John Gower Quotes
1330–1408 England
John Gower (c. 1330 – 1408) was an English poet who wrote in English, French and Latin. His most famous work is the Confessio Amantis.
Random John Gower quote
14 quotes
He that well his warke beginneth
The rather a good ende he winneth.
A king may spille, a king may save;
A king may make of lorde a knave;
And of a knave a lorde also.
The beauté faye upon her face
Non erthly thing it may desface.
He that woll maister be,
He mot [must] be servant to pite.
Confessio Amantis (1390)
But in proverbe I have herde say,
That who that wel his werk beginneth,
The rather a good end he winneth.
He hath the sor which no man heleth,
The which is cleped lack of herte.
It hath and schal ben everemor
That love is maister wher he wile.
O fol of alle foles,
Thou farst as he betwen tuo stoles
That wolde sitte and goth to grounde.
For whan men wene best to have achieved,
Ful ofte it is al newe to beginne:
The werre hath no thing siker, thogh he winne.
O Venus, queene of lovës cure,
Thou lif, thou lust, thou mannës hele,
Behold my cause and my querele,
And yif me som part of thi grace.
Nevere yit
Was non, which half so loste his wit
Of drinke, as thei of such thing do
Which cleped is the jolif wo.
For loves lawe is out of reule.
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.
So goth the world, now wo, now wel