and yit he useth
The good； that he nothing refuseth；
As he which lord is of the thinges。
The Nouches and the riche ringes；
The cloth of gold and the Perrie
He takth； and yit delicacie
He leveth； thogh he were al this。
The beste mete that ther is
He ett； and drinkth the beste drinke；
Bot hou that evere he ete or drinke； 1140
Delicacie he put aweie；
As he which goth the rihte weie
Noght only forto fiede and clothe
His bodi； bot his soule bothe。
Bot thei that taken otherwise
Here lustes； ben none of the wise；
And that whilom was schewed eke；
If thou these olde bokes seke；
Als wel be reson as be kinde；
Of olde ensample as men mai finde。 1150
What man that wolde him wel avise；
Delicacie is to despise；
Whan kinde acordeth noght withal；
Wherof ensample in special
Of Nero whilom mai be told；
Which ayein kinde manyfold
Hise lustes tok； til ate laste
That god him wolde al overcaste；
Of whom the Cronique is so plein；
Me list nomore of him to sein。 1160
And natheles for glotonie
Of bodili Delicacie；
To knowe his stomak hou it ferde；
Of that noman tofore herde；
Which he withinne himself bethoghte；
A wonder soubtil thing he wroghte。
Thre men upon eleccioun
Of age and of complexioun
Lich to himself be alle weie
He tok towardes him to pleie； 1170
And ete and drinke als wel as he。
Therof was no diversite；
For every day whan that thei eete；
Tofore his oghne bord thei seete；
And of such mete as he was served；
Althogh thei hadde it noght deserved；
Thei token service of the same。
Bot afterward al thilke game
Was into wofull ernest torned；
For whan thei weren thus sojorned； 1180
Withinne a time at after mete
Nero； which hadde noght foryete
The lustes of his frele astat；
As he which al was delicat；
To knowe thilke experience；
The men let come in his presence：
And to that on the same tyde；
A courser that he scholde ryde
Into the feld； anon he bad；
Wherof this man was wonder glad； 1190
And goth to prike and prance aboute。
That other； whil that he was oute；
He leide upon his bedd to slepe：
The thridde； which he wolde kepe
Withinne his chambre； faire and softe
He goth now doun nou up fulofte；
Walkende a pass； that he ne slepte；
Til he which on the courser lepte
Was come fro the field ayein。
Nero thanne； as the bokes sein； 1200
These men doth taken alle thre
And slouh hem； for he wolde se
The whos stomak was best defied：
And whanne he hath the sothe tryed；
He fond that he which goth the pass
Defyed best of alle was；
Which afterward he usede ay。
And thus what thing unto his pay
Was most plesant； he lefte non：
With every lust he was begon； 1210
Wherof the bodi myhte glade；
For he non abstinence made；
Bot most above alle erthli thinges
Of wommen unto the likinges
Nero sette al his hole herte；
For that lust scholde him noght asterte。
Whan that the thurst of love him cawhte；
Wher that him list he tok a drauhte；
He spareth nouther wif ne maide；
That such an other； as men saide； 1220
In al this world was nevere yit。
He was so drunke in al his wit
Thurgh sondri lustes whiche he tok；
That evere； whil ther is a bok；
Of Nero men schul rede and singe
Unto the worldes knowlechinge；
Mi goode Sone； as thou hast herd。
For evere yit it hath so ferd；
Delicacie in loves cas
Withoute reson is and was； 1230
For wher that love his herte set；
Him thenkth it myhte be no bet；
And thogh it be noght fulli mete；
The lust of love is evere swete。
Lo； thus togedre of felaschipe
Delicacie and drunkeschipe；
Wherof reson stant out of herre；
Have mad full many a wisman erre
In loves cause most of alle：
For thanne hou so that evere it falle； 1240
Wit can no reson understonde；
Bot let the governance stonde
To Will； which thanne wext so wylde；
That he can noght himselve schylde
Fro no peril； bot out of feere
The weie he secheth hiere and there；
Him recheth noght upon what syde：
For oftetime he goth beside；
And doth such thing withoute drede；
Wherof him oghte wel to drede。 1250
Bot whan that love assoteth sore；
It passeth alle mennes lore；
What lust it is that he ordeigneth；
Ther is no mannes miht restreigneth；
And of the godd takth he non hiede：
Bot laweles withoute drede；
His pourpos for he wolde achieve
Ayeins the pointz of the believe；
He tempteth hevene and erthe and helle；
Hierafterward as I schall telle。 1260
Who dar do thing which love ne dar？
To love is every lawe unwar；
Bot to the lawes of his heste
The fissch； the foul； the man； the beste
Of al the worldes kinde louteth。
For love is he which nothing douteth：
In mannes herte where he sit；
He compteth noght toward his wit
The wo nomore than the wele；
No mor the hete than the chele； 1270
No mor the wete than the dreie；
No mor to live than to deie；
So that tofore ne behinde
He seth nothing； bot as the blinde
Withoute insyhte of his corage
He doth merveilles in his rage。
To what thing that he wole him drawe；
Ther is no god； ther is no lawe；
Of whom that he takth eny hiede；
Bot as Baiard the blinde stede； 1280
Til he falle in the dich amidde；
He goth ther noman wole him bidde；
He stant so ferforth out of reule；
Ther is no wit that mai him reule。
And thus to tell