第 85 节
作者:管他三七二十一      更新:2024-01-16 22:39      字数:9322
  And sauf unto the contre fare;
  Wher that oure lusti loves are
  Waitende upon oure hom cominge。〃
  And with the vois of his preiynge;
  Which herd was to the goddes hihe;
  He syh anon tofore his yhe
  A wether; which the ground hath sporned;
  And wher he hath it overtorned;    430
  Ther sprang a welle freissh and cler;
  Wherof his oghne boteler
  After the lustes of his wille
  Was every man to drinke his fille。
  And for this ilke grete grace
  Bachus upon the same place
  A riche temple let arere;
  Which evere scholde stonde there
  To thursti men in remembrance。
  Forthi; mi Sone; after this chance    440
  It sit thee wel to taken hiede
  So forto preie upon thi nede;
  As Bachus preide for the welle;
  And thenk; as thou hast herd me telle;
  Hou grace he gradde and grace he hadde。
  He was no fol that ferst so radde;
  For selden get a domb man lond:
  Tak that proverbe; and understond
  That wordes ben of vertu grete。
  Forthi to speke thou ne lete;   450
  And axe and prei erli and late
  Thi thurst to quenche; and thenk algate;
  The boteler which berth the keie
  Is blind; as thou hast herd me seie;
  And if it mihte so betyde;
  That he upon the blinde side
  Per cas the swete tonne arauhte;
  Than schalt thou have a lusti drauhte
  And waxe of lovedrunke sobre。
  And thus I rede thou assobre    460
  Thin herte in hope of such a grace;
  For drunkeschipe in every place;
  To whether side that it torne;
  Doth harm and makth a man to sporne
  And ofte falle in such a wise;
  Wher he per cas mai noght arise。
  And forto loke in evidence
  Upon the sothe experience;
  So as it hath befalle er this;
  In every mannes mouth it is  470
  Hou Tristram was of love drunke
  With Bele Ysolde; whan thei drunke
  The drink which Brangwein hem betok;
  Er that king Marc his Eem hire tok
  To wyve; as it was after knowe。
  And ek; mi Sone; if thou wolt knowe;
  As it hath fallen overmore
  In loves cause; and what is more
  Of drunkeschipe forto drede;
  As it whilom befell in dede;    480
  Wherof thou miht the betre eschuie
  Of drunke men that thou ne suie
  The compaignie in no manere;
  A gret ensample thou schalt hiere。
  This finde I write in Poesie
  Of thilke faire Ipotacie;
  Of whos beaute ther as sche was
  Spak every man; … and fell per cas;
  That Pirotos so him spedde;
  That he to wyve hire scholde wedde;   490
  Wherof that he gret joie made。
  And for he wolde his love glade;
  Ayein the day of mariage
  Be mouthe bothe and be message
  Hise frendes to the feste he preide;
  With gret worschipe and; as men seide;
  He hath this yonge ladi spoused。
  And whan that thei were alle housed;
  And set and served ate mete;
  Ther was no wyn which mai be gete;    500
  That ther ne was plente ynouh:
  Bot Bachus thilke tonne drouh;
  Wherof be weie of drunkeschipe
  The greteste of the felaschipe
  Were oute of reson overtake;
  And Venus; which hath also take
  The cause most in special;
  Hath yove hem drinke forth withal
  Of thilke cuppe which exciteth
  The lust wherinne a man deliteth:      510
  And thus be double weie drunke;
  Of lust that ilke fyri funke
  Hath mad hem; as who seith; halfwode;
  That thei no reson understode;
  Ne to non other thing thei syhen;
  Bot hire; which tofore here yhen
  Was wedded thilke same day;
  That freisshe wif; that lusti May;
  On hire it was al that thei thoghten。
  And so ferforth here lustes soghten;  520
  That thei the whiche named were
  Centauri; ate feste there
  Of on assent; of an acord
  This yonge wif malgre hire lord
  In such a rage awei forth ladden;
  As thei whiche non insihte hadden
  Bot only to her drunke fare;
  Which many a man hath mad misfare
  In love als wel as other weie。
  Wherof; if I schal more seie    530
  Upon the nature of the vice;
  Of custume and of exercice
  The mannes grace hou it fordoth;
  A tale; which was whilom soth;
  Of fooles that so drunken were;
  I schal reherce unto thine Ere。
  I rede in a Cronique thus
  Of Galba and of Vitellus;
  The whiche of Spaigne bothe were
  The greteste of alle othre there;  540
  And bothe of o condicion
  After the disposicion
  Of glotonie and drunkeschipe。
  That was a sori felaschipe:
  For this thou miht wel understonde;
  That man mai wel noght longe stonde
  Which is wyndrunke of comun us;
  For he hath lore the vertus;
  Wherof reson him scholde clothe;
  And that was seene upon hem bothe。    550
  Men sein ther is non evidence;
  Wherof to knowe a difference
  Betwen the drunken and the wode;
  For thei be nevere nouther goode;
  For wher that wyn doth wit aweie;
  Wisdom hath lost the rihte weie;
  That he no maner vice dredeth;
  Nomore than a blind man thredeth
  His nedle be the Sonnes lyht;
  Nomore is reson thanne of myht;    560
  Whan he with drunkeschipe is blent。
  And in this point thei weren schent;
  This Galba bothe and ek Vitelle;
  Upon the cause as I schal telle;
  Wherof good is to taken hiede。
  For thei tuo thurgh her drunkenhiede
  Of witles excitacioun
  Oppressede al the nacion
  Of Spaigne; for of fool usance;
  Which don was of continuance    570
  Of hem; whiche alday drunken were;
  Ther was no wif ne maiden there;
  What so thei were; or faire or foule;
  Whom thei ne token to defoule;
  Wherof the lond was often wo:
  And ek in othre thinges mo
  Thei wroghten many a sondri wrong。
  Bot hou so that the dai be long;
  The derke nyht comth ate laste:
  God wolde noght thei scholden laste;  580
  And schop the lawe in such a wise;
  That thei thurgh dom to the juise
  Be dampned forto be forlore。
  Bot thei; that hadden ben tofore
  Enclin to alle drunkenesse;…
  Here ende thanne bar witnesse;
  For thei in hope to assuage
  The peine of deth; upon the rage
  That thei the lasse scholden fiele;
  Of wyn let fille full a Miele;  590
  And dronken til so was befalle
  That thei her strengthes losten alle
  Withouten wit of eny brain;
  And thus thei ben halfdede slain;
  That hem ne grieveth bot a lyte。
  Mi Sone; if thou be forto wyte
  In eny point which I have seid;
  Wherof thi wittes ben unteid;
  I rede clepe hem hom ayein。
  I schal do; fader; as ye sein;  600
  Als ferforth as I mai suffise:
  Bot wel I wot that in no wise
  The drunkeschipe of love aweie
  I mai remue be no weie;
  It stant noght upon my fortune。
  Bot if you liste to comune
  Of the seconde Glotonie;
  Which cleped is Delicacie;
  Wherof ye spieken hier tofore;
  Beseche I wolde you therfore。   610
  Mi Sone; as of that ilke vice;
  Which of alle othre is the Norrice;
  And stant upon the retenue
  Of Venus; so as it is due;
  The proprete hou that it fareth
  The bok hierafter nou declareth。
  Of this chapitre in which we trete
  There is yit on of such diete;
  To which no povere mai atteigne;
  For al is Past of paindemeine   620
  And sondri wyn and sondri drinke;
  Wherof that he wole ete and drinke:
  Hise cokes ben for him affaited;
  So that his body is awaited;
  That him schal lacke no delit;
  Als ferforth as his appetit
  Sufficeth to the metes hote。
  Wherof this lusti vice is hote
  Of Gule the Delicacie;
  Which al the hole progenie   630
  Of lusti folk hath undertake
  To feede; whil that he mai take
  Richesses wherof to be founde:
  Of Abstinence he wot no bounde;
  To what profit it scholde serve。
  And yit phisique of his conserve
  Makth many a restauracioun
  Unto his recreacioun;
  Which wolde be to Venus lief。
  Thus for the point of his relief   640
  The coc which schal his mete arraie;
  Bot he the betre his mouth assaie;
  His lordes thonk schal ofte lese;
  Er he be served to the chese:
  For ther mai lacke noght so lyte;
  That he ne fint anon a wyte;
  For bot his lust be fully served;
  Ther hath no wiht his thonk deserved。
  And yit for mannes sustenance;
  To kepe and holde in governance;       650
  To him that wole his hele gete
  Is non so good as comun mete:
  For who that loketh on the bokes;
  It seith; confeccion of cokes;
  A man him scholde wel avise
  Hou he it toke and in what wise。
  For who that useth that he knoweth;
  Ful selden seknesse on him groweth;
  And who that useth metes strange;
  Though his nature empeire and change  660
  It is no wonder; lieve Sone;
  Whan that he doth ayein his wone;
  For in Phisique this I finde;
  Usage is the seconde kinde。
  And riht so changeth his astat
  He that of love is delicat:
  For though he hadde to his hond
  The beste wif of al the lond;
  Or the faireste love of alle;
  Yit wolde his herte on othre falle    670
  And thenke hem mor delicious
  Than he hath in his oghne hous:
  Men sein it is nou ofte so;
  Avise hem wel; thei that so do。
  And forto speke in other weie;
  Fulofte time I have herd seie;
  That he which hath no love achieved;
  Him thenkth that he is noght relieved;
  Thogh that his ladi make him chiere;
  So as sche mai in good manere   680
  Hir honour and hir name save;
  Bot he the surplus mihte have。
  Nothing withstondende hire astat;
  Of love more delicat
  He set hire chiere at no delit;
  Bot he have al his appetit。
  Mi Sone; if it be with thee so;
  Tell me。 Myn holi fader; no:
  For delicat in such a wise
  Of love; as ye to me devise;    690
  Ne was I nevere yit gultif;
  For if I hadde such a wif
  As ye speke of; what scholde I more?
  For thanne I wolde neveremore
  For lust of eny wommanhiede
  Myn herte upon non other fiede:
  And if I dede; it were a wast。
  Bot al withoute such repast
  Of lust; as ye me tolde above;
  Of wif; or yit of other love;   700
  I faste; and mai no fode gete;
  So that for lacke of deinte mete;
  Of whi