instead. Ayers asserts the praise of the Black Prince's foreign exploits in Chapter 13 contradicts the notion of Gower as a pacifist follower of Christ. Fisher takes a more balanced view than Ayers. The account of the earlier English successes on the Continent takes on a heroic ring, but Gower concludes that the Black Prince's real accomplishment was that he kept the peace at home: “The land was quiet under that great prince; no sword terrorized those whom his hand protected” . So, while “there is a time for war and a time for peace” , love is a king's best weapon: “Omnia vincit amor, amor est defensio regis” . The original version (A-text) of Book VI held the boy king blameless for the problems of the kingdom. Gower uses the phrase "high court" which Fisher interprets as a reference to Arundel and the Suffolk. When Chronica Tripertita was added in 1397, the introduction and the conclusion were extensively revised. "The King always had an obdurate heart" is the foundation of the revisions. The king is accused of erratic application of the law. Book VII 1-8 Sundry Sins This sermonizing summary of the preceding five books begins with a reinterpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue (Daniel 2:31-44) comprising gold, brass, iron and clay segments. In Chapter 2 Gower associates the iron of the statue with misers. A rich man who lacks charity is condemned. The Chapter 3 associates clay with lechery. Stockton observes this is the only place where courtly love (a major theme in Confessio) is mentioned in Vox. Chapter 8 introduces an idea which Fisher considers a major theme. Man as a "microcosm whose sin taints the cosmos" can be traced back to fourth Lateran Council. This theme first appears in Mirour. Book VII 9-19 Seven Deadly Sins & Decay of a Corpse Chapters 9-17 associate different aspects of the decay of a corpse with the seven deadly sins. The mediation on death which occurs in chapters 9-19 is unusual in medieval literature. Wickert knows of only one other example. The personal and social benefits of righteousness are discussed in Chapters 21 & 22. Chapter 23 summarizes this treatise on the worldly estates. Book VII 24-25 Patriotic Conclusion Gower's "deep love for England" is displayed in Chapter 24. He laments the nations's decay due to sin. Chapter 25 is the author's apology. The contents are attributed to