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The Grecs unto the chace falle；
And for the moste part of alle
Of that contre the lordes grete
Thei toke； and wonne a gret beyete。 2680
And anon after this victoire
The king； which hadde good memoire；
Upon the grete merci thoghte；
Which Telaphus toward him wroghte；
And in presence of al the lond
He tok him faire be the hond；
And in this wise he gan to seie：
〃Mi Sone； I mot be double weie
Love and desire thin encress；
Ferst for thi fader Achilles 2690
Whilom ful many dai er this；
Whan that I scholde have fare amis；
Rescousse dede in mi querele
And kepte al myn astat in hele：
How so ther falle now distance
Amonges ous； yit remembrance
I have of merci which he dede
As thanne： and thou now in this stede
Of gentilesce and of franchise
Hast do mercy the same wise。 2700
So wol I noght that eny time
Be lost of that thou hast do byme；
For hou so this fortune falle；
Yit stant mi trust aboven alle；
For the mercy which I now finde；
That thou wolt after this be kinde：
And for that such is myn espeir；
As for my Sone and for myn Eir
I thee receive； and al my lond
I yive and sese into thin hond。〃 2710
And in this wise thei acorde；
The cause was Misericorde：
The lordes dede here obeissance
To Thelaphus； and pourveance
Was mad so that he was coroned：
And thus was merci reguerdoned；
Which he to Theucer dede afore。
Lo； this ensample is mad therfore；
That thou miht take remembrance；
Mi Sone； and whan thou sest a chaunce； 2720
Of other mennes passioun
Tak pite and compassioun；
And let nothing to thee be lief；
Which to an other man is grief。
And after this if thou desire
To stonde ayein the vice of Ire；
Consaile thee with Pacience；
And tak into thi conscience
Merci to be thi governour。
So schalt thou fiele no rancour； 2730
Wherof thin herte schal debate
With homicide ne with hate
For Cheste or for Malencolie：
Thou schalt be soft in compaignie
Withoute Contek or Folhaste：
For elles miht thou longe waste
Thi time； er that thou have thi wille
Of love； for the weder stille
Men preise； and blame the tempestes。
Mi fader； I wol do youre hestes； 2740
And of this point ye have me tawht；
Toward miself the betre sawht
I thenke be； whil that I live。
Bot for als moche as I am schrive
Of Wraththe and al his circumstance；
Yif what you list to my penance；
And asketh forthere of my lif；
If otherwise I be gultif
Of eny thing that toucheth Sinne。
Mi Sone； er we departe atwinne； 2750
I schal behinde nothing leve。
Mi goode fader； be your leve
Thanne axeth forth what so you list；
For I have in you such a trist；
As ye that be my Soule hele；
That ye fro me wol nothing hele；
For I schal telle you the trowthe。
Mi Sone； art thou coupable of Slowthe
In eny point which to him longeth？
My fader； of tho pointz me longeth 2760
To wite pleinly what thei meene；
So that I mai me schrive cleene。
Now herkne； I schal the pointz devise；
And understond wel myn aprise：
For schrifte stant of no value
To him that wol him noght vertue
To leve of vice the folie：
For word is wynd； bot the maistrie
Is that a man himself defende
Of thing which is noght to comende； 2770
Wherof ben fewe now aday。
And natheles； so as I may
Make unto thi memoire knowe；
The pointz of Slowthe thou schalt knowe。
Explicit Liber Tercius
Incipit Liber Quartus
Dicunt accidiam fore nutricem viciorum；
Torpet et in cunctis tarda que lenta bonis：
Que fieri possent hodie transfert piger in cras；
Furatoque prius ostia claudit equo。
Poscenti tardo negat emolumenta Cupido；
Set Venus in celeri ludit amore viri。
Upon the vices to procede
After the cause of mannes dede；
The ferste point of Slowthe I calle
Lachesce； and is the chief of alle；
And hath this propreliche of kinde；
To leven alle thing behinde。
Of that he mihte do now hier
He tarieth al the longe yer；
And everemore he seith； 〃Tomorwe〃；
And so he wol his time borwe； 10
And wissheth after 〃God me sende；〃
That whan he weneth have an ende；
Thanne is he ferthest to beginne。
Thus bringth he many a meschief inne
Unwar； til that he be meschieved；
And may noght thanne be relieved。
And riht so nowther mor ne lesse
It stant of love and of lachesce：
Som time he slowtheth in a day
That he nevere after gete mai。 20
Now； Sone； as of this ilke thing；
If thou have eny knowleching；
That thou to love hast don er this；
Tell on。 Mi goode fader； yis。
As of lachesce I am beknowe
That I mai stonde upon his rowe；
As I that am clad of his suite：
For whanne I thoghte mi poursuite
To make； and therto sette a day
To speke unto the swete May； 30
Lachesce bad abide yit；
And bar on hond it was no wit
Ne time forto speke as tho。
Thus with his tales to and fro
Mi time in tariinge he drowh：
Whan ther was time good ynowh；
He seide； 〃An other time is bettre；
Thou schalt mowe senden hire a lettre；
And per cas wryte more plein
Than thou be Mowthe durstest sein。〃 40
Thus have I lete time slyde
For Slowthe； and kepte noght my tide；
So that lachesce with his vice
Fulofte hath mad my wit so nyce；
That what I thoghte speke or do
With tariinge he hield me so；
Til whanne I wolde and mihte noght。
I not what thing was in my thoght；
Or it was drede； or it was schame；
Bot evere in ernest and in game 50
I wot ther is long time passed。
Bot yit is noght the love lassed；
Which I unto mi ladi have；
For thogh my tunge is slowh to crave
At alle time； as I have bede；
Min herte stant evere in o stede
And axeth besiliche grace；
The which I mai noght yit embrace。
And god wot that is malgre myn；
For this I wot riht wel a fin； 60
Mi grace comth so selde aboute；
That is the Slowthe of which I doute
Mor than of al the remenant
Which is to love appourtenant。
And thus as touchende of lachesce；
As I have told； I me confesse
To you； mi fader； and beseche
That furthermor ye wol me teche；
And if ther be to this matiere
Som goodly tale forto liere 70
How I mai do lachesce aweie；
That ye it wolden telle I preie。
To wisse thee； my Sone； and rede；
Among the tales whiche I rede；
An old ensample therupon
Now herkne； and I wol tellen on。
Ayein Lachesce in loves cas
I finde how whilom Eneas；
Whom Anchises to Sone hadde；
With gret navie； which he ladde 80
Fro Troie； aryveth at Cartage；
Wher for a while his herbergage
He tok； and it betidde so；
With hire which was qweene tho
Of the Cite his aqueintance
He wan； whos name in remembrance
Is yit； and Dido sche was hote；
Which loveth Eneas so hote
Upon the wordes whiche he seide；
That al hire herte on him sche leide 90
And dede al holi what he wolde。
Bot after that； as it be scholde；
Fro thenne he goth toward Ytaile
Be Schipe； and there his arivaile
Hath take； and schop him forto ryde。
Bot sche； which mai noght longe abide
The hote peine of loves throwe；
Anon withinne a litel throwe
A lettre unto hir kniht hath write；
And dede him pleinly forto wite； 100
If he made eny tariinge；
To drecche of his ayeincomynge；
That sche ne mihte him fiele and se；
Sche scholde stonde in such degre
As whilom stod a Swan tofore；
Of that sche hadde hire make lore；
For sorwe a fethere into hire brain
Sche schof and hath hireselve slain；