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First Line: Tis true, that after plaints and tears
Last Line: Wolves seek for prey by hunger prest.
Alternate Author Name(s): Montcorbier, Francois De


(From the Great Testament)

'TIS true, that after plaints and tears,
And agonizing griefs and woes,
After long sorrows, constant fears,
And toils, and wrongs from cruel foes,
These travails sore 'neath Fortune's blows
Have made my thoughts of sharper sight,
And taught me more than Averroes
E'er noted on the Stagirite.

When deepest, worst my woes appeared,
While plodding penniless my way,
God, who th' Emmaan pilgrims cheered
(So does the Holy Gospel say),
In a fair city made me stay,
And hope revived my soul to bless;
For howe'er far do sinners stray,
He nothing hates but stubbornness.

That I'm a sinner well I know,
Yet know God would not have me die,
But be transformed, and righteous grow,
And evil conquer and deny.'
Moved by my will, or prophecy,
God sees, and of compassion full,
If conscience pierce and crucify,
His pardon shall my guilt annul.

And as the 'Roman de La Rose'--
As noble lay as e'er was sung--
In the first opening verses shows
That, though in youth the heart be young,
If age as should to age belong
Doth act--We should the past forgive.
They then who wish me deadly wrong
Ere ripe would have me cease to live.

If by my death the public weal
In any way could profit prove,
Death would I greet the state to heal,
Poor sinful man. So God me love!
But old nor young would it behove,
If still afoot, or on my bier;
Hills from their bases do not move
For such as I--to front or rear.

What time was Alexander king,
A man, one Diomedes hight,
The officers before him bring,
Chained hand and foot for fear of flight
As though a thief. For was the wight
One of a pirate company;
And so to meet the judge they cite,
And straight he was condemned to die.

The Emperor questioned thus: 'Thou knave,
Why art thou robber of the sea?'
Whereon the other answer gave:
And why a robber call'st thou me
Because my plunders gathered be
In a small bark? But had I store
Of countless armies like to thee,
Like thee I now were Emperor.

'What would you? 'Tis my destiny,
With whose strong force I cannot mate,
Which persecutes so heavily;
Thence are derived my life and state;
Therefore all punishment abate,
And know that in great poverty
(This truth we commonly relate)
There dwells not too great loyalty.'

The emperor pondered well the worth
Of all that Diomedes said.
'Thy future will I change henceforth
From bad to good;' nor more delayed,
But did so. Thence on none he preyed,
But did a worthy man become.
This tale for true Valerius made,
Who was surnamed 'The Great' at Rome.

If God had granted me to meet
Another piteous Alexander,
To change my lot from sour to sweet,
Then might whoe'er had seen me wander
To sin have burnt me all to cinders,
Justly, by my own voice confest--
Necessity from virtue hinders,
Wolves seek for prey by hunger prest.





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