Gorgon, as the fable seith, was a gentylvoman of souereyne beaute; but because that Phebus[[346]] lay by hyr in the temple of Diane, the godes was so sore meved and grevyd that she schawnged hir into a serpent of ryght orribil figure. And þat serpent hade sich a propirte þat euery man that [be]helde hir was changed sodeynely into a ston; and for the harme that folwed of hire Percyvale, the worthi knyght, went for to fyght with that fers beste. And he behelde hym selfe in the bryghtnes of his shelde, the whiche was all golde, because he shulde not beholde the evill serpent, and he dide so mych þat he smote of hir[[347]] hede. Many exposicions may be made of this fable, and Gorgon may be vndirstonden for a cete or a towne þat was wonte to be of grete bounte, but throw the vicis of the duellers þerin it become a serpent and venemus; that is to vnderstonde, þat it dede mych harme in the marches to there neygburs, as to robbe and to pyll holy chirche,[[348]] all tho þat thei myghte gete, and merchawndys and othir passeris forby were takyn and holden and put in streyte presonys and thus were thei chawnged into stones. Percivale, that behelde hym selfe in his chelde, þat is to sey, in his strynght and knyghode, and went to fyght ayens the cite, he tooke it and tooke the power fro it, þat it dede no more harme.[[349]] It myght be that some man myght take a full feyre lady of evyll dedys, þe which bi hire couetise put many from there goodes, but he put hir from þat wyll; and many othir vndirstondynges may be sette herein. Therefor it is seide to þe good knyght that he kepe hym fro behaldyng evill thyngges, þe which myght drawe hym to evyll. And Aristotil seith, “Fle peple full of wikydnes and befolowe wyse men and stody in there bookes and beholde thy selfe in theire dedes.”
How that Gorgon shulde notte be beholden, þat is to sey þat þe good sperite shuld not behold no thyng in no maner delyte, but beholde[[350]] hym in þe childe[[351]] of þe state of perfeccion, and þat is for to fle delites. Aristotyl[[352]] seithe þat, as it is impossibyl þat [fire shuld burn in water, so it is impossibyl þat] compunccion[[353]] of herte is among wor[l]dly delites, for thei be .iio. contrary thynges þat distroyith iche of them othir, for compunccion is modir of terres and delites engenderyth laughynges, compunccion restreynyth the |f. 40.| hert and delites enlargeth it. To thys purpose seyth Holy Scripture, “They þat sowyn in wepyng shal repyn in lawyng.”[[354]]
LVI.
Yf that loue make shorte to þe þe nyght,
Be ware Phebus noye the not with his myght,
Wherby thou mayst be take and tied
In Vlnecans lyeines and ouerleyede.[[355]]
A ffable seith that Mars and Venus loued togedir par amovres. It ffelle on a nyght that þe[[356]] loueres were aslepe, arme in arme. Phebus, the which sawe clerly, come opon theyme and for the which he accused theyme to Vulcans, Venus husbond. Than he, þat sawe theyme in that plyte, forged a lyeine and a cheyne of bras and bond them togedir so that thei myght not meve, as he þat is smyth of heuen and can worke sotely, and thus he come opon theyme and thanne went he forth [to] the tothir godes[[357]] and sheued theyme his shame. And the fable seith that sich rotters there be þat wolde full fayne falle in þe same mysdede.[[358]] To this fabill may be sette diuers exposicions, and it may full souereynly towche some poyntes of astronomye[[359]] to tho þat sotely can vndirstond it. Mars[[360]] to owre purpose seith þat þe good knyght shulde kepe hym þat in syche [cas] he be not ouerlede before yetilnes of tyme.[[361]] And a wyse man seith, “Vnnethes is ony thynge of secrete but that of some it is perceyuyd.”
There where þe auctorite seith þat, if lowe[[362]] schorte the nyghte to the, we shall sey þat þe gode sperit shulde kepe hym from þe wacches of the fende. Seynt Leo the pope seith to this, þat þe holde ennemy, the which transfygured hym into an angell of lyght,[[363]] sesseth not to strech his snaris of temptacions ouer all and to aspie how he may corumpe þe feithe of good beleuers; he beholdyth whome he shall embrace with þe fyer of couetyse, whom he shall enflame with the brennyng desyre of lechery, to whom he shall purpose the lekerousnes of glotenye; he examynyth of all customes, discutyth of hertes, commyteth[[364]] affeccions and there seketh he cause of iniure where he fyndeth hyme. Therefor seyth Seynt Petyr the apostle, [“Sobrii estote et vigilate quia adversarius vester diabolus tanquam leo rugiens circuit quærens quem devoret”].[[365]]