• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

And seide thanne he wolde wende

To Tharse, forto make an ende

Of that his doghter was betraied.

Therof were alle men wel paied,

And seide hou it was forto done:

The Schipes weren redi sone,

And strong pouer with him he tok;

Up to the Sky he caste his lok,

And syh the wynd was covenable.

Thei hale up Ancher with the cable, 1930

The Seil on hih, the Stiere in honde,

And seilen, til thei come alonde

At Tharse nyh to the cite;

And whan thei wisten it was he,

The toun hath don him reverence.

He telleth hem the violence,

Which the tretour Strangulio

And Dionise him hadde do

Touchende his dowhter, as yee herde;

And whan thei wiste hou that it ferde, 1940

As he which pes and love soghte,

Unto the toun this he besoghte,

To don him riht in juggement.

Anon thei were bothe asent

With strengthe of men, and comen sone,

And as hem thoghte it was to done,

Atteint thei were be the lawe

And diemed forto honge and drawe,

And brent and with the wynd toblowe,

That al the world it myhte knowe: 1950

And upon this condicion

The dom in execucion

Was put anon withoute faile.

And every man hath gret mervaile,

Which herde tellen of this chance,

And thonketh goddes pourveance,

Which doth mercy forth with justice.

Slain is the moerdrer and moerdrice

Thurgh verray trowthe of rihtwisnesse,

And thurgh mercy sauf is simplesse 1960

Of hire whom mercy preserveth;

Thus hath he wel that wel deserveth.

Whan al this thing is don and ended,

This king, which loved was and frended,

A lettre hath, which cam to him

Be Schipe fro Pentapolim,

Be which the lond hath to him write,

That he wolde understonde and wite

Hou in good mynde and in good pes

Ded is the king Artestrates, 1970

Wherof thei alle of on acord

Him preiden, as here liege lord,

That he the lettre wel conceive

And come his regne to receive,

Which god hath yove him and fortune;

And thus besoghte the commune

Forth with the grete lordes alle.

This king sih how it was befalle,

Fro Tharse and in prosperite

He tok his leve of that Cite 1980

And goth him into Schipe ayein:

The wynd was good, the See was plein,

Hem nedeth noght a Riff to slake,

Til thei Pentapolim have take.

The lond, which herde of that tidinge,

Was wonder glad of his cominge;

He resteth him a day or tuo

And tok his conseil to him tho,

And sette a time of Parlement,

Wher al the lond of on assent 1990

Forth with his wif hath him corouned,

Wher alle goode him was fuisouned.

Lo, what it is to be wel grounded:

For he hath ferst his love founded

Honesteliche as forto wedde,

Honesteliche his love he spedde

And hadde children with his wif,

And as him liste he ladde his lif;

And in ensample his lif was write,

That alle lovers myhten wite 2000

How ate laste it schal be sene

Of love what thei wolden mene.

For se now on that other side,

Antiochus with al his Pride,

Which sette his love unkindely,

His ende he hadde al sodeinly,

Set ayein kinde upon vengance,

And for his lust hath his penance.

Lo thus, mi Sone, myht thou liere

What is to love in good manere, 2010

And what to love in other wise:

The mede arist of the servise;

Fortune, thogh sche be noght stable,

Yit at som time is favorable

To hem that ben of love trewe.

Bot certes it is forto rewe

To se love ayein kinde falle,

For that makth sore a man to falle,

As thou myht of tofore rede.

Forthi, my Sone, I wolde rede 2020

To lete al other love aweie,

Bot if it be thurgh such a weie

As love and reson wolde acorde.

For elles, if that thou descorde,

And take lust as doth a beste,

Thi love mai noght ben honeste;

For be no skile that I finde

Such lust is noght of loves kinde.

Mi fader, hou so that it stonde,

Youre tale is herd and understonde, 2030

As thing which worthi is to hiere,

Of gret ensample and gret matiere,

Wherof, my fader, god you quyte.

Bot in this point miself aquite

I mai riht wel, that nevere yit

I was assoted in my wit,

Bot only in that worthi place

Wher alle lust and alle grace

Is set, if that danger ne were.

Bot that is al my moste fere: 2040

I