PROLOGUS.

Hic imprimis declarat Joanes Gower, quam ob causam presentem libellum composuit, & finaliter compleuit, An. regni regis Ric. secundi. 16.

OF them, that writen vs to fore

The bokes dwelle: and we therfore

Ben taught of that was writen tho,
For thy good is, that we also
In our tune amonge vs here
Do write of newe some mattere
Ensampled of the olde wise

So that it might in suche a wise
Whan we be deade and els where
Beleue to the worldes ere
In tyme comyng after this

And for men seyne, and sothe it is,
That who that all of wisdome write

It dalleth ofte a mans witte.

To bym that shall it all daie rede
For thilke cause if that ye rede
Iwyll go the middell wey,

And write a boke bytwene the twey
Somwhat of lust, and somwhat of lore
That of the lasse, or of the more
Some man maie like of that I write
And for that few men endite

In our englisshe, for to make
A booke for Englandes sake
The yere xvi. of kynge Richarde

What shall befalle here afterwarde

God wote, for nowe vpon this tide
Men see the worlde on enery, side
In sondrie wise so diuersed
That it well nigh stant all reuersed.
Als for to speake of time ago
The cause why it changeth so
It nedeth nought to specifie,

The thynge so open is at the eie

That euery man it maie beholde.
And netheles by daies olde,
Whan that the bokes weren feuer,
Writyng was beloued euer
Of them, that weren vertuous.
For here in erthe amonge vs
If no man write howe it stode,
The pris of them that were good
Shulde (as who saiyh a great partie)
Be loste: so for to magnifie

The worthy princes, that tho were.
The bookes shewen here and there
Wherof the worlde ensampled is
And tho that diden than amis
Through tyrannie and crueltee
Right as thei stonden in degree,
So was the writyng of the werke.
Thus I, whiche am a borell clerke,
Purpose for to write a booke
After the worlde that whilom toke
Longe time in olde daies passed.
But for men seyn it is now lassed
In wers plight than it was tho,

I thynke for to tonche also

The worlde, whiche neweth euery daie
So as I can, so as I maie

Though I sekenesse haue vpon honde
And longe haue had, yet wolde I fonde
To write, and do my besinesse,
That in some partie, so as I gesse,
The wise man maie be aduised.

For this prologue is so assised
That it to wisedome all belongeth,
That wise man that it vnderfongeth,
He shall draw into remembrance
The fortune of the worldes chance,
The whiche no man in his persone
Maie knowe, but the god alone.
Whan the prologue is so dispended
The boke shall aftewarde be ended

Of loue, whiche dothe many a wonder,
And many a wise man hath put vnder.
And in this wise I thynke to treate
Towarde them, that nowe be greate,
Betwene the vertue and the vice,
Whiche longeth vnto this office.
But for my wittes ben to smale
To telle euery mans tale
This booke vpon amendement
To stonde at his commandement
With whom mine herte is of accorde,
I sende vnto mine owne lorde,
Whiche of Lancaster is Henry named
The hygh God hath hym proclamed
Full of knyghthode and all grace,
So wolde I nowe this werke embrace
God graunte 1 mote it well acheue
With whole truste and whole beleue.

Tempus præteritum præsens fortuna beatum
Linquit, & antiquas vertit in orbe vias.
Progenuit veterem concors dilectio pacem,

Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat.
Legibus vnicolor tunc temporis aura refulsit,
Iustitiæ planæ tuncque fuere viæ.
Nuncque latens odius vultum depingit amoris,
Paceque sub ficta tempus ad arma tegit.
Instar & ex variis mutabile cameliontis

Lex gerit, & regnis sunt noua iura nouis. Climataque fuerant solidissima, sicque per orbem Soluuntur, nec eó centra quietis habent.

Destatu,regnoque,vt dicunt, secundum temporalia, Videlicet tempore regis Richardi secundi, Anno regni sui sextodecimo.

IF I shall drawe in to iny mynde
The time passed, than I fynde
The worlde stode in all his welthe.
Tho was the life of man in helth,
Tho was plentee, tho was richesse,
Tho was the fortune, tho was prowesse,
Tho was knighthode in price by name,
Wherof the wide worldes fame

Write in cronicles is yet withholde,
Justice of lawe tho was holde,

The priuilege of regalie
Was safe, and all the Baronie
Worshipped was in his astate,
The cities knewe no debate,
The people stode in obeisance
Under the rule of gouernance t
And peace with vnrightwisenesse keste
With charitee tho stode in reste:

Of mans herte the courage

Was shewed then in the visage.
The worde was like to the conceite
Without semblant of deceite.
Tho was there vnenuied loue,
Tho was vertue set aboue,
And vyce was put vnder foote,

உ.

ལ་ཚ་

هينا

Nowe stante the crope vnder the roote.
The worlde is changed ouerall,
And therof moste in speciall
That loue is falle in to discorde,
And that I take in to recorde
Of euery lande for his partie

The common voice, whiche maie not lie.
Nought vpon one, but vpon all
Is that men nowe clepe and calle,

And seyn, that reignes bene deuided,
In stede of loue is hate guided.
The warre woli no peace purchace,
And lawe hath take hir double face,
So that Justice out of the waie
With rightwisenes is gone awaie.
And thus to loke on euery halue
Men sene the sore without salue,
Whiche all the worlde hath ouertake
There is no reigne of all out take.
For euery climat hath his dele
After the tournyng of the whele,
Whiche blinde fortune ouerthroweth,
Wherof the certaine no man knoweth.
The heuen wote what is to doone,
But we that dwell vnder the moone
Stonde in this worlde vpon a were,
And namely but the powere
Of them that bene the worldes guides
With good counsell on all sides,
Ben kept vpright in suche a wise,
That bate breke nought thassise
Of loue, whiche is all the chiefe
To kepe a reigne out of mischiefe:
For all reason wolde this,

That vnto him, whiche the head is,
The membres buxom shall bowe,
And he shulde eke their trouth alowe
With all his herte, and make them chere:
For good counseill is good to here,
All though a man be wise hym selue,
Yet is the wisdome more of twelue:
And if thei stande both in one,
To hope it were then anone,
That God his grace wolde sende
To make of thilke werre an ende,
Whiche euery daie nowe groweth newe
And that is greatly for to rewe,

In speciall for Christes sake,
Whiche wolde his owne life forsake
Amonge the men to yeuen pees,
But nowe men tellen natheles,
That loue is from the worlde departed,
So stant the peace vneuen parted.
With them that liuen now a daies.
But for to loke at all assaies

To him, that wold reson seche
After the comen worldes speche.

It is to wonder of thilke werre,

In whiche none wote who hath the werre.
For euery lond him selfe deceiueth,
And of disease his parte receiueth
And yet take men no kepe,

But thilke lorde, whiche all maie kepe,
To whom no counseill maie be hid,
Upon the worlde, whiche is betide
Amende that, wherof men plaine
With trewe hertes and with plaine
And reconcele loue againe:
As he, whiche is kynge soueraine
Of all the worldes gouernance
And of his high puruiance
Afferme peace betwene the londes,
And take their cause in to his hondes,
So that the world maie stand appeased,

And his godheade also be pleased.

Quas coluit Moses vetus, aut nouus ipse Ioanes,
Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies.

Sic prius Ecclesia bina virtute polita,
Nunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via.