John Gower, Confessio Amantis — Liber Primus… (14th century)
“ Benedicite, 206Mi Sone, of the felicite 207Of love and ek of all the wo 208Thou schalt thee schrive of bothe tuo. 209What thou er this for loves sake 210Hast felt, let nothing be forsake, 211Tell pleinliche as it is befalle. ”
John Gower, Confessio Amantis — Liber Primus… (14th century)
“ Dominus, 216Min holi fader Genius, 217So as thou hast experience 218Of love, for whos reverence 219Thou schalt me schriven at this time, 220I prai the let me noght mistime 221Mi schrifte, for I am destourbed 222In al myn herte, and so contourbed, 223That I ne may my wittes gete, 224So schal I moche thing foryete: 225Bot if thou wolt my schrifte oppose 226Fro point to point, thanne I suppose, 227Ther schal nothing be left behinde. ”
John Gower, Confessio Amantis — Liber Primus… (14th century)
“ Bellica pax, vulnus dulce, suaue malum. 1I may noght strecche up to the hevene 2Min hand, ne setten al in evene 3This world, which evere is in balance: 4It stant noght in my sufficance 5So grete thinges to compasse, 6Bot I mot lete it overpasse 7And treten upon othre thinges. 8Forthi the Stile of my writinges 9Fro this day forth I thenke change 10And speke of thing is noght so strange, 11Which every kinde hath upon honde, 12And wherupon the world mot stonde, 13And hath don sithen it began, 14And schal whil ther is any man ”
