Incipit Liber Octavus. (continued 2)

*Adieu, for I mot fro the wende. And gret wel Chaucer whan ye mete,18102941* As mi disciple and mi poete: For in the floures of his youthe In sondri wise, as he wel couthe, Of Ditees and of songes glade, The whiche he for mi sake made, The loud fulfild is overal: Wherof to him in special Above alle othre I am most holde.1811 For thi now in hise daies olde2950* Thow schalt him telle this message, That he upon his latere age, To sette an ende of alle his werk,1812 As he which is myn owne clerk, Do make his testament of love, As thou hast do thi schrifte above, So that mi Court it mai recorde.’ ‘Madame, I can me wel acorde,’ Quod I, ‘to telle as ye me bidde.’ And with that word it so betidde,18132960* Out of my sihte al sodeynly,1814 Enclosed in a sterred sky, Up to the hevene Venus straghte,1815 And I my rihte weie cawhte,1816 Hom fro the wode and forth I wente,1817 Wher as with al myn hole entente,1818 Thus with mi bedes upon honde,1819 For hem that trewe love fonde I thenke bidde whil I lyve Upon the poynt which I am schryve.2970* [The Author prays for the King.] iv.* Ad laudem Cristi, quem tu, virgo, peperisti, Sit laus Ricardi, quem sceptra colunt leopardi. Ad sua precepta compleui carmina cepta, Que Bruti nata legat Anglia perpetuata.1820 He which withinne dayes sevene This large world forth with the hevene Hic in fine libri honorificos que virtuosos illustrissimi Principis domini sui Regis Anglie Ricardi secundi mores, sicut dignum est, laude commendabili describens, pro eiusdem status salubri conseruacione cunctipotentem deuocius exorat. Of his eternal providence Hath mad, and thilke intelligence1821 In mannes soule resonable Enspired to himself semblable, Wherof the man of his feture Above alle erthly creature1822 After the soule is immortal, To thilke lord in special,2980* As he which is of alle thinges The creatour, and of the kinges Hath the fortunes upon honde,1823 His grace and mercy forto fonde Upon mi bare knees I preye, That he my worthi king conveye, Richard by name the Secounde,1824 In whom hath evere yit be founde1825 Justice medled with pite, Largesce forth with charite.2990* In his persone it mai be schewed What is a king to be wel thewed, Touchinge of pite namely: [The King commended.] For he yit nevere unpitously Ayein the liges of his lond,1826 For no defaute which he fond, Thurgh cruelte vengaunce soghte; And thogh the worldes chaunce in broghte1827 Of infortune gret debat, Yit was he not infortunat:3000* For he which the fortune ladde, The hihe god, him overspradde Of his Justice, and kepte him so,1828 That his astat stood evere mo Sauf, as it oghte wel to be;1829 Lich to the Sonne in his degree, Which with the clowdes up alofte Is derked and bischadewed ofte,1830 But hou so that it trowble in their,1831 The Sonne is evere briht and feir,3010* Withinne himself and noght empeired:1832 Althogh the weder be despeired, The hed planete is not to wite.1833 Mi worthi prince, of whom I write, Thus slant he with himselve clier,1834 And doth what lith in his power1835 Not only hier at hom to seke1836 Love and acord, but outward eke,1837 As he that save his poeple wolde. So ben we alle wel beholde18383020* To do service and obeyssaunce To him, which of his heyh suffraunce1839 Hath many a gret debat appesed,1840 To make his lige men ben esed;1841 Wherfore that his Croniqe schal For evere be memorial To the loenge of that he doth.1842 For this wot every man in soth, What king that so desireth pes,1843 He takth the weie which Crist ches:3030* And who that Cristes weies sueth, It proveth wel that he eschueth The vices and is vertuous,1844 Wherof he mot be gracious Toward his god and acceptable. And so to make his regne stable,1845 With al the wil that I mai yive I preie and schal whil that I live, As I which in subjeccioun Stonde under the proteccioun,18463040* And mai miselven not bewelde,1847 What for seknesse and what for elde,1848 Which I receyve of goddes grace. But thogh me lacke to purchace [The Author presents his Book to the King.] Mi kinges thonk as by decerte,1849 Yit the Simplesce of mi poverte Unto the love of my ligance Desireth forto do plesance: And for this cause in myn entente This povere bok heer I presente18503050* Unto his hihe worthinesse, Write of my simple besinesse,1851 So as seknesse it suffre wolde.1852 And in such wise as I ferst tolde, Whan I this bok began to make,1853 In som partie it mai be take1854 As for to lawhe and forto pleye; And forto loke in other weye,1855 It mai be wisdom to the wise: So that somdel for good aprise18563060* And eek somdel for lust and game1857 I have it mad, as thilke same1858 Which axe forto ben excused,1859 That I no Rethoriqe have used Upon the forme of eloquence, For that is not of mi science; But I have do my trewe peyne With rude wordes and with pleyne To speke of thing which I have told.1860 [Farewell to Earthly Love.] But now that I am feble and old,18613070* And to the worschipe of mi king In love above alle other thing1862 That I this bok have mad and write,1863 Mi Muse doth me forto wite1864 That it is to me for the beste Fro this day forth to take reste,1865 That I nomore of love make.1866 But he which hath of love his make1867 It sit him wel to singe and daunce,1868 And do to love his entendance3080* In songes bothe and in seyinges After the lust of his pleyinges, For he hath that he wolde have: But where a man schal love crave1869 And faile, it stant al otherwise.1870 In his proverbe seith the wise, Whan game is best, is best to leve:1871 And thus forthi my fynal leve, With oute makyng eny more,1872 I take now for evere more3090* Of love and of his dedly hele,1873 Which no phisicien can hele. For his nature is so divers, That it hath evere som travers Or of to moche or of to lite, That fully mai noman delyte, But if him lacke or that or this.1874 But thilke love which that is Withinne a mannes herte affermed, [Heavenly Love.] And stant of charite confermed,3100* That love is of no repentaile; For it ne berth no contretaile, Which mai the conscience charge, But it is rather of descharge,1875 And meedful heer and overal. Forthi this love in special1876 Is good for every man to holde,1877 And who that resoun wol beholde,1878 Al other lust is good to daunte: Which thing the hihe god us graunte18793110* Forth with the remenant of grace So that of hevene in thilke place Wher resteth love and alle pes,1880 Oure joye mai ben endeles.1881

Quam cinxere freta, Gower, tua carmina leta Per loca discreta canit Anglia laude repleta. Carminis Athleta, satirus, tibi, siue Poeta, Sit laus completa quo gloria stat sine meta.