5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380 385	Electus Cristi, pie Rex Henrice, fuisti, Qui bene venisti cum propria regna petisti, Tu mala vicisti que bonis bona restituisti, Et populo tristi nova gaudia contribuisti. Est michi spes lata quod adhuc per te renovata Succedent fata veteri probitate beata, Est tibi nam grata gracia sponte data. [Dutiful King Henry, who was chosen by Christ, Who rightfully came and sought a proper kingdom, You conquered evil and by good restored the good, And to the sorrowful people you gave new joys. I have hope for what you have brought because thus far what you have restored Will raise up through honest blessing what was said of old, You have hence given a pleasing grace by your own free will.] 1.       O worthi noble kyng, Henry the Ferthe, In whom the glade fortune is befalle The poeple to governe uppon this erthe, God hath thee chose in comfort of ous alle: The worschipe of this lond, which was doun falle, Now stant upriht thurgh grace of thi goodnesse, Which every man is holde for to blesse. 2. The highe God of His justice allone The right which longeth to thi regalie Declared hath to stonde in thi persone. And more than God may no man justefie. Thi title is knowe uppon thin ancestrie, The londes folk hath ek thy riht affermed; So stant thi regne of God and man confermed. 3. Ther is no man mai seie in other wise, That God Himself ne hath thi riht declared; Wherof the lond is boun to thi servise, Which for defalte of help hath longe cared. Bot now ther is no mannes herte spared To love and serve and wirche thi plesance: And al is this thurgh Godes pourveiance. 4. In alle thing which is of God begonne Ther folwith grace, if it be wel governed: Thus tellen thei whiche olde bookes conne, Whereof, my lord, Y wot wel thow art lerned. Axe of thi God, so schalt thou noght be werned Of no reqweste whiche is resonable; For God unto the goode is favorable. 5. Kyng Salomon, which hadde at his axinge Of God what thing him was levest to crave, He ches wisdom unto the governynge Of Goddis folk, the whiche he wolde save: And as he ches, it fel him for to have; For thurgh his wit, whil that his regne laste, He gat him pees and reste into the laste. 6. Bot Alisaundre, as telleth his histoire, Unto the God besoghte in other weie: Of all the world to winne the victoire, So that undir his swerd it myht obeie. In werre he hadde al that he wolde preie -- The myghti God behight him that beheste -- The world he wan, and had it of conqweste. 7. Bot thogh it fel at thilke time so, That Alisandre his axinge hath achieved, This sinful world was al paiene tho, Was non which hath the hihe God believed; No wondir was thogh thilke world was grieved. Thogh a tiraunt his pourpos myhte winne: Al was vengance and infortune of sinne. 8. Bot now the feith of Crist is come a place Among the princes in this erthe hiere, It sit hem wel to do pité and grace. Bot yit it mot be tempred in manere: For as thei finden cause in the matiere Uppon the point, what aftirward betide, The lawe of riht schal noght be leid aside. 9. So mai a kyng of werre the viage Ordeigne and take, as he therto is holde, To cleime and axe his rightful heritage In alle places wher it is withholde. Bot otherwise, if God Himsilve wolde Afferme love and pes betwen the kynges, Pes is the beste above alle erthely thinges. 10. Good is t'eschue werre, and natheles A kyng may make werre uppon his right, For of bataile the final ende is pees. Thus stant the lawe, that a worthi knyght Uppon his trouthe may go to the fight. Bot if so were that he myghte chese, Betre is the pees, of which may no man lese. 11. Sustene pes oghte every man alyve, First for to sette his liege lord in reste, And ek these othre men that thei ne stryve; For so this world mai stonden ate beste. What kyng that wolde be the worthieste, The more he myghte oure dedly werre cesse, The more he schulde his worthinesse encresse. 12. Pes is the chief of al the worldes welthe, And to the Heven it ledeth ek the weie. Pes is of soule and lif the mannes helthe: Of pestilence and doth the werre aweie! Mi liege lord, tak hiede of that Y seie: If werre may be left, tak pes on honde, Which may noght be withoute Goddis sonde. 13. With pes stant every creature in reste; Withoute pes ther may no lif be glad: Above alle othre good pes is the beste. Pes hath himself, whan werre is al bestad; The pes is sauf, the werre is ever adrad. Pes is of al charité the keie, Which hath the lif and soule for to weie. 14. My liege lord, if that thee list to seche The sothe essamples that the werre hath wroght, Thow schalt wiel hiere of wisemennes speche That dedly werre turneth into noght. For if these olde bokes be wel soght, Ther myght thou se what thing the werre hath do, Bothe of conqueste and conquerour also. 15. For vein honour or for the worldes good, Thei that whilom the stronge werres made, Wher be thei now? Bethenk wel in thi mod. The day is goon, the nyght is derk and fade, Her crualté, which mad hem thanne glade, Thei sorwen now, and yit have noght the more; The blod is schad, which no man mai restore. 16.       The werre is modir of the wronges alle; It sleth the prest in Holi Chirche at Masse, Forlith the maide and doth here flour to falle. The werre makth the grete citee lasse, And doth the Lawe his reules overpasse. There is no thing wherof meschef mai growe Which is noght caused of the werre, Y trowe. 17. The werre bringth in poverté at hise hieles, Wherof the comon poeple is sore grieved; The werre hath set his cart on thilke whieles Wher that Fortune mai noght be believed. 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. 18. Forthi, my worthi prince, in Cristes halve, As for a part whos feith thou hast to guide, Leie to this olde sor a newe salve, And do the werre awei, what so betide. Pourchace pes, and set it be thi side, And suffre noght thi poeple be devoured. So schal thi name ever after stonde honoured. 19. If eny man be now or ever was Agein the pes thi prevé counseillour, Lete God ben of thi counseil in this cas, And putte awei the cruel werreiour. For God, which is of man the creatour, He wolde noght men slowe His creature Withoute cause of dedly forfeture. 20. Wher nedeth most, behoveth most to loke. Mi lord, howso thi werres ben withoute, Of time passed who that hiede toke, Good were at hom to se riht wel aboute; Foreveremor the werste is for to doute. Bot if thou myghtest parfit pes atteigne, Ther schulde be no cause for to pleigne. 21. Aboute a kyng good counseil is to preise Above alle othre thinges most vailable; Bot yit a kyng withinne himself schal peise, And se the thinges that ben resonable, And theruppon he schal his wittes stable Among the men to sette pes in evene, For love of Him which is the Kyng of Hevene. 22.       Ha, wel is him that schedde nevere blod, Bot if it were in cause of rihtwisnesse: For if a kyng the peril undirstod, What is to sle the poeple, thanne Y gesse, The dedly werres and the hevynesse, Wherof the pes distourbid is ful ofte, Schulde at som time cesse and wexe softe. 23. O kyng fulfild of grace and of knyghthode, Remembre uppon this point for Cristes sake, If pes be profred unto thi manhode, Thin honour sauf, let it noght be forsake. Though thou the werres darst wel undirtake, Aftir reson yit tempre thi corage. For lich to pes ther is non avantage. 24. My worthi lord, thenke wel, how so befalle, Of thilke lore. As holi bokes sein, Crist is the heved, and we ben membres alle, Als wel the subgit as the sovereign. So sit it wel that charité be plein, Which unto God Himselve most acordeth, So as the lore of Cristes word recordeth. 25.       In th'Olde Lawe, er Crist Himself was bore, Among the Ten Comandementz Y rede How that manslaghtre schulde be forbore. Such was the will that time of the Godhede. And aftirward, whanne Crist tok His manhede, Pes was the ferste thing He let do crie Agein the worldes rancour and envie. 26. And er Crist wente out of this erthe hiere And stigh to Hevene, He made His testament, Wher He beqwath to His disciples there And gaf His pes, which is the foundement Of charité, withouten whos assent The worldes pes mai never wel be tried, Ne love kept, ne lawe justefied. 27. The Jewes with the paiens hadden werre, Bot thei among hemself stode evere in pes. Whi schulde thanne oure pes stonde out of herre, Which Crist hath chose unto His oghne encres? For Crist is more than was Moises, And Crist hath set the parfit of the Lawe, The which scholde in no wise be withdrawe. 28. To give ous pes was cause whi Crist dide; Withoute pes may no thing stonde availed: Bot now a man mai sen on everi side How Cristes feith is every dai assailed, With the paiens destruid, and so batailed That for defalte of help and of defence Unethe hath Crist His dewe reverence. 29.       The righte feith to kepe of Holy Chirche The firste point is named of knyghthode; And everi man is holde for to wirche Uppon the point which stant to his manhode. Bot now, helas, the fame is sprad so broode, That everi worthi man this thing compleigneth, And yit ther is no man which help ordeigneth. 30. The worldes cause is waited overal, Ther ben the werres redi to the fulle; Bot Cristes oghne cause in special, Ther ben the swerdes and the speres dulle; And with the sentence of the Popes bulle, As for to do the folk paien obeie, The Chirche is turned al another weie. 31. It is to wondre above a mannys wit Withoute werre how Cristes feith was wonne; And we that ben uppon this erthe yit Ne kepe it noght, as it was first begonne. To every creature undir the sonne Crist bad Himself how that we schulden preche, And to the folk His evangile teche. 32. More light it is to kepe than to make; Bot that we founden mad tofore the hond We kepe noght, bot lete it lightly slake. The pes of Crist hath altobroke His bond, We reste ourselve and soeffrin every lond To slen ech other as thing undefendid: So stant the werre, and pes is noght amendid. 33. Bot thogh the Heved of Holy Chirche above Ne do noght al His hole businesse Among the men to sette pes and love, These kynges oughten of here rightwisnesse Here oghne cause among hemself redresce. Thogh Petres schip as now hath lost his stiere, It lith in hem that barge for to stiere. 34. If Holy Cherche after the dueté Of Cristes word ne be noght al avysed To make pes, acord, and unité Among the kinges that ben now devised, Yit natheles the lawe stant assised Of mannys wit to be so resonable, Withoute that to stonde hemselve stable.1 35. Of Holy Chirche we ben children alle, And every child is holden for to bowe Unto the modir, how that ever it falle, Or elles he mot reson desalowe: And for that cause a knyght schal ferst avowe The right of Holi Chirche to defende, That no man schal the previlege offende. 36. Thus were it good to setten al in evene The worldes princes and the prelatz bothe, For love of Him which is the King of Hevene: And if men scholde algate wexe wrothe, The Sarazins, whiche unto Crist be lothe, Let men ben armed agein hem to fighte; So mai the knyht his dede of armes righte. 37.       Uppon thre pointz stant Cristes pes oppressed: Ferst, Holy Cherche is in hersilf divided, Which oughte of reson first to be redresced; Bot yit so highe a cause is noght decided. And thus, whan humble pacience is prided, The remenant, which that thei schulden reule, No wondir is though it stonde out of reule. 38. Of that the heved is siek, the limes aken: These regnes that to Cristes pes belongen For worldes good these dedly werres maken, Whiche helpples as in balance hongen. The heved above hem hath noght undirfongen To sette pes, bot every man sleth other; And in this wise hath charité no brother. 39. The two defaltes bringen in the thridde, Of mescreantz that sen how we debate; Betwene the two thei fallen in amidde, Wher now aldai thei finde an open gate. Lo, thus the dedly werre stant algate; Bot evere Y hope of Kyng Henries grace That he it is which schal the pes embrace. 40. My worthi noble prince and kyng enoignt, Whom God hath of His grace so preserved, Beholde and se the world uppon this point, As for thi part that Cristes pes be served: So schal thin highe mede be deserved To him which al schal qwiten ate laste, For this lif hiere mai no while laste. 41. See Alisandre, Ector, and Julius, See Machabeu, David, and Josue, See Charlemeine, Godefroi, Arthus, Fulfild of werre and of mortalité. Here fame abit, bot al is vanité; For deth, which hath the werres under fote, Hath mad an ende of which ther is no bote. 42. So mai a man the sothe wite and knowe, That pes is good for every king to have: The fortune of the werre is evere unknowe, Bot wher pes is, ther ben the marches save. That now is up, tomorwe is under grave; The mighti God hath alle grace in honde, Withouten Him pes mai nought longe stonde. 43.       Of the tenetz to winne or lese a chace, Mai no lif wite er that the bal be ronne: Al stant in God, what thing men schal pourchace, Th'ende is in Him er that it be begonne. Men sein the wolle, whanne it is wel sponne, Doth that the cloth is strong and profitable, And elles it mai never be durable. 44. The worldes chaunces uppon aventure Ben evere sett, bot thilke chaunce of pes Is so behoveli to the creature, That it above alle othre is piereles: Bot it mai noght be gete natheles Among the men to lasten eny while, Bot wher the herte is plein withoute guyle. 45. The pes is, as it were, a sacrement Tofore the God, and schal with wordes pleine Withouten eny double entendement Be treted, for the trouthe can noght feine: Bot if the men withinne hemself be veine, The substance of the pes may noght be trewe, Bot every dai it chaungeth uppon newe. 46. Bot who that is of charité parfit, He voideth alle sleightes ferr aweie, And sett his word uppon the same plit, Wher that his herte hath founde a siker weie: And thus whan conscience is trewly weie, And that the pes be handlid with the wise, It schal abide and stonde in alle wise. 47. Th'apostle seith, ther mai no lif be good Which is noght grounded uppon charité, For charité ne schedde nevere blod. So hath the werre as ther no proprité: For thilke vertu which is seid pité With charité so ferforth is aqweinted, That in here may no fals semblant be peinted. 48.       Cassodre, whos writinge is auctorized, Seith, wher that pité regneth, ther is grace, Thurgh which the pes hath al his welthe assised, So that of werre he dredeth no manace. Wher pité dwelleth, in the same place Ther mai no dedly cruelté sojorne, Wherof that merci schulde his weie torne. 49. To se what pité forth with mercy doth, The croniqe is at Rome in thilke empire Of Constantin, which is a tale soth; Whan him was levere his oghne deth desire Than do the yonge children to martire. Of crualté he lafte the querele; Pité he wroghte and pité was his hele. 50. For thilke mannes pité which he dede God was pitous and mad him hol at al; Silvestre cam, and in the same stede Gaf him baptisme first in special, Which dide awai the sinne original, And al his lepre it hath so purified That his pité forever is magnified. 51. Pité was cause whi this emperour Was hol in bodi and in soule bothe, And Rome also was set in thilke honour Of Cristes feith, so that the lieve of lothe, Whiche hadden be with Crist tofore wrothe, Resceived were unto Cristes lore: Thus schal pité be preised evermore. 52.       My worthi liege lord, Henri be name, Which Engelond hast to governe and righte, Men oghten wel thi pité to proclame, Which openliche in al the worldes sighte Is schewed with the help of God Almighte, To give ous pes, which longe hath be debated, Wherof thi pris schal nevere ben abated. 53. My lord, in whom hath ever yit be founde Pité withoute spot of violence, Kep thilke pes alwei withinne bounde, Which God hath planted in thi conscience: So schal the cronique of thi pacience Among the seintz be take into memoire To the loenge of perdurable gloire. 54. And to thin erthli pris, so as Y can, Which everi man is holde to commende, I, Gower, which am al thi liege man, This lettre unto thin excellence Y sende, As Y which evere unto my lives ende Wol praie for the stat of thi persone In worschipe of thi sceptre and of thi throne. 55.       Noght only to my king of pes Y write, Bot to these othre princes Cristene alle, That ech of hem his oghne herte endite, And see the werre er more meschief falle: Sette ek the rightful pope uppon his stalle, Kep charité and draughe pité to honde, Maintene lawe, and so the pes schal stonde.	Fourth On; good fortune has befallen; (see note) chosen to comfort us; (see note) honor; had fallen down; (see note) stands raised; (see note) meant to bless judgment alone attends; royalty Has declared to belong founded upon your; (see note) people of the land have also stands your reign; (see note) say to the contrary has not your right Therefore; bound; (see note) lack of aid has long suffered man's heart work your pleasure God's working (i.e., all Creation) follows; (see note) know; (see note) I know well [that] you are learned Ask; refused; (see note) (t-note) the good Solomon; asking; (see note) he most desired to have chose people, whom he would chose, [so] it came down to him to have reign lasted won peace; until the end; (t-note) Alexander [the Great]; (see notes) another way might obey [him]; (t-note) war; desire granted [So]; won though it happened at that time pagan then; (see note) [There] was none who; high (i.e., true) It was no wonder then that the Then (see note) has come [to have] a place on; here well befits them (i.e., the princes); pity Nonetheless it might be tempered in due measure; (see note) matter At hand, whatever [may] afterward occur laid aside; (see note) war the journey; (see note) he is made to do claim and demand withheld But in other cases; (see note) peace to eschew war, and nonetheless battle; peace; (see note) stands But if it happened; choose; (see note) lose; (see note) To sustain peace ought; (see note); (t-note) in rest (at ease) also; they might not fight; (see note) thus would be the most worthy deadly war cease; (see note) increase world's riches; (see note) Heaven it also leads the way a man's health in soul and body [Be rid]; send the war away take heed of what I say abandoned; in hand God's message; (see note) stands no life can be happy other goods; (see note) itself, whereas war is ever afflicted safe; dreaded; (t-note) key; (see note); (t-note) weigh if you want to seek true examples You shall well hear deadly war results in nothing; (see note) clearly examined; (see note) has done vain; world's goods great wars Think well on this in your mind gone; dark and faded; (see note) Their cruelty, which made them then regret; no more chances blood is shed slays; (see note) Violates; causes her flower to fall; (t-note) city less; (see note) causes the overthrow of the rules of Law I believe its heels; (see note) Through which the common people are those wheels; (see note) think sure; even if he wins Therefore; on Christ's behalf country Apply; old wound; (see note); (t-note) whatsoever happens (i.e., regardless of the cost) Purchase peace; by your side do not allow your people [to] be (t-note) (t-note) private Let God be your counsel; (t-note) warrior; (t-note) would not [have] men slay [a just] cause of mortal danger need is greatest, that needs most attention; (see notes) regardless of how your foreign wars have gone From; heed [It] would be good; [the] right thing done for all worst is to doubt you desire to attain perfect peace for [the land] to complain praise serviceable appraise are reasonable establish (found) equally (i.e., Christ) Ah, well Unless; righteousness slay the people, then I suppose very often grow soft (see note) (see note) Your honor [will be] safe wars did temper your courage For compared; no advantage [to war] think well; (t-note) Upon such lore head and we are all limbs As well the subjects it sits well; plain (i.e., Old Testament), before; born; (t-note) read; (see note) murder; forbidden Godhead (Trinity) manhood (see note) before; (see note) ascended bequeathed foundation (t-note) Nor pagans had war themselves out of order own increase Moses perfection no way be withdrawn died; (see note) see pagans destroyed Hardly; due (see note) meant to work alas; spread so broad complains [about] this thing (fame) ordains heeded There are the swords; spears Pope's bull; (see note) to make the pagan folk man's wisdom victorious yet begun sun (see note) easy; keep; make [something]; (see note) what we found made already in [our] hand lessen has broken His bonds asunder allow slay each other So it is with war Head (i.e., Christ); (see note) their righteousness Their own causes; themselves; (t-note) Peter's ship (i.e., the Church); its rudder fall to them; to steer duty advised divided intended to bow mother; (t-note) else he might disallow reason shall first swear The rights prelates (i.e., Christ) should in any case grow angry Saracens (i.e., Muslims); are hateful; (see note) against them; (see note) deed three points Christ's peace stands (see note); (t-note) redressed high (worthy, noble) patience remnant; rule; (see note) order When the head is sick, the limbs ache; (see note) kings worldly good helpless; hang; (t-note) head (Church); undertaken slays another; (t-note) way faults; third; (see note) miscreants who see the middle; (t-note) all day (i.e., always) war stands assuredly (t-note) anointed; (see note) (t-note) your land shall your high reward leave at last Alexander, Hector [of Troy], and Julius [Caesar]; (see note) [Judas] Maccabeus, [King] David; Joshua Charlemagne, Godfrey [of Bouillon], [King] Arthur [Who were] filled with war; death Their fame abides for which there is no remedy truth comprehend there are the borders saved; (see note) In the [game of] tennis; lose a chase; (see note) no man know before the ball is run All is in God's control; get; (see note) The end strain the wool; spun; (see note) So that otherwise; (t-note) natural peerless expected nevertheless any long amount of time Unless; open without guile simple duplicitous intentions entreated; dissemble vain true into [something] new perfect slights plight sure way; (see note) wisdom all ways The apostle (Paul); (see note) property that virtue which is called pity; (see note) her may no false seeming; (t-note) Cassiodorus; authorized [by the Church]; (see note) Says; reigns; (t-note) arranged fears no menace remain way turn; (t-note) (see note) story; that Constantine [the Great]; true; (see note) he would rather die himself young; murder quarrel; (t-note) healing that; did whole [Pope] Silvester; place Gave washed away leprosy (t-note) whole that honor the believers who were once hateful Who had been angry at Christ before (t-note) praised by name [hold] upright ought openly reward; (t-note) (see notes); (t-note) that peace history saints be taken into memory praise of eternal glory your earthly reward (see note) (see note) them his own heart examine look [to] the war before Set also; (see note) (t-note)
Explicit carmen de pacis commendacione, quod ad laudem et memoriam serenissimi principis domini Regis Henrici quarti suus humilis orator Iohannes Gower composuit. Et nunc sequitur epistola in qua idem Ioannes pro statu et salute dicti domini sui apud altissimum devocius exorat. [Here ends the poem on the praising of peace, which John Gower, the humble envoy to King Henry the Fourth, composed for the praise and the remembrance of that most serene prince of the Lord. And now follows the letter in which the same John pleads through the highest devotion for the state and the health of his aforesaid lord.] [The "epistle" that follows is the Latin poem Rex celi deus; see John Gower: The Minor Latin Works, ed. R.F. Yeager.]