John Gower

“ For love of him whiche is the king of hevene;
And if men shulde algate wexen wrothe,
The Sarazins, whiche unto Crist ben lothe, 250
Let men be armed ayenst hem to fighte,
So may the knight his dede of armes righte.
Upon three poynts stant Cristes pees oppressed ”

“ Ayein the pees thy prevy counsaylour,
Let god be of thy counsayl in this cas,
And put away the cruel werreyour. 130
For god, whiche is of man the creatour,
He wolde not men slowe his crëature
Withoute cause of deedly forfayture. ”

“ These regnes, that to Cristes pees belongen,
For worldes good, these deedly werres maken,
Which helpelees, as in balaunce, hongen.
The heed above hem hath nat underfongen
To sette pees, but every man sleeth other; 265
And in this wyse hath charitè no brother.
The two defautes bringen in the thridde
Of miscreants, that seen how we debate;
Between the two, they fallen in a-midde
Wher now al-day they fynde an open gate. 270
Lo! thus the deedly werre stant al-gate.
But ever I hopë of king Henries grace,
That he it is which shal the pees embrace. ”

“ If werre may be left, tak pees on honde,
Which may nat be withoute goddes sonde.
With pees stant every crëature in reste, 85
Withoute pees ther may no lyf be glad;
Above al other good, pees is the beste;
Pees hath him-self, whan werre is al bestad;
The pees is sauf, the werre is ever adrad.
Pees is of al [le] charitè the keye, 90
Whiche hath the lyf and soule for to weye. ”

“ We kepe nat, but lete it lightly slake; 220
The pees of Crist hath al to-broke his bond.
We reste our-self, and suffren every lond
To slee eche other as thing undefended;
So stant the werre, and pees is nat amended.
But though the heed of holy chirche above 225
Ne do nat al his hole businesse
Among the men to sette pees and love,
These kinges oughten, of hir rightwysnesse,
Hir owne cause among hem-self redresse.
Thogh Peters ship, as now, hath lost his stere, 230
It lyth in hem that barge for to stere. ”

“ Explicit carmen de pacis commendacione, quod ad laudem
et memoriam serenissimi principis domini Regis Henrici
quarti, suus humilis orator Johannes Gower composuit.
Electus Christi,⁠pie rex Henrice, fuisti,
Qui bene venisti,⁠cum propria regna petisti;
Tu mala vicisti⁠-que bonis bona restituisti,
Et populo tristi⁠nova gaudia contribuisti.
Est mihi spes lata,⁠quod adhuc per te renovata 390
Succedent fata⁠veteri probitate beata ”