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That I am unbehovely

Your Court fro this day forth to serve:

And for I may no thonk deserve,

And also for I am refused,

I preie you to ben excused.

And natheles as for the laste,

Whil that my wittes with me laste, 2890

Touchende mi confession

I axe an absolucion

Of Genius, er that I go."

The Prest anon was redy tho,

And seide, "Sone, as of thi schrifte

Thou hast ful pardoun and foryifte;

Foryet it thou, and so wol I."

"Min holi fader, grant mercy,"

Quod I to him, and to the queene

I fell on knes upon the grene, 2900

And tok my leve forto wende.

Bot sche, that wolde make an ende,

As therto which I was most able,

A Peire of Bedes blak as Sable

Sche tok and heng my necke aboute;

Upon the gaudes al withoute

Was write of gold, Por reposer.

"Lo," thus sche seide, "John Gower,

Now thou art ate laste cast,

This have I for thin ese cast, 2910

That thou nomore of love sieche.

Bot my will is that thou besieche

And preie hierafter for the pes,

And that thou make a plein reles

To love, which takth litel hiede

Of olde men upon the nede,

Whan that the lustes ben aweie:

Forthi to thee nys bot o weie,

In which let reson be thi guide;

For he may sone himself misguide, 2920

That seth noght the peril tofore.

Mi Sone, be wel war therfore,

And kep the sentence of my lore

And tarie thou mi Court nomore,

Bot go ther vertu moral duelleth,

Wher ben thi bokes, as men telleth,

Whiche of long time thou hast write.

For this I do thee wel to wite,

If thou thin hele wolt pourchace,

Thou miht noght make suite and chace, 2930

Wher that the game is nought pernable;

It were a thing unresonable,

A man to be so overseie.

Forthi tak hiede of that I seie;

For in the lawe of my comune

We be noght schape to comune,

Thiself and I, nevere after this.

Now have y seid al that ther is

Of love as for thi final ende:

Adieu, for y mot fro the wende." 2940

And with that word al sodeinly,

Enclosid in a sterred sky,

Venus, which is the qweene of love,

Was take in to hire place above,

More wiste y nought wher sche becam.

And thus my leve of hire y nam,

And forth with al the same tide

Hire prest, which wolde nought abide,

Or be me lief or be me loth,

Out of my sighte forth he goth, 2950

And y was left with outen helpe.

So wiste I nought wher of to yelpe,

Bot only that y hadde lore

My time, and was sori ther fore.

And thus bewhapid in my thought,

Whan al was turnyd in to nought,

I stod amasid for a while,

And in my self y gan to smyle

Thenkende uppon the bedis blake,

And how they weren me betake, 2960

For that y schulde bidde and preie.

And whanne y sigh non othre weie

Bot only that y was refusid,

Unto the lif which y hadde usid

I thoughte nevere torne ayein:

And in this wise, soth to seyn,

Homward a softe pas y wente,

Wher that with al myn hol entente

Uppon the point that y am schryve

I thenke bidde whil y live. 2970

He which withinne daies sevene

This large world forth with the hevene

Of his eternal providence

Hath mad, and thilke intelligence

In mannys soule resonable

Hath schape to be perdurable,

Wherof the man of his feture

Above alle erthli creature

Aftir the soule is immortal,

To thilke lord in special, 2980

As he which is of alle thinges

The creatour, and of the kynges

Hath the fortunes uppon honde,

His grace and mercy forto fonde

Uppon my bare knes y preie,

That he this lond in siker weie

Wol sette uppon good governance.

For if men takyn remembrance

What is to live in unite,

Ther ys no staat in his degree 2990

That noughte to desire pes,

With outen which, it is no les,

To seche and loke in to the laste,

Ther may no worldes joye laste.

Ferst forto loke the Clergie,

Hem oughte wel to justefie

Thing which belongith to here cure,

As forto praie and to procure

Oure pes toward the hevene above,

And ek to sette reste and love 3000

Among ous on this erthe hiere.

For if they wroughte in this manere

Aftir the reule of charite,

I hope that men schuldyn se

This lond amende. And ovyr this,

To seche and loke how that it is

Touchende of the chevalerie,

Which