For all is lawful that them liketh.
To whom that els-e it misliketh,
And eké right in the self kind[1]
In great cities men may find.
Thus lusty folk, that make them gay,
And wait upon the holy-day,
In churches, and in minsters eke,
They go the women for to seek,
And where that such one goeth about,
Before the fairest of the rout;
Where as they sitten all a row.
There will he most his body show;
His crooked kempt[2] and thereon set
An ouch-e[3] with a chap-e-let,
Or else one of green leaves,
Which late come out-e of the greves.[4]
All for[5] he should seem fresh:
And thus he looketh on his flesh,
Right as a hawk which hath a sight
Upon the fowl, there he shall light;
And as he were a faëry,
He sheweth him before her eye,
In holy plac-e where they sit.
All for to make their heart-es flytte.[6]
His eye no where will abide,
But look and pry on every side,
On her and her, as him best liketh,
And other while, among he siketh;[7]
Thinketh "One of them that was for me,"
And so there thinketh two or three;
And yet he loveth none at all.
But where as ever his chanc-e fall.
And nath-e-less to say a sooth
The cause why that he so doth,
Is for to steal a heart or two,
Out of the church ere that he go.
And as I said it here above,
All is that sacrilege of love,
For well may be that he stealeth away,
That he never after yield may.[8]
"Tell me for this, my son, anon,
Hast thou done sacrilege, or none,[9]
As I have said in this mannér?"
"My father, as of this mattér,
I will you tellen readily
What I have done; but tru-e-ly
I may excus-e mine intent
That I never yet to church went
Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Hooper.djvu/438
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
354
Notes.
