Classic Poem

Love teacheth many things, and answereth
To many questions which the soul outspieth;
Because that God is love, and witnesseth
To his own image, in the soul which lieth:
Therefore in knowledge he doth most abound
Whoever upon love's strong pinion flieth
And when that love with fair success is crowned,
Then is man's state made perfect upon earth:
But most unhappiness in love is found.
Then fullest plenty feels the curse of dearth;
And, if not worse, yet this is bitterer
Than to have tasted of love's sweets is worth
In that great knight whether should I prefer
Dolour or sweetness to have borne the sway
When I from Gerbert came as comforter?
His eye fell fiercely on me, when my way
I found into his lodging and began
On some pretence some timid words to say.
Full wroth he seemed, but as a gentle man:
And I observed that though he chafed at heart,
And balked anger through his pulses ran,
Yet neither Blanche nor Giroie's name did part
His lips with bitterness: to noble mind
Fate's fullest quiver holds not envy's dart.
But Gerbert's name he shunned, as if unkind
His part herein had been: and, truth to own,
This first began their friendship to unbind.
And when lord Gerbert's comfort I made known,
This seemed to stir him, and he would not hear:
Then silent sat I, while he chafed alone;
Till the rage seemed to leave him; and with cheer
Quite altered, he gan suddenly to say
That thence to Italy his course was clear
Then, when I answered that my journey lay
Wherever his, he took it in good part,
And we made pact to travel the next day.
Now in good truth I have not to impart
The time when Gerbert that sad marriage made
Which cast on Mano such a scald of heart:
Nor whether rightly deemed himself betrayed
The knight, as having shown his love before
To Gerbert, and from him expecting aid
But a stern coldness certainly did lower
Upon his eyelids, whenso'er the thought
Of Gerbert came upon him in that hour.
But this do I suspect, that all was wrought
By cunning of that damsel false and fair
Whom first from Italy Sir Mano brought,
The wild Diantha, haunting everywhere,
And hating Mano in her secret mind,
Who for her ends no enginry would spare.
She then, when Blanche and Giroie she divined
In secret wedlock to desire to be,
With Gerbert that strong knot to tie combined.
Not that for them she toiled; her industry
Was by their means to compass her desire,
And of all laws of God and man be free
For this bad daughter of a better sire
With a vile losel dweller of the wild
Was playing now, drawn on by evil fire;
To whom she fled, and thence was domiciled
Long time in savagery with evil men,
And many a month from honesty exiled.
Of that adventure shall be heard again,
For much came of it: note ye only here,
When Gerbert lay at Rouen, that 'twas then
For in that time, as after did appear
To me much searching, on some embassy
She came from Fechamp, where the others were
Attended well she came, but secretly,
And saw lord Gerbert: then from thence alone
Into the widespread woods escaped hard by.
Now as to Mano, who to me was known
More closely from the time that Gerbert bade
That I should share his expedition,
Concerning Mano thus much shall be said,
That he my love so drew that never I
What faults in him I noted open laid:
And when lord Gerbert questioned privily,
Of me he got but little: least of all
Upon that noble knight would I be spy.
For good his purpose was though great his fall,
When fiery passion, reason's opposite,
Working through subtle fate, did him inthrall.
He was of all the most for action fit;
The same contemplative, and highly wrought:
Magnanimous he was, and fine of wit.
The practices of others feared he nought;
Placable as to open enmity,
But, once deceived, never to be resought
Never would he, save but for treachery
His friend forsake, or make his faith unsure
For vice or folly, or calamity.
While Gerbert of mere friendship had less cure;
Who held that there might come occasions great,
When even a good man might that name abjure;
And that who feared himself to separate
From his best fellow, if the time were nigh,
Was but infirm, nor fit for things of state
So diversely they held of amity.