John Gower's Confessio amantis

Lines 901 through 1000

And sein, good dede may non be Line P.901 Which stant noght upon charite: Line P.902 I not hou charite may stonde, Line P.903 Wher dedly werre is take on honde. Line P.904 Bot al this wo is cause of man, Line P.905 The which that wit and reson can, Line P.906 And that in tokne and in witnesse Line P.907

Line P.907 That ilke ymage bar liknesse Line P.908 Of man and of non other beste. Line P.909 For ferst unto the mannes heste Line P.910 Was every creature ordeined, Line P.911 Bot afterward it was restreigned: Line P.912 Whan that he fell, thei fellen eke, Line P.913 Whan he wax sek, thei woxen seke; Line P.914 For as the man hath passioun Line P.915 Of seknesse, in comparisoun Line P.916 So soffren othre creatures. Line P.917 Lo, ferst the hevenly figures, Line P.918 The Sonne and Mone eclipsen bothe, Line P.919 And ben with mannes senne wrothe; Line P.920 The purest Eir for Senne alofte Line P.921 Hath ben and is corrupt fulofte, Line P.922 Right now the hyhe wyndes blowe, Line P.923 And anon after thei ben lowe, Line P.924 Now clowdy and now clier it is: Line P.925 So may it proeven wel be this, Line P.926 A mannes Senne is forto hate, Line P.927 Which makth the welkne to debate. Line P.928 And forto se the proprete Line P.929 Of every thyng in his degree, Line P.930 Benethe forth among ous hiere Line P.931 Al stant aliche in this matiere: Line P.932 The See now ebbeth, now it floweth, Line P.933 The lond now welketh, now it groweth, Line P.934 Now be the Trees with leves grene, Line P.935 Now thei be bare and nothing sene, Line P.936 Now be the lusti somer floures, Line P.937 Now be the stormy wynter shoures, Line P.938 Now be the daies, now the nyhtes, Line P.939 So stant ther nothing al upryhtes, Line P.940 Now it is lyht, now it is derk; Line P.941 And thus stant al the worldes werk Line P.942

Line P.942 After the disposicioun Line P.943 Of man and his condicioun. Line P.944 Forthi Gregoire in his Moral Line P.945 Seith that a man in special Line P.946 The lasse world is properly: Line P.947 And that he proeveth redely; Line P.948 For man of Soule resonable Line P.949 Is to an Angel resemblable, Line P.950 And lich to beste he hath fielinge, Line P.951 And lich to Trees he hath growinge; Line P.952 The Stones ben and so is he: Line P.953 Thus of his propre qualite Line P.954 The man, as telleth the clergie, Line P.955 Is as a world in his partie, Line P.956 And whan this litel world mistorneth, Line P.957 The grete world al overtorneth. Line P.958 The Lond, the See, the firmament, Line P.959 Thei axen alle jugement Line P.960 Ayein the man and make him werre: Line P.961 Therwhile himself stant out of herre, Line P.962 The remenant wol noght acorde: Line P.963 And in this wise, as I recorde, Line P.964 The man is cause of alle wo, Line P.965 Why this world is divided so. Line P.966 Division, the gospell seith, Line P.967 On hous upon another leith, Line P.968 Til that the Regne al overthrowe: Line P.969 And thus may every man wel knowe, Line P.970 Division aboven alle Line P.971 Is thing which makth the world to falle, Line P.972 And evere hath do sith it began. Line P.973 It may ferst proeve upon a man; Line P.974 The which, for his complexioun Line P.975 Is mad upon divisioun Line P.976 Of cold, of hot, of moist, of drye, Line P.977 He mot be verray kynde dye: Line P.978 For the contraire of his astat Line P.979

Line P.979 Stant evermore in such debat, Line P.980 Til that o part be overcome, Line P.981 Ther may no final pes be nome. Line P.982 Bot other wise, if a man were Line P.983 Mad al togedre of o matiere Line P.984 Withouten interrupcioun, Line P.985 Ther scholde no corrupcioun Line P.986 Engendre upon that unite: Line P.987 Bot for ther is diversite Line P.988 Withinne himself, he may noght laste, Line P.989 That he ne deieth ate laste. Line P.990 Bot in a man yit over this Line P.991 Full gret divisioun ther is, Line P.992 Thurgh which that he is evere in strif, Line P.993 Whil that him lasteth eny lif: Line P.994 The bodi and the Soule also Line P.995 Among hem ben divided so, Line P.996 That what thing that the body hateth Line P.997 The soule loveth and debateth; Line P.998 Bot natheles fulofte is sene Line P.999 Of werre which is hem betwene Line P.1000