# John Gower on the Four Humors (or Complexions) ## expand\_more *Use the glossary in* The Riverside Chaucer *for words not glossed in the margins; see also [a note on Gower's spellings](/pages/note-gowers-spelling).* ***Confessio Amantis*, Book VII, 380-520** \[*After a discussion of the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire) and the four elemental qualities (dry, moist, cold, hot) which combine in the elements, Genius, the priest of Venus, turns to the four humors.*\] Sort**380** **385** **390** **395** **400** **405** **410** **415** **420** **425** **430** **435** **440** **445** **450** **455** **460** **465** **470** **475** **480** **485** **490** **495** **500** **505** **510** **515** **520** Bot lest nou what seith the clergie; For upon hem that I have seid The creatour hath set and leid The kinde and the complexion Of alle mennes nacion. Foure elementz sondri ther be, Lich unto whiche of that degre Among the men ther ben also Complexions foure and nomo, Wherof the Philosophre treteth, That he nothing behinde leteth, And seith hou that thei ben diverse, So as I schal to thee reherse. The myhti god, so as I finde, Of man, which is his creature, Hath so devided the nature, That non til other wel acordeth: And be the cause it so discordeth, The lif which fieleth the seknesse Mai stonde upon no sekernesse. Of th'erthe, which is cold and drye, The kinde of man Malencolie Is cleped, and that is the ferste, The most ungoodlich and the werste; For unto loves werk on nyht Him lacketh bothe will and myht: No wonder is, in lusty place Of love though he lese grace. What man hath that complexion, Full of ymaginacion Of dredes and of wrathful thoghtes, He fret himselven al to noghtes. The water, which is moyste and cold, Makth fleume, which is manyfold Foryetel, slou and wery sone Of every thing which is to done: He is of kinde sufficant To holde love his covenant, Bot that him lacketh appetit, Which longeth unto such delit. What man that takth his kinde of th'air, He schal be lyht, he schal be fair, For his complexion is blood. Of alle ther is non so good, For he hath bothe will and myht To plese and paie love his riht: Wher as he hath love undertake, Wrong is if that he be forsake. The fyr of his condicion Appropreth the complexion Which in a man is Colre hote, Whos propretes ben dreie and hote: It makth a man ben enginous And swift of fote and ek irous; Of contek and folhastifnesse He hath a riht gret besinesse, To thenke of love and litel may: Though he behote wel a day, On nyht whan that he wole assaie, He may ful evele his dette paie. After the kinde of th'element, Thus stant a mannes kinde went, As touchende his complexion, Upon sondri division Of dreie, of moiste, of chele, of hete, \[the elemental qualities\] And ech of hem his oghne sete Appropred hath withinne a man. And ferst to telle as I began, The Splen is to Malencolie Assigned for herbergerie: The moiste fleume with his cold Hath in the lunges for his hold Ordeined him a propre stede, To duelle ther as he is bede: To the Sanguin complexion Nature of hire inspeccion A propre hous hath in the livere For his duellinge mad delivere: The dreie Colre with his hete Be weie of kinde his propre sete Hath in the galle, wher he duelleth, So as the Philosophre telleth. Nou over this is forto wite, As it is in Phisique write Of livere, of lunge, of galle, of splen, Thei alle unto the herte ben Servantz, and ech in his office Entendeth to don him service, As he which is chief lord above. The livere makth him forto love, The lunge yifth him weie of speche, The galle serveth to do wreche, The Splen doth him to lawhe and pleie, Whan al unclennesse is aweie: Lo, thus hath ech of hem his dede. And to sustienen hem and fede In time of recreacion, Nature hath in creacion The Stomach for a comun Coc Ordeined, so as seith the boc. The Stomach coc is for the halle, And builleth mete for hem alle, To make hem myghty forto serve The herte, that he schal noght sterve: For as a king in his Empire Above alle othre is lord and Sire, So is the herte principal, To whom reson in special Is yove as for the governance. And thus nature his pourveance Hath mad for man to liven hiere; Bot god, which hath the Soule diere, Hath formed it in other wise. That can noman pleinli devise; Bot as the clerkes ous enforme, That lich to god it hath a forme, Thurgh which figure and which liknesse The Soule hath many an hyh noblesse Appropred to his oghne kinde. Bot ofte hir wittes be mad blinde Al onliche of this ilke point, That hir abydinge is conjoint Forth with the bodi forto duelle: That on desireth toward helle, That other upward to the hevene; So schul thei nevere stonde in evene, Bot if the fleissh be overcome And that the Soule have holi nome The governance, and that is selde, Whil that the fleissh him mai bewelde. Al erthli thing which god began Was only mad to serve man; Bot he the Soule al only made Himselven forto serve and glade. Alle othre bestes that men finde Thei serve unto here oghne kinde, Bot to reson the Soule serveth; Wherof the man his thonk deserveth And get him with hise werkes goode The perdurable lyves foode. **listen** **i.e., Aristotle** **leaves** **\[Melancholy\]** **gnaw, consume** **\[Plegm\]** **forgetful** **\[Blood, Sanguine\]** **fits, is characteristic of** **\[Choler\]** **ingenious** **irate, wrathful** **strife, foolish haste** **pay his debt (copulate)** **natural inclination** **seat, dwelling place** **spleen melancholy** **dwelling place** **phlegm** **Choler** **i.e., Aristotle** **Aristotles' Physics** **wreak revenge** **Cook** **boils, cooks** **starve** **given** **provision** **\[THE SOUL OF MAN\]** **joined together** **taken** Text adapted from: *The English Works of John Gower*, ed. G. C. Macaulay, EETS e.s. 81-82. London. 1900-01.