The thyrde of them is written Pitee, whiche holdeth in hir hande this divise folowynge.

Pur ta pitè Jesu regarde,

Et met cest alme in sauve garde.

And thereby hongeth a table, wherein appereth that whosoever praith for the soule of John Gower, he shall so oft as he so doth have a M and D daies of pardon.

"The other lieth buried in the monasterie of Seynt Peter's at Westminster in an ile on the south side of the churche. On whose soules and all Christen, Jesu have mercie. Amen.”

Then follows a full table of contents of every book, of this long poem; consisting of eight, besides the Prologue.

I shall give a specimen by copying the contents of the Prologue.

"How Iohn Gower in the xvi yere of kyng Richarde the seconde began this boke, fol. 1.

"Of the estate of roialmes temporally the same yere, fol. eodem.

"Of the estate of the clergie the time of Robert Gilbonense, namynge hym selfe Clement than Antipope, fo. ii.

"Of the state of the comon people, fo. iii.

"Howe some blame fortune, some the influence of plannettes for thynges that chance, fo. eodem. "Of the image that Nabugodonosor saw in his slepe, fo. iiii.

"The interpretation of the same dreame, fo. eodem.

"The Apostles wordes concerning the ende of the worlde, fo. vi.

"The mutabilitee of thinges, fo. eodem.

"Howe man by the matter of his complexion is divided, and of the division of the bodie and soule; and how Adam divided from the state of innocence was dejected out of paradise, fo. eodem.

"Howe the people through the worlde excepte Noe and his, for division were drowned, fo. eodem. "The division of languages, and a token of the worldes ende, fo. vii.

"Of the harper Arion, fo. eodem.

"Thus endeth the contentes of the prologue."

I will transcribe the first division of the Prologue.

"Hic imprimis declarat Joanes Gower, quam ob causam presentem libellum composuit, et finaliter complevit, An. regni regis Ric. Secundi 16.

"Of them, that writen us to fore

The bokes dwell: & we therfore
Ben taught of that was written tho,
For thy good is, that we also
In our time amonge us here
Do write of newe some mattere
Ensampled of the olde wise,
So that it might in suche a wise,
Whan we be deade and els where
Beleve to the worldes ere

In tyme comyug after this

And for men seyne, & sothe it is,
That who that all of wisdom write,
It dulleth ofte a man's witte.

To hym that shall it all daie rede
For thilke cause if that ye rede
I wyll go the middell wey,

And write a boke bytwene the twey,
Somwhat of lust, & somewhat of lore,
That of the lasse, or of the more
Some man maie like of that I write ;
And for that few men endite
In our Englisshe, for to make
A booke for Englandes sake
The yere xvi of kynge Richarde.
What shall befalle here afterwarde
God wote, for nowe upon this tide
Men see the worlde on every side
In sondrie wise so diversed
That it well nigh stant all reversed.
Als for to speake of time ago
The cause why it changeth so
It nedeth nought to specifie,
The thynge so open is at the eie,
That

every man it maie beholde.
And netheles by daies olde,
Whan that the bokes weren lever,

Writyng was beloved ever

Of them, that weren vertuous.
For here in erthe amonge us
If no man write howe it stode,
The pris of them that were good
Shulde (as who saiyh a great partie)
Be loste so for to magnifie
The worthy princes, that tho were,
The bookes shewen here & there
Wherof the worlde ensampled is,
And tho that diden than amis

Through tyrannie & crueltee
Right as thei stonden in degree,
So was the writyng of the werke.
Thus I, whiche am a borell clerke,
Purpose for to write a booke

After the worlde that whilom toke
Longe time in olde daies passed.
But for men seyn it is now lassed
In wers plight than it was tho,
I thynke for to touche also

The worlde, whiche neweth every daie,'

So as I can, so as I maie,

Though I sekenesse have upon honde
And longe have had yet wolde I fonde
To write, & do my besinesse,
That in some partie, so as I gesse,
The wise man may be advised.
For this prologue is so assised
That it to wisedome all belongeth,
That wise man that it underfongeth,
He shall draw into remembrance
The fortune of the worldes chance,
The whiche no man in his persone
Maie knowe, but the god alone.
Whan the prologue is so dispended,
The boke shall afterwarde be ended
Of love, whiche dothe many a wonder,
And many a wise man hath put under.
And in this wise I thynke to treate
Towarde them, that nowe.be greate,
Betwene the vertue & the vice,
Which longeth unto this office.

But for my wittes ben to smale
To telle every man's tale

This booke upon amendement,

To stonde at his commandement
With whom mine herte is of accorde,
I sende unto mine owne lorde,
While of Lancaster is Henry named;
The hygh God hath hym proclamed
Full of knythode & all grace,

So wolde I nowe this werke embrace.
God graunte I mote it well acheve
With whole truste & whole beleve.

Tempus præteritum præsens fortuna beatum
Linquit, et antiquas vertit in orbe vias.
Progenuit veterem concors dilectio pacem,
Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat.
Legibus unicolor tunc temporis aura refulsit,
Justitiæ planæ tuncque fuere viæ.

Nuncque latens odium vultum depingit amoris,
Paceque sub ficta tempus ad arma tegit.
Instar et ex variis mutabile cameliontis

Lex gerit, et regnis sunt nova jura novis.
Climataque fuerant solidissima, sicque per orbem
Solvuntur, nec eo centra quietis habent."

For a critical account of this and other works of Gower see Warton's History of English Poetry, II. p. 1, & sequent.