confessio amantis-第3节
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He blameth that is noght to blame
And preiseth that is noght to preise：
Thus whan he schal the thinges peise； 540
Ther is deceipte in his balance；
And al is that the variance
Of ous； that scholde ous betre avise；
For after that we falle and rise；
The world arist and falth withal；
So that the man is overal
His oghne cause of wel and wo。
That we fortune clepe so
Out of the man himself it groweth；
And who that other wise troweth； 550
Behold the poeple of Irael：
For evere whil thei deden wel；
Fortune was hem debonaire；
And whan thei deden the contraire；
Fortune was contrariende。
So that it proeveth wel at ende
Why that the world is wonderfull
And may no while stonde full；
Though that it seme wel besein；
For every worldes thing is vein； 560
And evere goth the whiel aboute；
And evere stant a man in doute；
Fortune stant no while stille；
So hath ther noman al his wille。
Als fer as evere a man may knowe；
Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe；
The world stant evere upon debat；
So may be seker non astat；
Now hier now ther； now to now fro；
Now up now down； this world goth so； 570
And evere hath don and evere schal：
Wherof I finde in special
A tale writen in the Bible；
Which moste nedes be credible；
And that as in conclusioun
Seith that upon divisioun
Stant； why no worldes thing mai laste；
Til it be drive to the laste。
And fro the ferste regne of alle
Into this day； hou so befalle； 580
Of that the regnes be muable
The man himself hath be coupable；
Which of his propre governance
Fortuneth al the worldes chance。
The hyhe almyhti pourveance；
In whos eterne remembrance
Fro ferst was every thing present；
He hath his prophecie sent；
In such a wise as thou schalt hiere；
To Daniel of this matiere； 590
Hou that this world schal torne and wende；
Till it be falle to his ende；
Wherof the tale telle I schal；
In which it is betokned al。
As Nabugodonosor slepte；
A swevene him tok； the which he kepte
Til on the morwe he was arise；
For he therof was sore agrise。
To Daniel his drem he tolde；
And preide him faire that he wolde 600
Arede what it tokne may；
And seide： 〃Abedde wher I lay；
Me thoghte I syh upon a Stage
Wher stod a wonder strange ymage。
His hed with al the necke also
Thei were of fin gold bothe tuo；
His brest； his schuldres and his armes
Were al of selver； bot the tharmes；
The wombe and al doun to the kne；
Of bras thei were upon to se； 610
The legges were al mad of Stiel；
So were his feet also somdiel；
And somdiel part to hem was take
Of Erthe which men Pottes make；
The fieble meynd was with the stronge；
So myhte it wel noght stonde longe。
And tho me thoghte that I sih
A gret ston from an hull on hyh
Fel doun of sodein aventure
Upon the feet of this figure； 620
With which Ston al tobroke was
Gold； Selver； Erthe； Stiel and Bras；
That al was in to pouldre broght；
And so forth torned into noght。〃
This was the swevene which he hadde；
That Daniel anon aradde；
And seide him that figure strange
Betokneth how the world schal change
And waxe lasse worth and lasse；
Til it to noght al overpasse。 630
The necke and hed； that weren golde；
He seide how that betokne scholde
A worthi world； a noble； a riche；
To which non after schal be liche。
Of Selver that was overforth
Schal ben a world of lasse worth；
And after that the wombe of Bras
Tokne of a werse world it was。
The Stiel which he syh afterward
A world betokneth more hard： 640
Bot yet the werste of everydel
Is last； whan that of Erthe and Stiel
He syh the feet departed so；
For that betokneth mochel wo。
Whan that the world divided is；
It moste algate fare amis；
For Erthe which is meynd with Stiel
Togedre may noght laste wiel；
Bot if that on that other waste；
So mot it nedes faile in haste。 650
The Ston； which fro the hully Stage
He syh doun falle on that ymage；
And hath it into pouldre broke；
That swevene hath Daniel unloke；
And seide how that is goddes myht；
Which whan men wene most upryht
To stonde； schal hem overcaste。
And that is of this world the laste；
And thanne a newe schal beginne；
Fro which a man schal nevere twinne； 660
Or al to peine or al to pes
That world schal lasten endeles。
Lo thus expondeth Daniel
The kynges swevene faire and wel
In Babiloyne the Cite；
Wher that the wiseste of Caldee
Ne cowthen wite what it mente；
Bot he tolde al the hol entente；
As in partie it is befalle。
Of gold the ferste regne of alle 670
Was in that kinges time tho；
And laste manye daies so；
Therwhiles that the Monarchie
Of al the world in that partie
To Babiloyne was soubgit；
And hield him stille in such a plit；
Til that the world began diverse：
And that was whan the king of Perse；
Which Cirus hyhte； ayein the pes
Forth with his Sone Cambises 680
Of Babiloine al that Empire；
Ryht as thei wolde hemself desire；
Put under in subjeccioun
And tok it in possessioun；
And slayn was Baltazar the king；
Which loste his regne and al his thing。
And thus whan thei it hadde wonne；
The world of Selver was begonne
And that of gold was passed oute：
And in this wise it goth aboute 690
In to the Regne of Darius；
And thanne it fell to Perse thus；
That Alisaundre put hem under；
Which wroghte of armes many a wonder；
So that the Monarchie lefte
With Grecs； and here astat uplefte；
And Persiens gon under fote；
So soffre thei that nedes mote。
And tho the world began of Bras；
And that of selver ended was； 700
Bot for the time thus it laste；
Til it befell that ate laste
This king； whan that his day was come；
With strengthe of deth was overcome。
And natheles yet er he dyde；
He schop his Regnes to divide
To knyhtes whiche him hadde served；
And after that thei have deserved
Yaf the conquestes that he wan；
Wherof gret werre tho began 710
Among hem that the Regnes hadde；
Thurgh proud Envie which hem ladde；
Til it befell ayein hem thus：
The noble Cesar Julius；
Which tho was king of Rome lond；
With gret bataille and with strong hond
Al Grece； Perse and ek Caldee
Wan and put under； so that he
Noght al only of thorient
Bot al the Marche of thoccident 720
Governeth under his empire；
As he that was hol lord and Sire；
And hield thurgh his chivalerie
Of al this world the Monarchie；
And was the ferste of that honour
Which tok the name of Emperour。
Wher Rome thanne wolde assaille；
Ther myhte nothing contrevaille；
Bot every contre moste obeie：
Tho goth the Regne of Bras aweie； 730
And comen is the world of Stiel；
And stod above upon the whiel。
As Stiel is hardest in his kynde
Above alle othre that men finde
Of Metals； such was Rome tho
The myhtieste； and laste so
Long time amonges the Romeins
Til thei become so vileins；
That the fals Emperour Leo
With Constantin his Sone also 740
The patrimoine and the richesse；
Which to Silvestre in pure almesse
The ferste Constantinus lefte；
Fro holy cherche thei berefte。
Bot Adrian； which Pope was；
And syh the meschief of this cas；
Goth in to France forto pleigne；
And preith the grete Charlemeine；
For Cristes sake and Soule hele
That he wol take the querele 750
Of holy cherche in his defence。
And Charles for the reverence
Of god the cause hath undertake；
And with his host the weie take
Over the Montz of Lombardie；
Of Rome and al the tirandie
With blodi swerd he overcom；
And the Cite with strengthe nom；
In such a wise and there he wroghte；
That holy cherche ayein he broghte 760
Into franchise； and doth restore
The Popes lost； and yaf him more：
And thus whan he his god hath served；
He tok； as he wel hath deserved；
The Diademe and was coroned。
Of Rome and thus was abandoned
Thempire； which cam nevere ayein
Into the hond of no Romein；
Bot a long time it stod so stille
Under the Frensche kynges wille； 770
Til that fortune hir whiel so ladde；
That afterward Lombardz it hadde；
Noght be the swerd； bot be soffrance
Of him that tho was kyng of France；
Which Karle Calvus cleped was；
And he resigneth in this cas
Thempire of Rome unto Lowis
His Cousin； which a Lombard is。
And so hit laste into the yeer
Of Albert and of Berenger； 780
Bot thanne upon dissencioun
Thei felle； and in divisioun
Among hemself that were grete；
So that thei loste the beyete
Of worschipe and of worldes pes。
Bot in proverbe natheles
Men sein； ful selden is that welthe
Can soffre his oghne astat in helthe；
And that was on the Lombardz sene；
Such comun strif was hem betwene 790
Thurgh coveitise and thurgh Envie；
That every man drowh his partie；
Which myhte leden eny route；
Withinne Burgh and ek withoute：
The comun ryht hath no felawe；
So that the governance of lawe
Was lost； and for necessite；
Of that thei stode in such degre
Al only thurgh divisioun；
Hem nedeth in conclusioun 800
Of strange londes help beside。
And thus for thei hemself divide
And stonden out of reule unevene；
Of Alemaine Princes sevene
Thei chose in this condicioun；
That upon here eleccioun
Thempire of Rome scholde stonde。
And thus thei lefte it out of honde
For lacke of grace； and it forsoke；
That Alemans upon hem toke： 810
And to confermen here astat；
Of that thei founden in debat
Thei token the possessioun
After the composicioun
Among hemself； and therupon
Thei made an Emperour anon；
