Confessio Amantis; Or, Tales of the Seven Deadly Sins

Name: Confessio Amantis; Or, Tales of the Seven Deadly Sins
Author: John Gower

by John Gower

Pages: about 768
Category: Literature & Fiction
Language: English
Reading time: 14 h at 250 wpm

Start readingThe whole book, as cards or one word at a time. 7.8 h at 450 wpm in Read mode.

From the opening

The following electronic text is based on that edition published in THE WORKS OF JOHN GOWER, ed. Prof. G.C. Macauley.
Prologus Liber Primus Liber Secundus Liber Tercius Liber Quartus Liber Quintus Liber Sextus Liber Septimus Liber Octavus
Torpor, ebes sensus, scola parua labor minimusque Causant quo minimus ipse minora canam: Qua tamen Engisti lingua canit Insula Bruti Anglica Carmente metra iuuante loquar. Ossibus ergo carens que conterit ossa loquelis Absit, et interpres stet procul oro malus.
Of hem that writen ous tofore The bokes duelle, and we therfore Ben tawht of that was write tho: Forthi good is that we also In oure tyme among ous hiere Do wryte of newe som matiere, Essampled of these olde wyse So that it myhte in such a wyse, Whan we ben dede and elleswhere, Beleve to the worldes eere 10 In tyme comende after this. Bot for men sein, and soth it is, That who that al of wisdom writ It dulleth ofte a mannes wit To him that schal it aldai rede, For thilke cause, if that ye rede, I wolde go the middel weie And wryte a bok betwen the tweie, Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore, That of the lasse or of the more 20 Som man mai lyke of that I wryte: And for that fewe men endite In oure englissh, I thenke make A bok for Engelondes sake, The yer sextenthe of kyng Richard. What schal befalle hierafterward God wot, for now upon this tyde Men se the world on every syde In sondry wyse so diversed, That it welnyh stant al reversed, 30 As forto speke of tyme ago.

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Confessio Amantis; Or, Tales of the Seven Deadly Sins

From the opening

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