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For this that thou hast herd before
Is seid the ferste point of Pride：
And next upon that other side； 1230
To schryve and speken overthis
Touchende of Pride； yit ther is
The point seconde； I thee behote；
Which Inobedience is hote。
This vice of Inobedience
Ayein the reule of conscience
Al that is humble he desalloweth；
That he toward his god ne boweth
After the lawes of his heste。
Noght as a man bot as a beste； 1240
Which goth upon his lustes wilde；
So goth this proude vice unmylde；
That he desdeigneth alle lawe：
He not what is to be felawe；
And serve may he noght for pride；
So is he badde on every side；
And is that selve of whom men speke；
Which wol noght bowe er that he breke。
I not if love him myhte plie；
For elles forto justefie 1250
His herte； I not what mihte availe。
Forthi； my Sone； of such entaile
If that thin herte be disposed；
Tell out and let it noght be glosed：
For if that thou unbuxom be
To love； I not in what degree
Thou schalt thi goode world achieve。
Mi fader； ye schul wel believe；
The yonge whelp which is affaited
Hath noght his Maister betre awaited； 1260
To couche； whan he seith 〃Go lowe；〃
That I； anon as I may knowe
Mi ladi will； ne bowe more。
Bot other while I grucche sore
Of some thinges that sche doth；
Wherof that I woll telle soth：
For of tuo pointz I am bethoght；
That； thogh I wolde； I myhte noght
Obeie unto my ladi heste；
Bot I dar make this beheste； 1270
Save only of that ilke tuo
I am unbuxom of no mo。
Whan ben tho tuo？ tell on； quod he。
Mi fader； this is on； that sche
Comandeth me my mowth to close；
And that I scholde hir noght oppose
In love； of which I ofte preche；
Bot plenerliche of such a speche
Forbere； and soffren hire in pes。
Bot that ne myhte I natheles 1280
For al this world obeie ywiss；
For whanne I am ther as sche is；
Though sche my tales noght alowe；
Ayein hir will yit mot I bowe；
To seche if that I myhte have grace：
Bot that thing may I noght enbrace
For ought that I can speke or do；
And yit fulofte I speke so；
That sche is wroth and seith； 〃Be stille。〃
If I that heste schal fulfille 1290
And therto ben obedient；
Thanne is my cause fully schent；
For specheles may noman spede。
So wot I noght what is to rede；
Bot certes I may noght obeie；
That I ne mot algate seie
Somwhat of that I wolde mene；
For evere it is aliche grene；
The grete love which I have；
Wherof I can noght bothe save 1300
My speche and this obedience：
And thus fulofte my silence
I breke； and is the ferste point
Wherof that I am out of point
In this； and yit it is no pride。
Now thanne upon that other side
To telle my desobeissance；
Ful sore it stant to my grevance
And may noght sinke into my wit；
For ofte time sche me bit 1310
To leven hire and chese a newe；
And seith； if I the sothe knewe
How ferr I stonde from hir grace；
I scholde love in other place。
Bot therof woll I desobeie；
For also wel sche myhte seie；
〃Go tak the Mone ther it sit；〃
As bringe that into my wit：
For ther was nevere rooted tre；
That stod so faste in his degre； 1320
That I ne stonde more faste
Upon hire love； and mai noght caste
Min herte awey； althogh I wolde。
For god wot； thogh I nevere scholde
Sen hir with yhe after this day；
Yit stant it so that I ne may
Hir love out of my brest remue。
This is a wonder retenue；
That malgre wher sche wole or non
Min herte is everemore in on； 1330
So that I can non other chese；
Bot whether that I winne or lese；
I moste hire loven til I deie；
And thus I breke as be that weie
Hire hestes and hir comandinges；
Bot trewliche in non othre thinges。
Forthi； my fader； what is more
Touchende to this ilke lore
I you beseche； after the forme
That ye pleinly me wolde enforme； 1340
So that I may myn herte reule
In loves cause after the reule。
Toward this vice of which we trete
Ther ben yit tweie of thilke estrete；
Here name is Murmur and Compleignte：
Ther can noman here chiere peinte；
To sette a glad semblant therinne；
For thogh fortune make hem wynne；
Yit grucchen thei； and if thei lese；
Ther is no weie forto chese； 1350
Wherof thei myhten stonde appesed。
So ben thei comunly desesed；
Ther may no welthe ne poverte
Attempren hem to the decerte
Of buxomnesse be no wise：
For ofte time thei despise
The goode fortune as the badde；
As thei no mannes reson hadde；
Thurgh pride； wherof thei be blinde。
And ryht of such a maner kinde 1360
Ther be lovers； that thogh thei have
Of love al that thei wolde crave；
Yit wol thei grucche be som weie；
That thei wol noght to love obeie
Upon the trowthe； as thei do scholde；
And if hem lacketh that thei wolde；
Anon thei falle in such a peine；
That evere unbuxomly thei pleigne
Upon fortune； and curse and crie；
That thei wol noght here hertes plie 1370
To soffre til it betre falle。
Forthi if thou amonges alle
Hast used this condicioun；
Mi Sone； in thi Confessioun
Now tell me pleinly what thou art。
Mi fader； I beknowe a part；
So as ye tolden hier above
Of Murmur and Compleignte of love；
That for I se no sped comende；
Ayein fortune compleignende 1380
I am； as who seith； everemo：
And ek fulofte tyme also；
Whan so is that I se and hiere
Or hevy word or hevy chiere
Of my lady； I grucche anon；
Bot wordes dar I speke non；
Wherof sche myhte be desplesed；
Bot in myn herte I am desesed：
With many a Murmur； god it wot；
Thus drinke I in myn oghne swot； 1390
And thogh I make no semblant；
Min herte is al desobeissant；
And in this wise I me confesse
Of that ye clepe unbuxomnesse。
Now telleth what youre conseil is。
Mi Sone； and I thee rede this；
What so befalle of other weie；
That thou to loves heste obeie
Als ferr as thou it myht suffise：
For ofte sithe in such a wise 1400
Obedience in love availeth；
Wher al a mannes strengthe faileth；
Wherof； if that the list to wite
In a Cronique as it is write；
A gret ensample thou myht fynde；
Which now is come to my mynde。
Ther was whilom be daies olde
A worthi knyht； and as men tolde
He was Nevoeu to themperour
And of his Court a Courteour： 1410
Wifles he was； Florent he hihte；
He was a man that mochel myhte；
Of armes he was desirous；
Chivalerous and amorous；
And for the fame of worldes speche；
Strange aventures forto seche；
He rod the Marches al aboute。
And fell a time； as he was oute；
Fortune； which may every thred
Tobreke and knette of mannes sped； 1420
Schop； as this knyht rod in a pas；
That he be strengthe take was；
And to a Castell thei him ladde；
Wher that he fewe frendes hadde：
For so it fell that ilke stounde
That he hath with a dedly wounde
Feihtende his oghne hondes slain
Branchus； which to the Capitain
Was Sone and Heir； wherof ben wrothe
The fader and the moder bothe。 1430
That knyht Branchus was of his hond
The worthieste of al his lond；
And fain thei wolden do vengance
Upon Florent； bot remembrance
That thei toke of his worthinesse
Of knyhthod and of gentilesse；
And how he stod of cousinage
To themperour； made hem assuage；
And dorsten noght slen him for fere：
In gret desputeisoun thei were 1440
Among hemself； what was the beste。
Ther was a lady； the slyheste
Of alle that men knewe tho；
So old sche myhte