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The branches mihten noght be goode; 240

For of the false Moabites

Forth with the strengthe of Amonites,

Of that thei weren ferst misgete,

The poeple of god was ofte upsete

In Irahel and in Judee,

As in the bible a man mai se.

Lo thus, my Sone, as I thee seie,

Thou miht thiselve be beseie

Of that thou hast of othre herd:

For evere yit it hath so ferd, 250

Of loves lust if so befalle

That it in other place falle

Than it is of the lawe set,

He which his love hath so beset

Mote afterward repente him sore.

And every man is othres lore;

Of that befell in time er this

The present time which now is

May ben enformed hou it stod,

And take that him thenketh good, 260

And leve that which is noght so.

Bot forto loke of time go,

Hou lust of love excedeth lawe,

It oghte forto be withdrawe;

For every man it scholde drede,

And nameliche in his Sibrede,

Which torneth ofte to vengance:

Wherof a tale in remembrance,

Which is a long process to hiere,

I thenke forto tellen hiere. 270

Of a Cronique in daies gon,

The which is cleped Pantheon,

In loves cause I rede thus,

Hou that the grete Antiochus,

Of whom that Antioche tok

His ferste name, as seith the bok,

Was coupled to a noble queene,

And hadde a dowhter hem betwene:

Bot such fortune cam to honde,

That deth, which no king mai withstonde, 280

Bot every lif it mote obeie,

This worthi queene tok aweie.

The king, which made mochel mone,

Tho stod, as who seith, al him one

Withoute wif, bot natheles

His doghter, which was piereles

Of beaute, duelte aboute him stille.

Bot whanne a man hath welthe at wille,

The fleissh is frele and falleth ofte,

And that this maide tendre and softe, 290

Which in hire fadres chambres duelte,

Withinne a time wiste and felte:

For likinge and concupiscence

Withoute insihte of conscience

The fader so with lustes blente,

That he caste al his hole entente

His oghne doghter forto spille.

This king hath leisir at his wille

With strengthe, and whanne he time sih,

This yonge maiden he forlih: 300

And sche was tendre and full of drede,

Sche couthe noght hir Maidenhede

Defende, and thus sche hath forlore

The flour which she hath longe bore.

It helpeth noght althogh sche wepe,

For thei that scholde hir bodi kepe

Of wommen were absent as thanne;

And thus this maiden goth to manne,

The wylde fader thus devoureth

His oghne fleissh, which non socoureth, 310

And that was cause of mochel care.

Bot after this unkinde fare

Out of the chambre goth the king,

And sche lay stille, and of this thing,

Withinne hirself such sorghe made,

Ther was no wiht that mihte hir glade,

For feere of thilke horrible vice.

With that cam inne the Norrice

Which fro childhode hire hadde kept,

And axeth if sche hadde slept, 320

And why hire chiere was unglad.

Bot sche, which hath ben overlad

Of that sche myhte noght be wreke,

For schame couthe unethes speke;

And natheles mercy sche preide

With wepende yhe and thus sche seide:

"Helas, mi Soster, waileway,

That evere I sih this ilke day!

Thing which mi bodi ferst begat

Into this world, onliche that 330

Mi worldes worschipe hath bereft."

With that sche swouneth now and eft,

And evere wissheth after deth,

So that welnyh hire lacketh breth.

That other, which hire wordes herde,

In confortinge of hire ansuerde,

To lette hire fadres fol desir

Sche wiste no recoverir:

Whan thing is do, ther is no bote,

So suffren thei that suffre mote; 340

Ther was non other which it wiste.

Thus hath this king al that him liste

Of his likinge and his plesance,

And laste in such continuance,

And such delit he tok therinne,

Him thoghte that it was no Sinne;

And sche dorste him nothing withseie.

Bot fame, which goth every weie,

To sondry regnes al aboute

The grete beaute telleth oute 350

Of such a maide of hih parage:

So that for love of mariage

The worthi Princes come and sende,

As thei the whiche al honour wende,

And knewe nothing hou it stod.

The fader, whanne he understod,

That thei his dowhter thus besoghte,

With al his wit he caste and thoghte

Hou that he myhte finde