Acorde for no thyng with the god Bachus,
For his tachys[[243]] be bothe fowle and vicyous.
His disportis be neyther goode ne fyne,
For he maketh the pepyll turne to swyne.
Bachus was the man that fryst plantyde vines in Grece, and qwan thei of the cuntre felthe the streyngth of the wyne, þe which made thyme drownkyn, thei seide that Bachus was a god, the which hadde yovyn syche streynghte to his plante. By Bachus is vndirstond drwnkkynnes, as that the whiche is a full vnbehouely thyng to all noble men and to a man that wolde vse reson. And to this purpose Ypocras[[244]] seyth that superfluites of vynes and metes distroyith body, sowle and vertues.
Be the god Bachus we may vndirstond the synne off glotenye, ffor the which the good spyryt shuld kepe hym. Seynt Grigory seyth in his Morralles[[245]] that, qwan the vice of glotenye hathe the maystry of a person, he lesseth all the good that he hath doone; for, qwenne the bely is not restreynyd by abstynence, all vertues ben drouned togedir. And therefor Seynt Poule seith, [“Quorum finis interitus, quorum deus venter est,” etc.][[246]]
XXII.
Pimaliones ymage for to fele,
Iff that thou be wyse, sette þerby no deele, |f. 24.|
For of siche an ymage so wele wroght