Chapter IV
And with these wordes I brast out to wepe, that every teere of myne eyen, for greetnesse semed they boren out the bal of my sight, and that al the water had ben out-ronne. Than thought me that Love gan a litel to hevye for miscomfort of my chere; and gan soberly and in esy maner speke, wel avysinge what 5 she sayd. Comenly the wyse speken esily and softe for many skilles. Oon is, their wordes are the better bileved; and also, in esy spekinge, avysement men may cacche, what to putte forth and what to holden in. And also, the auctoritè of esy wordes is the more; and eke, they yeven the more understandinge to other 10 intencion of the mater. Right so this lady esely and in a softe maner gan say these wordes.
¶ 'Mervayle,' quod she, 'greet it is, that by no maner of semblaunt, as fer as I can espye, thou list not to have any recour; but ever thou playnest and sorowest, and wayes of remedye, for 15 folisshe wilfulnesse, thee list not to seche. But enquyre of thy next frendes, that is, thyne inwit and me that have ben thy maystresse, and the recour and fyne of thy disese; [f]or of disese is gladnesse and joy, with a ful +vessel so helded, that it quencheth the felinge of the firste tenes. But thou that were wont not only 20 these thinges remembre in thyne herte, but also fooles therof to enfourmen, in adnullinge of their errours and distroying of their derke opinions, and in comfort of their sere thoughtes; now canst thou not ben comfort of thyn owne soule, in thinking of these thinges. O where hast thou be so longe commensal, that hast so 25 mikel eeten of the potages of foryetfulnesse, and dronken so of ignorance, that the olde souking[es] whiche thou haddest of me arn amaystred and lorn fro al maner of knowing? O, this is a worthy person to helpe other, that can not counsayle him-selfe!' And with these wordes, for pure and stronge shame, I wox al 30 reed.
And she than, seing me so astonyed by dyvers stoundes, sodainly (which thing kynde hateth) gan deliciously me comforte with sugred wordes, putting me in ful hope that I shulde the Margarite getten, if I folowed her hestes; and gan with a fayre 35 clothe to wypen the teres that hingen on my chekes; and than sayd I in this wyse.
'Now, wel of wysdom and of al welthe, withouten thee may nothing ben lerned; thou berest the keyes of al privy thinges. In vayne travayle men to cacche any stedship, but-if ye, lady, 40 first the locke unshet. Ye, lady, lerne us the wayes and the by-pathes to heven. Ye, lady, maken al the hevenly bodyes goodly and benignely to don her cours, that governen us beestes here on erthe. Ye armen your servauntes ayenst al debates with imperciable harneys; ye setten in her hertes insuperable blood of 45 hardinesse; ye leden hem to the parfit good. Yet al thing desyreth ye werne no man of helpe, that +wol don your lore. Graunt me now a litel of your grace, al my sorowes to cese.'
'Myne owne servaunt,' quod she, 'trewly thou sittest nye 50 myne herte; and thy badde chere gan sorily me greve. But amonge thy playning wordes, me thought, thou allegest thinges to be letting of thyne helpinge and thy grace to hinder; wherthrough, me thinketh, that wanhope is crope thorough thyn hert. God forbid that nyse unthrifty thought shulde come in thy mynde, 55 thy wittes to trouble; sithen every thing in coming is contingent. Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible. But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest 60 thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is insuffysaunt"? I not what thou therof menest.'
'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man 65 rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce. Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe, for al his gret sothnesse. 70
'Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence 75 ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.'
'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos by the leest point that any wight coude pricke. 80
CH. IV. 2. great-. 4. heauy. 5. easy. 6. easyly. 7. One. 8. easy speakynge. catche. put forthe. 9. easy. 11. ladye easely. 13. great. 14. ferre. 16. the lyste. 17. inwytte. 18. disease (twice). 19. nessel; misprint for uessel. 20. wonte. onely. 22. distroyeng. 23. comforte. seare. 24. comforte. 25. haste. 27. soukyng. 28. arne.
30. woxe. 33. thynge. 36. teares. 38. Nowe. wysedom. the. 39. bearest. 40. catche. 43. done her course. 45. blode. 46. leaden. parfyte. thynge. 47. wern. wele; read wol. done. 48. nowe. 49. cease. 53. wherthroughe. 58. nowe. the. 59. reason. 60. put. 61. lette-games. 63. meanest. 65. arne.
67. steeryng. lyeng. 68. eares. 72. wretche. 78. reason. 79. the. let. purpose.
Chapter V
Remembrest nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos? Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is it nat preved by strength?'
'Yes, forsothe,' quod I. 5
'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and Heleyne loved togider, and yet had they not entrecomuned of speche? Also Acrisius shette Dane his doughter in a tour, for suertee that no wight shulde of her have no maistry in my service; and yet Jupiter by signes, without any speche, had 10 al his purpose ayenst her fathers wil. And many suche mo have ben knitte in trouthe, and yet spake they never togider; for that is a thing enclosed under secretnesse of privytè, why twey persons entremellen hertes after a sight. The power in knowing, of such thinges +to preven, shal nat al utterly be yeven to you 15 beestes; for many thinges, in suche precious maters, ben reserved to jugement of devyne purveyaunce; for among lyving people, by mannes consideracion, moun they nat be determined. Wherfore I saye, al the envy, al the janglinge, that wel ny [al] people upon my servauntes maken +ofte, is rather cause of esployte 20 than of any hindringe.'
'Why, than,' quod I, 'suffre ye such wrong; and moun, whan ye list, lightly al such yvels abate? Me semeth, to you it is a greet unworship.'
'O,' quod she, 'hold now thy pees. I have founden to many 25 that han ben to me unkynde, that trewly I wol suffre every wight in that wyse to have disese; and who that continueth to the ende wel and trewly, hem wol I helpen, and as for oon of myne in-to blisse [don] to wende. As [in] marcial doing in Grece, who was y-crowned? By god, nat the strongest; but he that rathest 30 com and lengest abood and continued in the journey, and spared nat to traveyle as long as the play leste. But thilke person, that profred him now to my service, [and] therin is a while, and anon voideth and [is] redy to another; and so now oon he thinketh and now another; and in-to water entreth and anon respireth: 35 such oon list me nat in-to perfit blisse of my service bringe. A tree ofte set in dyvers places wol nat by kynde endure to bringe forth frutes. Loke now, I pray thee, how myne olde servauntes of tyme passed continued in her service, and folowe thou after their steppes; and than might thou not fayle, in case thou worche 40 in this wyse.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'it is nothing lich, this world, to tyme passed; eke this countrè hath oon maner, and another countrè hath another. And so may nat a man alway putte to his eye the salve that he heled with his hele. For this is sothe: betwixe 45 two thinges liche, ofte dyversitè is required.'
'Now,' quod she, 'that is sothe; dyversitè of nation, dyversitè of lawe, as was maked by many resons; for that dyversitè cometh in by the contrarious malice of wicked people, that han envyous hertes ayenst other. But trewly, my lawe to my servauntes ever hath 50 ben in general, whiche may nat fayle. For right as mannes +lawe that is ordained by many determinacions, may nat be knowe for good or badde, til assay of the people han proved it and [founden] to what ende it draweth; and than it sheweth the necessitè therof, or els the impossibilitè: right so the lawe of my servauntes 55 so wel hath ben proved in general, that hitherto hath it not fayled.
Wiste thou not wel that al the lawe of kynde is my lawe, and by god ordayned and stablisshed to dure by kynde resoun? Wherfore al lawe by mannes witte purveyed ought to be underput to lawe of kynde, whiche yet hath be commune to every kyndely 60 creature; that my statutes and my lawe that ben kyndely arn general to al peoples. Olde doinges and by many turninges of yeres used, and with the peoples maner proved, mowen nat so lightly ben defased; but newe doinges, contrariauntes suche olde, ofte causen diseses and breken many purposes. Yet saye I nat 65 therfore that ayen newe mischeef men shulde nat ordaynen a newe remedye; but alwaye looke it contrary not the olde no ferther than the malice streccheth. Than foloweth it, the olde doinges in love han ben universal, as for most exployte[s] forth used; wherfore I wol not yet that of my lawes nothing be adnulled. 70 But thanne to thy purpos: suche jangelers and lokers, and wayters of games, if thee thinke in aught they mowe dere, yet love wel alwaye, and sette hem at naught; and let thy port ben lowe in every wightes presence, and redy in thyne herte to maynteyne that thou hast begonne; and a litel thee fayne with 75 mekenesse in wordes; and thus with sleyght shalt thou surmount and dequace the yvel in their hertes. And wysdom yet is to seme flye otherwhyle, there a man wol fighte. Thus with suche thinges the tonges of yvel shal ben stilled; els fully to graunte thy ful meninge, for-sothe ever was and ever it shal be, that myn enemyes 80 ben aferde to truste to any fightinge. And therfore have thou no cowardes herte in my service, no more than somtyme thou haddest in the contrarye. For if thou drede suche jangleres, thy viage to make, understand wel, that he that dredeth any rayn, to sowe his cornes, he shal have than [bare] bernes. Also he that 85 is aferd of his clothes, let him daunce naked! Who nothing undertaketh, and namely in my service, nothing acheveth. After grete stormes the +weder is often mery and smothe. After moche clatering, there is mokil rowning. Thus, after jangling wordes, cometh "huissht! pees! and be stille!"' 90
'O good lady!' quod I than, 'see now how, seven yere passed and more, have I graffed and +grobbed a vyne; and with al the wayes that I coude I sought to a fed me of the grape; but frute have I non founde. Also I have this seven yere served Laban, to a wedded Rachel his doughter; but blere-eyed Lya is brought to 95 my bedde, which alway engendreth my tene, and is ful of children in tribulacion and in care. And although the clippinges and kissinges of Rachel shulde seme to me swete, yet is she so barayne that gladnesse ne joye by no way wol springe; so that I may wepe with Rachel. I may not ben counsayled with solace, 100 sithen issue of myn hertely desyre is fayled. Now than I pray that to me [come] sone fredom and grace in this eight[eth] yere; this eighteth mowe to me bothe be kinrest and masseday, after the seven werkedays of travayle, to folowe the Christen lawe; and, what ever ye do els, that thilke Margaryte be holden so, lady, in 105 your privy chambre, that she in this case to none other person be committed.'
'Loke than,' quod she, 'thou persever in my service, in whiche I have thee grounded; that thilke scorn in thyn enemyes mowe this on thy person be not sothed: "lo! this man began to edefye, 110 but, for his foundement is bad, to the ende may he it not bringe." For mekenesse in countenaunce, with a manly hert in dedes and in longe continuaunce, is the conisance of my livery to al my retinue delivered. What wenest thou, that me list avaunce suche persons as loven the first sittinges at feestes, the highest stoles 115 in churches and in hal, loutinges of peoples in markettes and fayres; unstedfaste to byde in one place any whyle togider; wening his owne wit more excellent than other; scorning al maner devyse but his own? Nay, nay, god wot, these shul nothing parten of my blisse. Truly, my maner here-toforn hath ben [to] worship[pe] 120 with my blisse lyons in the felde and lambes in chambre; egles at assaute and maydens in halle; foxes in counsayle, stil[le] in their dedes; and their proteccioun is graunted, redy to ben a bridge; and their baner is arered, like wolves in the felde. Thus, by these wayes, shul men ben avaunced; ensample of 125 David, that from keping of shepe was drawen up in-to the order of kingly governaunce; and Jupiter, from a bole, to ben Europes fere; and Julius Cesar, from the lowest degrè in Rome, to be mayster of al erthly princes; and Eneas from hel, to be king of the countrè there Rome is now stonding. And so to thee I say; 130 thy grace, by bering ther-after, may sette thee in suche plight, that no jangling may greve the leest tucke of thy hemmes; that [suche] are their +jangles, is nought to counte at a cresse in thy disavauntage.
CH. V. 1. one. 2. maner; read maneres. purpose. 3. nowe. the. 4. proued. 6. howe. 9. suertie. 15. so; read to. 17. lyueng.
19. I supply al. 20. efte; read ofte. 24. great. 25. holde nowe thy peace. 27. disease. 29. one. I supply don. I supply in. 31. come. abode. 32. lest. 33. nowe. I supply and. 34. I supply is. nowe one. 35. nowe. 36. one. p_er_fyte. 38. nowe. the howe. 42. worlde. 43. one. 44. alwaye put. 45. healed. 47. Nowe. 48. reasons. 51. lawes; read lawe. 52. determinati[=o]s. 53. I supply founden.
58. reasoun. 59. purueyde. vnderputte. 61. arne. 65. diseases. breaken. 66. mischefe. 68. stretcheth. 69. exployte forthe. 70. nothynge. 71. purpose. 72. the. 73. lette. porte. 75. the. 77. wysdome. 78. fyght. 79. graunt. 80. meanynge. 84. vnderstande. rayne. 85. I supply bare. 86. aferde. 88. great. wether; read weder. 90. huysshte. peace. styl. 91. se nowe howe.
92. groubed. 94. none. 101. Nowe. 102. I supply come. 103. kynrest (sic). 109. skorne. 110. this; read thus? 120. toforne. 121. worship; read worshippe (verb). 122. styl. 123. protection.
130. nowe. the. 131. set the. 132. lest. 133. ianghes; read jangles.
Chapter VI
Ever,' quod she, 'hath the people in this worlde desyred to have had greet name in worthinesse, and hated foule to bere any [en]fame; and that is oon of the objeccions thou alegest to be ayen thyne hertely desyre.'
'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that, so comenly, the people wol 5 lye, and bringe aboute suche enfame.'
'Now,' quod she, 'if men with lesinges putte on thee enfame, wenest thy-selfe therby ben enpeyred? That wening is wrong; see why; for as moche as they lyen, thy meryte encreseth, and make[th] thee ben more worthy, to hem that knowen of the soth; 10 by what thing thou art apeyred, that in so mokil thou art encresed of thy beloved frendes. And sothly, a wounde of thy frende [is] to thee lasse harm, ye, sir, and better than a fals kissing in disceyvable glosing of thyne enemy; above that than, to be wel with thy frende maketh [voyd] suche enfame. Ergo, thou art encresed 15 and not apeyred.'
'Lady,' quod I, 'somtyme yet, if a man be in disese, th'estimacion of the envyous people ne loketh nothing to desertes of men, ne to the merytes of their doinges, but only to the aventure of fortune; and therafter they yeven their sentence. And some 20 loken the voluntary wil in his herte, and therafter telleth his jugement; not taking hede to reson ne to the qualitè of the doing; as thus. If a man be riche and fulfild with worldly welfulnesse, some commenden it, and sayn it is so lent by juste cause; and he that hath adversitè, they sayn he is weked; and 25 hath deserved thilke anoy. The contrarye of these thinges some men holden also; and sayn that to the riche prosperitè is purvayed in-to his confusion; and upon this mater many autoritès of many and greet-witted clerkes they alegen. And some men sayn, though al good estimacion forsake folk that han adversitè, 30 yet is it meryte and encrees of his blisse; so that these purposes am so wonderful in understanding, that trewly, for myn adversitè now, I not how the sentence of the indifferent people wil jugen my fame.'
'Therfore,' quod she, 'if any wight shulde yeve a trewe sentence 35 on suche maters, the cause of the disese maist thou see wel. Understand ther-upon after what ende it draweth, that is to sayne, good or badde; so ought it to have his fame +by goodnesse or enfame by badnesse. For [of] every resonable person, and namely of a wyse man, his wit ought not, without reson to-forn 40 herd, sodainly in a mater to juge. After the sawes of the wyse, "thou shalt not juge ne deme toforn thou knowe."'
'Lady,' quod I, 'ye remembre wel, that in moste laude and praysing of certayne seyntes in holy churche, is to rehersen their conuersion from badde in-to good; and that is so rehersed, as 45 by a perpetual mirrour of remembraunce, in worshippinge of tho sayntes, and good ensample to other misdoers in amendement. How turned the Romayne Zedeoreys fro the Romaynes, to be with Hanibal ayenst his kynde nacion; and afterwardes, him seming the Romayns to be at the next degrè of confusion, 50 turned to his olde alyes; by whose witte after was Hanibal discomfited. Wherfore, to enfourme you, lady, the maner-why I mene, see now. In my youth I was drawe to ben assentaunt and (in my mightes) helping to certain conjuracions and other grete maters of ruling of citizins; and thilke thinges ben my 55 drawers in; and ex[c]itours to tho maters wern so paynted and coloured that (at the prime face) me semed them noble and glorious to al the people. I than, wening mikel meryte have deserved in furthering and mayntenaunce of tho thinges, besyed and laboured, with al my diligence, in werkinge of thilke maters 60 to the ende. And trewly, lady, to telle you the sothe, me rought litel of any hate of the mighty senatours in thilke citè, ne of comunes malice; for two skilles. Oon was, I had comfort to ben in suche plyte, that bothe profit were to me and to my frendes. Another was, for commen profit in cominaltee is not but pees and 65 tranquilitè, with just governaunce, proceden from thilke profit; sithen, by counsayle of myne inwitte, me thought the firste painted thinges malice and yvel meninge, withouten any good avayling to any people, and of tyrannye purposed. And so, for pure sorowe, and of my medlinge and badde infame that I was in ronne, tho 70 [the] teres [that] lasshed out of myne eyen were thus awaye wasshe, than the under-hidde malice and the rancour of purposing envye, forncast and imagined in distruccion of mokil people, shewed so openly, that, had I ben blind, with myne hondes al the circumstaunce I might wel have feled. 75
Now than tho persones that suche thinges have cast to redresse, for wrathe of my first medlinge, shopen me to dwelle in this pynande prison, til Lachases my threed no lenger wolde twyne. And ever I was sought, if me liste to have grace of my lyfe and frenesse of that prison, I shulde openly confesse how pees might 80 ben enduced to enden al the firste rancours. It was fully supposed my knowing to be ful in tho maters. Than, lady, I thought that every man that, by any waye of right, rightfully don, may helpe any comune +wele to ben saved; whiche thing to kepe above al thinges I am holde to mayntayne, and namely in 85 distroying of a wrong; al shulde I therthrough enpeche myn owne fere, if he were gilty and to do misdeed assentaunt. And mayster ne frend may nought avayle to the soule of him that in falsnesse deyeth; and also that I nere desyred wrathe of the people ne indignacion of the worthy, for nothinge that ever I 90 wrought or did, in any doing my-selfe els, but in the mayntenaunce of these foresayd errours and in hydinge of the privitees therof. And that al the peoples hertes, holdinge on the errours syde, weren blinde and of elde so ferforth begyled, that debat and stryf they maynteyned, and in distruccion on that other syde; 95 by whiche cause the pees, that moste in comunaltee shulde be desyred, was in poynte to be broken and adnulled. Also the citee of London, that is to me so dere and swete, in whiche I was forth growen; (and more kyndely love have I to that place than to any other in erthe, as every kyndely creature hath ful appetyte to that 100 place of his kyndly engendrure, and to wilne reste and pees in that stede to abyde); thilke pees shulde thus there have ben broken, and of al wyse it is commended and desyred. For knowe thing it is, al men that desyren to comen to the perfit pees everlasting must the pees by god commended bothe mayntayne and 105 kepe. This pees by angels voyce was confirmed, our god entringe in this worlde. This, as for his Testament, he lefte to al his frendes, whanne he retourned to the place from whence he cam; this his apostel amonesteth to holden, without whiche man perfitly may have non insight. Also this god, by his coming, made not 110 pees alone betwene hevenly and erthly bodyes, but also amonge us on erthe so he pees confirmed, that in one heed of love oon body we shulde perfourme. Also I remembre me wel how the name of Athenes was rather after the god of pees than of batayle, shewinge that pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees. 115 I than, so styred by al these wayes toforn nempned, declared certayne poyntes in this wyse. Firste, that thilke persones that hadden me drawen to their purposes, and me not weting the privy entent of their meninge, drawen also the feeble-witted people, that have non insight of gubernatif prudence, to clamure 120 and to crye on maters that they styred; and under poyntes for comune avauntage they enbolded the passif to take in the actives doinge; and also styred innocentes of conning to crye after thinges, whiche (quod they) may not stande but we ben executours of tho maters, and auctoritè of execucion by comen 125 eleccion to us be delivered. And that muste entre by strength of your mayntenaunce. For we out of suche degree put, oppression of these olde hindrers shal agayn surmounten, and putten you in such subjeccion, that in endelesse wo ye shul complayne.
The governementes (quod they) of your citè, lefte in the handes 130 of torcencious citezins, shal bringe in pestilence and distruccion to you, good men; and therfore let us have the comune administracion to abate suche yvels. Also (quod they) it is worthy the good to commende, and the gilty desertes to chastice. There ben citezens many, for-ferde of execucion that shal be doon; for 135 extorcions by hem committed ben evermore ayenst these purposes and al other good mevinges. Never-the-latter, lady, trewly the meninge under these wordes was, fully to have apeched the mighty senatoures, whiche hadden hevy herte for the misgovernaunce that they seen. And so, lady, whan it fel that free 140 eleccion [was mad], by greet clamour of moche people, [that] for greet disese of misgovernaunce so fervently stoden in her eleccion that they hem submitted to every maner +fate rather than have suffred the maner and the rule of the hated governours; notwithstandinge that in the contrary helden moche comune meyny, 145 that have no consideracion but only to voluntary lustes withouten reson. But than thilke governour so forsaken, fayninge to-forn his undoinge for misrule in his tyme, shoop to have letted thilke eleccion, and have made a newe, him-selfe to have ben chosen; and under that, mokil rore [to] have arered. These thinges, lady, 150 knowen among the princes, and made open to the people, draweth in amendement, that every degree shal ben ordayned to stande there-as he shulde; and that of errours coming herafter men may lightly to-forn-hand purvaye remedye; in this wyse pees and rest to be furthered and holde. Of the whiche thinges, lady, 155 thilke persones broughten in answere to-forn their moste soverayne juge, not coarted by payninge dures, openly knowlegeden, and asked therof grace; so that apertly it preveth my wordes ben sothe, without forginge of lesinges.
But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in 160 janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche 165 I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady, how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight that to these erroneous opinions were assentaunt, and helpes to the noyse, and knewen al these thinges better than I my-selven, 170 apparaylen to fynden newe frendes, and clepen me fals, and studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne? O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to the forsayd maters, tho me commended, and yave me name of 175 trouth, in so manyfolde maners that it was nyghe in every wightes eere, there-as any of thilke people weren; and on the other syde, thilke company somtyme passed, yevinge me name of badde loos: now bothe tho peoples turned the good in-to badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that 180 they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe, and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater 185 is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte not in praysing of my-selfe; therby shulde I lese the precious secrè of my conscience. But ye see wel that false opinion of the people for my trouthe, in telling out of false conspyred maters; and after the jugement of these clerkes, I shulde not hyde the 190 sothe of no maner person, mayster ne other. Wherfore I wolde not drede, were it put in the consideracion of trewe and of wyse. And for comers hereafter shullen fully, out of denwere, al the sothe knowe of these thinges in acte, but as they wern, I have put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge. 195 For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me +submitted. But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn) flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben 200 hindred, withouten any mesure of trouthe.'
CH. VI. 2. great. beare. 3. read enfame; see l. 6. one. obiections. 7. Nowe. leasynges put on the. 8. wronge. 9. se. encreaseth. 10. the. 11. arte encreased. 12. I supply is. 13. the. harme. false. 15. I supply voyd. arte. 17. disease. 22. reason. 23. fulfylde. 24. sayne. lente. 25. sayne. weaked; read wikked? 26. anoye.
27. sayne. 29. great. 30. forsaken; read forsake. 31. encrease. 32. arne. 33. nowe. howe. 36. disease. se. 37. vnderstande. 38. fame or by goodnesse enfame; read fame by goodnesse or enfame. 39. Supply of. reasonable. 40. wytte. reason to-forne. 41. herde. 42. toforne. 45. conuercion. 48. Howe. zedeoreys or [gh]edeoreys. 53. meane se nowe. 55. great. 56. exitours. werne. 61. tel.
63. One. comforte. 64. profyte. 65. profyte. comynaltie. peace. 66. profyte. 68. meanynge. 71. I supply the and that. 72. rancoure. 73. fornecaste. distruction. 74. blynde. 76. Nowe. caste. 77. dwel. 78. threde. 80. howe peace. 81. endused. 84. done. maye. helpe (repeated after comen); read wele. thynge. 86. distroyeng. 87. misdede. 88. frende maye. 94. -forthe. debate. 95. stryfe. distruction. 96. peace. comunaltie. 97. cytie. 98. forthe.
101-6. peace (five times). 104. thynge. perfyte. 107. left. 108. came. 109. perfytely. 110. none. 111-2. peace (twice). 112. one (twice). 113. howe. 114-5. peace (twice). 115. comunalties and cytes. 116. toforne. 119. meanynge. feoble. 120. none. gubernatyfe. 122. passyfe. 126. election. 128. agayne. 129. subiection. 131. distruction. 135. doone.
138. meanynge. 139. heauy. 141. election. Supply was mad. great (twice). Supply that. 142. disease. election. 143. face; read fate. 146. onely. 147. reason. to-forne. 148. shope. 149. electyon. 151. amonge. 154. to forne hande. peace. 156. to forne. 158. apertely. 159. leasynges. 160. nowe. 162. maye. 164. sayde. 165. onely. leigeaunce. 166. se. nowe. 168. Se. 171. cleapen. false.
172. howe. 173. maye. folke. 174. stretch. 179. Nowe. 181. knowyuge (sic). sayng. arne nowe. 183. sayne. 184. nothynge. 185. wote. 186. none. 188. se. 194. werne. 195. meanynge. 196. beare. 197. submytten (!). 198. nowe. sayne. 199. dothe. 200. meane. 201. measure.
Chapter VII
Than gan Love sadly me beholde, and sayd in a changed voyce, lower than she had spoken in any tyme: 'Fayn wolde I,' quod she, 'that thou were holpen; but hast thou sayd any-thing whiche thou might not proven?'
'Pardè,' quod I, 'the persones, every thing as I have sayd, han 5 knowleged hem-selfe.'
'Ye,' quod she, 'but what if they hadden nayed? How woldest thou have maynteyned it?'
'Sothely,' quod I, 'it is wel wist, bothe amonges the greetest and other of the realme, that I profered my body so largely in-to 10 provinge of tho thinges, that Mars shulde have juged the ende; but, for sothnesse of my wordes, they durste not to thilke juge truste.'
'Now, certes,' quod she, 'above al fames in this worlde, the name of marcial doinges most plesen to ladyes of my lore; but 15 sithen thou were redy, and thyne adversaryes in thy presence refused thilke doing; thy fame ought to be so born as if in dede it had take to the ende. And therfore every wight that any droppe of reson hath, and hereth of thee infame for these thinges, hath this answere to saye: "trewly thou saydest; for thyne 20 adversaryes thy wordes affirmed." And if thou haddest lyed, yet are they discomfited, the prise leved on thy syde; so that fame shal holde down infame; he shal bringe [it in] upon none halfe. What greveth thee thyne enemye[s] to sayn their owne shame, as thus: "we arn discomfited, and yet our quarel is 25 trewe?" Shal not the loos of thy frendes ayenward dequace thilke enfame, and saye they graunted a sothe without a stroke or fighting? Many men in batayle ben discomfited and overcome in a rightful quarel, that is goddes privy jugement in heven; but yet, although the party be yolden, he may with wordes saye his 30 quarel is trewe, and to yelde him, in the contrarye, for drede of dethe he is compelled; and he that graunteth and no stroke hath feled, he may not crepe away in this wyse by none excusacion. Indifferent folk wil say: "ye, who is trewe, who is fals, him-selfe knowlegeth tho thinges." Thus in every syde fame sheweth to 35 thee good and no badde.'
'But yet,' quod I, 'some wil say, I ne shulde, for no dethe, have discovered my maistresse; and so by unkyndnesse they wol knette infame, to pursue me aboute. Thus enemyes of wil, in manyfolde maner, wol seche privy serpentynes queintyses, to 40 quenche and distroye, by venim of many besinesses, the light of tr[o]uthe; to make hertes to murmure ayenst my persone, to have me in hayne withouten any cause.'
'Now,' quod she, 'here me a fewe wordes, and thou shalt fully ben answered, I trowe. Me thinketh (quod she) right now, by 45 thy wordes, that sacrament of swering, that is to say, charging by othe, was oon of the causes to make thee discover the malicious imaginacions tofore nempned. Every ooth, by knittinge of copulation, muste have these lawes, that is, trewe jugement and rightwysenesse; in whiche thinge if any of these lacke, the ooth is 50 y-tourned in-to the name of perjury. Than to make a trewe serment, most nedes these thinges folowe. For ofte tymes, a man to saye sothe, but jugement and justice folowe, he is forsworn; ensample of Herodes, for holdinge of his serment was [he] dampned. 55
Also, to saye tr[o]uthe rightfulliche (but in jugement) otherwhile is forboden, by that al sothes be nat to sayne. Therfore in jugement, in tr[o]uthe, and rightwisenesse, is every creature bounden, up payne of perjury, ful knowing to make, tho[ugh] it were of his owne persone, for drede of sinne; after that worde, 60 "better is it to dey than live false." And, al wolde perverted people fals report make in unkyndnesse, in that entent thy [en]fame to reyse, whan light of tr[o]uthe in these maters is forth sprongen and openly publisshed among commens, than shal nat suche derke enfame dare appere, for pure shame of his falsnesse. As some 65 men ther ben that their owne enfame can none otherwyse voide or els excuse, but +by hindringe of other mennes fame; which that by non other cause clepen other men false, but for [that] with their owne falsnesse mowen they nat ben avaunsed; or els by false sklaund[r]inge wordes other men shenden, their owne 70 trewe sklaunder to make seme the lasse. For if such men wolden their eyen of their conscience revolven, [they] shulden seen the same sentence they legen on other springe out of their sydes, with so many braunches, it were impossible to nombre. To whiche therefore may it be sayd in that thinge, "this man thou demest, 75 therein thy-selfe thou condempnest."
But (quod she) understand nat by these wordes, that thou wene me saye thee to be worthy sclaunder, for any mater tofore written; truely I wolde witnesse the contrary; but I saye that the bemes of sclaundring wordes may not be don awaye til the 80 daye of dome. For how shulde it nat yet, amonges so greet plentee of people, ben many shrewes, sithen whan no mo but eight persons in Noes shippe were closed, yet oon was a shrewe and skorned his father? These thinges (quod she) I trowe, shewen that fals fame is nat to drede, ne of wyse persons to accepte, and 85 namely nat of thy Margarite, whose wysdom here-after I thinke to declare; wherfore I wot wel suche thing shal nat her asterte; than of unkyndnesse thyn ooth hath thee excused at the fulle. But now, if thou woldest nat greve, me list a fewe thinges to shewe.' 90
'Say on,' quod I, 'what ye wol; I trowe ye mene but trouthe and my profit in tyme cominge.'
'Trewly,' quod she, 'that is sothe, so thou con wel kepe these wordes, and in the in[ne]rest secrè chambre of thyne herte so faste hem close that they never flitte; than shalt thou fynde hem 95 avayling. Loke now what people hast thou served; whiche of hem al in tyme of thyne exile ever thee refresshed, by the valewe of the leste coyned plate that walketh in money? Who was sory, or made any rewth for thy disese? If they hadden getten their purpose, of thy misaventure sette they nat an hawe. Lo, whan 100 thou were emprisonned, how faste they hyed in helpe of thy deliveraunce! I wene of thy dethe they yeve but lyte. They loked after no-thing but after their owne lustes. And if thou liste say the sothe, al that meyny that in this +brige thee broughten, lokeden rather after thyne helpes than thee to have releved. 105
Owen nat yet some of hem money for his commens? Paydest nat thou for some of her dispences, til they were tourned out of Selande? Who yave thee ever ought for any rydinge thou madest? Yet, pardè, some of hem token money for thy chambre, and putte tho pens in his purse, unwetinge of the renter. 110
Lo for which a company thou medlest, that neither thee ne them-selfe mighten helpe of unkyndnesse; now they bere the name that thou supposest of hem for to have. What might thou more have don than thou diddest, but-if thou woldest in a fals quarel have been a stinkinge martyr? I wene thou fleddest, as 115 longe as thou might, their privitè to counsayle; which thing thou hele[de]st lenger than thou shuldest. And thilke that ought thee money no penny wolde paye; they wende thy returne hadde ben an impossible. How might thou better have hem proved, but thus in thy nedy diseses? Now hast thou ensaumple for whom thou 120 shalt meddle; trewly, this lore is worth many goodes.'
CH. VII. 2. Fayne. 3. haste. 4. -thynge. 7. Yea. Howe. 9. wyste. amongest. greatest. 14. Nowe. 15. moste pleasen. 17. borne. 19. reason. the. 22. leaued. 23. Supply it in. 24. the. enemye (sic). sayne. 25. arne. 30. partie. 33. maye.
34. folke. false. 36. the. 44. Nowe. shalte. 45. answerde. nowe. 46. swearyng. 47. one. the. 48. othe. copulation. 50. othe. 53. forsworne. 54. Supply he. 61. false. 62. reporte. 63. forthe. 67. be; for by. 68. cleapen. Supply that. 70. sklaundynge. shendyn.
72. I supply they. sene. 73. legen [for aleggen]. 75. maye. 77. vndersta_n_de. 78. the. 80. beames. done. 81. howe. great. 82. plentie. 83. one. 85. false. 86. wysedom. 87. wotte. thynge. 88. thyne othe. the. 89. nowe. 91. meane. 92. profyte. 94. inrest. 95. shalte. 96. nowe. haste. 97. the. 98. sorye. 99. disease. 101. howe. 103. -thynge. 104. brigge; read brige. 104, 105. the.
108. the. 109. pardye. 111. the. 112. now. beare. 114. done. false. 117. helest; read heledest. the. 119. Howe. 120. diseases. Nowe haste. 121. shalte. worthe.
Chapter VIII
+Eft gan Love to +steren me [with] these wordes: 'thinke on my speche; for trewly here-after it wol do thee lykinge; and how-so-ever thou see Fortune shape her wheele to tourne, this meditacion [shal] by no waye revolve. For certes, Fortune sheweth her fayrest, whan she thinketh to begyle. And as me 5 thought, here-toforn thou saydest, thy loos in love, for thy rightwysenesse ought to be raysed, shulde be a-lowed in tyme cominge. Thou might in love so thee have, that loos and fame shul so ben raysed, that to thy frendes comfort, and sorowe to thyne enemys, endlesse shul endure. 10
But if thou were the oon sheep, amonges the hundred, were lost in deserte and out of the way hadde erred, and now to the flocke art restoored, the shepherd hath in thee no joye and thou ayen to the forrest tourne. But that right as the sorowe and anguisshe was greet in tyme of thyne out-waye goinge, right so 15 joye and gladnesse shal be doubled to sene thee converted; and nat as Lothes wyf ayen-lokinge, but [in] hool counsayle with the shepe folowinge, and with them grasse and herbes gadre. Never-the-later (quod she) I saye nat these thinges for no wantrust that I have in supposinge of thee otherwyse than I shulde. For 20 trewly, I wot wel that now thou art set in suche a purpose, out of whiche thee liste nat to parte. But I saye it for many men there been, that to knowinge of other mennes doinges setten al their cure, and lightly desyren the badde to clatter rather than the good, and have no wil their owne maner to amende. They also 25 hate of olde rancours lightly haven; and there that suche thing abydeth, sodaynly in their mouthes procedeth the habundaunce of the herte, and wordes as stones out-throwe. Wherfore my counsayl is ever-more openly and apertly, in what place thou sitte, counterplete th'errours and meninges in as fer as thou hem 30 wistest false, and leve for no wight to make hem be knowe in every bodyes ere; and be alway pacient and use Jacobes wordes, what-so-ever men of thee clappen: "I shal sustayne my ladyes wrathe which I have deserved, so longe as my Margarite hath rightwysed my cause." And certes (quod she) I witnesse my-selfe, 35 if thou, thus converted, sorowest in good meninge in thyne herte, [and] wolt from al vanitè parfitly departe, in consolacioun of al good plesaunce of that Margaryte, whiche that thou desyrest after wil of thyn herte, in a maner of a +moders pitè, [she] shul fully accepte thee in-to grace. For right as thou rentest clothes in 40 open sighte, so openly to sowe hem at his worshippe withouten reprofe [is] commended. Also, right as thou were ensample of moche-folde errour, right so thou must be ensample of manyfolde correccioun; so good savour to forgoing +of errour causeth diligent love, with many playted praisinges to folowe; and than shal al 45 the firste errours make the folowinge worshippes to seme hugely encresed. Blacke and white, set togider, every for other more semeth; and so doth every thinges contrary in kynde. But infame, that goth alwaye tofore, and praysinge worship by any cause folowinge after, maketh to ryse the ilke honour in double 50 of welth; and that quencheth the spotte of the first enfame. Why wenest, I saye, these thinges in hindringe of thy name? Nay, nay, god wot, but for pure encresing worship, thy rightwysenesse to commende, and thy trouthe to seme the more. Wost nat wel thy-selfe, that thou in fourme of making +passest nat Adam that eet 55 of the apple? Thou +passest nat the stedfastnesse of Noe, that eetinge of the grape becom dronke. Thou passest nat the chastitè of Lothe, that lay by his doughter; eke the nobley of Abraham, whom god reproved by his pryde; also Davides mekenesse, whiche for a woman made Urye be slawe. What? 60 also Hector of Troye, in whom no defaute might be founde, yet is he reproved that he ne hadde with manhode nat suffred the warre begonne, ne Paris to have went in-to Grece, by whom gan al the sorowe. For trewly, him lacketh no venim of privè consenting, whiche that openly leveth a wrong to withsaye. 65
Lo eke an olde proverbe amonges many other: "He that is stille semeth as he graunted."
Now by these ensamples thou might fully understonde, that these thinges ben writte to your lerning, and in rightwysenesse of tho persones, as thus: To every wight his defaute committed 70 made goodnesse afterwardes don be the more in reverence and in open shewing; for ensample, is it nat songe in holy churche, "Lo, how necessary was Adams synne!" David the king gat Salomon the king of her that was Uryes wyf. Truly, for reprofe is non of these thinges writte. Right so, tho I reherce thy 75 before-dede, I repreve thee never the more; ne for no villany of thee are they rehersed, but for worshippe, so thou continewe wel here-after: and for profit of thy-selfe I rede thou on hem thinke.'
Than sayde I right thus: 'Lady of unitè and accorde, envy and wrathe lurken there thou comest in place; ye weten wel 80 your-selve, and so don many other, that whyle I administred the office of commen doinge, as in rulinge of the stablisshmentes amonges the people, I defouled never my conscience for no maner dede; but ever, by witte and by counsayle of the wysest, the maters weren drawen to their right endes. And thus trewly 85 for you, lady, I have desyred suche cure; and certes, in your service was I nat ydel, as fer as suche doinge of my cure streccheth.'
'That is a thing,' quod she, 'that may drawe many hertes of noble, and voice of commune in-to glory; and fame is nat but 90 wrecched and fickle. Alas! that mankynde coveyteth in so leude a wyse to be rewarded of any good dede, sithe glorie of fame, in this worlde, is nat but hindringe of glorie in tyme comminge! And certes (quod she) yet at the hardest suche fame, in-to heven, is nat the erthe but a centre to the cercle of heven? A pricke is 95 wonder litel in respect of al the cercle; and yet, in al this pricke, may no name be born, in maner of peersing, for many obstacles, as waters, and wildernesse, and straunge langages. And nat only names of men ben stilled and holden out of knowleginge by these obstacles, but also citees and realmes of prosperitè ben letted to 100 be knowe, and their reson hindred; so that they mowe nat ben parfitly in mennes propre understandinge. How shulde than the name of a singuler Londenoys passe the glorious name of London, whiche by many it is commended, and by many it is lacked, and in many mo places in erthe nat knowen than knowen? For in 105 many countrees litel is London in knowing or in spech; and yet among oon maner of people may nat such fame in goodnes come; for as many as praysen, commenly as many lacken. Fy than on such maner fame! Slepe, and suffre him that knoweth previtè of hertes to dele suche fame in thilke place there nothing 110 ayenst a sothe shal neither speke ne dare apere, by attourney ne by other maner. How many greet-named, and many greet in worthinesse losed, han be tofore this tyme, that now out of memorie are slidden, and clenely forgeten, for defaute of wrytinges! And yet scriptures for greet elde so ben defased, that 115 no perpetualtè may in hem ben juged. But if thou wolt make comparisoun to ever, what joye mayst thou have in erthly name? It is a fayr lykenesse, a pees or oon grayn of whete, to a thousand shippes ful of corne charged! What nombre is betwene the oon and th'other? And yet mowe bothe they be nombred, and 120 ende in rekening have. But trewly, al that may be nombred is nothing to recken, as to thilke that may nat be nombred. For +of the thinges ended is mad comparison; as, oon litel, another greet; but in thinges to have an ende, and another no ende, suche comparisoun may nat be founden. Wherfore in heven to 125 ben losed with god hath non ende, but endlesse endureth; and thou canst nothing don aright, but thou desyre the rumour therof be heled and in every wightes ere; and that dureth but a pricke in respecte of the other. And so thou sekest reward of folkes smale wordes, and of vayne praysinges. Trewly, therin thou 130 lesest the guerdon of vertue; and lesest the grettest valour of conscience, and uphap thy renomè everlasting. Therfore boldely renomè of fame of the erthe shulde be hated, and fame after deth shulde be desyred of werkes of vertue. [Trewly, vertue] asketh guerdoning, and the soule causeth al vertue. Than the soule, 135 delivered out of prison of erthe, is most worthy suche guerdon among to have in the everlastinge fame; and nat the body, that causeth al mannes yvels.
CH. VIII. 1. Ofte; read Eft. sterne; read steren. I supply with. 2. the. 3. howe. se. 4. meditation. I supply shal. 6. toforne. 8. the. 9. co_m_forte. 11. one shepe. 12. loste. nowe. 13. arte. shepeherd. the. 15. great. 16. the.
17. wyfe. I supply in. hoole. 20. the. 21. wotte. nowe. arte sette. 22. the. 23. bene. 26. thynge. 28. stones repeated in Th. 29. counsayle. apertely. 30. therrours. meanynges. ferre. 31. wystyst. leaue. 32. eare. 33. menne. the. 36. meanynge. 37. I supply and. wolte. parfytely. 37. consolatyoun. 38. pleasaunce. 39. hert. mothers; read moders. I supply she. 40. the. 42. I supply is. 44. correctioun. al; read of. After errour I omit distroyeng (gloss upon forgoing). 47. encreased. sette. 48. dothe. 49. gothe. worshippe.
52. wenyste. Naye nay god wotte. 53. encreasyng. 55-7. passeth (twice); passyst (third time). ete. 57. eatynge. become. 61. whome. 63. begon. ganne. 65. leaueth. wronge. withsay. 68. Nowe. 71. done. 72. song. 73. howe. gate. 74. wyfe. 75. none. 76-7. the (twice). 78. profyte. 81. done. 87. ferre. 88. stretcheth.
91. wretched. 96. respecte. 97. borne. 98. onely. 101. reason. 102. parfitely. Howe. 107. one. 108. Fye. 110. nothynge. 112. Howe. great (twice). 113. nowe. 115. great. 116. maye. wolte. 118. fayre. one grayne of wheate. thousande. 120. one. thother. 121-2. maye. 123. ofte; read of the. made. one. 124. great.
126. none. 127. canste nothynge done. rumoure. 128. healed; read deled? eare. 129. rewarde. 131. valoure. consyence. 134. Supply Trewly, vertue. 136. prisone. guerdone.
Chapter IX
Of twey thinges art thou answered, as me thinketh (quod Love); and if any thing be in doute in thy soule, shewe it forth, thyn ignoraunce to clere, and leve it for no shame.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'there is no body in this worlde, that aught coude saye by reson ayenst any of your skilles, as I leve; and by 5 my witte now fele I wel, that yvel-spekers or berers of enfame may litel greve or lette my purpos, but rather by suche thinge my quarel to be forthered.'
'Ye,' quod she,'and it is proved also, that the ilke jewel in my kepinge shal nat there-thorow be stered, of the lest moment 10 that might be imagined.'
'That is soth,' quod I.
'Wel,' quod she, 'than +leveth there, to declare that thy insuffisance is no maner letting, as thus: for that she is so worthy, thou shuldest not clymbe so highe; for thy moebles and thyn 15 estate arn voyded, thou thinkest [thee] fallen in suche miserie, that gladnesse of thy pursute wol nat on thee discende.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'that is sothe; right suche thought is in myn herte; for commenly it is spoken, and for an olde proverbe it is leged: "He that heweth to hye, with chippes he may lese 20 his sight." Wherfore I have ben about, in al that ever I might, to studye wayes of remedye by one syde or by another.'
'Now,' quod she, 'god forbede +that thou seke any other doinges but suche as I have lerned thee in our restinge-whyles, and suche herbes as ben planted in oure gardins. Thou shalt 25 wel understande that above man is but oon god alone.'
'How,' quod I, 'han men to-forn this tyme trusted in writtes and chauntements, and in helpes of spirites that dwellen in the ayre, and therby they han getten their desyres, where-as first, for al his manly power, he daunced behynde?' 30
'O,' quod she, 'fy on suche maters! For trewly, that is sacrilege; and that shal have no sort with any of my servauntes; in myne eyen shal suche thing nat be loked after. How often is it commaunded by these passed wyse, that "to one god shal men serve, and not to goddes?" And who that liste to have myne 35 helpes, shal aske none helpe of foule spirites. Alas! is nat man maked semblable to god? Wost thou nat wel, that al vertue of lyvelich werkinge, by goddes purveyaunce, is underput to resonable creature in erthe? Is nat every thing, a this halfe god, mad buxom to mannes contemplation, understandinge in heven and 40 in erthe and in helle? Hath not man beinge with stones, soule of wexing with trees and herbes? Hath he nat soule of felinge, with beestes, fisshes, and foules? And he hath soule of reson and understanding with aungels; so that in him is knit al maner of lyvinges by a resonable proporcioun. Also man is mad of 45 al the foure elementes. Al universitee is rekened in him alone; he hath, under god, principalitè above al thinges. Now is his soule here, now a thousand myle hence; now fer, now nygh; now hye, now lowe; as fer in a moment as in mountenaunce of ten winter; and al this is in mannes governaunce and disposicion. 50 Than sheweth it that men ben liche unto goddes, and children of moost heyght. But now, sithen al thinges [arn] underput to the wil of resonable creatures, god forbede any man to winne that lordship, and aske helpe of any-thing lower than him-selfe; and than, namely, of foule thinges innominable. Now than, why shuldest 55 thou wene to love to highe, sithen nothing is thee above but god alone? Trewly, I wot wel that thilke jewel is in a maner even in lyne of degree there thou art thy-selfe, and nought above, save thus: aungel upon angel, man upon man, and devil upon devil han a maner of soveraigntee; and that shal cese at the daye 60 of dome. And so I say: though thou be put to serve the ilke jewel duringe thy lyfe, yet is that no servage of underputtinge, but a maner of travayling plesaunce, to conquere and gette that thou hast not. I sette now the hardest: in my service now thou deydest, for sorowe of wantinge in thy desyres; trewly, 65 al hevenly bodyes with one voyce shul come and make melody in thy cominge, and saye--"Welcome, our fere, and worthy to entre into Jupiters joye! For thou with might hast overcome deth; thou woldest never flitte out of thy service; and we al shul now praye to the goddes, rowe by rowe, to make thilk Margarite, 70 that no routh had in this persone, but unkyndely without comfort let thee deye, shal besette her-selfe in suche wyse, that in erthe, for parte of vengeaunce, shal she no joye have in loves service; and whan she is deed, than shal her soule ben brought up in-to thy presence; and whider thou wilt chese, thilke soule shal ben 75 committed." Or els, after thy deth, anon al the foresayd hevenly bodyes, by one accorde, shal +benimen from thilke perle al the vertues that firste her were taken; for she hath hem forfeyted by that on thee, my servaunt, in thy lyve, she wolde not suffre to worche al vertues, withdrawen by might of the hygh bodyes. 80 Why than shuldest thou wene so any more? And if thee liste to loke upon the lawe of kynde, and with order whiche to me was ordayned, sothely, non age, non overtourninge tyme but +hiderto had no tyme ne power to chaunge the wedding, ne the knotte to unbynde of two hertes [that] thorow oon assent, in 85 my presence, +togider accorden to enduren til deth hem departe. What? trowest thou, every ideot wot the meninge and the privy entent of these thinges? They wene, forsothe, that suche accord may not be, but the rose of maydenhede be plucked. Do way, do way; they knowe nothing of this. For consent of two hertes 90 alone maketh the fasteninge of the knotte; neither lawe of kynde ne mannes lawe determineth neither the age ne the qualitè of persones, but only accord bitwene thilke twaye. And trewly, after tyme that suche accord, by their consent in hert, is enseled, and put in my tresorye amonges my privy thinges, than ginneth 95 the name of spousayle; and although they breken forward bothe, yet suche mater enseled is kept in remembrance for ever. And see now that spouses have the name anon after accord, though the rose be not take. The aungel bad Joseph take Marye his spouse, and to Egypte wende. Lo! she was cleped "spouse," 100 and yet, toforn ne after, neither of hem bothe mente no flesshly lust knowe. Wherfore the wordes of trouthe acorden that my servauntes shulden forsake bothe +fader and moder, and be adherand to his spouse; and they two in unitè of one flesshe shulden accorde. And this wyse, two that wern firste in a litel 105 maner discordaunt, hygher that oon and lower that other, ben mad evenliche in gree to stonde. But now to enfourme thee that ye ben liche to goddes, these clerkes sayn, and in determinacion shewen, that "three thinges haven [by] the names of goddes ben cleped; that is to sayn: man, divel, and images"; 110 but yet is there but oon god, of whom al goodnesse, al grace, and al vertue cometh; and he +is loving and trewe, and everlasting, and pryme cause of al being thinges. But men ben goddes lovinge and trewe, but not everlasting; and that is by adopcioun of the everlastinge god. Divels ben goddes, stirringe by 115 a maner of lyving; but neither ben they trewe ne everlastinge; and their name of godliheed th[e]y han by usurpacion, as the prophete sayth: "Al goddes of gentyles (that is to say, paynims) are divels." But images ben goddes by nuncupacion; and they ben neither livinge ne trewe, ne everlastinge. After these wordes 120 they clepen "goddes" images wrought with mennes handes. But now [art thou a] resonable creature, that by adopcion alone art to the grete god everlastinge, and therby thou art "god" cleped: let thy +faders maners so entre thy wittes that thou might folowe, in-as-moche as longeth to thee, thy +faders worship, so 125 that in nothinge thy kynde from his wil declyne, ne from his nobley perverte. In this wyse if thou werche, thou art above al other thinges save god alone; and so say no more "thyn herte to serve in to hye a place."
CH. IX. 1. arte. 2. thynge. 3. thyne. leaue. 5. reason. 6. nowe. bearers. 7. purpose. 9. Yea. 10. -thorowe. steered. 13. leneth; read leueth. 15. thyne. 16. arne. I supply thee. 17. the. 18. myne hert.
20. maye. 23. Nowe. are; read that. 24. the. 25. shalte. 26. one. 27. Howe. to forne. 31. fye. 38. vnderputte. 39. thynge. made. 40. buxome. 41. manne. 43. reason. 44. knytte. 45. lyuenges. reasonable. made. 47. Nowe. 48. nowe. nowe ferre nowe. thousande. 49. nowe (twice). ferre. momente. 50. tenne. disposytion. 52. nowe. I supply arn. vnderputte. 53. reasonable. 54. lordshippe. thynge.
56. nothynge. the. 57. wote. euyn. 58. arte. 59. manne (twice). 60. soueraygntie. cease. 61. thoughe putte. 64. haste. 64-5. nowe. 68. haste. dethe. 70. nowe pray. 71. For in read on? comforte. 72. lette the. 75. wylte. 76. dethe anone. 77. beno_m_men; read benimen. 79. the. 81. the. 83. none (twice). 84. hytherto. 85. Supply that. thorowe one. 86. togyther. dethe. 87. ydeot wotte. 88. accorde. 89. waye (twice). 90. consente.
93. onely. 93-4. accorde. 94. ensealed. 96. breaken forwarde. 97. ensealed. kepte. 98. se nowe. accorde. 99. bade. 101. toforne. 102. luste. 103. father and mother; rather, fader and moder. adherande. 105. werne. 106. one. 107. made. nowe. the. 108. sayne. 109. thre. I supply by. 110. cleaped. 111. one. 112. his; read is. 116. lyueng. 117. thy; read they. 118. saythe. 121. cleapen. 122. nowe. I supply art thou a. reasonable. 123. arte (twice). great. 124. lette. 124-5. fathers; read faders. 125. the. worshyppe.
127. arte.
Chapter X
Fully have I now declared thyn estate to be good, so thou folow therafter, and that the +objeccion first +by thee aleged, in worthinesse of thy Margaryte, shal not thee lette, as it shal forther thee, and encrese thee. It is now to declare, the last objeccion in nothing may greve.' 5
'Yes, certes,' quod I, 'bothe greve and lette muste it nedes; the contrarye may not ben proved; and see now why. Whyle I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse, and had suche goodes in welth as maken men riche, tho was I drawe in-to companyes that loos, prise, and name yeven. Tho louteden blasours; tho 10 curreyden glosours; tho welcomeden flatterers; tho worshipped thilke that now deynen nat to loke. Every wight, in such erthly wele habundant, is holde noble, precious, benigne, and wyse to do what he shal, in any degree that men him sette; al-be-it that the sothe be in the contrarye of al tho thinges. But he that can 15 never so wel him behave, and hath vertue habundaunt in manyfolde maners, and be nat welthed with suche erthly goodes, is holde for a foole, and sayd, his wit is but sotted. Lo! how fals for aver is holde trewe! Lo! how trewe is cleped fals for wanting of goodes! Also, lady, dignitees of office maken men mikel 20 comended, as thus: "he is so good, were he out, his pere shulde men not fynde." Trewly, I trowe of some suche that are so praysed, were they out ones, another shulde make him so be knowe, he shulde of no wyse no more ben loked after: but only fooles, wel I wot, desyren suche newe thinges. Wherfore I wonder 25 that thilke governour, out of whom alone the causes proceden that governen al thinges, whiche that hath ordeyned this world in workes of the kyndely bodyes so be governed, not with unstedfast or happyous thing, but with rules of reson, whiche shewen the course of certayne thinges: why suffreth he suche 30 slydinge chaunges, that misturnen suche noble thinges as ben we men, that arn a fayr parcel of the erthe, and holden the upperest degree, under god, of benigne thinges, as ye sayden right now your-selfe; shulde never man have ben set in so worthy a place but-if his degrè were ordayned noble. Alas! thou that knittest 35 the purveyaunce of al thinges, why lokest thou not to amenden these defautes? I see shrewes that han wicked maners sitten in chayres of domes, lambes to punisshen, there wolves shulden ben punisshed. Lo! vertue, shynende naturelly, for povertee lurketh, and is hid under cloude; but the moone false, forsworn (as 40 I knowe my-selfe) for aver and yeftes, hath usurped to shyne by day-light, with peynture of other mens praysinges; and trewly, thilke forged light fouly shulde fade, were the trouth away of colours feyned. Thus is night turned in-to day, and day in-to night; winter in-to sommer, and sommer in-to winter; not in 45 dede, but in misclepinge of foliche people.'
'Now,' quod she, 'what wenest thou of these thinges? How felest thou in thyn hert, by what governaunce that this cometh aboute?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'that wot I never; but-if it be that Fortune 50 hath graunt from above, to lede the ende of man as her lyketh.'
'Ah! now I see,' quod she, 'th'entent of thy mening! Lo, bycause thy worldly goodes ben fulliche dispent, thou beraft out of dignitè of office, in whiche thou madest the +gaderinge of thilke goodes, and yet diddest in that office by counsaile of wyse [before 55 that] any thing were ended; and true were unto hem whos profit thou shuldest loke; and seest now many that in thilke hervest made of thee mokel, and now, for glosing of other, deyneth thee nought to forther, but enhaunsen false shrewes by witnessinge of trouthe! These thinges greveth thyn herte, to sene thy-selfe thus 60 abated; and than, frayltè of mankynde ne setteth but litel by the lesers of suche richesse, have he never so moche vertue; and so thou wenest of thy jewel to renne in dispyt, and not ben accepted in-to grace. Al this shal thee nothing hinder. Now (quod she) first thou wost wel, thou lostest nothing that ever mightest thou 65 chalenge for thyn owne. Whan nature brought thee forth, come thou not naked out of thy +moders wombe? Thou haddest no richesse; and whan thou shalt entre in-to the ende of every flesshly body, what shalt thou have with thee than? So, every richesse thou hast in tyme of thy livinge, nis but lent; thou 70 might therin chalenge no propertee. And see now; every thing that is a mannes own, he may do therwith what him lyketh, to yeve or to kepe; bul richesse thou playnest from thee lost; if thy might had strecched so ferforth, fayn thou woldest have hem kept, multiplyed with mo other; and so, ayenst thy wil, ben they departed 75 from thee; wherfore they were never thyn. And if thou laudest and joyest any wight, for he is stuffed with suche maner richesse, thou art in that beleve begyled; for thou wenest thilke joye to be selinesse or els ese; and he that hath lost suche happes to ben unsely.' 80
'Ye, forsoth,' quod I.
'Wel,' quod she, 'than wol I prove that unsely in that wise is to preise; and so the tother is, the contrary, to be lacked.'
'How so?' quod I.
'For Unsely,' quod she, 'begyleth nat, but sheweth th'entent 85 of her working. Et e contra: Selinesse begyleth. For in prosperitè she maketh a jape in blyndnesse; that is, she wyndeth him to make sorowe whan she withdraweth. Wolt thou nat (quod she) preise him better that sheweth to thee his herte, tho[ugh] it be with bytande wordes and dispitous, than him that gloseth and 90 thinketh in +his absence to do thee many harmes?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'the oon is to commende; and the other to lacke and dispice.'
'A! ha!' quod she, 'right so Ese, while +she lasteth, gloseth and flatereth; and lightly voydeth whan she most plesauntly 95 sheweth; and ever, in hir absence, she is aboute to do thee tene and sorowe in herte. But Unsely, al-be-it with bytande chere, sheweth what she is, and so doth not that other; wherfore Unsely doth not begyle. Selinesse disceyveth; Unsely put away doute. That oon maketh men blynde; that other openeth their 100 eyen in shewinge of wrecchidnesse. The oon is ful of drede to lese that is not his owne; that other is sobre, and maketh men discharged of mokel hevinesse in burthen. The oon draweth a man from very good; the other haleth him to vertue by the hookes of thoughtes. And wenist thou nat that thy disese hath 105 don thee mokel more to winne than ever yet thou lostest, and more than ever the contrary made thee winne? Is nat a greet good, to thy thinking, for to knowe the hertes of thy sothfast frendes? Pardè, they ben proved to the ful, and the trewe have discevered fro the false. Trewly, at the goinge of the ilke brotel 110 joye, ther yede no more away than the ilke that was nat thyn proper. He was never from that lightly departed; thyn owne good therfore leveth it stille with thee. Now good (quod she); for how moche woldest thou somtyme have bought this verry knowing of thy frendes from the flatteringe flyes that thee glosed, 115 whan thou thought thy-selfe sely? But thou that playnest of losse in richesse, hast founden the most dere-worthy thing; that thou clepest unsely hath made thee moche thing to winnen. And also, for conclusioun of al, he is frende that now leveth nat his herte from thyne helpes. And if that Margarite denyeth now nat 120 to suffre her vertues shyne to thee-wardes with spredinge bemes, as far or farther than if thou were sely in worldly joye, trewly, I saye nat els but she is somdel to blame.'
'Ah! pees,' quod I, 'and speke no more of this; myn herte breketh, now thou touchest any suche wordes!' 125
'A! wel!' quod she, 'thanne let us singen; thou herest no more of these thinges at this tyme.'
THUS ENDETH THE FIRSTE BOOK OF THE TESTAMENT OF LOVE; AND HERAFTER FOLOWETH THE SECONDE.
CH. X. 1. nowe. 2. abiection; read objeccion. be; read by. the. 3. the. 4. the. encrease the. nowe. 5. obiection. 6. let. 7. maye. se nowe. 12. nowe. 14. set. 15. can ne never; omit ne. 18. wytte. false. 19. auer (sic); for aueir (avoir). howe. cleaped. false. 24. onely. 25. wotte. new. 26. whome. 27. worlde.
29. reason. 32. arne a fayre parsel. 33. nowe. 37. se. 39. pouertie. 40. hydde. forsworne. 44. daye (twice). 46. miscleapynge. 50. wotte. 52. nowe I se. thentent. meanyng. 53. berafte. 54. gatherynge. 55. I supply before that. 56. whose profyte. 57. nowe. 58. the (twice). nowe. 63. dispyte. 64. the. Nowe. 65. woste.
66. the forthe. 67. mothers; read moders. 69. the. 70. haste. lente. 71. propertie. se nowe. 72. owne. 73. the. 74. stretched. fayne. 76. the. 78. arte. 79. ease. loste. 84. Howe. 85. thentent. 88. Wolte. 89. the. 91. their; read his. the. 92. one. 94. ease. he; read she. 99. dothe. awaye. 100-1. one (twice). 101. wretchydnesse.
103. one. 105. disease. 106. done the. 107. the. great. 109. Pardy. 111. awaye. 111-2. thyne. 113. leaueth. the. Nowe. 114. howe. 115. the. 117. thynge. 118. cleapest. the. thynge. 119. nowe leaueth. 120. hert. nowe. 121. the. spreadynge beames. 122. farre. 123. somdele. 124. peace. myne. 125. breaketh nowe. 126. lette.
Chapter I
Very welth may not be founden in al this worlde; and that is wel sene. Lo! how in my mooste comfort, as I wende and moost supposed to have had ful answere of my contrary thoughtes, sodaynly it was vanisshed. And al the workes of man faren in the same wyse; whan folk wenen best her entent for to 5 have and willes to perfourme, anon chaunging of the lift syde to the right halve tourneth it so clene in-to another kynde, that never shal it come to the first plyte in doinge.
O this wonderful steering so soone otherwysed out of knowinge! But for my purpos was at the beginninge, and so dureth yet, if god 10 of his grace tyme wol me graunt, I thinke to perfourme this worke, as I have begonne, in love; after as my thinne wit, with inspiracion of him that hildeth al grace, wol suffre. Grevously, god wot, have I suffred a greet throwe that the Romayne emperour, which in unitè of love shulde acorde, and every with 15 other * * * * in cause of other to avaunce; and namely, sithe this empyre [nedeth] to be corrected of so many sectes in heresie of faith, of service, o[f] rule in loves religion. Trewly, al were it but to shende erroneous opinions, I may it no lenger suffre. For many men there ben that sayn love to be in gravel and sande, 20 that with see ebbinge and flowinge woweth, as riches that sodaynly vanissheth. And some sayn that love shulde be in windy blastes, that stoundmele turneth as a phane, and glorie of renomè, which after lustes of the varyaunt people is areysed or stilled.
Many also wenen that in the sonne and the moone and other 25 sterres love shulde ben founden; for among al other planettes moste soveraynly they shynen, as dignitees in reverence of estates rather than good han and occupyen. Ful many also there ben that in okes and in huge postes supposen love to ben grounded, as in strength and in might, whiche mowen not helpen their owne 30 wrecchidnesse, whan they ginne to falle. But [of] suche diversitè of sectes, ayenst the rightful beleve of love, these errours ben forth spredde, that loves servantes in trewe rule and stedfast fayth in no place daren apere. Thus irrecuperable joy is went, and anoy endless is entred. For no man aright reproveth suche errours, 35 but [men] confirmen their wordes, and sayn, that badde is noble good, and goodnesse is badde; to which folk the prophete biddeth wo without ende.
Also manye tonges of greet false techinges in gylinge maner, principally in my tymes, not only with wordes but also with armes, 40 loves servauntes and professe in his religion of trewe rule pursewen, to confounden and to distroyen. And for as moche as holy +faders, that of our Christen fayth aproved and strengthed to the Jewes, as to men resonable and of divinitè lerned, proved thilke fayth with resones, and with auctoritès of the olde testament and of the newe, 45 her pertinacie to distroy: but to paynims, that for beestes and houndes were holde, to putte hem out of their errour, was +miracle of god shewed. These thinges were figured by cominge of th'angel to the shepherdes, and by the sterre to paynims kinges; as who sayth: angel resonable to resonable creature, and sterre of miracle 50 to people bestial not lerned, wern sent to enforme. But I, lovers clerk, in al my conning and with al my mightes, trewly I have no suche grace in vertue of miracles, ne for no discomfit falsheedes suffyseth not auctoritès alone; sithen that suche [arn] heretikes and maintaynours of falsitès. Wherfore I wot wel, sithen that 55 they ben men, and reson is approved in hem, the clowde of errour hath her reson beyond probable resons, whiche that cacchende wit rightfully may not with-sitte. By my travaylinge studie I have ordeyned hem, +whiche that auctoritè, misglosed by mannes reson, to graunt shal ben enduced. 60
Now ginneth my penne to quake, to thinken on the sentences of the envyous people, whiche alway ben redy, both ryder and goer, to scorne and to jape this leude book; and me, for rancour and hate in their hertes, they shullen so dispyse, that although my book be leude, yet shal it ben more leude holden, and by 65 wicked wordes in many maner apayred. Certes, me thinketh, [of] the sowne of their badde speche right now is ful bothe myne eeres. O good precious Margaryte, myne herte shulde wepe if I wiste ye token hede of suche maner speche; but trewly, I wot wel, in that your wysdom shal not asterte. For of god, maker of 70 kynde, witnesse I took, that for none envy ne yvel have I drawe this mater togider; but only for goodnesse to maintayn, and errours in falsetees to distroy. Wherfore (as I sayd) with reson I thinke, thilke forsayd errours to distroye and dequace.
These resons and suche other, if they enduce men, in loves 75 service, trewe to beleve of parfit blisse, yet to ful faithe in credence of deserte fully mowe they nat suffyse; sithen 'faith hath no merite of mede, whan mannes reson sheweth experience in doing.' For utterly no reson the parfit blisse of love by no waye may make to be comprehended. Lo! what is a parcel of lovers 80 joye? Parfit science, in good service, of their desyre to comprehende in bodily doinge the lykinge of the soule; not as by a glasse to have contemplacion of tyme cominge, but thilke first imagined and thought after face to face in beholding. What herte, what reson, what understandinge can make his heven to be 85 feled and knowe, without assaye in doinge? Certes, noon. Sithen thanne of love cometh suche fruite in blisse, and love in him-selfe is the most among other vertues, as clerkes sayn; the seed of suche springinge in al places, in al countreys, in al worldes shulde ben sowe. 90
But o! welawaye! thilke seed is forsake, and +mowe not ben suffred, the lond-tillers to sette a-werke, without medlinge of cockle; badde wedes whiche somtyme stonken +han caught the name of love among idiotes and badde-meninge people. Never-the-later, yet how-so-it-be that men clepe thilke +thing preciousest 95 in kynde, with many eke-names, that other thinges that the soule yeven the ilke noble name, it sheweth wel that in a maner men have a greet lykinge in worshippinge of thilke name. Wherfore this worke have I writte; and to thee, tytled of Loves name, I have it avowed in a maner of sacrifyse; that, where-ever it be 100 rad, it mowe in merite, by the excellence of thilke name, the more wexe in authoritè and worshippe of takinge in hede; and to what entent it was ordayned, the inseëres mowen ben moved. Every thing to whom is owande occasion don as for his ende, Aristotle supposeth that the actes of every thinge ben in a maner 105 his final cause. A final cause is noblerer, or els even as noble, as thilke thing that is finally to thilke ende; wherfore accion of thinge everlasting is demed to be eternal, and not temporal; sithen it is his final cause. Right so the actes of my boke 'Love,' and love is noble; wherfore, though my book be leude, the cause 110 with which I am stered, and for whom I ought it doon, noble forsothe ben bothe. But bycause that in conninge I am yong, and can yet but crepe, this leude A. b. c. have I set in-to lerning; for I can not passen the telling of three as yet. And if god wil, in shorte tyme, I shal amende this leudnesse in joininge 115 syllables; whiche thing, for dulnesse of witte, I may not in three letters declare. For trewly I saye, the goodnesse of my Margaryte-perle wolde yeve mater in endyting to many clerkes; certes, her mercy is more to me swetter than any livinges; wherfore my lippes mowen not suffyse, in speking of her ful laude and worshippe 120 as they shulde. But who is that [wolde be wyse] in knowing of the orders of heven, and putteth his resones in the erthe? I forsothe may not, with blere eyen, the shyning sonne of vertue in bright whele of this Margaryte beholde; therfore as yet I may her not discryve in vertue as I wolde. In tyme cominge, 125 in another tretyse, thorow goddes grace, this sonne in clerenesse of vertue to be-knowe, and how she enlumineth al this day, I thinke to declare.
CH. I. 2. howe. comforte. 3. hadde. 5. folke. 6. anone. 10. purpose. 12. wytte. 14. wotte. great. 16. (Something seems to be lost here). 17. I supply nedeth. 18. o; read of. 19. erronyous. maye. 20. menne. sayne. 26. amonge.
31. wretchydnesse. fal. I supply of. 32. forthe. 33. stedfaste faythe. 34. darne. 35. endlesse. 36. I supply men. 37. folke. 39. great. 40. onely. 42. fathers; read faders. 44. faythe. 47. put. miracles; read miracle. 48. thangel. 50. saythe. 51. werne. 53. discomfyte. 54. I supply arn. 55. wotte. 56. reason. erroure. 57. reason. bewonde (sic). catchende wytte. 59. with; read whiche. 60. reason. 61. Nowe. 62. alwaye. 63. booke. rancoure. 64. althoughe. 65. booke.
67. I supply of. nowe. 69. wotte. 70. wysdome 71. toke. 73. reason. 75. reasons. 76. parfyte. 78-9. reason (twice). 79. parfyte. 80. maye. persel. 81. parfyte. 85. reason. 86. none. 88. amonge. sayne. 88-91. sede. 91. mowen; read mowe. 92. londe-tyllers. set. 93. hath; read han. 94. meanynge. 95. howe. menne cleape. kynge (sic); read thing. 98. great. 99. the. 101. radde.
104. thynge. done. 107. thynge. 110. boke. 111. done (sic). 112. yonge. 113. canne. sette. 114. thre. 116. thynge. maye. thre. 121. that in knowyng (sic); supply wolde be wyse before in knowing. 125. maye. 126. thorowe. 127. howe.
Chapter II
In this mene whyle this comfortable lady gan singe a wonder mater of endytinge in Latin; but trewly, the noble colours in rethorik wyse knitte were so craftely, that my conning wol not strecche to remembre; but the sentence, I trowe, somdel have I in mynde. Certes, they were wonder swete of sowne, and they 5 were touched al in lamentacion wyse, and by no werbles of myrthe. Lo! thus gan she singe in Latin, as I may constrewe it in our Englisshe tonge.
'Alas! that these hevenly bodyes their light and course shewen, as nature yave hem in commaundement at the ginning of the first 10 age; but these thinges in free choice of reson han non understondinge. But man that ought to passe al thing of doinge, of right course in kynde, over-whelmed sothnesse by wrongful tytle, and hath drawen the sterre of envye to gon by his syde, that the clips of me, that shulde be his shynande sonne, so ofte is seye, 15 that it wened thilke errour, thorow hem come in, shulde ben myn owne defaute. Trewly, therfore, I have me withdrawe, and mad my dwellinge out of lande in an yle by my-selfe, in the occian closed; and yet sayn there many, they have me harberowed; but, god wot, they faylen. These thinges me greven to thinke, and 20 namely on passed gladnesse, that in this worlde was wont me disporte of highe and lowe; and now it is fayled; they that wolden maystries me have in thilke stoundes. In heven on highe, above Saturnes sphere, in sesonable tyme were they lodged; but now come queynte counsailours that in no house 25 wol suffre me sojourne, wherof is pitè; and yet sayn some that they me have in celler with wyne shed; in gernere, there corn is layd covered with whete; in sacke, sowed with wolle; in purse, with money faste knit; among pannes mouled in a +whicche; in presse, among clothes layd, with riche pelure arayed; in stable, 30 among hors and other beestes, as hogges, sheep, and neet; and in many other wyse. But thou, maker of light (in winking of thyn eye the sonne is queynt), wost right wel that I in trewe name was never thus herberowed.
Somtyme, toforn the sonne in the seventh partie was smiten, 35 I bar both crosse and mytre, to yeve it where I wolde. With me the pope wente a-fote; and I tho was worshipped of al holy church. Kinges baden me their crownes holden. The law was set as it shuld; tofore the juge, as wel the poore durste shewe his greef as the riche, for al his money. I defended tho taylages, 40 and was redy for the poore to paye. I made grete feestes in my tyme, and noble songes, and maryed damoselles of gentil feture, withouten golde or other richesse. Poore clerkes, for witte of schole, I sette in churches, and made suche persones to preche; and tho was service in holy churche honest and devout, in 45 plesaunce bothe of god and of the people. But now the leude for symonye is avaunced, and shendeth al holy churche. Now is steward, for his achates; now +is courtiour, for his debates; now is eschetour, for his wronges; now is losel, for his songes, personer; and [hath his] provendre alone, with whiche manye 50 thrifty shulde encrese. And yet is this shrewe behynde; free herte is forsake; and losengeour is take. Lo! it acordeth; for suche there ben that voluntarie lustes haunten in courte with ribaudye, that til midnight and more wol playe and wake, but in the churche at matins he is behynde, for yvel disposicion of his 55 stomake; therfore he shulde ete bene-breed (and so did his syre) his estate ther-with to strengthen. His auter is broke, and lowe lyth, in poynte to gon to the erthe; but his hors muste ben esy and hye, to bere him over grete waters. His chalice poore, but he hath riche cuppes. No towayle but a shete, there god 60 shal ben handled; and on his mete-borde there shal ben bord-clothes and towelles many payre. At masse serveth but a clergion; fyve squiers in hal. Poore chaunsel, open holes in every syde; beddes of silke, with tapites going al aboute his chambre. Poore masse-book and leud chapelayn, and broken surplice with 65 many an hole; good houndes and many, to hunte after hart and hare, to fede in their feestes. Of poore men have they greet care; for they ever crave and nothing offren, they wolden have hem dolven! But among legistres there dar I not come; my doinge[s], they sayn, maken hem nedy. They ne wolde for 70 nothing have me in town; for than were tort and +force nought worth an hawe about, and plesen no men, but thilk grevous and torcious ben in might and in doing. These thinges to-forn-sayd mowe wel, if men liste, ryme; trewly, they acorde nothing. And for-as-moch as al thinges by me shulden of right ben governed, 75 I am sory to see that governaunce fayleth, as thus: to sene smale and lowe governe the hye and bodies above. Certes, that policye is naught; it is forbode by them that of governaunce treten and enformen. And right as beestly wit shulde ben subject to reson, so erthly power in it-selfe, the lower shulde ben 80 subject to the hygher. What is worth thy body, but it be governed with thy soule? Right so litel or naught is worth erthely power, but if reignatif prudence in heedes governe the smale; to whiche heedes the smale owen to obey and suffre in their governaunce. But soverainnesse ayenward shulde thinke in 85 this wyse: "I am servaunt of these creatures to me delivered, not lord, but defendour; not mayster, but enfourmer; not possessour, but in possession; and to hem liche a tree in whiche sparowes shullen stelen, her birdes to norisshe and forth bringe, under suretee ayenst al raveynous foules and beestes, and not to 90 be tyraunt them-selfe." And than the smale, in reste and quiete, by the heedes wel disposed, owen for their soveraynes helth and prosperitè to pray, and in other doinges in maintenaunce therof performe, withouten other administracion in rule of any maner governaunce. And they wit have in hem, and grace to come to 95 suche thinges, yet shulde they cese til their heedes them cleped, although profit and plesaunce shulde folowe. But trewly, other governaunce ne other medlinge ought they not to clayme, ne the heedes on hem to putte. Trewly, amonges cosinage dar I not come, but-if richesse be my mene; sothly, she and other 100 bodily goodes maketh nigh cosinage, ther never propinquitè ne alyaunce in lyve was ne shulde have be, nere it for her medling maners; wherfore kindly am I not ther leged. Povert of kinred is behynde; richesse suffreth him to passe; truly he saith, he com never of Japhetes childre. Whereof I am sory that 105 Japhetes children, for povert, in no linage ben rekened, and Caynes children, for riches, be maked Japhetes heires. Alas! this is a wonder chaunge bitwene tho two Noës children, sithen that of Japhetes ofspring comeden knightes, and of Cayn discended the lyne of servage to his brothers childre. Lo! how gentillesse 110 and servage, as cosins, bothe discended out of two brethern of one body! Wherfore I saye in sothnesse, that gentilesse in kinrede +maketh not gentil linage in succession, without desert of a mans own selfe. Where is now the lyne of Alisaundre the noble, or els of Hector of Troye? Who is discended of right 115 bloode of lyne fro king Artour? Pardè, sir Perdicas, whom that Alisandre made to ben his heire in Grece, was of no kinges bloode; his dame was a tombestere. Of what kinred ben the gentiles in our dayes? I trow therfore, if any good be in gentilesse, it is only that it semeth a maner of necessitè be input to 120 gentilmen, that they shulden not varyen fro the vertues of their auncestres. Certes, al maner linage of men ben evenliche in birth; for oon +fader, maker of al goodnes, enformed hem al, and al mortal folk of one sede arn greyned. Wherto avaunt men of her linage, in cosinage or in +elde-faders? Loke now the ginning, 125 and to god, maker of mans person; there is no clerk ne no worthy in gentilesse; and he that norissheth his +corage with vyces and unresonable lustes, and leveth the kynde course, to whiche ende him brought forth his birthe, trewly, he is ungentil, and among +cherles may ben nempned. And therfore, he that 130 wol ben gentil, he mot daunten his flesshe fro vyces that causen ungentilnesse, and leve also reignes of wicked lustes, and drawe to him vertue, that in al places gentilnesse gentilmen maketh. And so speke I, in feminine gendre in general, of tho persones, at the reverence of one whom every wight honoureth; for her 135 bountee and her noblesse y-made her to god so dere, that his moder she became; and she me hath had so greet in worship, that I nil for nothing in open declare, that in any thinge ayenst her secte may so wene. For al vertue and al worthinesse of plesaunce in hem haboundeth. And although I wolde any-thing speke, 140 trewly I can not; I may fynde in yvel of hem no maner mater.'
CH. II. 1. meane. ganne. 4. stretche. somdele. 7. ganne.
11. none. 12. thynge. 15. sey; read seye or seyen. 16. thorowe. 17. made. 19. sayne. 20. wote. 21. wonte. 23. nowe. 24. seasonable. 26. sayne. 27. corne. 28. layde. 29. knytte. amonge (twice). wyche; read whicche. 30. layde. 31. amonge horse. shepe. nete. 33. woste. 36. bare. 37. went. 40. grefe. 41. pay. great. 44. preache.
45. deuoute. 46. nowe. 47. Nowe. 48. stewarde. nowe. it; read is. nowe. 49. eschetoure. nowe. 50. I supply hath his. 51. encrease. 56. eate beane-. 58. lythe. gone. horse. 59. easy. beare. great. 61. meate-. borde-. 65. boke. leude chapelayne. 66. harte. 67. great. 68. nothynge. 69. amonge. dare. 70. sayne. 71. forthe; read force. 72. worthe. pleasen. 73. to-forne-. 74. nothynge. 76. sorye. se. 78. polesye. 79. treaten. wytte.
80. subiecte. reason. 82. worthe. 83. reignatyfe. 85. ayenwarde. 87. lorde. 88. possessoure. 89. forth bring. 90. suretie. 96. cease. 97. profyte. pleasaunce. 99. put. dare. 100. meane. 109. comeden (sic); read comen? 110. howe. 111. bretherne. 113. maken; read maketh. deserte. 114. nowe.
118. tombystere. 123. one. father; read fader. 124. folke. arne. 125. -fathers; read -faders. 126. clerke. 127. corare; read corage. 128. leaueth. 129. forthe. 130. amonge. clerkes (!); read cherles. 131. mote. 132. leaue. 136. bountie. 137. great. 139. maye.
Chapter III
Right with these wordes she stinte of that lamentable melodye; and I gan with a lyvely herte to praye, if that it were lyking unto her noble grace, she wolde her deyne to declare me the mater that firste was begonne, in which she lefte and stinte to speke beforn she gan to singe. 5
'O,' quod she, 'this is no newe thing to me, to sene you men desyren after mater, whiche your-selfe caused to voyde.'
'Ah, good lady,' quod I, 'in whom victorie of strength is proved above al other thing, after the jugement of Esdram, whos lordship al lignes: who is, that right as emperour hem commaundeth, 10 whether thilke ben not women, in whos lyknesse to me ye aperen? For right as man halt the principaltè of al thing under his beinge, in the masculyne gender; and no mo genders ben there but masculyn and femenyne; al the remenaunt ben no gendres but of grace, in facultee of grammer: right so, in the femenyne, the 15 women holden the upperest degree of al thinges under thilke gendre conteyned. Who bringeth forth kinges, whiche that ben lordes of see and of erthe; and al peoples of women ben born. They norisshe hem that graffen vynes; they maken men comfort in their gladde cheres. Her sorowe is deth to mannes herte. 20 Without women, the being of men were impossible. They conne with their swetnesse the crewel herte ravisshe, and make it meke, buxom, and benigne, without violence mevinge. In beautee of their eyen, or els of other maner fetures, is al mens desyres; ye, more than in golde, precious stones, either any richesse. 25 And in this degree, lady, your-selfe many hertes of men have so bounden, that parfit blisse in womankynde to ben men wenen, and in nothinge els. Also, lady, the goodnesse, the vertue of women, by propertè of discrecion, is so wel knowen, by litelnesse of malice, that desyre to a good asker by no waye conne they 30 warne. And ye thanne, that wol not passe the kynde werchinge of your sectes by general discrecion, I wot wel, ye wol so enclyne to my prayere, that grace of my requeste shal fully ben graunted.'
'Certes,' quod she, 'thus for the more parte fareth al mankynde, to praye and to crye after womans grace, and fayne many fantasyes 35 to make hertes enclyne to your desyres. And whan these sely women, for freeltè of their kynde, beleven your wordes, and wenen al be gospel the promise of your behestes, than graunt[en] they to you their hertes, and fulfillen your lustes, wherthrough their libertè in maystreship that they toforn had is thralled; and 40 so maked soverayn and to be prayed, that first was servaunt, and voice of prayer used. Anon as filled is your lust, many of you be so trewe, that litel hede take ye of suche kyndnesse; but with traysoun anon ye thinke hem begyle, and let light of that thing whiche firste ye maked to you wonders dere; so what 45 thing to women it is to loven any wight er she him wel knowe, and have him proved in many halfe! For every glittring thing is nat gold; and under colour of fayre speche many vices may be hid and conseled. Therfore I rede no wight to trust on you to rathe; mens chere and her speche right gyleful is ful ofte. 50 Wherfore without good assay, it is nat worth on many +of you to truste. Trewly, it is right kyndely to every man that thinketh women betraye, and shewen outward al goodnesse, til he have his wil performed. Lo! the bird is begyled with the mery voice of the foulers whistel. Whan a woman is closed in your nette, 55 than wol ye causes fynden, and bere unkyndenesse her +on hande, or falsetè upon her putte, your owne malicious trayson with suche thinge to excuse. Lo! than han women non other wreche in vengeaunce, but +blobere and wepe til hem list stint, and sorily her mishap complayne; and is put in-to wening that 60 al men ben so untrewe. How often have men chaunged her loves in a litel whyle, or els, for fayling their wil, in their places hem set! For fren[d]ship shal be oon, and fame with another him list for to have, and a thirde for delyt; or els were he lost bothe in packe and in clothes! Is this fair? Nay, god wot. 65 I may nat telle, by thousande partes, the wronges in trechery of suche false people; for make they never so good a bond, al sette ye at a myte whan your hert tourneth. And they that wenen for sorowe of you deye, the pitè of your false herte is flowe out of towne. Alas! therfore, that ever any woman wolde take 70 any wight in her grace, til she knowe, at the ful, on whom she might at al assayes truste! Women con no more craft in queynt knowinge, to understande the false disceyvable conjectementes of mannes begylinges. Lo! how it fareth; though ye men gronen and cryen, certes, it is but disceyt; and that preveth wel 75 by th'endes in your werkinge. How many women have ben lorn, and with shame foule shent by long-lastinge tyme, whiche thorow mennes gyle have ben disceyved? Ever their fame shal dure, and their dedes [ben] rad and songe in many londes; that they han don, recoveren shal they never; but alway ben demed 80 lightly, in suche plyte a-yen shulde they falle. Of whiche slaunders and tenes ye false men and wicked ben the verey causes; on you by right ought these shames and these reproves al hoolly discende. Thus arn ye al nighe untrewe; for al your fayre speche, your herte is ful fickel. What cause han ye women to dispyse? Better 85 fruite than they ben, ne swetter spyces to your behove, mowe ye not fynde, as far as worldly bodyes strecchen. Loke to their forminge, at the making of their persones by god in joye of paradyce! For goodnesse, of mans propre body were they maked, after the sawes of the bible, rehersing goddes wordes in 90 this wyse: "It is good to mankynde that we make to him an helper." Lo! in paradyse, for your helpe, was this tree graffed, out of whiche al linage of man discendeth. If a man be noble frute, of noble frute it is sprongen; the blisse of paradyse, to mennes sory hertes, yet in this tree abydeth. O! noble helpes 95 ben these trees, and gentil jewel to ben worshipped of every good creature! He that hem anoyeth doth his owne shame; it is a comfortable perle ayenst al tenes. Every company is mirthed by their present being. Trewly, I wiste never vertue, but a woman were therof the rote. What is heven the worse though Sarazins 100 on it lyen? Is your fayth untrewe, though +renegates maken theron lesinges? If the fyr doth any wight brenne, blame his owne wit that put him-selfe so far in the hete. Is not fyr gentillest and most comfortable element amonges al other? Fyr is cheef werker in fortheringe sustenaunce to mankynde. Shal 105 fyr ben blamed for it brende a foole naturelly, by his own stulty witte in steringe? Ah! wicked folkes! For your propre malice and shreudnesse of your-selfe, ye blame and dispyse the precious[es]t thing of your kynde, and whiche thinges among other moste ye desyren! Trewly, Nero and his children ben shrewes, 110 that dispysen so their dames. The wickednesse and gyling of men, in disclaundring of thilke that most hath hem glad[d]ed and plesed, were impossible to wryte or to nempne. Never-the-later yet I say, he that knoweth a way may it lightly passe; eke an herbe proved may safely to smertande sores ben layd. So 115 I say, in him that is proved is nothing suche yvels to gesse. But these thinges have I rehersed, to warne you women al at ones, that to lightly, without good assaye, ye assenten not to mannes speche. The sonne in the day-light is to knowen from the moone that shyneth in the night. Now to thee thy-selfe 120 (quod she) as I have ofte sayd, I knowe wel thyne herte; thou art noon of al the tofore-nempned people. For I knowe wel the continuaunce of thy service, that never sithen I sette thee a-werke, might thy Margaryte for plesaunce, frendship, ne fayrhede of none other, be in poynte moved from thyne herte; wherfore 125 in-to myne housholde hastely I wol that thou entre, and al the parfit privitè of my werking, make it be knowe in thy understonding, as oon of my privy familiers. Thou desyrest (quod she) fayn to here of tho thinges there I lefte?'
'Ye, forsothe,' quod I, 'that were to me a greet blisse.' 130
'Now,' quod she, 'for thou shalt not wene that womans condicions for fayre speche suche thing belongeth:--
CH. III. 2. ganne. 5. beforne. 6. thynge. menne. 9. thynge. whose.
10. lignes (sic). 11. whose lykenesse. 12. halte. 15. facultie. 17. forthe. 18. borne. 19. comforte. 20. dethe. 23. buxome. beautie. 27. parfyte. 32. wotte. 38. graunt. 40. toforne.
48. golde. 51. worthe. on; read of. 53. -warde. 54. birde. 56. beare. vnha_n_de; read on hande. 58. none. 59. bloder; read blobere. 61. Howe. 63. sette. frenship (sic). one. 64. lyste. delyte. 65. faire. 66. maye. tel. 67. bo_n_de. 69. dey. 72. trust. crafte. 74. howe. 76. thendes. Howe. 77. lorne. longe-. 78. thorowe. 79. I supply ben. radde. 80. done. 81. fal. 83. holy.
84. arne. 87. farre. stretchen. 97. dothe. 99. wyst. 101. faythe. thoughe rennogates. 102. leasynges. fyre (four times) 103. wytte. farre. heate. 104, 112. moste. 104. element comfortable; read comfortable element. 105. chefe. 108. precioust. 109. amonge. 112-3. gladed and pleased. 115. layde. 120. Nowe. the.
122. arte none. 123. set the. 124. frendeshyp. fayrehede. 127. parfyte. 128. one. 129. fayne. 130. great. 131. Nowe.
Chapter IV
Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understonde first among al other thinges, that al the cure of my service to me in the parfit blisse in doing is desyred in every mannes herte, be he never so moche a wrecche; but every man travayleth by dyvers studye, and seke[th] thilke blisse by dyvers wayes. But al the endes 5 are knit in selinesse of desyre in the parfit blisse, that is suche joye, whan men it have gotten, there +leveth no thing more to ben coveyted. But how that desyre of suche perfeccion in my service be kindely set in lovers hertes, yet her erroneous opinions misturne it by falsenesse of wening. And although 10 mannes understanding be misturned, to knowe whiche shuld ben the way unto my person, and whither it abydeth; yet wote they there is a love in every wight, [whiche] weneth by that thing that he coveyteth most, he shulde come to thilke love; and that is parfit blisse of my servauntes; but than fulle blisse may not 15 be, and there lacke any thing of that blisse in any syde. Eke it foloweth than, that he that must have ful blisse lacke no blisse in love on no syde.'
'Therfore, lady,' quod I tho, 'thilke blisse I have desyred, and +soghte toforn this my-selfe, by wayes of riches, of dignitè, 20 of power, and of renomè, wening me in tho +thinges had ben thilke blisse; but ayenst the heer it turneth. Whan I supposed beste thilke blisse have +getten, and come to the ful purpose of your service, sodaynly was I hindred, and throwen so fer abacke, that me thinketh an inpossible to come there I lefte.' 25
'I +wot wel,' quod she; 'and therfore hast thou fayled; for thou wentest not by the hye way. A litel misgoing in the ginning causeth mikil errour in the ende; wherfore of thilke blisse thou fayledest, for having of richesse; ne non of the other thinges thou nempnedest mowen nat make suche parfit blisse in love as I shal 30 shewe. Therfore they be nat worthy to thilke blisse; and yet somwhat must ben cause and way to thilke blisse. Ergo, there is som suche thing, and som way, but it is litel in usage and that is nat openly y-knowe. But what felest in thyne hert of the service, in whiche by me thou art entred? Wenest aught thy-selfe 35 yet be in the hye way to my blisse? I shal so shewe it to thee, thou shalt not conne saye the contrary.'
'Good lady,' quod I, 'altho I suppose it in my herte, yet wolde I here thyn wordes, how ye menen in this mater.'
Quod she, 'that I shal, with my good wil. Thilke blisse 40 desyred, som-del ye knowen, altho it be nat parfitly. For kyndly entencion ledeth you therto, but in three maner livinges is al suche wayes shewed. Every wight in this world, to have this blisse, oon of thilke three wayes of lyves must procede; whiche, after opinions of grete clerkes, are by names cleped bestiallich, resonablich, [and 45 manlich. Resonablich] is vertuous. Manlich is worldlich. Bestialliche is lustes and delytable, nothing restrayned by bridel of reson. Al that joyeth and yeveth gladnesse to the hert, and it be ayenst reson, is lykened to bestial living, which thing foloweth lustes and delytes; wherfore in suche thinge may nat that precious blisse, 50 that is maister of al vertues, abyde. Your +faders toforn you have cleped such lusty livinges after the flessh "passions of desyre," which are innominable tofore god and man both. Than, after determinacion of suche wyse, we accorden that suche passions of desyre shul nat be nempned, but holden for absolute from al other 55 livinges and provinges; and so +leveth in t[w]o livinges, manlich and resonable, to declare the maters begonne. But to make thee fully have understanding in manlich livinges, whiche is holden worldlich in these thinges, so that ignorance be mad no letter, I wol (quod she) nempne these forsayd wayes +by names and 60 conclusions. First riches, dignitè, renomè, and power shul in this worke be cleped bodily goodes; for in hem hath ben, a gret throw, mannes trust of selinesse in love: as in riches, suffisance to have maintayned that was begonne by worldly catel; in dignitè, honour and reverence of hem that wern underput by maistry 65 therby to obeye. In renomè, glorie of peoples praising, after lustes in their hert, without hede-taking to qualitè and maner of doing; and in power, by trouth of lordships mayntenaunce, thing to procede forth in doing. In al whiche thinges a longe tyme mannes coveytise in commune hath ben greetly grounded, to come 70 to the blisse of my service; but trewly, they were begyled, and for the principal muste nedes fayle, and in helping mowe nat availe. See why. For holdest him not poore that is nedy?'
'Yes, pardè,' quod I.
'And him for dishonored, that moche folk deyne nat to 75 reverence?'
'That is soth,' quod I.
'And what him, that his mightes faylen and mowe nat helpen?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'me semeth, of al men he shulde be holden a wrecche.' 80
'And wenest nat,' quod she, 'that he that is litel in renomè, but rather is out of the praysinges of mo men than a fewe, be nat in shame?'
'For soth,' quod I, 'it is shame and villany, to him that coveyteth renomè, that more folk nat prayse in name than preise.' 85
'Soth,' quod she, 'thou sayst soth; but al these thinges are folowed of suche maner doinge, and wenden in riches suffisaunce, in power might, in dignitè worship, and in renomè glorie; wherfore they discended in-to disceyvable wening, and in that service disceit is folowed. And thus, in general, thou and al suche other that so 90 worchen, faylen of my blisse that ye long han desyred. Wherfore truly, in lyfe of reson is the hye way to this blisse; as I thinke more openly to declare herafter. Never-the-later yet, in a litel to comforte thy herte, in shewing of what waye thou art entred *selfe, and that thy Margarite may knowe thee set in the hye way, 95 I wol enforme thee in this wyse. Thou hast fayled of thy first purpos, bicause thou wentest wronge and leftest the hye way on thy right syde, as thus: thou lokedest on worldly living, and that thing thee begyled; and lightly therfore, as a litel assay, thou songedest; but whan I turned thy purpos, and shewed thee 100 a part of the hye waye, tho thou abode therin, and no deth ne ferdnesse of non enemy might thee out of thilk way reve; but ever oon in thyn herte, to come to the ilke blisse, whan thou were arested and firste tyme enprisoned, thou were loth to chaunge thy way, for in thy hert thou wendest to have ben there 105 thou shuldest. And for I had routhe to sene thee miscaried, and wiste wel thyn ablenesse my service to forther and encrese, I com my-selfe, without other mene, to visit thy person in comfort of thy hert. And perdy, in my comming thou were greetly glad[d]ed; after whiche tyme no disese, no care, no tene, might 110 move me out of thy hert. And yet am I glad and greetly enpited, how continually thou haddest me in mynde, with good avysement of thy conscience, whan thy king and his princes by huge wordes and grete loked after variaunce in thy speche; and ever thou were redy for my sake, in plesaunce of the Margarite-perle and 115 many mo other, thy body to oblige in-to Marces doing, if any contraried thy sawes. Stedfast way maketh stedfast hert, with good hope in the ende. Trewly, I wol that thou it wel knowe; for I see thee so set, and not chaunginge herte haddest in my service; and I made thou haddest grace of thy kinge, in 120 foryevenesse of mikel misdede. To the gracious king art thou mikel holden, of whos grace and goodnesse somtyme hereafter I thinke thee enforme, whan I shew the ground where-as moral vertue groweth. Who brought thee to werke? Who brought this grace aboute? Who made thy hert hardy? Trewly, it was I. For 125 haddest thou of me fayled, than of this purpos had[dest thou] never taken [hede] in this wyse. And therfore I say, thou might wel truste to come to thy blisse, sithen thy ginninge hath ben hard, but ever graciously after thy hertes desyr hath proceded. Silver fyned with many hetes men knowen for trew; and safely men 130 may trust to the alay in werkinge. This +disese hath proved what way hence-forward thou thinkest to holde.'
'Now, in good fayth, lady,' quod I tho, 'I am now in; me semeth, it is the hye way and the right.'
'Ye, forsothe,' quod she, 'and now I wol disprove thy first 135 wayes, by whiche many men wenen to gette thilke blisse. But for-as-moche as every herte that hath caught ful love, is tyed with queynt knittinges, thou shalt understande that love and thilke foresayd blisse toforn declared in this[e] provinges, shal hote the knot in the hert.' 140
'Wel,' quod I, 'this inpossession I wol wel understande.'
'Now also,' quod she, 'for the knotte in the herte muste ben from one to an-other, and I knowe thy desyr, I wol thou understande these maters to ben sayd of thy-selfe, in disproving of thy first service, and in strengthinge of thilke that thou hast 145 undertake to thy Margaryte-perle.'
'A goddes halfe,' quod I, 'right wel I fele that al this case is possible and trewe; and therfore I +admitte it altogither.'
'+Understand wel,' quod she, 'these termes, and loke no contradiccion thou graunt.' 150
'If god wol,' quod I, 'of al these thinges wol I not fayle; and if I graunt contradiccion, I shulde graunte an impossible; and that were a foul inconvenience; for whiche thinges, lady, y-wis, herafter I thinke me to kepe.'
CH. IV. 1. shalte. amonge. 2. parfyte. 4. wretche. 5. seke; read seketh. 6. p_ar_fyte. 7. lyueth; read leveth. thynge. 8. howe. perfection. 9. erronyous. 13. I supply whiche. 14. moste. 15. parfyte. maye. 16. thynge. 20. sothe; read soghte. toforne.
21. thrages (sic); read thinges. 22. heere. 23. get; read getten. 26. wol; read wot. 30. p_ar_fite. 33. some (twice). 37. the. shalte. con. 39. howe ye meanen. 41. so_m_e deale. 42. entention. thre. lyuenges. 43. one. 44. thre. 45. great. cleaped. I supply and manlich. Resonablich. 47. nothynge. 47-9. reason (twice). 49. lyueng. thynge. 50. maye. 51. fathers. toforne. 52. lyuenges. 54. determination. 56. lyuenges (twice). lyueth; read leveth. to; read two.
57. the. 58. lyuenges. 59. made. 60. be; read by. 62. cleaped. 64. begon. 65. werne. 66. obey. 70. greatly. 73. Se. 75. folke. 80. wretch. 89. disceite. 92. reason. 94. arte.
95-6. the (twice). 97-100. purpose. 98. lyueng. 99. the. 100-2. the. 101. parte. dethe. 103. one. 106. the. 107. wyst. thyne. encrease. 108. come. mean. For person read prison? comforte. 109. greatly gladed. 110. disease. 111. gladde. greatly. 112. howe. 114. great. 115. peerle. 119. se the. 121. arte. 122. whose. 123. the. grounde. 124. the. 126. purpose. had; read haddest thou. I supply hede. 128. harde. 129. desyre. 130. heates.
131. diseases (sic). waye. -forwarde. 133-142. Nowe (four times). 139. toforne. 143. desyre. 145. stre_n_ghthynge. haste. 148. admytted; read admytte it. 149. Vnderstanden (sic). 149-152. contradyction (twice). 153. foule. ladye.
Chapter V
'Wel,' quod she, 'thou knowest that every thing is a cause, wherthrough any thing hath being that is cleped "caused." Than, if richesse +causeth knot in herte, thilke richesse +is cause of thilke precious thinge being. But after the sentence of Aristotle, every cause is more in dignitè than his thinge caused; 5 wherthrough it foloweth richesse to ben more in dignitè than thilke knot. But richesses arn kyndely naughty, badde, and nedy; and thilke knotte is thing kyndely good, most praysed and desyred. Ergo, thing naughty, badde, and nedy in kyndely understandinge is more worthy than thing kyndely good, most 10 desyred and praysed! The consequence is fals; nedes, the antecedent mot ben of the same condicion. But that richesses ben bad, naughty, and nedy, that wol I prove; wherfore they mowe cause no suche thing that is so glorious and good. The more richesse thou hast, the more nede hast thou of helpe hem 15 to kepe. Ergo, thou nedest in richesse, whiche nede thou shuldest not have, if thou hem wantest. Than muste richesse ben nedy, that in their having maken thee nedy to helpes, in suretee thy richesse to kepen; wherthrough foloweth, richesse to ben nedy. Everything causinge yvels is badde and naughty; but 20 richesse in one causen misese, in another they mowen not evenly strecchen al about. Wherof cometh plee, debat, thefte, begylinges, but richesse to winne; whiche thinges ben badde, and by richesse arn caused. Ergo, thilke richesse[s] ben badde; whiche badnesse and nede ben knit in-to richesse by a maner of kyndely propertee; 25 and every cause and caused accorden; so that it foloweth, thilke richesse[s] to have the same accordaunce with badnesse and nede, that their cause asketh. Also, every thing hath his being by his cause; than, if the cause be distroyed, the being of caused is vanisshed. And, so, if richesse[s] causen love, and richesse[s] 30 weren distroyed, the love shulde vanisshe; but thilke knotte, and it be trewe, may not vanisshe, for no going of richesse. Ergo, richesse is no cause of the knot. And many men, as I sayd, setten the cause of the knotte in richesse; thilke knitten the richesse, and nothing the yvel; thilke persons, what-ever they 35 ben, wenen that riches is most worthy to be had; and that make they the cause; and so wene they thilke riches be better than the person. Commenly, suche asken rather after the quantitè than after the qualitè; and suche wenen, as wel by hem-selfe as by other, that conjunccion of his lyfe and of his soule is no more 40 precious, but in as mikel as he hath of richesse. Alas! how may he holden suche thinges precious or noble, that neither han lyf ne soule, ne ordinaunce of werchinge limmes! Suche richesse[s] ben more worthy whan they ben in +gadering; in departing, ginneth his love of other mennes praysing. And avarice +gadering 45 maketh be hated, and nedy to many out-helpes; and whan leveth the possession of such goodes, and they ginne vanissh, than entreth sorowe and tene in their hertes. O! badde and strayte ben thilke, that at their departinge maketh men teneful and sory, and in the +gadering of hem make men nedy! Moche folk at 50 ones mowen not togider moche therof have. A good gest gladdeth his hoste and al his meyny; but he is a badde gest that maketh his hoste nedy and to be aferd of his gestes going.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'me wondreth therfore that the comune opinion is thus: "He is worth no more than that he hath in 55 catel."'
'O!' quod she, 'loke thou be not of that opinion; for if gold or money, or other maner of riches shynen in thy sight, whos is that? Nat thyn. And tho[ugh] they have a litel beautee, they be nothing in comparison of our kynde; and therfore, ye shulde nat sette 60 your worthinesse in thing lower than your-selfe. For the riches, the fairnesse, the worthinesse of thilke goodes, if ther be any suche preciousnesse in hem, are nat thyne; thou madest hem so never; from other they come to thee, and to other they shul from thee. Wherfore enbracest thou other wightes good, as 65 tho[ugh] they were thyn? Kynde hath drawe hem by hem-selfe. It is sothe, the goodes of the erth ben ordayned in your fode and norisshinge; but if thou wolt holde thee apayd with that suffyseth to thy kynde, thou shalt nat be in daunger of no suche riches; to kynde suffyseth litel thing, who that taketh hede. 70 And if thou wolt algates with superfluitè of riches be a-throted, thou shalt hastelich be anoyed, or els yvel at ese. And fairnesse of feldes ne of habitacions, ne multitude of meynè, may nat be rekened as riches that are thyn owne. For if they be badde, it is greet sclaunder and villany to the occupyer; and if they be good 75 or faire, the mater of the workman that hem made is to prayse. How shulde other-wyse bountee be compted for thyne? Thilke goodnesse and fairnesse be proper to tho thinges hem-selfe; than, if they be nat thyne, sorow nat whan they wende, ne glad thee nat in pompe and in pride whan thou hem hast. For their 80 bountee and their beautees cometh out of their owne kynde, and nat of thyne owne person. As faire ben they in their not having as whan thou hast hem. They be nat faire for thou hast hem; but thou hast geten hem for the fairnesse of them-selfe. And there the vaylance of men is demed in richesse outforth, wenen 85 me[n] to have no proper good in them-selfe, but seche it in straunge thinges. Trewly, the condicion of good wening is to thee mistourned, to wene, your noblesse be not in your-selfe, but in the goodes and beautee of other thinges. Pardy, the beestes that han but feling soules, have suffisaunce in their owne selfe; 90 and ye, that ben lyke to god, seken encrese of suffisaunce from so excellent a kynde of so lowe thinges; ye do greet wrong to him that you made lordes over al erthly thinges; and ye putte your worthinesse under the nombre of the fete of lower thinges and foule. Whan ye juge thilke riches to be your worthinesse, than 95 putte ye your-selfe, by estimacion, under thilke foule thinges; and than leve ye the knowing of your-selfe; so be ye viler than any dombe beest; that cometh of shrewde vice. Right so thilke persons that loven non yvel for dereworthinesse of the persone, but for straunge goodes, and saith, the adornement in the knot 100 lyth in such thing; his errour is perilous and shrewd, and he wryeth moche venim with moche welth; and that knot may nat be good whan he hath it getten.
Certes, thus hath riches with flickering sight anoyed many; and often, whan there is a throw-out shrewe, he coyneth al the 105 gold, al the precious stones that mowen be founden, to have in his bandon; he weneth no wight be worthy to have suche thinges but he alone. How many hast thou knowe, now in late tyme, that in their richesse supposed suffisance have folowed, and now it is al fayled!' 110
'Ye, lady,' quod I, 'that is for mis medling; and otherwyse governed [they] thilke richesse than they shulde.'
'Ye,' quod she tho, 'had not the flood greetly areysed, and throwe to-hemward both gravel and sand, he had mad no medlinge. And right as see yeveth flood, so draweth see ebbe, and 115 pulleth ayen under wawe al the firste out-throwe, but-if good pyles of noble governaunce in love, in wel-meninge maner, ben sadly grounded; +the whiche holde thilke gravel as for a tyme, that ayen lightly mowe not it turne; and if the pyles ben trewe, the gravel and sand wol abyde. And certes, ful warning in love shalt 120 thou never thorow hem get ne cover, that lightly with an ebbe, er thou be ware, it [ne] wol ayen meve. In richesse many men have had tenes and diseses, whiche they shulde not have had, if therof they had fayled. Thorow whiche, now declared, partly it is shewed, that for richesse shulde the knotte in herte neither ben 125 caused in one ne in other; trewly, knotte may ben knit, and I trowe more stedfast, in love, though richesse fayled; and els, in richesse is the knotte, and not in herte. And than suche a knotte is fals; whan the see ebbeth and withdraweth the gravel, that such richesse voydeth, thilke knotte wol unknitte. 130 Wherfore no trust, no way, no cause, no parfit being is in richesse, of no suche knotte. Therfore another way muste we have.
CH. V. 1. thynge. 2. -throughe. 3. causen; read causeth. arne; read is. 7. arne. 8, 9. thynge (twice). moste.
10. thynge. moste. 11. false. 12. mote. 15. haste. 18. the. 19. suretie. 21. misease. 22. stretchen. debate. 24. arne. richesse; read richesses. 25. propertie. 27-30. richesse; read richesses (thrice). 35. nothynge. 40. coniunction. 41. howe maye. 42. lyfe. 43. richesse; read richesses. 44-5. gatheryng.
50. gatheryng. folke. 53. aferde. 55. worthe. 57. golde. 58. whose. 59. beautie. 60. set. 64-5. the (twice). 68. wolte. the apayde. 72. ease. 73. maye. 75. great. 76. workeman. 77. Howe. bountie. 79. the. 81. bountie. beautes. 83-4. haste (thrice).
86. me; read men. 87. co_n_dytion. 88. the. 89. beautie. 91. encrease. 92. great. 93-6. put (twice). 101. shreude. 102. maye. 105. throwe out. 106. golde. 108. Howe. haste. 108-9. nowe. 111. misse medlyng. 112. Supply they. 113. floode greatly. 114. hemwarde. sande. made. 115. floode. 116. out throw. 117. meanynge. 118. to; read the. 120. sande. 121. shalte. thorowe.
122. beware. I supply ne. 123. diseases. 124. Thorowe. nowe. partely. 126. maye. knytte. 129. false. 131. parfyte.
Chapter VI
Honour in dignitè is wened to yeven a ful knot.' 'Ye, certes,' quod I, 'and of that opinion ben many; for they sayn, dignitè, with honour and reverence, causen hertes to encheynen, and so abled to be knit togither, for the excellence in soverayntè of such degrees.' 5
'Now,' quod she, 'if dignitè, honour, and reverence causen thilke knotte in herte, this knot is good and profitable. For every cause of a cause is cause of thing caused. Than thus: good thinges and profitable ben by dignitè, honour, and reverence caused. Ergo, they accorden; and dignites ben good with 10 reverences and honour. But contraries mowen not accorden. Wherfore, by reson, there shulde no dignitee, no reverence, non honour acorde with shrewes. But that is fals; they have ben cause to shrewes in many shreudnes; for with hem they accorden. Ergo, from beginning to argue ayenward til it come to the laste 15 conclusion, they are not cause of the knot. Lo, al day at eye arn shrewes not in reverence, in honour, and in dignitè? Yes, forsothe, rather than the good. Than foloweth it that shrewes rather than good shul ben cause of this knot. But of this [the] contrarie of al lovers is bileved, and for a sothe openly determined 20 to holde.'
'Now,' quod I, 'fayn wolde I here, how suche dignitees acorden with shrewes.'
'O,' quod she, 'that wol I shewe in manifolde wyse. Ye wene (quod she) that dignites of office here in your citè is as the 25 sonne; it shyneth bright withouten any cloude; [of] whiche thing, whan they comen in the handes of malicious tirauntes, there cometh moche harm, and more grevaunce therof than of the wilde fyre, though it brende al a strete. Certes, in dignitè of office, the werkes of the occupyer shewen the malice and the 30 badnesse in the person; with shrewes they maken manyfolde harmes, and moche people shamen. How often han rancours, for malice of the governour, shulde ben mainteyned? Hath not than suche dignitees caused debat, rumours, and yvels? Yes, god wot, by suche thinges have ben trusted to make mens understanding 35 enclyne to many queynte thinges. Thou wottest wel what I mene.'
'Ye,' quod I, 'therfore, as dignitè suche thing in tene y-wrought, so ayenward, the substaunce in dignitè chaunged, relyed to bring ayen good plyte in doing.' 40
'Do way, do way,' quod she; 'if it so betyde, but that is selde, that suche dignitè is betake in a good mannes governaunce, what thing is to recken in the dignitees goodnesse? Pardè, the bountee and goodnesse is hers that usen it in good governaunce; and therfore cometh it that honour and reverence shulde ben 45 don to dignitè bycause of encresinge vertue in the occupyer, and not to the ruler bycause of soverayntee in dignitè. Sithen dignitè may no vertue cause, who is worthy worship for suche goodnesse? Not dignitè, but person, that maketh goodnesse in dignitè to shyne.' 50
'This is wonder thing,' quod I; 'for me thinketh, as the person in dignitè is worthy honour for goodnesse, so, tho[ugh] a person for badnesse ma[u]gree hath deserved, yet the dignitè leneth to be commended.'
'Let be,' quod she, 'thou errest right foule; dignitè with 55 badnesse is helper to performe the felonous doing. Pardy, were it kyndly good, or any propertè of kyndly vertue [that men] hadden in hem-selfe, shrewes shulde hem never have; with hem shulde they never accorde. Water and fyr, that ben contrarious, mowen nat togider ben assembled; kynde wol nat suffre suche 60 contraries to joyne. And sithen at eye, by experience in doing, we seen that shrewes have hem more often than good men, siker mayst thou be, that kyndly good in suche thing is nat appropred. Pardy, were they kyndly good, as wel oon as other shulden evenlich in vertue of governaunce ben worthe; but oon fayleth in 65 goodnesse, another doth the contrary; and so it sheweth, kyndly goodnesse in dignitè nat be grounded. And this same reson (quod she) may be mad, in general, on al the bodily goodes; for they comen ofte to throw-out shrewes. After this, he is strong that hath might to have grete burthens, and he is light 70 and swifte, that hath soveraintè in ronning to passe other; right so he is a shrewe, on whom shreude thinges and badde han most werchinge. And right as philosophy maketh philosophers, and my service maketh lovers, right so, if dignites weren good or vertuous, they shulde maken shrewes good, and turne her malice, 75 and make hem be vertuous. But that they do nat, as it is proved, but causen rancour and debat. Ergo, they be nat good, but utterly badde. Had Nero never ben Emperour, shulde never his dame have be slayn, to maken open the privitè of his engendrure. Herodes, for his dignitè, slew many children. The 80 dignitè of king John wolde have distroyed al England. Therfore mokel wysdom and goodnesse both, nedeth in a person, the malice in dignitè slyly to brydel, and with a good bitte of arest to withdrawe, in case it wolde praunce otherwyse than it shulde. Trewly, ye yeve to dignites wrongful names in your cleping. 85 They shulde hete, nat dignitè, but moustre of badnesse and mayntenour of shrewes. Pardy, shyne the sonne never so bright, and it bringe forth no hete, ne sesonably the herbes out-bringe of the erthe, but suffre frostes and cold, and the erthe barayne to ligge by tyme of his compas in circute about, ye wolde wonder, 90 and dispreyse that sonne! If the mone be at ful, and sheweth no light, but derke and dimme to your sight appereth, and make distruccion of the waters, wol ye nat suppose it be under cloude or in clips, and that som prevy thing, unknowen to your wittes, is cause of suche contrarious doinge? Than, if clerkes, that han 95 ful insight and knowing of suche impedimentes, enforme you of the sothe, very idiottes ye ben, but-if ye yeven credence to thilk clerkes wordes. And yet it doth me tene, to sene many wrecches rejoycen in such maner planettes. Trewly, litel con[ne] they on philosophy, or els on my lore, that any desyr haven suche 100 lightinge planettes in that wyse any more to shewe.'
'Good lady,' quod I, 'tel me how ye mene in these thinges.'
'Lo,' quod she, 'the dignites of your citè, sonne and mone, nothing in kynde shew their shyning as they shulde. For the sonne made no brenning hete in love, but freesed envye in 105 mennes hertes, for feblenesse of shyning hete; and the moone was about, under an olde cloude, the livinges by waters to distroye.'
'Lady,' quod I, 'it is supposed they had shyned as they shulde.' 110
'Ye,' quod she, 'but now it is proved at the ful, their beautè in kyndly shyning fayled; wherfore dignitè of him-selven hath no beautee in fayrnesse, ne dryveth nat awaye vices, but encreseth; and so be they no cause of the knotte. Now see, in good trouth; holde ye nat such sonnes worthy of no reverence, and dignites 115 worthy of no worship, that maketh men to do the more harmes?'
'I not,' quod I.
'No?' quod she; 'and thou see a wyse good man, for his goodnesse and wysnesse wolt thou nat do him worship? Therof he is worthy.' 120
'That is good skil,' quod I; 'it is dewe to suche, both reverence and worship to have.'
'Than,' quod she, 'a shrewe, for his shreudnesse, altho he be put forth toforn other for ferde, yet is he worthy, for shrewdnesse, to be unworshipped; of reverence no part is he worthy to have, 125 [that] to contrarious doing belongeth: and that is good skil. For, right as he besmyteth the dignites, thilke same thing ayenward him smyteth, or els shulde smyte. And over this thou wost wel (quod she) that fyr in every place heteth where it be, and water maketh wete. Why? For kyndely werking is so y-put in 130 hem, to do suche thinges; for every kyndely in werking sheweth his kynde. But though a wight had ben mayre of your city many winter togider, and come in a straunge place there he were not knowen, he shulde for his dignitè have no reverence. Than neither worshippe ne reverence is kyndely propre in no dignitè, 135 sithen they shulden don their kynde in suche doinge, if any were. And if reverence ne worshippe kyndely be not set in dignitees, and they more therein ben shewed than goodnesse, for that in dignitè is shewed, but it proveth that goodnesse kyndely in hem is not grounded. I-wis, neither worshippe, ne reverence, ne 140 goodnesse in dignitè don non office of kynde; for they have non suche propertee in nature of doinge but by false opinion of the people. Lo! how somtyme thilke that in your city wern in dignitè noble, if thou liste hem nempne, they ben now overturned bothe in worship, in name, and in reverence; wherfore 145 such dignites have no kyndly werching of worshippe and of reverence. He that hath no worthinesse on it-selfe, now it ryseth and now it vanissheth, after the variaunt opinion in false hertes of unstable people. Wherfore, if thou desyre the knotte of this jewel, or els if thou woldest suppose she shulde sette the knotte 150 on thee for suche maner dignitè, than thou wenest beautee or goodnesse of thilke somwhat encreseth the goodnesse or vertue in the body. But dignite[es] of hemself ben not good, ne yeven reverence ne worshippe by their owne kynde. How shulde they than yeve to any other a thing, that by no waye mowe they have 155 hem-selfe? It is sene in dignitè of the emperour and of many mo other, that they mowe not of hem-selve kepe their worshippe ne their reverence; that, in a litel whyle, it is now up and now downe, by unstedfaste hertes of the people. What bountee mowe they yeve that, with cloude, lightly leveth his shyninge? Certes, 160 to the occupyer is mokel appeyred, sithen suche doinge doth villanye to him that may it not mayntayne. Wherfore thilke way to the knotte is croked; and if any desyre to come to the knot, he must leve this way on his lefte syde, or els shal he never come there. 165
CH. VI. 3. sayne. 4. knytte. 6. Nowe. 12. reason. none. 13. false. 15. ayenwarde. 16. arne. 19. Supply the.
22. Nowe. fayne. howe. 26. I supply of. thynge. 28. harme. 32. Howe. 34. debate. 35. wote. 37. meane. 39. ayenwarde. 44. bountie. 45. honoure. 46. done. encreasynge. 47. soverayntie. 53. magre. 57. Supply that. men and it. 59. fire.
61. ioyn. 62. sene. menne. 63. mayste. 64-5. one (twice). 66. dothe. 68. made. 69. throwe out. 70. great burthyns. 77. debate. 80. slewe. 81. Engla_n_de. 82. wysedom. 88. bring forthe. heate. 89. colde. 91. son. 93. distruction. 94. some.
98. wretches. 99. con; read conne. 100. desyre. 102. howe. mean. 107. lyuenges. 111. nowe. 113. beautie. encreaseth. 114. Nowe se. 118. se. 119. wysenesse wolte. 124. forthe toforne. 125. parte. 126. I supply that. 127. ayenwarde. 128. woste. 129. fyre. heateth. 132. cytie.
141. done none. none. 142. propertie. 143. howe. cytie werne. 144. nowe. 147. For He read That thing? 147-8. nowe (twice). 151. the. beautie. 152. encreaseth. 153. dignite; read dignitees. 154. howe. 155. thynge. 158. that that; read that. nowe (twice). 159. bountie. 160. leaueth. 161. dothe. 162. maye. waye. 164. leaue. waye.
Chapter VII
Avayleth aught (quod she) power of might in mayntenaunce of [men, to maken hem] worthy to come to this knot?'
'Parde,' quod I, 'ye; for hertes ben ravisshed from suche maner thinges.' 5
'Certes,' quod she, 'though a fooles herte is with thing ravisshed, yet therfore is no general cause of the powers, ne of a siker parfit herte to be loked after. Was not Nero the moste shrewe oon of thilke that men rede, and yet had he power to make senatours justices, and princes of many landes? Was not 10 that greet power?'
'Yes, certes,' quod I.
'Wel,' quod she, 'yet might he not helpe him-selfe out of disese, whan he gan falle. How many ensamples canst thou remembre of kinges grete and noble, and huge power +helden, and 15 yet they might not kepe hem-selve from wrecchednesse? How wrecched was king Henry Curtmantil er he deyde? He had not so moche as to cover with his membres; and yet was he oon of the grettest kinges of al the Normandes ofspring, and moste possession had. O! a noble thing and clere is power, that is not 20 founden mighty to kepe him-selfe! Now, trewly, a greet fole is he, that for suche thing wolde sette the knotte in thyne herte! Also power of rëalmes, is not thilke grettest power amonges the worldly powers reckened? And if suche powers han wrecchednesse in hem-selfe, it foloweth other powers of febler condicion to 25 ben wrecched; and than, that wrecchednesse shulde be cause of suche a knotte! But every wight that hath reson wot wel that wrecchednesse by no way may ben cause of none suche knotte; wherfore suche power is no cause. That powers have wrecchednesse in hem-selfe, may right lightly ben preved. If power lacke on 30 any syde, on that syde is no power; but no power is wrecchednesse: for al-be-it so the power of emperours or kinges, or els of their rëalmes (which is the power of the prince) strecchen wyde and brode, yet besydes is ther mokel folk of whiche he hath no commaundement ne lordshippe; and there-as lacketh his 35 power, his nonpower entreth, where-under springeth that maketh hem wrecches. No power is wrecchednesse and nothing els; but in this maner hath kinges more porcion of wrecchednesse than of power. Trewly, suche powers ben unmighty; for ever they ben in drede how thilke power from lesing may be keped 40 of sorow; so drede sorily prikkes ever in their hertes: litel is that power whiche careth and ferdeth it-selfe to mayntayne. Unmighty is that wrecchednesse whiche is entred by the ferdful weninge of the wrecche him-selfe; and knot y-maked by wrecchednesse is betwene wrecches; and wrecches al thing bewaylen; 45 wherfore the knot shulde be bewayled; and there is no suche parfit blisse that we supposed at the ginning! Ergo, power in nothing shulde cause suche knottes. Wrecchednesse is a kyndely propertee in suche power, as by way of drede, whiche they mowe nat eschewe, ne by no way live in sikernesse. For thou wost wel 50 (quod she) he is nought mighty that wolde don that he may not don ne perfourme.'
'Therfore,' quod I, 'these kinges and lordes that han suffisaunce at the ful of men and other thinges, mowen wel ben holden mighty; their comaundementes ben don; it is nevermore 55 denyed.'
'Foole,' quod she, 'or he wot him-selfe mighty, or wot it not; for he is nought mighty that is blynde of his might and wot it not.'
'That is sothe,' quod I. 60
'Than if he wot it, he must nedes ben a-drad to lesen it. He that wot of his might is in doute that he mote nedes lese; and so ledeth him drede to ben unmighty. And if he recche not to lese, litel is that worth that of the lesing reson reccheth nothing; and if it were mighty in power or in strength, the lesing shulde ben 65 withset; and whan it cometh to the lesing, he may it not withsitte. Ergo, thilke might is leude and naughty. Such mightes arn y-lyke to postes and pillers that upright stonden, and greet might han to bere many charges; and if they croke on any syde, litel thing maketh hem overthrowe.' 70
'This is a good ensample,' quod I, 'to pillers and postes that I have seen overthrowed my-selfe; and hadden they ben underput with any helpes, they had not so lightly falle.'
'Than holdest thou him mighty that hath many men armed and many servauntes; and ever he is adrad of hem in his herte; 75 and, for he gasteth hem, somtyme he mot the more fere have. Comenly, he that other agasteth, other in him ayenward werchen the same; and thus warnisshed mot he be, and of warnisshe the hour drede. Litel is that might and right leude, who-so taketh hede.' 80
'Than semeth it,' quod I, 'that suche famulers aboute kinges and grete lordes shulde greet might have. Although a sypher in augrim have no might in significacion of it-selve, yet he yeveth power in significacion to other; and these clepe I the helpes to a poste to kepe him from falling.' 85
'Certes,' quod she, 'thilke skilles ben leude. Why? But-if the shorers be wel grounded, the helpes shulden slyden and suffre the charge to falle; her might litel avayleth.'
'And so me thinketh,' quod I, 'that a poste alone, stonding upright upon a basse, may lenger in greet burthen endure than 90 croken pilers for al their helpes, and her ground be not siker.'
'That is sothe,' quod she; 'for as, [if] the blynde in bering of the lame ginne stomble, bothe shulde falle, right so suche pillers, so envyroned with helpes, in falling of the grounde fayleth +altogider. How ofte than suche famulers, in their moste pryde 95 of prosperitè, ben sodainly overthrowen! Thou hast knowe many in a moment so ferre overthrowe, that cover might they never. Whan the hevinesse of suche fayling cometh by case of fortune, they mowe it not eschue; and might and power, if ther were any, shulde of strength such thinges voyde and weyve; and 100 so it is not. Lo, than! whiche thing is this power, that, tho men han it, they ben agast; and in no tyme of ful having be they siker! And if they wold weyve drede, as they mow not, litel is in worthines. Fye therfore on so naughty thing, any knot to cause! Lo! in adversitè, thilk ben his foes that glosed and 105 semed frendes in welth; thus arn his familiers his foes and his enemyes; and nothing is werse, ne more mighty for to anoy than is a familier enemy; and these thinges may they not weyve; so trewly their might is not worth a cresse. And over al thinge, he that may not withdrawe the brydel of his flesshly lustes and his 110 wrecched complayntes (now think on thy-selfe) trewly he is not mighty; I can seen no way that lyth to the knotte. Thilke people than, that setten their hertes upon suche mightes and powers, often ben begyled. Pardè, he is not mighty that may do any thing, that another may doon him the selve, and that men 115 have as greet power over him as he over other. A justice that demeth men ayenward hath ben often demed. Buserus slew his gestes, and he was slayn of Hercules his geste. Hugest betraysshed many men, and of Collo was he betrayed. He that with swerde smyteth, with swerde shal be smitten.' 120
Than gan I to studyen a whyle on these thinges, and made a countenaunce with my hande in maner to ben huisht.
'Now let seen,' quod she, 'me thinketh somwhat there is within thy soule, that troubleth thy understanding; saye on what it is.' 125
Quod I tho, 'me thinketh that, although a man by power have suche might over me, as I have over another, that disproveth no might in my person; but yet may I have power and might never-the-later.'
'See now,' quod she, 'thyne owne leudenesse. He is mighty 130 that may without wrecchednesse; and he is unmighty that may it not withsitte; but than he, that might over thee, and he wol, putte on thee wrecchednesse, thou might it not withsitte. Ergo, thou seest thy-selfe what foloweth! But now (quod she) woldest thou not skorne, and thou see a flye han power to don harm to 135 an-other flye, and thilke have no might ne ayenturning him-selfe to defende?'
'Yes, certes,' quod I.
'Who is a frayler thing,' quod she, 'than the fleshly body of a man, over whiche have oftentyme flyes, and yet lasse thing than 140 a flye, mokel might in grevaunce and anoying, withouten any withsittinge, for al thilke mannes mightes? And sithen thou seest thyne flesshly body in kyndely power fayle, how shulde than the accident of a thinge ben in more suretè of beinge than substancial? Wherfore, thilke thinges that we clepe power is but 145 accident to the flesshly body; and so they may not have that suretee in might, whiche wanteth in the substancial body. Why there is no way to the knotte, [for him] that loketh aright after the hye way, as he shulde.
CH. VII. 2. I supply men, to maken hem. 8. parfyte. 9. one. 11. great. 14. disease. fal. Howe. canste. 15. great. holden; read helden. 16. wretchydnesse. Howe wretched. 18. one. 19. greatest. 20. thynge. 21. Nowe. great. 23. greatest. 24. wretchydnesse (several times); wretched (several times). 27. reason wote. 33. stretchen.
34. folke. 40. howe. 41. prickes. 47. parfyte. 49. propertie. 50. woste. 51-5. done (thrice). 57-62. wotte (four times). 61. a dradde. 63. leadeth. retche. 64. worthe. reason retcheth. 68. arne. great. 69. beare. 70. thynge.
72. sene. 73. fal. 75. adradde. 76. mote. feare. 77. ayenwarde. 78. mote. 82. great (twice). Althoughe. 88. fal. 90. graet (sic). 91. grou_n_de. 92. Supply if. bearyng. 93. fal. 95. al togyther. howe. 96. haste. 108. enemye.
109. worthe. 110. maye. 111. wretched. nowe thynke. 112. sene. waye. lythe. 115. maye doone. 116. great. 117. ayenwarde. slewe. 118. slayne. 122. huyshte. 123. Nowe. sene. 130. Se nowe. 131. maye. wretchydnesse. 132. the. 133. put. the wretchydnesse. 134. nowe. 135. se. done harme. 141. anoyeng. 143. howe.
147. suretie. 148. waye. Supply for him. 149. waye.
Chapter VIII
Verily it is proved that richesse, dignitè, and power ben not trewe way to the knotte, but as rathe by suche thinges the knotte to be unbounde; wherfore on these thinges I rede no wight truste to gette any good knotte. But what shul we saye of renomè in the peoples mouthes? Shulde that ben any cause? 5 What supposest thou in thyn herte?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'yes, I trowe; for your slye resons I dare not safely it saye.'
'Than,' quod she, 'wol I preve that shrewes as rathe shul ben in the knotte as the good; and that were ayenst kynde.' 10
'Fayn,' quod I, 'wolde I that here; me thinketh wonder how renomè shuld as wel knitte a shrewe as a good person; renomè in every degree hath avaunced; yet wist I never the contrarye. Shulde than renomè accorde with a shrewe? It may not sinke in my stomake til I here more.' 15
'Now,' quod she, 'have I not sayd alwayes, that shrewes shul not have the knotte?'
'What nedeth,' quod I, 'to reherse that any more? I wot wel every wight, by kyndely reson, shrewes in knitting wol eschewe.'
'Than,' quod she, 'the good ought thilke knotte to have.' 20
'How els?' quod I.
'It were greet harm,' quod she, 'that the good were weyved and put out of espoire of the knotte, if he it desyred.'
'O,' quod I, 'alas! On suche thing to thinke, I wene that heven wepeth to see suche wronges here ben suffred on erthe; the 25 good ought it to have, and no wight els.'
'The goodnesse,' quod she, 'of a person may not ben knowe outforth but by renomè of the knowers; wherfore he must be renomed of goodnesse, to come to the knot.'
'So must it be,' quod I, 'or els al lost that we carpen.' 30
'Sothly,' quod she, 'that were greet harm, but-if a good man might have his desyres in service of thilke knot, and a shrewe to be +weyved, and they ben not knowen in general but by lacking and praysing, and in renomè; and so by the consequence it foloweth, a shrewe to ben praysed and knit; and a good to be 35 forsake and unknit.'
'Ah,' quod I tho, 'have ye, lady, ben here abouten; yet wolde I see, by grace of our argumentes better declared, how good and bad do acorden by lacking and praysing; me thinketh it ayenst kynde.' 40
'Nay,' quod she, 'and that shalt thou see as yerne; these elementes han contrarious qualitees in kynde, by whiche they mowe not acorde no more than good and badde; and in [some] qualitees they acorde, so that contraries by qualitè acorden by qualitè. Is not erthe drye; and water, that is next and bitwene 45 th'erthe, is wete? Drye and wete ben contrarie, and mowen not acorde, and yet this discordaunce is bounde to acorde by cloudes; for bothe elementes ben colde. Right so the eyre, that is next the water, is wete; and eke it is hot. This eyre by his hete contrarieth water that is cold; but thilke contrarioustè is oned +by 50 moysture; for bothe be they moyst. Also the fyr, that is next the +eyre and it encloseth al about, is drye, wherthrough it contrarieth +eyre, that is wete; and in hete they acorde; for bothe they ben hote. Thus by these acordaunces discordantes ben joyned, and in a maner of acordaunce they acorden by 55 conneccion, that is, knitting togither; of that accorde cometh a maner of melodye that is right noble. Right so good and bad arn contrarie in doinges, by lacking and praysing; good is bothe lacked and praysed of some; and badde is bothe lacked and praysed of some; wherfore their contrarioustee acorde bothe by 60 lacking and praysing. Than foloweth it, though good be never so mokel praysed, [it] oweth more to ben knit than the badde; or els bad, for the renomè that he hath, must be taken as wel as the good; and that oweth not.'
'No, forsothe,' quod I. 65
'Wel,' quod she, 'than is renomè no way to the knot. Lo, foole,' quod she, 'how clerkes wryten of suche glorie of renomè:--"O glorie, glorie, thou art non other thing to thousandes of folke but a greet sweller of eeres!" Many oon hath had ful greet renomè by false opinion of variaunt people. And what is fouler than 70 folk wrongfully to ben praysed, or by malice of the people giltlesse lacked? Nedes shame foloweth therof to hem that with wrong prayseth, and also to the desertes praysed; and vilanye and reproof of him that disclaundreth.
Good child (quod she) what echeth suche renomè to the 75 conscience of a wyse man, that loketh and mesureth his goodnesse, not by slevelesse wordes of the people, but by sothfastnesse of conscience? By god, nothing. And if it be fayr, a mans name be eched by moche folkes praysing, and fouler thing that mo folk not praysen? I sayd to thee a litel here-beforn, that no folk in 80 straunge countreyes nought praysen; suche renomè may not comen to their eeres, bycause of unknowing and other obstacles, as I sayde: wherfore more folk not praysen, and that is right foul to him that renomè desyreth, to wete, lesse folk praisen than renomè enhaunce. I trowe, the thank of a people is naught 85 worth in remembraunce to take; ne it procedeth of no wyse jugement; never is it stedfast pardurable. It is veyne and fleing; with winde wasteth and encreseth. Trewly, suche glorie ought to be hated. If gentillesse be a cleer thing, renomè and glorie to enhaunce, as in reckening of thy linage, than is gentilesse of thy 90 kinne; for-why it semeth that gentilesse of thy kinne is but praysing and renomè that come of thyne auncestres desertes: and if so be that praysing and renomè of their desertes make their clere gentillesse, than mote they nedes ben gentil for their gentil dedes, and not thou; for of thy-selfe cometh not such 95 maner gentilesse, praysinge of thy desertes. Than gentillesse of thyne auncesters, that forayne is to thee, maketh thee not gentil, but ungentil and reproved, and-if thou continuest not their gentilesse. And therfore a wyse man ones sayde: "Better is it thy kinne to ben by thee gentyled, than thou to glorifye of thy 100 kinnes gentilesse, and hast no desert therof thy-selfe."
How passinge is the beautee of flesshly bodyes, more flittinge than movable floures of sommer! And if thyne eyen weren as good as the lynx, that may seen thorow many stone walles, bothe fayre and foule, in their entrayles, of no maner hewe shulde apere to 105 thy sight; that were a foule sight. Than is fayrnesse by feblesse of eyen, but of no kynde; wherfore thilke shulde be no way to the knot; whan thilke is went, the knotte wendeth after. Lo, now, at al proves, none of al these thinges mowe parfitly ben in understanding, to ben way to the during blisse of the knotte. 110 But now, to conclusion of these maters, herkeneth these wordes. Very sommer is knowe from the winter: in shorter cours draweth the dayes of Decembre than in the moneth of June; the springes of Maye faden and +falowen in Octobre. These thinges ben not unbounden from their olde kynde; they have not lost her werke 115 of their propre estat. Men, of voluntarious wil, withsitte that hevens governeth. Other thinges suffren thinges paciently to werche; man, in what estat he be, yet wolde he ben chaunged. Thus by queynt thinges blisse is desyred; and the fruit that cometh of these springes nis but anguis and bitter; al-though it 120 be a whyle swete, it may not be with-holde; hastely they departe; thus al-day fayleth thinges that fooles wende. Right thus hast thou fayled in thy first wening. He that thinketh to sayle, and drawe after the course of the sterre de polo antartico, shal he never come northward to the contrarye sterre of polus articus; of whiche 125 thinges if thou take kepe, thy first out-waye-going "prison" and "exile" may be cleped. The ground falsed underneth, and so hast thou fayled. No wight, I wene, blameth him that stinteth in misgoing, and secheth redy way of his blisse. Now me thinketh (quod she) that it suffyseth in my shewing; the wayes 130 by dignetè, richesse, renomè, and power, if thou loke clerely, arn no wayes to the knotte.'
CH. VIII. 2. waye. 11. Fayne. howe. 14. maye. 16. Nowe. 18. wotte. 19. reason. 21. Howe. 22. great harme. 25. se.
31. great harme. 33. veyned; read weyued. 38. se. howe. 41. se. 42. qualyties. 43. I supply some. 46. therthe. 49. hotte. 50. colde. co_n_trariousty. my; read by. 51. fyre. 52. erthe; read eyre (twice). 56. connection. 58. arne. 60. contraryoustie. 62. I supply it. 66. waye. 67. howe.
68. arte none. thynge. 69. great. one. great. 71. folke. 74. reprofe. 75. chylde. 76. measureth. 78. fayre. 79. folke. 80. the. beforne. folke. 83. folke. foule. 84. folke. 85. thanke. 86. worthe. 88. encreaseth. 89. clear thynge. 97-100. the (thrice). 101. haste. deserte. 102. Howe. beautie. 104. maye sene thorowe.
106. fayrenesse. 109-111. nowe (twice). 110. waye. 111. nowe. 114. folowen; read falowen. 115. loste. 116. estate. 119. fruite. 121. maye. 122. al-daye. haste. 125. northwarde. 127. grounde. 129. Nowe. 132. ways.
Chapter IX
'Every argument, lady,' quod I tho, 'that ye han maked in these fore-nempned maters, me thinketh hem in my ful witte conceyved; shal I no more, if god wil, in the contrarye be begyled. But fayn wolde I, and it were your wil, blisse of the knotte to me were declared. I might fele the better how my 5 herte might assente, to pursue the ende in service, as he hath begonne.'
'O,' quod she, 'there is a melodye in heven, whiche clerkes clepen "armony"; but that is not in brekinge of voice, but it is a maner swete thing of kyndely werching, that causeth joye[s] 10 out of nombre to recken, and that is joyned by reson and by wysdome in a quantitè of proporcion of knitting. God made al thing in reson and in witte of proporcion of melody, we mowe not suffyse to shewe. It is written by grete clerkes and wyse, that, in erthly thinges, lightly by studye and by travayle the knowinge 15 may be getten; but of suche hevenly melody, mokel travayle wol bringe out in knowing right litel. Swetenesse of this paradyse hath you ravisshed; it semeth ye slepten, rested from al other diseses; so kyndely is your herte therein y-grounded. Blisse of two hertes, in ful love knitte, may not aright ben imagined; ever 20 is their contemplacion, in ful of thoughty studye to plesaunce, mater in bringinge comfort everiche to other. And therfore, of erthly thinges, mokel mater lightly cometh in your lerning. Knowledge of understonding, that is nigh after eye, but not so nigh the covetyse of knittinge in your hertes. More soverain 25 desyr hath every wight in litel heringe of hevenly conninge than of mokel material purposes in erthe. Right so it is in propertee of my servauntes, that they ben more affiched in steringe of litel thinge in his desyr than of mokel other mater lasse in his conscience. This blisse is a maner of sowne delicious in 30 a queynte voice touched, and no dinne of notes; there is non impression of breking labour. I can it not otherwyse nempne, for wantinge of privy wordes, but paradyse terrestre ful of delicious melody, withouten travayle in sown, perpetual service in ful joye coveyted to endure. Only kynde maketh hertes in understonding 35 so to slepe, that otherwyse may it nat be nempned, ne in other maner names for lyking swetnesse can I nat it declare; al sugre and hony, al minstralsy and melody ben but soot and galle in comparison, by no maner proporcion to reken, in respect of this blisful joye. This armony, this melody, this perdurable joye may 40 nat be in doinge but betwene hevens and elementes, or twey kyndly hertes ful knit in trouth of naturel understonding, withouten weninge and disceit; as hevens and planettes, whiche thinges continually, for kyndly accordaunces, foryeteth al contrarious mevinges, that in-to passive diseses may sowne; evermore it 45 thirsteth after more werking. These thinges in proporcion be so wel joyned, that it undoth al thing whiche in-to badnesse by any way may be accompted.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'this is a thing precious and noble. Alas! that falsnesse ever, or wantrust shulde ever be maynteyned, this 50 joye to voyde. Alas! that ever any wrecche shulde, thorow wrath or envy, janglinge dare make, to shove this melody so farre a-backe, that openly dar it nat ben used; trewly, wrecches ben fulfilled with envy and wrathe, and no wight els. Flebring and tales in suche wrecches dare appere openly in every wightes 55 eere, with ful mouth so charged, [with] mokel malice moved many innocentes to shende; god wolde their soule therwith were strangled! Lo! trouth in this blisse is hid, and over-al under covert him hydeth; he dar not come a-place, for waytinge of shrewes. Commenly, badnesse goodnesse amaistreth; with my-selfe 60 and my soule this joye wolde I bye, if the goodnesse were as moche as the nobley in melody.'
'O,' quod she, 'what goodnesse may be acompted more in this material worlde? Truly, non; that shalt thou understonde. Is nat every thing good that is contrariant and distroying yvel?' 65
'How els?' quod I.
'Envy, wrathe, and falsnesse ben general,' quod she; 'and that wot every man being in his right mynde; the knotte, the whiche we have in this blisse, is contrariaunt and distroyeth such maner yvels. Ergo, it is good. What hath caused any wight 70 to don any good dede? Fynd me any good, but-if this knotte be the cheef cause. Nedes mot it be good, that causeth so many good dedes. Every cause is more and worthier than thing caused; and in that mores possession al thinges lesse ben compted. As the king is more than his people, and hath in 75 possession al his rëalme after, right so the knot is more than al other goodes; thou might recken al thinges lasse; and that to him longeth, oweth in-to his mores cause of worship and of wil +to turne; it is els rebel and out of his mores defending to voyde. Right so of every goodnesse; in-to the knotte and 80 in-to the cause of his worship [it] oweth to tourne. And trewly, every thing that hath being profitably is good, but nothing hath to ben more profitably than this knot; kinges it mayntayneth, and hem, their powers to mayntayne. It maketh misse to ben amended with good governaunce in doing. It closeth hertes 85 so togider, that rancour is out-thresten. Who that it lengest kepeth, lengest is glad[d]ed.'
'I trowe,' quod I, 'heretykes and misse-mening people hence-forward wol maintayne this knotte; for therthorough shul they ben maintayned, and utterly wol turne and leve their olde yvel 90 understanding, and knitte this goodnesse, and profer so ferre in service, that name of servauntes might they have. Their jangles shal cese; me thinketh hem lacketh mater now to alege.'
'Certes,' quod Love, 'if they, of good wil thus turned, as thou sayst, wolen trewly perfourme, yet shul they be abled party 95 of this blisse to have; and they wol not, yet shul my servauntes the werre wel susteyne in myn helpe of maintenaunce to the ende. And they, for their good travayle, shullen in reward so ben meded, that endelesse joye body and soule +to-gider in this shullen abyden. There is ever accion of blisse withouten possible 100 corrupcion; there is accion perpetuel in werke without travayle; there is everlasting passife, withouten any of labour; continuel plyte, without cesinge coveyted to endure. No tonge may telle, ne herte may thinke the leest point of this blisse.'
'God bring me thider!' quod I than. 105
'Continueth wel,' quod she, 'to the ende, and thou might not fayle than; for though thou spede not here, yet shal the passion of thy martred lyfe ben written, and rad toforn the grete Jupiter, that god is of routhe, an high in the holownesse of heven, there he sit in his trone; and ever thou shalt forward ben holden 110 amonge al these hevins for a knight, that mightest with no penaunce ben discomfited. He is a very martyr that, livingly goinge, is gnawen to the bones.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'these ben good wordes of comfort; a litel myne herte is rejoyced in a mery wyse.' 115
'Ye,' quod she; 'and he that is in heven felith more joye, than whan he firste herde therof speke.'
'So it is,' quod I; 'but wist I the sothe, that after disese comfort wolde folowe with blisse, so as ye have often declared, I wolde wel suffre this passion with the better chere. But my 120 thoughtful sorowe is endelesse, to thinke how I am cast out of a welfare; and yet dayneth not this yvel non herte, non hede, to meward throwe: which thinges wolde greetly me by wayes of comfort disporte, to weten in my-selfe a litel with other me[n] ben y-moved; and my sorowes peysen not in her balaunce the 125 weyght of a peese. Slinges of her daunger so hevily peysen, they drawe my causes so hye, that in her eyen they semen but light and right litel.'
'O! for,' quod she, 'heven with skyes that foule cloudes maken and darke +weders, with gret tempestes and huge, 130 maketh the mery dayes with softe shyning sonnes. Also the yere with-draweth floures and beautee of herbes and of erth; the same +yere maketh springes and jolitè in Vere so to renovel with peinted coloures, that erthe semeth as gay as heven. Sees that blasteth and with wawes throweth shippes, of whiche the 135 living creatures for greet peril for hem dreden; right so, the same sees maketh smothe waters and golden sayling, and comforteth hem with noble haven that firste were so ferde. Hast thou not (quod she) lerned in thy youth, that Jupiter hath in his warderobe bothe garmentes of joye and of sorowe? What 140 wost thou how soone he wol turne of the garment of care, and clothe thee in blisse? Pardè, it is not ferre fro thee. Lo, an olde proverbe aleged by many wyse:--"Whan bale is greetest, than is bote a nye-bore." Wherof wilt thou dismaye? Hope wel and serve wel; and that shal thee save, with thy good bileve.' 145
'Ye, ye,' quod I; 'yet see I not by reson how this blisse is coming; I wot it is contingent; it may falle on other.'
'O,' quod she, 'I have mokel to done to clere thyne understanding, and voyde these errours out of thy mynde. I wol prove it by reson, thy wo may not alway enduren. Every thing 150 kyndely (quod she) is governed and ruled by the hevenly bodyes, whiche haven ful werchinge here on erthe; and after course of these bodyes, al course of your doinges here ben governed and ruled by kynde.
Thou wost wel, by cours of planettes al your dayes proceden; 155 and to everich of singuler houres be enterchaunged stondmele about, by submitted worching naturally to suffre; of whiche changes cometh these transitory tymes that maketh revolving of your yeres thus stondmele; every hath ful might of worchinge, til al seven han had her course about. Of which worchinges and 160 possession of houres the dayes of the weke have take her names, after denominacion in these seven planettes. Lo, your Sonday ginneth at the first hour after noon on the Saturday, in whiche hour is than the Sonne in ful might of worching; of whom Sonday taketh his name. Next him foloweth Venus, and after 165 Mercurius, and than the Moone; so than Saturnus, after whom Jovis; and than Mars; and ayen than the Sonne; and so forth +by .xxiiii. houres togider; in whiche hour ginning in the seconde day stant the Moone, as maister for that tyme to rule; of whom Monday taketh his name; and this course foloweth of al other 170 dayes generally in doing. This course of nature of these bodyes chaunging stinten at a certain terme, limitted by their first kynde; and of hem al governementes in this elemented worlde proceden, as in springes, constellacions, engendrures, and al that folowen kynde and reson; wherfore [in] the course that foloweth, sorowe 175 and joy kyndely moten entrechangen their tymes; so that alway oon wele, as alway oon wo, may not endure. Thus seest thou appertly, thy sorowe in-to wele mot ben chaunged; wherfore in suche case to better syde evermore enclyne thou shuldest. Trewly, next the ende of sorowe anon entreth joy; by maner 180 of necessitè it wol ne may non other betyde; and so thy conti[n]gence is disproved; if thou holde this opinion any more, thy wit is right leude. Wherfore, in ful conclusion of al this, thilke Margaryte thou desyrest hath ben to thee dere in thy herte, and for her hast thou suffred many thoughtful diseses; herafter shal 185 [she] be cause of mokel mirth and joye; and loke how glad canst thou ben, and cese al thy passed hevinesse with manifolde joyes. And than wol I as blythly here thee speken thy mirthes in joye, as I now have y-herd thy sorowes and thy complayntes. And if I mowe in aught thy joye encrese, by my trouthe, on 190 my syde shal nat be leved for no maner traveyle, that I with al my mightes right blythly wol helpe, and ever ben redy you bothe to plese.' And than thanked I that lady with al goodly maner that I worthily coude; and trewly I was greetly rejoysed in myne herte of her fayre behestes; and profered me to be 195 slawe, in al that she me wolde ordeyne, while my lyf lested.
CH. IX. 4. fayne. 5. howe.
10. ioye; read joyes. 11-3. reason. 14. great. 19. diseases. hertes; read herte. 22. comforte. 24-5. nyghe (twice). 25. soueraine desyre. 27. propertie. 29. desyre. 31. none. 32. breakynge laboure. canne. 35. Onely. 38. soote. 39. respecte.
45. diseases. 51. wretch. thorowe. 53. dare. 53-5. wretches. 56. eare. I supply with. 57. innocte_n_es; misprint for innoce_n_tes. 59. dare. 65. distroyeng. 66. Howe. 71. Fynde. 72. chefe. mote. 73. thynge. 79. do; read to, as in l. 81. 81. Supply it.
88. meanynge. 89. forwarde. 90. leaue. 93. cease. nowe. 99. togyther. 100-1. action (twice). 103. ceasynge. tel. 104. hert. 108. radde toforne. great. 110. sytte. forwarde. 114. comforte. 118. disease comforte.
121. howe. 122. none (twice). 123. mewarde. greatly. 124. comforte. me; read men? 130. wethers; read weders. 132. beautie. 133. yeres; read yere. 136. great. 141. howe. 142. the. 143. greatest. 144. wylte. 145. the. 146. se. reason howe. 147. wote. fal. 150. reason.
162. denomination. 168. be; for by. 169. stante. 172. certayne. 175. Supply in. 177. on (for oon; twice). 178. mote. 181. contygence. 184. the. 185. diseases. 186. Supply she. howe. canste. 187. cease. 188. the. 189. ioy. nowe. yherde. 190. encrease. 191. leaued.
194. worthely. greatly. 195. hert. 196. lyfe.
Chapter X
'Me thinketh,' quod I, 'that ye have right wel declared, that way to the knot shuld not ben in none of these disprovinge thinges; and now, order of our purpos this asketh, that ye shulde me shewe if any way be +thider, and whiche thilke way shulde ben; so that openly may be seye the verry 5 hye way in ful confusioun of these other thinges.'
'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that [of] one of three lyves (as I first sayd) every creature of mankynde is sprongen, and so forth procedeth. These lyves ben thorow names departed in three maner of kyndes, as bestialliche, manliche, and resonabliche; 10 of whiche two ben used by flesshely body, and the thirde by his soule. "Bestial" among resonables is forboden in every lawe and every secte, bothe in Cristen and other; for every wight dispyseth hem that liveth by lustes and delytes, as him that is thral and bounden servaunt to thinges right foule; suche 15 ben compted werse than men; he shal nat in their degree ben rekened, ne for suche one alowed. Heritykes, sayn they, chosen lyf bestial, that voluptuously liven; so that (as I first sayde to thee) in manly and resonable livinges our mater was to declare; but [by] "manly" lyfe, in living after flesshe, or els flesshly wayes 20 to chese, may nat blisse in this knotte be conquered, as by reson it is proved. Wherfore by "resonable" lyfe he must nedes it have, sithe a way is to this knotte, but nat by the firste tway lyves; wherfore nedes mot it ben to the thirde; and for to live in flesshe, but nat after flessh, is more resonablich than manliche rekened 25 by clerkes. Therfore how this way cometh in, I wol it blythely declare.
See now (quod she) that these bodily goodes of manliche livinges yelden +sorowfulle stoundes and smertande houres. Who-so +wol remembre him to their endes, in their worchinges they 30 ben thoughtful and sorie. Right as a bee that hath had his hony, anon at his flight beginneth to stinge; so thilke bodily goodes at the laste mote awaye, and than stinge they at her goinge, wherthrough entreth and clene voydeth al blisse of this knot.'
'Forsothe,' quod I, 'me thinketh I am wel served, in shewing 35 of these wordes. Although I hadde litel in respect among other grete and worthy, yet had I a fair parcel, as me thought, for the tyme, in forthering of my sustenaunce; whiche while it dured, I thought me havinge mokel hony to myne estat. I had richesse suffisauntly to weyve nede; I had dignitè to be reverenced in 40 worship. Power me thought that I had to kepe fro myne enemyes, and me semed to shyne in glorie of renomè as manhood asketh in mene; for no wight in myne administracion coude non yvels ne trechery by sothe cause on me putte. Lady, your-selve weten wel, that of tho confederacies maked by my soverains 45 I nas but a servaunt, and yet mokel mene folk wol fully ayenst reson thilke maters maynteyne, in whiche mayntenaunce [they] glorien them-selfe; and, as often ye haven sayd, therof ought nothing in yvel to be layd to me-wardes, sithen as repentaunt I am tourned, and no more I thinke, neither tho thinges ne 50 none suche other to sustene, but utterly distroye, without medlinge maner, in al my mightes. How am I now cast out of al swetnesse of blisse, and mischevously [is] stongen my passed joy! Soroufully muste I bewayle, and live as a wrecche.
Every of tho joyes is tourned in-to his contrary. For richesse, 55 now have I povertè; for dignitè, now am I emprisoned; in stede of power, wrecchednesse I suffre; and for glorie of renomè, I am now dispysed and foulich hated. Thus hath farn Fortune, that sodaynly am I overthrowen, and out of al welth dispoyled. Trewly, me thinketh this way in entree is right hard; god graunt 60 me better grace er it be al passed; the other way, lady, me thought right swete.'
'Now, certes,' quod Love, 'me list for to chyde. What ayleth thy darke dulnesse? Wol it nat in clerenesse ben sharped? Have I nat by many resons to thee shewed, suche bodily goodes 65 faylen to yeve blisse, their might so ferforth wol nat strecche? Shame (quod she) it is to say, thou lyest in thy wordes. Thou ne hast wist but right fewe that these bodily goodes had al atones; commenly they dwellen nat togider. He that plentè hath in riches, of his kinne is ashamed; another of linage right noble and wel 70 knowe, but povert him handleth; he were lever unknowe. Another hath these, but renomè of peoples praysing may he nat have; overal he is hated and defamed of thinges right foule. Another is fair and semely, but dignitè him fayleth; and he that hath dignitè is croked or lame, or els misshapen and foully dispysed. 75 Thus partable these goodes dwellen commenly; in one houshold ben they but silde. Lo! how wrecched is your truste on thing that wol nat accorde! Me thinketh, thou clepest thilke plyte thou were in "selinesse of fortune"; and thou sayest, for that the selinesse is departed, thou art a wrecch. Than foloweth 80 this upon thy wordes; every soule resonable of man may nat dye; and if deth endeth selinesse and maketh wrecches, as nedes of fortune maketh it an ende. Than soules, after deth of the body, in wrecchednesse shulde liven. But we knowe many that han geten the blisse of heven after their deth. How than may this 85 lyf maken men blisful, that whan it passeth it yeveth no wrecchednesse, and many tymes blisse, if in this lyfe he con live as he shulde? And wolt thou acompt with Fortune, that now at [t]he first she hath don thee tene and sorowe? If thou loke to the maner of al glad thinges and sorouful, thou mayst nat nay it, that 90 yet, and namely now, thou standest in noble plyte in a good ginning, with good forth-going herafter. And if thou wene to be a wrecch, for such welth is passed, why than art thou nat wel fortunate, for badde thinges and anguis wrecchednesse ben passed? Art thou now come first in-to the hostry of this lyfe, or els the 95 both of this worlde? Art thou now a sodayn gest in-to this wrecched exile? Wenest there be any thing in this erthe stable? Is nat thy first arest passed, that brought thee in mortal sorowe? Ben these nat mortal thinges agon with ignorance of beestial wit, and hast receyved reson in knowing of vertue? What comfort is 100 in thy herte, the knowinge sikerly in my service [to] be grounded? And wost thou nat wel, as I said, that deth maketh ende of al fortune? What than? Standest thou in noble plyte, litel hede or recking to take, if thou let fortune passe dy[i]ng, or els that she fly whan her list, now by thy lyve? Pardy, a man hath 105 nothing so leef as his lyf; and for to holde that, he doth al his cure and diligent traveyle. Than, say I, thou art blisful and fortunat sely, if thou knowe thy goodes that thou hast yet +beleved, whiche nothing may doute that they ne ben more worthy than thy lyf?' 110
'What is that?' quod I.
'Good contemplacion,' quod she, 'of wel-doing in vertue in tyme coming, bothe in plesaunce of me and of thy Margarit-peerle. Hastely thyn hert in ful blisse with her shal be esed. Therfore dismay thee nat; Fortune, in hate grevously ayenst thy bodily person, 115 ne yet to gret tempest hath she nat sent to thee, sithen the holding cables and ankers of thy lyfe holden by knitting so faste, that thou discomforte thee nought of tyme that is now, ne dispayre thee not of tyme to come, but yeven thee comfort in hope of weldoing, and of getting agayn the double of thy lesing, with 120 encresing love of thy Margarite-perle therto! For this, hiderto, thou hast had al her ful daunger; and so thou might amende al that is misse and al defautes that somtyme thou diddest; and that now, in al thy tyme, to that ilke Margaryte in ful service of my lore thyne herte hath continued; wherfore she ought moche 125 the rather enclyne fro her daungerous sete. These thinges ben yet knit by the holding anker in thy lyve, and holden mote they; to god I pray, al these thinges at ful ben perfourmed. For whyle this anker holdeth, I hope thou shalt safely escape; and [in a] whyle thy trewe-mening service aboute bringe, in dispyte of al 130 false meners that thee of-newe haten; for [in] this trewe service thou art now entred.'
'Certayn,' quod I, 'among thinges I asked a question, whiche was the way to the knot. Trewly, lady, how-so it be I tempt you with questions and answers, in speking of my first service, I am 135 now in ful purpos in the pricke of the herte, that thilke service was an enprisonment, and alway bad and naughty, in no maner to be desyred; ne that, in getting of the knot, may it nothing aveyle. A wyse gentil herte loketh after vertue, and none other bodily joyes alone. And bycause toforn this in tho wayes I was 140 set, I wot wel my-selfe I have erred, and of the blisse fayled; and so out of my way hugely have I ronne.'
'Certes,' quod she, 'that is sothe; and there thou hast miswent, eschewe the path from hens-forward, I rede. Wonder I trewly why the mortal folk of this worlde seche these ways 145 outforth; and it is preved in your-selfe. Lo, how ye ben confounded with errour and folly! The knowing of very cause and way is goodnesse and vertue. Is there any thing to thee more precious than thy-selfe? Thou shalt have in thy power that thou woldest never lese, and that in no way may be taken fro thee; and thilke 150 thing is that is cause of this knot. And if deth mowe it nat reve more than an erthly creature, thilke thing than abydeth with thy-selfe soule. And so, our conclusion to make, suche a knot, thus getten, abydeth with this thinge and with the soule, as long as they laste. A soule dyeth never; vertu and goodnesse evermore 155 with the soule endureth; and this knot is parfit blisse. Than this soule in this blisse endlesse shal enduren. Thus shul hertes of a trewe knot ben esed: thus shul their soules ben plesed: thus perpetually in joye shul they singe.'
'In good trouth,' quod I, 'here is a good beginning; yeve us 160 more of this way.'
Quod she, 'I said to thee nat longe sithen, that resonable lyf was oon of three thinges; and it was proved to the soule.
CH. X. 3. nowe. purpose. 4. thyther. 5. maye be sey. 6. waye. 7. I supply of. 7-10. thre (twice). 9. thorowe. 13. christen. 17. sayne. 18. lyfe. 19. the. lyueng_es_. 20. Supply by. lyueng. 21. reason. 24. mote. 26. howe. waye. 28. Se nowe. 29. lyuenges. soroufully; read sorowfulle. 30. wele; read wol.
31. hadde. 32. anone. 36. respecte amonge. 37. great. faire. 39. estate. 42. manhode. 43. meane. -tion. 46. meane folke. 47. reason. I supply they. 48. sayde. 49. nothynge. layde. 52. Howe. nowe caste. 53. Supply is. 54. wretche. 56. nowe (thrice). 57. wretchednesse. 58. nowe. 60. entre. harde. 61. ladye. 63. Nowe. 65. reasons. the. 66. ferforthe. stretche.
74. faire. 75. fouly. 77. sylde. howe reetched (!). 80. arte a wretch. 82. dethe. wretches. 83. dethe. 84-6. wretchednesse. 85. dethe. Howe. 86. lyfe. 88. wolte. now. he; read the. 89. done the. 91. nowe. 93. wretch. 94. wretchednesse. 95-6. nowe (twice). 96. sodayne. 97. wretched. thynge. 98. the (sic). 100. reason. co_m_forte. 101. hert. I supply to. 102. woste.
104. rcekyng. dyng (sic). 106. lefe. lyfe. 109. beloued; read beleued. nothynge. 112. conte_m_plation. 114. eased. 115-9. the (five times). 119. comforte. 120. agayne. encreasynge. 129. shalte. Supply in a. 130. meanyng. 131. meaners. the. Supply in. 132. arte nowe. 133. Certayn begins with a large capital C, on fol. 306, verso. amonge. 134. howe. 136. nowe. purpose. 136-9. hert.
140. toforne. 141. sette. wote. 142. ron. 144. pathe. -forwarde. 145. folke. 146. howe. 148. thynge. the. 150. the. 151. dethe. 152. thynge. 155. last. 156. p_ar_fite. 158. eased. pleased. 162. the. lyfe. 163. one. thre.
Chapter XI
Every soule of reson hath two thinges of stering lyf, oon in vertue, and another in the bodily workinge; and whan the soule is the maister over the body, than is a man maister of him-selfe. And a man, to be a maister over him-selfe, liveth in vertu and in goodnesse, and as reson of vertue techeth. So the soule and the 5 body, worching vertue togider, liven resonable lyf, whiche clerkes clepen "felicitè in living"; and therein is the hye way to this knot. These olde philosophers, that hadden no knowing of divine grace, of kyndly reson alone, wenden that of pure nature, withouten any helpe of grace, me might have y-shoned th'other livinges. 10 Resonably have I lived; and for I thinke herafter, if god wol, and I have space, thilke grace after my leude knowing declare, I leve it as at this tyme. But, as I said, he that out-forth loketh after the wayes of this knot, [his] conning with whiche he shulde knowe the way in-forth, slepeth for the tyme. Wherfore he that 15 wol this way knowe, must leve the loking after false wayes out-forth, and open the eyen of his conscience, and unclose his herte. Seest nat, he that hath trust in the bodily lyfe is so besy bodily woundes to anointe, in keping from smert (for al-out may they nat be heled), that of woundes in his true understanding he taketh no 20 hede; the knowing evenforth slepeth so harde: but anon, as in knowing awake, than ginneth the prevy medicynes, for heling of his trewe intent, inwardes lightly +helen conscience, if it be wel handled. Than must nedes these wayes come out of the soule by stering lyfe of the body; and els may no man come to parfit 25 blisse of this knotte. And thus, by this waye, he shal come to the knotte, and to the parfit selinesse that he wende have had in bodily goodes outforth.'
'Ye,' quod I, 'shal he have both knot, riches, power, dignitè, and renomè in this maner way?' 30
'Ye,' quod she, 'that shal I shewe thee. Is he nat riche that hath suffisaunce, and hath the power that no man may amaistrien? Is nat greet dignitè to have worship and reverence? And hath he nat glorie of renomè, whos name perpetual is during, and out of nombre in comparacion?' 35
'These be thinges that men wenen to getten outforth,' quod I.
'Ye,' quod she; 'they that loken after a thing that nought is therof, in al ne in partie, longe mowe they gapen after!'
'That is sothe,' quod I.
'Therfore,' quod she, 'they that sechen gold in grene trees, and 40 wene to gader precious stones among vynes, and layn her nettes in mountains to fisshe, and thinken to hunte in depe sees after hart and hynd, and sechen in erth thilke thinges that surmounteth heven, what may I of hem say, but folisshe ignoraunce misledeth wandring wrecches by uncouth wayes that shulden be forleten, 45 and maketh hem blynde fro the right pathe of trewe way that shulde ben used? Therfore, in general, errour in mankynde departeth thilke goodes by mis-seching, whiche he shulde have hole, and he sought by reson. Thus goth he begyled of that he sought; in his hode men have blowe a jape.' 50
'Now,' quod I, 'if a man be vertuous, and al in vertue liveth, how hath he al these thinges?'
'That shal I proven,' quod she. 'What power hath any man to lette another of living in vertue? For prisonment, or any other disese, [if] he take it paciently, discomfiteth he nat; the 55 tyrant over his soule no power may have. Than hath that man, so tourmented, suche power, that he nil be discomfit; ne overcome may he nat ben, sithen pacience in his soule overcometh, and +is nat overcomen. Suche thing that may nat be a-maistred, he hath nede to nothing; for he hath suffisaunce y-now, to helpe 60 him-selfe. And thilke thing that thus hath power and suffisance, and no tyrant may it reve, and hath dignitè to sette at nought al thinges, here it is a greet dignitè, that deth may a-maistry. Wherfore thilke power [with] suffisaunce, so enclosed with dignitè, by al reson renomè must have. This is thilke riches with suffisaunce 65 ye sholde loke after; this is thilke worshipful dignitè ye shulde coveyte; this is thilke power of might, in whiche ye shulde truste; this is the ilke renomè of glorie that endlesse endureth; and al nis but substaunce in vertuous lyving.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'al this is sothe; and so I see wel that vertue 70 with ful gripe encloseth al these thinges. Wherfore in sothe I may saye, by my trouth, vertue of my Margarite brought me first in-to your service, to have knitting with that jewel, nat sodain longinges ne folkes smale wordes, but only our conversacion togider; and than I, seinge th'entent of her trewe mening with 75 florisshing vertue of pacience, that she used nothing in yvel, to quyte the wicked lesinges that false tonges ofte in her have laid, I have seye it my-selfe, goodly foryevenesse hath spronge out of her herte. Unitè and accord, above al other thinges, she desyreth in a good meke maner; and suffereth many wicked 80 tales.
Trewly, lady, to you it were a gret worship, that suche thinges by due chastisment were amended.'
'Ye,' quod she, 'I have thee excused; al suche thinges as yet mowe nat be redressed; thy Margarites vertue I commende wel 85 the more, that paciently suche anoyes suffreth. David king was meke, and suffred mokel hate and many yvel speches; no despyt ne shame that his enemys him deden might nat move pacience out of his herte, but ever in one plyte mercy he used. Wherfore god him-selfe took reward to the thinges; and theron suche 90 punisshment let falle. Trewly, by reson, it ought be ensample of drede to al maner peoples mirth. A man vengeable in wrath no governance in punisshment ought to have. Plato had a cause his servant to +scourge, and yet cleped he his neibour to performe the doinge; him-selfe wolde nat, lest wrath had him a-maistred; and 95 so might he have layd on to moche: evermore grounded vertue sheweth th'entent fro within. And trewly, I wot wel, for her goodnesse and vertue, thou hast desyred my service to her plesance wel the more; and thy-selfe therto fully hast profered.'
'Good lady,' quod I, 'is vertue the hye way to this knot that 100 long we have y-handled?'
'Ye, forsoth,' quod she, 'and without vertue, goodly this knot may nat be goten.'
'Ah! now I see,' quod I, 'how vertu in me fayleth; and I, as a seer tree, without burjoning or frute, alwaye welke; and 105 so I stonde in dispeyre of this noble knot; for vertue in me hath no maner workinge. A! wyde-where aboute have I traveyled!'
'Pees,' quod she, 'of thy first way; thy traveyle is in ydel; and, as touchinge the seconde way, I see wel thy meninge. Thou 110 woldest conclude me, if thou coudest, bycause I brought thee to service; and every of my servantes I helpe to come to this blisse, as I sayd here-beforn. And thou saydest thy-selfe, thou mightest nat be holpen as thou wenest, bycause that vertue in thee fayleth; and this blisse parfitly without vertue may nat be 115 goten; thou wenest of these wordes contradiccion to folowe. Pardè, at the hardest, I have no servant but he be vertuous in dede and thought. I brought thee in my service, yet art thou nat my servant; but I say, thou might so werche in vertue herafter, that than shalt thou be my servant, and as for my servant 120 acompted. For habit maketh no monk; ne weringe of gilte spurres maketh no knight. Never-the-later, in confort of thyne herte, yet wol I otherwyse answere.'
'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'so ye muste nedes; or els I had nigh caught suche a +cardiacle for sorowe, I wot it wel, I shulde 125 it never have recovered. And therfore now I praye [thee] to enforme me in this; or els I holde me without recovery. I may nat long endure til this lesson be lerned, and of this mischeef the remedy knowen.'
'Now,' quod she, 'be nat wroth; for there is no man on-lyve 130 that may come to a precious thing longe coveited, but he somtyme suffre teneful diseses: and wenest thy-selfe to ben unliche to al other? That may nat ben. And with the more sorowe that a thing is getten, the more he hath joye the ilke thing afterwardes to kepe; as it fareth by children in scole, that for lerninge arn 135 beten, whan their lesson they foryetten. Commenly, after a good disciplyning with a yerde, they kepe right wel doctrine of their scole.'
CH. XI. 1. euery (with small e). reason. lyfe. one. 6. lyfe. 7. lyueng. 9. reason.
10. thother lyuenges. 13. leaue. 14. I supply his. 16. leaue. 19. anoynt. 20. healed. 22. healyng. 23. healeth; read helen. 25. maye. p_ar_fite. 27. p_ar_fyte. 30. waye. 31. the. 33. great. 34. whose. 35. co_m_paration. 37. thynge. 40. golde. 41. amonge. layne. 42. hunt. 43. hynde. 45. wretches.
48. mysse. 49. reason. 51. Nowe. 52. howe. 54. let. lyueng. 55. I supply if. 56. maye. 59. as; read is. 60. ynowe. 63. great. 64. I supply with. 67. coueyt. 69. lyueng. 70. se. 74. onely. co_n_versation. 75. thentent. 76. nothynge. 77. leasynges. layde. 78. sey. 79. hert. accorde. 82. Trewly (with large capital T).
84. the. 87. dispite. 89. Werfore. 90. toke rewarde. 91. fal. reason. 94. scoure (!); read scourge. 96. layde. 97. thentent. wotte. 99. haste. 100. waye. 104. nowe I se. howe. 105. tre. 109. Peace. 110. se. meanyng. 111. the. 112. one. 113. beforne. 114. wenyst. 115. the. maye. 116. co_n_tradiction. 118. the. arte.
121. habyte. monke. wearynge. 122. conforte. 125. nyghe. cordiacle; read cardiacle. wotte. 126. nowe. I supply thee. 127. recouerye. 128. mischefe. 130. Nowe. wrothe. 131. maye. 132. diseases. wenyst. 133. maye. 134. thynge. 135. schole. arne. 136. beaten. 138. schole.
Chapter XII
Right with these wordes, on this lady I threw up myne eyen, to see her countenaunce and her chere; and she, aperceyving this fantasye in myne herte, gan her semblaunt goodly on me caste, and sayde in this wyse.
'It is wel knowe, bothe to reson and experience in doinge, 5 every active worcheth on his passive; and whan they ben togider, "active" and "passive" ben y-cleped by these philosophers. If fyr be in place chafinge thing able to be chafed or hete[d], and thilke thinges ben set in suche a distaunce that the oon may werche, the other shal suffre. Thilke Margarite thou desyrest is 10 ful of vertue, and able to be active in goodnesse: but every herbe sheweth his vertue outforth from within. The sonne yeveth light, that thinges may be seye. Every fyr heteth thilke thing that it +neigheth, and it be able to be hete[d]. Vertue of this Margarite outforth +wercheth; and nothing is more able to suffre worching, 15 or worke cacche of the actife, but passife of the same actife; and no passife, to vertues of this Margaryte, but thee, in al my Donet can I fynde! So that her vertue muste nedes on thee werche; in what place ever thou be, within distaunce of her worthinesse, as her very passife thou art closed. But vertue may thee nothing 20 profyte, but thy desyr be perfourmed, and al thy sorowes cesed. Ergo, through werchinge of her vertue thou shalt esely ben holpen, and driven out of al care, and welcome to this longe by thee desyred!'
'Lady,' quod I, 'this is a good lesson in ginning of my joye; 25 but wete ye wel forsothe, though I suppose she have moche vertue, I wolde my spousaile were proved, and than may I live out of doute, and rejoice me greetly, in thinking of tho vertues so shewed.'
'I herde thee saye,' quod she, 'at my beginning, whan I receyved 30 thee firste for to serve, that thy jewel, thilke Margaryte thou desyrest, was closed in a muskle with a blewe shel.'
'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'so I sayd; and so it is.'
'Wel,' quod she, 'every-thing kyndly sheweth it-selfe; this jewel, closed in a blewe shel, [by] excellence of coloures sheweth 35 vertue from within; and so every wight shulde rather loke to the propre vertue of thinges than to his forayne goodes. If a thing be engendred of good mater, comenly and for the more part, it foloweth, after the congelement, vertue of the first mater (and it be not corrupt with vyces) to procede with encrees of good 40 vertues; eke right so it fareth of badde. Trewly, greet excellence in vertue of linage, for the more part, discendeth by kynde to the succession in vertues to folowe. Wherfore I saye, the +colour of every Margarit sheweth from within the fynesse in vertue. Kyndely heven, whan mery +weder is a-lofte, apereth in mannes 45 eye of coloure in blewe, stedfastnesse in pees betokening within and without. Margaryte is engendred by hevenly dewe, and sheweth in it-selfe, by fynenesse of colour, whether the engendrure were maked on morowe or on eve; thus sayth kynde of this perle. This precious Margaryte that thou servest, sheweth it-selfe 50 discended, by nobley of vertue, from this hevenlich dewe, norisshed and congeled in mekenesse, that +moder is of al vertues; and, by werkes that men seen withouten, the significacion of the coloures ben shewed, mercy and pitee in the herte, with pees to al other; and al this is y-closed in a muskle, who-so redily these vertues 55 loken. Al thing that hath soule is reduced in-to good by mene thinges, as thus: In-to god man is reduced by soules resonable; and so forth beestes, or bodyes that mowe not moven, after place ben reduced in-to manne by beestes +mene that moven from place to place. So that thilke bodyes that han felinge soules, and move 60 not from places, holden the lowest degree of soulinge thinges in felinge; and suche ben reduced in-to man by menes. So it foloweth, the muskle, as +moder of al vertues, halt the place of mekenesse, to his lowest degree discendeth downe of heven, and there, by a maner of virgine engendrure, arn these Margarytes 65 engendred, and afterward congeled. Made not mekenesse so lowe the hye heven, to enclose and cacche out therof so noble a dewe, that after congelement, a Margaryte, with endelesse vertue and everlasting joy, was with ful vessel of grace yeven to every creature, that goodly wolde it receyve?' 70
'Certes,' quod I, 'these thinges ben right noble; I have er this herd these same sawes.'
'Than,' quod she, 'thou wost wel these thinges ben sothe?'
'Ye, forsothe,' quod I, 'at the ful.'
'Now,' quod she, 'that this Margaryte is ful of vertue, it is wel 75 proved; wherfore som grace, som mercy, among other vertues, I wot right wel, on thee shal discende?'
'Ye,' quod I; 'yet wolde I have better declared, vertues in this Margarite kyndely to ben grounded.'
'That shal I shew thee,' quod she, 'and thou woldest it lerne.' 80
'Lerne?' quod I, 'what nedeth suche wordes? Wete ye nat wel, lady, your-selfe, that al my cure, al my diligence, and al my might, have turned by your counsayle, in plesaunce of that perle? Al my thought and al my studye, with your helpe, desyreth, in worshippe [of] thilke jewel, to encrese al my travayle and al my 85 besinesse in your service, this Margaryte to gladde in some halve. Me were lever her honour, her plesaunce, and her good chere thorow me for to be mayntayned and kept, and I of suche thinge in her lykinge to be cause, than al the welthe of bodily goodes ye coude recken. And wolde never god but I putte my-selfe in 90 greet jeopardy of al that I +welde, (that is now no more but my lyf alone), rather than I shulde suffre thilke jewel in any pointe ben blemisshed; as ferre as I may suffre, and with my mightes strecche.'
'Suche thing,' quod she, 'may mokel further thy grace, and 95 thee in my service avaunce. But now (quod Love) wilt thou graunte me thilke Margaryte to ben good?'
'O! good +god,' quod I, 'why tempte ye me and tene with suche maner speche? I wolde graunt that, though I shulde anon dye; and, by my trouthe, fighte in the quarel, if any wight wolde 100 countreplede.'
'It is so moche the lighter,' quod Love, 'to prove our entent.'
'Ye,' quod I; 'but yet wolde I here how ye wolde prove that she were good by resonable skil, that it mowe not ben denyed. For although I knowe, and so doth many other, manifold goodnesse 105 and vertue in this Margaryte ben printed, yet some men there ben that no goodnesse speken; and, wher-ever your wordes ben herd and your resons ben shewed, suche yvel spekers, lady, by auctoritè of your excellence, shullen be stopped and ashamed! And more, they that han non aquayntaunce in her persone, yet 110 mowe they knowe her vertues, and ben the more enfourmed in what wyse they mowe sette their hertes, whan hem liste in-to your service any entree make. For trewly al this to beginne, I wot wel my-selfe that thilke jewel is so precious perle, as a womanly woman in her kynde; in whom of goodnesse, of vertue, and also 115 of answeringe shappe of limmes, and fetures so wel in al pointes acording, nothing fayleth. I leve that kynde her made with greet studye; for kynde in her person nothing hath foryet[en], and that is wel sene. In every good wightes herte she hath grace of commending and of vertuous praysing. Alas! that ever kynde 120 made her deedly! Save only in that, I wot wel, that Nature, in fourminge of her, in no-thinge hath erred.'
CH. XII. 1. threwe. 2. se. 5. Reason. 7. ycleaped. 8. fyre. thynge. hete; read heted. 9. sette. one. 12. outforthe. 13. sey. fyre. 14. neighed; read neigheth. hete; read heted.
15. wrethe (!); read wercheth. nothynge. 16. catche. 17-8. the (twice). 20. arte. the. 21. desyre. ceased. 22. shalte easely. 24. the. 26. thoughe. 27. maye. 28. greatly. 30. the say. 31. the. 35. Supply by. 38. parte. 40. encrease. 41. great. 42. parte. 43. colours; read colour. 45. wether; read weder. 46. peace. 48. coloure.
52, 63. mother; read moder. 53. sene. signification. 54. pytie. 56. meane. 58. forthe. 59. meue; misprint for mene. mouyn. 62. meanes. 63. halte. 65. arne. 66. afterwarde. 67. catche. 72. herde. 73. woste. 75. Nowe. 76. some (twice). amonge. 77. wotte. 77, 80. the (twice). 85. I supply of. encrease. 87. leauer. pleasaunce.
88. thorowe. kepte. 90. put. 91. great ieoperdye. wolde; read welde. nowe. lyfe. 94. stretche. 95. maye. 96. the. nowe. wylte. 98. good good; read good god. 99. thoughe. anone. 100. fyght. 103. howe. 104. reasonable. 105. dothe. 108. herde. reasons. 110. none. 113. entre. wote. 115. whome. 117. nothynge. great. 118. foryet. 121. onely.
Chapter XIII
'Certes,' quod Love, 'thou hast wel begonne; and I aske thee this question: Is not, in general, every-thing good?'
'I not,' quod I.
'No?' quod she; '+saw not god everything that he made, and weren right good?' 5
'Than is wonder,' quod I, 'how yvel thinges comen a-place, sithen that al thinges weren right good.'
'Thus,' quod she, 'I wol declare. Everiche qualitè and every accion, and every thing that hath any maner of beinge, it is of god; and god it made, of whom is al goodnesse and al being. 10 Of him is no badnesse. Badde to be, is naught; good to be, is somwhat; and therfore good and being is oon in understanding.'
'How may this be?' quod I. 'For often han shrewes me assailed, and mokel badnesse therin have I founden; and so me 15 semeth bad to be somwhat in kynde.'
'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that suche maner badnesse, whiche is used to purifye wrong-doers, is somwhat; and god it made, and being [it] hath; and that is good. Other badnesse no being hath utterly; it is in the negative of somwhat, and that is 20 naught and nothing being. The parties essential of being arn sayd in double wyse, as that it is; and these parties ben founde in every creature. For al thing, a this halfe the first being, is being through participacion, taking partie of being; so that [in] every creature is difference bitwene being of him through whom 25 it is, and his own being. Right as every good is a maner of being, so is it good thorow being; for it is naught other to be. And every thing, though it be good, is not of him-selfe good; but it is good by that it is ordinable to the greet goodnesse. This dualitè, after clerkes +determinison, is founden in every 30 creature, be it never so single of onhed.'
'Ye,' quod I; 'but there-as it is y-sayd that god +saw every-thing of his making, and [they] were right good (as your-selfe sayd to me not longe tyme sithen), I aske whether every creature is y-sayd "good" through goodnesse unfourmed eyther els fourmed; 35 and afterward, if it be accept utterly good?'
'I shal say thee,' quod she. 'These grete passed clerkes han devyded good in-to good being alone, and that is nothing but +god, for nothing is good in that wyse but god: also, in good by participacion, and that is y-cleped "good" for far fet and 40 representative of +godly goodnesse. And after this maner manyfold good is sayd, that is to saye, good in kynde, and good in gendre, and good of grace, and good of joy. Of good in kynde Austen sayth, "al that ben, ben good." But peraunter thou woldest wete, whether of hem-selfe it be good, or els of anothers goodnesse: 45 for naturel goodnesse of every substaunce is nothing els than his substancial being, which is y-cleped "goodnesse" after comparison that he hath to his first goodnesse, so as it is inductatife by menes in-to the first goodnesse. Boece sheweth this thing at the ful, that this name "good" is, in general, name in kynde, as it is comparisoned 50 generally to his principal ende, which is god, knotte of al goodnesse. Every creature cryeth "god us made"; and so they han ful apeted to thilke god by affeccion such as to hem longeth; and in this wyse al thinges ben good of the gret god, which is good alone.' 55
'This wonder thing,' quod I, 'how ye have by many resons proved my first way to be errour and misgoing, and cause[d] of badnesse and feble meninge in the grounde ye aleged to be roted. Whence is it that suche badnesse hath springes, sithen al thinges thus in general ben good, and badnesse hath no being, as ye have 60 declared? I wene, if al things ben good, I might than with the first way in that good have ended, and so by goodnesse have comen to blisse in your service desyred.'
'Al thing,' quod she, 'is good by being in participacion out of the firste goodnesse, whiche goodnesse is corrupt by badnesse 65 and badde-mening maners. God hath [ordeyned] in good thinges, that they ben good by being, and not in yvel; for there is absence of rightful love. For badnesse is nothing but only yvel wil of the user, and through giltes of the doer; wherfore, at the ginninge of the worlde, every thing by him-selfe was good; and in universal 70 they weren right good. An eye or a hand is fayrer and betterer in a body set, in his kyndely place, than from the body dissevered. Every thing in his kyndly place, being kyndly, good doth werche; and, out of that place voyded, it dissolveth and is defouled him-selve. Our noble god, in gliterande wyse, by armony this world 75 ordeyned, as in purtreytures storied with colours medled, in whiche blacke and other derke colours commenden the golden and the asured paynture; every put in kyndely place, oon, besyde another, more for other glitereth. Right so litel fayr maketh right fayr more glorious; and right so, of goodnesse, and of other 80 thinges in vertue. Wherfore other badde and not so good perles as this Margaryte that we han of this matier, yeven by the ayre litel goodnesse and litel vertue, [maken] right mokel goodnesse and vertue in thy Margaryte to ben proved, in shyning wyse to be founde and shewed. How shulde ever goodnesse of pees have 85 ben knowe, but-if unpees somtyme reigne, and mokel yvel +wrathe? How shulde mercy ben proved, and no trespas were, by due justification, to be punisshed? Therfore grace and goodnesse of a wight is founde; the sorouful hertes in good meninge to endure, ben comforted; unitè and acord bitwene hertes knit in joye to 90 abyde. What? wenest thou I rejoyce or els accompte him among my servauntes that pleseth Pallas in undoinge of Mercurye, al-be-it that to Pallas he be knit by tytle of lawe, not according to resonable conscience, and Mercurie in doinge have grace to ben suffered; or els him that +weyveth the moone for fayrenesse of 95 the eve-sterre? Lo! otherwhyle by nightes, light of the moone greetly comforteth in derke thoughtes and blynde. Understanding of love yeveth greet gladnesse. Who-so list not byleve, whan a sothe tale is shewed, a dewe and a deblys his name is entred. Wyse folk and worthy in gentillesse, bothe of vertue and of 100 livinge, yeven ful credence in sothnesse of love with a good herte, there-as good evidence or experience in doinge sheweth not the contrarie. Thus mightest thou have ful preef in thy Margarytes goodnesse, by commendement of other jewels badnesse and yvelnesse in doing. Stoundemele diseses yeveth several houres 105 in joye.'
'Now, by my trouthe,' quod I, 'this is wel declared, that my Margaryte is good; for sithen other ben good, and she passeth manye other in goodnesse and vertue; wherthrough, by maner necessarie, she muste be good. And goodnesse of this Margaryte 110 is nothing els but vertue; wherfore she is vertuous; and if there fayled any vertue in any syde, there were lacke of vertue. Badde nothing els is, ne may be, but lacke and want of good and goodnesse; and so shulde she have that same lacke, that is to saye, badde; and that may not be. For she is good; and that is good, 115 me thinketh, al good; and so, by consequence, me semeth, vertuous, and no lacke of vertue to have. But the sonne is not knowe but he shyne; ne vertuous herbes, but they have her kynde werchinge; ne vertue, but it strecche in goodnesse or profyt to another, is no vertue. Than, by al wayes of reson, sithen mercy and pitee ben 120 moste commended among other vertues, and they might never ben shewed, [unto] refresshement of helpe and of comfort, but now at my moste nede; and that is the kynde werkinge of these vertues; trewly, I wene, I shal not varye from these helpes. Fyr, and-if he yeve non hete, for fyre is not demed. The sonne, but 125 he shyne, for sonne is not accompted. Water, but it wete, the name shal ben chaunged. Vertue, but it werche, of goodnesse doth it fayle; and in-to his contrarie the name shal ben reversed. And these ben impossible; wherfore the contradictorie, that is necessarye, nedes muste I leve.' 130
'Certes,' quod she, 'in thy person and out of thy mouthe these wordes lyen wel to ben said, and in thyne understanding to be leved, as in entent of this Margaryte alone. And here now my speche in conclusion of these wordes.
CH. XIII. 1. haste. 2, 4. thynge. 4. saue; read saw. 5. werne. 6. howe. 9. action. 12. one. 14. Howe. 18. wronge. 19. I supply it. 21. arne. 24. I supply in. and of; I omit and. 27. thorowe. 29. great. determission (!); read determinison. 32. ysayde. saue; read saw. 33. I supply they.
35. ysayde. 36. afterwarde. accepte. 37. the. great. 39. good; read god. 40. farre fette. 41. goodly; read godly. manyfolde. 44. saythe. 47. ycleaped. 48. meanes. 53. affection. 56. howe. reasons. 57. waye. cause; read caused. 59. baddesse (!). 65. corrupte. 66. meanynge. I supply ordeyned. 68. nothynge. onely. 71. werne. hande.
72. sette. disceuered. 73. dothe. 75. worlde. 78. putte. one. 79. lytle fayre. 80. fayre. 83. Supply maken. 85. Howe. peace. 86. vnpeace. wrothe; read wrathe. 87. Howe. trespeace (!). 89. meanynge. 90. acorde. knytte. 91. amonge. 92. pleaseth. 93. knytte. 94. reasonable. 95. weneth; read weyveth. 97. greatly. 98. great. lyste. 99. adewe. 100. folke. 101. hert. 103. prefe. 105. diseases. 107. Nowe.
109. wherthroughe. 111. no thynge. 113. wante. 115. maye. 119. stretche. profyte. 120. reason. pytie. 121. amonge. 122. Supply unto. comforte. nowe. 124. Fyre. 125. none heate. 128. dothe. 133. nowe.
Chapter XIV
In these thinges,' quod she, 'that me list now to shewe openly, shal be founde the mater of thy sicknesse, and what shal ben the medicyn that may be thy sorowes lisse and comfort, as wel thee as al other that amisse have erred and out of the way walked, so that any drope of good wil in amendement 5 [may] ben dwelled in their hertes. Proverbes of Salomon openly techeth, how somtyme an innocent walkid by the way in blyndnesse of a derke night; whom mette a woman (if it be leefly to saye) as a strumpet arayed, redily purveyed in turninge of thoughtes with veyne janglinges, and of rest inpacient, by 10 dissimulacion of my termes, saying in this wyse: "Com, and be we dronken of our swete pappes; use we coveitous collinges." And thus drawen was this innocent, as an oxe to the larder.'
'Lady,' quod I, 'to me this is a queynte thing to understande; I praye you, of this parable declare me the entent.' 15
'This innocent,' quod she, 'is a scoler lerninge of my lore, in seching of my blisse, in whiche thinge the day of his thought turning enclyneth in-to eve; and the sonne, of very light faylinge, maketh derke night in his conninge. Thus in derknesse of many doutes he walketh, and for blyndenesse of understandinge, he ne 20 wot in what waye he is in; forsothe, suche oon may lightly ben begyled. To whom cam love fayned, not clothed of my livery, but [of] unlefful lusty habit, with softe speche and mery; and with fayre honyed wordes heretykes and mis-meninge people skleren and wimplen their errours. Austen witnesseth of an 25 heretyk, that in his first beginninge he was a man right expert in resons and swete in his wordes; and the werkes miscorden. Thus fareth fayned love in her firste werchinges. Thou knowest these thinges for trewe; thou hast hem proved by experience somtyme, in doing to thyne owne person; in whiche thing thou hast 30 founde mater of mokel disese. Was not fayned love redily purveyed, thy wittes to cacche and tourne thy good thoughtes? Trewly, she hath wounded the conscience of many with florisshinge of mokel jangling wordes; and good worthe thanked I it for no glose. I am glad of my prudence thou hast so manly her 35 +weyved. To me art thou moche holden, that in thy kynde course of good mening I returne thy mynde. I trowe, ne had I shewed thee thy Margaryte, thou haddest never returned. Of first in good parfit joye was ever fayned love impacient, as the water of Siloë, whiche evermore floweth with stilnesse and privy 40 noyse til it come nighe the brinke, and than ginneth it so out of mesure to bolne, with novelleries of chaunging stormes, that in course of every renning it is in pointe to spille al his circuit of +bankes. Thus fayned love prively, at the fullest of his flowinge, [ginneth] newe stormes [of] debat to arayse. And al-be-it that 45 Mercurius [servants] often with hole understandinge knowen suche perillous maters, yet Veneriens so lusty ben and so leude in their wittes, that in suche thinges right litel or naught don they fele; and wryten and cryen to their felawes: "here is blisse, here is joye"; and thus in-to one same errour mokel folk they 50 drawen. "Come," they sayen, "and be we dronken of our pappes"; that ben fallas and lying glose, of whiche mowe they not souke milke of helthe, but deedly venim and poyson, corrupcion of sorowe. Milke of fallas is venim of disceyt; milke of lying glose is venim of corrupcion. Lo! what thing cometh out of these 55 pappes! "Use we coveited collinges"; desyre we and meddle we false wordes with sote, and sote with false! Trewly, this is the sorinesse of fayned love; nedes, of these surfettes sicknesse muste folowe. Thus, as an oxe, to thy langoring deth were thou drawen; the sote of the smoke hath thee al defased. Ever the deper thou 60 somtyme wadest, the soner thou it founde; if it had thee killed, it had be litel wonder. But on that other syde, my trewe servaunt[s] not faynen ne disceyve conne; sothly, their doinge is open; my foundement endureth, be the burthen never so greet; ever in one it lasteth. It yeveth lyf and blisful goodnesse 65 in the laste endes, though the ginninges ben sharpe. Thus of two contraries, contrarye ben the effectes. And so thilke Margaryte thou servest shal seen thee, by her service out of perillous tribulacion delivered, bycause of her service in-to newe disese fallen, by hope of amendement in the laste ende, with joye 70 to be gladded. Wherfore, of kynde pure, her mercy with grace of good helpe shal she graunte; and els I shal her so strayne, that with pitè shal she ben amaystred. Remembre in thyne herte how horribly somtyme to thyne Margaryte thou trespasest, and in a grete wyse ayenst her thou forfeytest! Clepe ayen thy 75 mynde, and know thyne owne giltes. What goodnesse, what bountee, with mokel folowing pitè founde thou in that tyme? Were thou not goodly accepted in-to grace? By my pluckinge was she to foryevenesse enclyned. And after, I her styred to drawe thee to house; and yet wendest thou utterly for ever 80 have ben refused. But wel thou wost, sithen that I in suche sharpe disese might so greetly avayle, what thinkest in thy wit? How fer may my wit strecche? And thou lache not on thy syde, I wol make the knotte. Certes, in thy good bering I wol acorde with the psauter: "I have founde David in my service true, and 85 with holy oyle of pees and of rest, longe by him desyred, utterly he shal be anoynted." Truste wel to me, and I wol thee not fayle. The +leving of the first way with good herte of continuance that I see in thee grounded, this purpose to parfourme, draweth me by maner of constrayning, that nedes muste I ben thyne helper. 90 Although mirthe a whyle be taried, it shal come at suche seson, that thy thought shal ben joyed. And wolde never god, sithen thyne herte to my resons arn assented, and openly hast confessed thyne amisse-going, and now cryest after mercy, but-if mercy folowed; thy blisse shal ben redy, y-wis; thou ne wost how sone. 95 Now be a good child, I rede. The kynde of vertues, in thy Margaryte rehersed, by strength of me in thy person shul werche. Comfort thee in this; for thou mayst not miscary.' And these wordes sayd, she streyght her on length, and rested a whyle.
¶ THUS ENDETH THE SECONDE BOOK, AND HERE AFTER FOLOWETH THE THIRDE BOOK.
CH. XIV. 1. nowe. 4. the. 6. Supply may. 7. teacheth. howe.
8. lefely. 11. sayeng. Come. 14. thynge. 16. scholer. 17. daye. 21. wote. one. 22. whome came. 23. Supply of. unleful lustye habyte. 24. misse-. 26. heretyke. experte. 27. resones. 29. haste. 32. catche. 35. gladde. 36. veyned; read weyved. arte. 37. meanyng. 38. the. 39. parfyte. 42. measure. 43. spyl. 44. cankes (!); read bankes.
45. I supply ginneth and of. debate. 46. I supply servants. 51. sayne. 52-4. lyeng. 54. disceyte. 55. thynge. 58. must. 60. the. 61. the. 63. seruaunt. 65. great. lyfe. 68. sene the. 70, 82. disease. 72. graunt. 74. howe. 75. great. 76. knowe. 77. bountie. 80. the.
82. greatly. 83. howe ferre maye my wytte stretche. 86. peace. 87. the. 88. leanyng (!). 89. se. the. 93. reasones arne. haste. 94. nowe. 96. chylde. 98. Comforte the. 99. sayde. COLOPHON. booke. boke.
Chapter I
Of nombre, sayn these clerkes, that it is naturel somme of discrete thinges, as in tellinge oon, two, three, and so forth; but among al nombres, three is determined for moste certayn. Wherfore in nombre certayn this werk of my besy leudenesse I thinke to ende and parfourme. Ensample by this worlde, in 5 three tymes is devyded; of whiche the first is cleped +Deviacion, that is to say, going out of trewe way; and al that tho dyeden, in helle were they punisshed for a man[ne]s sinne, til grace and mercy fette hem thence, and there ended the firste tyme. The seconde tyme lasteth from the comming of merciable grace until the ende 10 of transitorie tyme, in whiche is shewed the true way in fordoinge of the badde; and that is y-cleped tyme of Grace. And that thing is not yeven by desert of yeldinge oon benefyt for another, but only through goodnesse of the yever of grace in thilke tyme. Who-so can wel understande is shapen to be saved in souled 15 blisse. The thirde tyme shal ginne whan transitorie thinges of worldes han mad their ende; and that shal ben in Joye, glorie, and rest, both body and soule, that wel han deserved in the tyme of Grace. And thus in that heven +togider shul they dwelle perpetuelly, without any imaginatyfe yvel in any halve. These 20 tymes are figured by tho three dayes that our god was closed in erthe; and in the thirde aroos, shewing our resurreccion to joye and blisse of tho that it deserven, by his merciable grace. So this leude book, in three maters, accordaunt to tho tymes, lightly by a good inseër may ben understonde; as in the firste, 25 Errour of misse-goinge is shewed, with sorowful pyne punisshed, +that cryed after mercy. In the seconde, is Grace in good waye proved, whiche is faylinge without desert, thilke first misse amendinge, in correccion of tho erroures, and even way to bringe, with comfort of welfare in-to amendement wexinge. And in the 30 thirde, Joye and blisse graunted to him that wel can deserve it, and hath savour of understandinge in the tyme of grace. Thus in Joye, of my thirde boke, shal the mater be til it ende.
But special cause I have in my herte to make this proces of a Margarit-perle, that is so precious a gemme +whyt, clere and 35 litel, of whiche stones or jewel[les] the tonges of us Englissh people tourneth the right names, and clepeth hem 'Margery-perles'; thus varieth our speche from many other langages. For trewly Latin, Frenche, and many mo other langages clepeth hem, Margery-perles, [by] the name 'Margarites,' or 'Margarite-perles'; 40 wherfore in that denominacion I wol me acorde to other mens tonges, in that name-cleping. These clerkes that treten of kyndes, and studien out the propertee there of thinges, sayn: the Margarite is a litel whyt perle, throughout holowe and rounde and vertuous; and on the see-sydes, in the more Britayne, in 45 muskle-shelles, of the hevenly dewe, the best ben engendred; in whiche by experience ben founde three fayre vertues. Oon is, it yeveth comfort to the feling spirites in bodily persones of reson. Another is good; it is profitable helthe ayenst passions of sorie mens hertes. And the thirde, it is nedeful and noble in staunching of bloode, 50 there els to moche wolde out renne. To whiche perle and vertues me list to lyken at this tyme Philosophie, with her three speces, that is, natural, and moral, and resonable; of whiche thinges hereth what sayn these grete clerkes. Philosophie is knowing of devynly and manly thinges joyned with studie of good living; 55 and this stant in two thinges, that is, conninge and opinion. Conninge is whan a thing by certayn reson is conceyved. But wrecches and fooles and leude men, many wil conceyve a thing and mayntayne it as for sothe, though reson be in the contrarye; wherfore conninge is a straunger. Opinion is whyl a thing is in 60 non-certayn, and hid from mens very knowleging, and by no parfit reson fully declared, as thus: if the sonne be so mokel as men wenen, or els if it be more than the erthe. For in sothnesse the certayn quantitè of that planet is unknowen to erthly dwellers; and yet by opinion of some men it is holden for more than midle-erth. 65
The first spece of philosophie is naturel; whiche in kyndely thinges +treteth, and sheweth causes of heven, and strength of kyndely course; as by arsmetrike, geometry, musike, and by astronomye techeth wayes and cours of hevens, of planetes, and of sterres aboute heven and erthe, and other elementes. 70
The seconde spece is moral, whiche, in order, of living maners techeth; and by reson proveth vertues of soule moste worthy in our living; whiche ben prudence, justice, temperaunce, and strength. Prudence is goodly wisdom in knowing of thinges. Strength voideth al adversitees aliche even. Temperaunce distroyeth 75 beestial living with esy bering. And Justice rightfully jugeth; and juging departeth to every wight that is his owne.
The thirde spece turneth in-to reson of understanding; al thinges to be sayd soth and discussed; and that in two thinges is devyded. Oon is art, another is rethorike; in whiche two al 80 lawes of mans reson ben grounded or els maintayned.
And for this book is of LOVE, and therafter bereth his name, and philosophie and lawe muste here-to acorden by their clergial discripcions, as: philosophie for love of wisdom is declared, lawe for mainteynaunce of pees is holden: and these with love must 85 nedes acorden; therfore of hem in this place have I touched. Ordre of homly thinges and honest maner of livinge in vertue, with rightful jugement in causes and profitable administracion in comminaltees of realmes and citees, by evenhed profitably to raigne, nat by singuler avauntage ne by privè envy, ne by soleyn 90 purpos in covetise of worship or of goodes, ben disposed in open rule shewed, by love, philosophy, and lawe, and yet love, toforn al other. Wherfore as sustern in unitè they accorden, and oon ende, that is, pees and rest, they causen norisshinge; and in the joye maynteynen to endure. 95
Now than, as I have declared: my book acordeth with discripcion of three thinges; and the Margarit in vertue is lykened to Philosophy, with her three speces. In whiche maters ever twey ben acordaunt with bodily reson, and the thirde with the soule. But in conclusion of my boke and of this Margarite-perle 100 in knittinge togider, Lawe by three sondrye maners shal be lykened; that is to saye, lawe, right, and custome, whiche I wol declare. Al that is lawe cometh of goddes ordinaunce, by kyndly worching; and thilke thinges ordayned by mannes wittes arn y-cleped right, which is ordayned by many maners and in constitucion written. 105 But custome is a thing that is accepted for right or for lawe, there-as lawe and right faylen; and there is no difference, whether it come of scripture or of reson. Wherfore it sheweth, that lawe is kyndly governaunce; right cometh out of mannes probable reson; and custome is of commen usage by length of tyme 110 used; and custome nat writte is usage; and if it be writte, constitucion it is y-written and y-cleped. But lawe of kynde is commen to every nation, as conjunccion of man and woman in love, succession of children in heritance, restitucion of thing by strength taken or lent; and this lawe among al other halt 115 the soveraynest gree in worship; whiche lawe began at the beginning of resonable creature; it varied yet never for no chaunging of tyme. Cause, forsothe, in ordayning of lawe was to constrayne mens hardinesse in-to pees, and withdrawing his yvel wil, and turning malice in-to goodnesse; and that innocence 120 sikerly, withouten teneful anoye, among shrewes safely might inhabite by proteccion of safe-conducte, so that the shrewes, harm for harme, by brydle of ferdnesse shulden restrayne. But forsothe, in kyndely lawe, nothing is commended but such as goddes wil hath confirmed, ne nothing denyed but contrarioustee of 125 goddes wil in heven. Eke than al lawes, or custome, or els constitucion by usage or wryting, that contraryen lawe of kynde, utterly ben repugnaunt and adversarie to our goddes wil of heven. Trewly, lawe of kynde for goddes own lusty wil is verily to mayntayne; under whiche lawe (and unworthy) bothe professe 130 and reguler arn obediencer and bounden to this Margarite-perle as by knotte of loves statutes and stablisshment in kynde, whiche that goodly may not be withsetten. Lo! under this bonde am I constrayned to abyde; and man, under living lawe ruled, by that lawe oweth, after desertes, to ben rewarded by payne or by mede, 135 but-if mercy weyve the payne. So than +by part resonfully may be seye, that mercy bothe right and lawe passeth. Th' entent of al these maters is the lest clere understanding, to weten, at th'ende of this thirde boke; ful knowing, thorow goddes grace, I thinke to make neverthelater. Yet if these thinges han a good 140 and a +sleigh inseër, whiche that can souke hony of the harde stone, oyle of the drye rocke, [he] may lightly fele nobley of mater in my leude imaginacion closed. But for my book shal be of joye (as I sayd), and I [am] so fer set fro thilke place fro whens gladnesse shulde come; my corde is to short to lete my boket 145 ought cacche of that water; and fewe men be abouten my corde to eche, and many in ful purpos ben redy it shorter to make, and to enclose th' entrè, that my boket of joye nothing shulde cacche, but empty returne, my careful sorowes to encrese: (and if I dye for payne, that were gladnesse at their hertes): good lord, send 150 me water in-to the cop of these mountayns, and I shal drinke therof, my thurstes to stanche, and sey, these be comfortable welles; in-to helth of goodnesse of my saviour am I holpen. And yet I saye more, the house of joye to me is nat opened. How dare my sorouful goost than in any mater of gladnesse thinken to 155 trete? For ever sobbinges and complayntes be redy refrete in his meditacions, as werbles in manifolde stoundes comming about I not than. And therfore, what maner of joye coude [I] endyte? But yet at dore shal I knocke, if the key of David wolde the locke unshitte, and he bringe me in, whiche that childrens tonges both 160 openeth and closeth; whos spirit where he +wol wercheth, departing goodly as him lyketh.
Now to goddes laude and reverence, profit of the reders, amendement of maners of the herers, encresing of worship among Loves servauntes, releving of my herte in-to grace of my jewel, 165 and fren[d]ship [in] plesance of this perle, I am stered in this making, and for nothing els; and if any good thing to mennes lyking in this scripture be founde, thanketh the maister of grace, whiche that of that good and al other is authour and principal doer. And if any thing be insufficient or els mislyking, +wyte 170 that the leudnesse of myne unable conning: for body in disese anoyeth the understanding in soule. A disesely habitacion letteth the wittes [in] many thinges, and namely in sorowe. The custome never-the-later of Love, +by long tyme of service, in termes I thinke to pursue, whiche ben lyvely to yeve understanding 175 in other thinges. But now, to enforme thee of this Margarites goodnesse, I may her not halfe preyse. Wherfore, nat she for my boke, but this book for her, is worthy to be commended, tho my book be leude; right as thinges nat for places, but places for thinges, ought to be desyred and praysed. 180
BOOK III: CH. I. 1. sayne. 2. one. thre. 3. amonge. thre. 3, 4. certayne. 4. werke. 6. thre. Demacion; read Deuiacion. 8. hel.
13. thynge. deserte. one benefyte. 14. onely. 16. gyn. 17. made. 19. togyther. dwel. 21. thre. 22. arose. resurrection. 24. boke. thre. 25. maye. 26. erroure. 27. is (!); read that. 28. deserte. 29. correction. waye. 30. comforte. 31. canne. 34. hert. processe. 35. peerle. with; read whyt (see l. 44). 36. iewel; read iewelles. 39. cleapeth. 40. Supply by. 42. treaten. 43. propertie. sayne. 44. whyte. 47. One. 48. comforte. reason.
51. ren. 52. thre. 54. sayn. great. 56. stante. 57. certayne. 58. wretches. 60. whyle. 61. -certayne. hydde. 62. parfyte reason. 64. certayne. 67. treten; read treteth. 69. course. 73. lyueng. 74. wysdome. 76. lyueng. easy bearyng. 78. reason. 80. one. arte. 81. reason. 82. booke. beareth. 84. wisdome. 85. peace.
88. administration. 89. co_m_mynalties. cytes. 91. purpose. 93. susterne. one. 94. peace. 96. Nowe. boke. discription. 97-8. thre. 99. reason. 100. peerle. 101. thre. 105. co_n_stitution. 110. reason. 112. co_n_stitutyon. 113. co_n_iunction. 114. restitution. 115. halte. 117. reasonable. 119. peace. 121. amonge. 122. harme for harme.
123. ferdenesse. 124. nothynge. 125. contraryoustie. 130. law. 131. arne. 133. maye. 134. lyueng. 135. payn. 136. be; read by. parte reasonfully. 137. sey. thentent. 139. thende. thorowe. 141. sleight; read sleigh. 142. I insert he. 143. ymagination. boke. 144. Supply am. ferre. 145. let. 146-8. catch. 147. purpose. 148. thentre. 150. lorde sende. 152. sta_n_ch. 157. meditatio_n_s. 158. I supply I.
160. vnshyt. bring. 161. whose spirite. wel; read wol. 163. Nowe. profite. 165. hert. 166. frenship. I supply in. peerle. 170. with; read wyte. 172. habitation. 173. I supply in. 174. be; read by. 176. nowe. enform the. 178-9. boke (thrice).
Chapter II
'Now,' quod Love, 'trewly thy wordes I have wel understonde. Certes, me thinketh hem right good; and me wondreth why thou so lightly passest in the lawe.'
'Sothly,' quod I, 'my wit is leude, and I am right blynd, and that mater depe. How shulde I than have waded? Lightly 5 might I have drenched, and spilte ther my-selfe.'
'Ye,' quod she, 'I shal helpe thee to swimme. For right as lawe punissheth brekers of preceptes and the contrary-doers of the written constitucions, right so ayenward lawe rewardeth and yeveth mede to hem that lawe strengthen. By one lawe this 10 rebel is punisshed and this innocent is meded; the shrewe is enprisoned and this rightful is corowned. The same lawe that joyneth by wedlocke without forsaking, the same lawe yeveth lybel of departicion bycause of devorse both demed and declared.' 15
'Ye, ye,' quod I, 'I fynde in no lawe to mede and rewarde in goodnes the gilty of desertes.'
'Fole,' quod she, 'gilty, converted in your lawe, mikel merit deserveth. Also Pauly[n] of Rome was crowned, that by him the maynteyners of Pompeus weren knowen and distroyed; and yet 20 toforn was this Paulyn cheef of Pompeus counsaile. This lawe in Rome hath yet his name of mesuring, in mede, the bewraying of the conspiracy, ordayned by tho senatours the deth. Julius Cesar is acompted in-to Catons rightwisnesse; for ever in trouth florissheth his name among the knowers of reson. Perdicas was 25 crowned in the heritage of Alexander the grete, for tellinge of a prevy hate that king Porrus to Alexander hadde. Wherfore every wight, by reson of lawe, after his rightwysenesse apertely his mede may chalenge; and so thou, that maynteynest lawe of kynde, and therfore disese hast suffred in the lawe, reward is 30 worthy to be rewarded and ordayned, and +apertly thy mede might thou chalenge.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'this have I wel lerned; and ever hens-forward I shal drawe me therafter, in oonhed of wil to abyde, this lawe bothe maynteyne and kepe; and so hope I best entre in-to 35 your grace, wel deservinge in-to worship of a wight, without nedeful compulsion, [that] ought medefully to be rewarded.'
'Truly,' quod Love, 'that is sothe; and tho[ugh], by constitucion, good service in-to profit and avantage strecche, utterly many men it demen to have more desert of mede than good wil 40 nat compelled.'
'See now,' quod I, 'how +many men holden of this the contrary. And what is good service? Of you wolde I here this question declared.'
'I shal say thee,' quod she, 'in a fewe wordes:--resonable 45 workinges in plesaunce and profit of thy soverayne.'
'How shulde I this performe?' quod I.
'Right wel,' quod she; 'and here me now a litel. It is hardely (quod she) to understande, that right as mater by due overchaunginges foloweth his perfeccion and his forme, right so every 50 man, by rightful werkinges, ought to folowe the lefful desyres in his herte, and see toforn to what ende he deserveth. For many tymes he that loketh nat after th'endes, but utterly therof is unknowen, befalleth often many yvels to done, wherthrough, er he be war, shamefully he is confounded; th'ende[s] therof neden to 55 be before loked. To every desirer of suche foresight in good service, three thinges specially nedeth to be rulers in his workes. First, that he do good; next, that he do [it] by eleccion in his owne herte; and the thirde, that he do godly, withouten any surquedry in thoughtes. That your werkes shulden be good, in 60 service or in any other actes, authoritès many may be aleged; neverthelater, by reson thus may it be shewed. Al your werkes be cleped seconde, and moven in vertue of the firste wercher, whiche in good workes wrought you to procede; and right so your werkes moven in-to vertue of the laste ende: and right in 65 the first workinge were nat, no man shulde in the seconde werche. Right so, but ye feled to what ende, and seen their goodnes closed, ye shulde no more +recche what ye wrought; but the ginning gan with good, and there shal it cese in the laste ende, if it be wel considred. Wherfore the middle, if other-wayes it drawe 70 than accordant to the endes, there stinteth the course of good, and another maner course entreth; and so it is a partie by him-selve; and every part [that] be nat accordant to his al, is foul and ought to be eschewed. Wherfore every thing that is wrought and be nat good, is nat accordant to th'endes of his al hole; it is 75 foul, and ought to be withdrawe. Thus the persons that neither don good ne harm shamen foule their making. Wherfore, without working of good actes in good service, may no man ben accepted. Truely, the ilke that han might to do good and doon it nat, the crowne of worship shal be take from hem, and with shame shul 80 they be anulled; and so, to make oon werke acordant with his endes, every good servaunt, by reson of consequence, muste do good nedes. Certes, it suffiseth nat alone to do good, but goodly withal folowe; the thanke of goodnesse els in nought he deserveth. For right as al your being come from the greetest 85 good, in whom al goodnesse is closed, right so your endes ben directe to the same good. Aristotel determineth that ende and good ben one, and convertible in understanding; and he that in wil doth awey good, and he that loketh nat to th'ende, loketh nat to good; but he that doth good and doth nat goodly, [and] 90 draweth away the direction of th'ende nat goodly, must nedes be badde. Lo! badde is nothing els but absence or negative of good, as derkenesse is absence or negative of light. Than he that dooth [not] goodly, directeth thilke good in-to th'ende of badde; so muste thing nat good folowe: eke badnesse to suche 95 folke ofte foloweth. Thus contrariaunt workers of th'ende that is good ben worthy the contrary of th'ende that is good to have.'
'How,' quod I, 'may any good dede be doon, but-if goodly it helpe?' 100
'Yes,' quod Love, 'the devil doth many good dedes, but goodly he leveth be-hynde; for +ever badly and in disceyvable wyse he worketh; wherfore the contrary of th'ende him foloweth. And do he never so many good dedes, bicause goodly is away, his goodnes is nat rekened. Lo! than, tho[ugh] a man do good, 105 but he do goodly, th'ende in goodnesse wol nat folowe; and thus in good service both good dede and goodly doon musten joyne togider, and that it be doon with free choise in herte; and els deserveth he nat the merit in goodnes: that wol I prove. For if thou do any-thing good by chaunce or by happe, in what thing 110 art thou therof worthy to be commended? For nothing, by reson of that, turneth in-to thy praysing ne lacking. Lo! thilke thing doon by hap, by thy wil is nat caused; and therby shulde I thanke or lacke deserve? And sithen that fayleth, th'ende which that wel shulde rewarde, must ned[e]s faile. Clerkes sayn, no man 115 but willinge is blessed; a good dede that he hath doon is nat doon of free choice willing; without whiche blissednesse may nat folowe. Ergo, neither thanke of goodnesse ne service [is] in that [that] is contrary of the good ende. So than, to good service longeth good dede goodly don, thorow free choice in herte.' 120
'Truely,' quod I, 'this have I wel understande.'
'Wel,' quod she, 'every thing thus doon sufficiently by lawe, that is cleped justice, [may] after-reward clayme. For lawe and justice was ordayned in this wyse, suche desertes in goodnesse, after quantitè in doinge, by mede to rewarde; and of necessitè of 125 suche justice, that is to say, rightwysenesse, was free choice in deserving of wel or of yvel graunted to resonable creatures. Every man hath free arbitrement to chose, good or yvel to performe.'
'Now,' quod I tho, 'if I by my good wil deserve this Margarit-perle, 130 and am nat therto compelled, and have free choice to do what me lyketh; she is than holden, as me thinketh, to rewarde th'entent of my good wil.'
'Goddes forbode els,' quod Love; 'no wight meneth otherwyse, I trowe; free wil of good herte after-mede deserveth.' 135
'Hath every man,' quod I, 'free choice by necessary maner of wil in every of his doinges that him lyketh, by goddes proper purvyaunce? I wolde see that wel declared to my leude understanding; for "necessary" and "necessitè" ben wordes of mokel entencion, closing (as to saye) so mote it be nedes, and otherwyse 140 may it nat betyde.'
'This shalt thou lerne,' quod she, 'so thou take hede in my speche. If it were nat in mannes owne libertè of free wil to do good or bad, but to the one teyed by bonde of goddes preordinaunce, than, do he never so wel, it were by nedeful compulcion 145 of thilk bonde, and nat by free choice, wherby nothing he desyreth: and do he never so yvel, it were nat man for to wyte, but onlich to him that suche thing ordayned him to done. Wherfore he ne ought for bad[de] be punisshed, ne for no good dede be rewarded; but of necessitè of rightwisnesse was therfore 150 free choice of arbitrement put in mans proper disposicion. Truely, if it were otherwyse, it contraried goddes charitè, that badnesse and goodnesse rewardeth after desert of payne or of mede.'
'Me thinketh this wonder,' quod I; 'for god by necessitè forwot al thinges coming, and so mote it nedes be; and thilke 155 thinges that ben don +by our free choice comen nothing of necessitè but only +by wil. How may this stonde +togider? And so me thinketh truely, that free choice fully repugneth goddes forweting. Trewly, lady, me semeth, they mowe nat stande +togider.' 160
CH. II. 1. Nowe. 4. blynde. 5. howe. 7. Yea. the. swym. 9. constitutions. aye_n_warde.
17. gyltie. 18. gyltie. merite. 19. Pauly (for Paulyn; first time). 21. toforne. chefe. 25. amonge. 25-8. reason. 26. great. 30. disease. rewarde. 31. apartly (for ap_er_tly). 34. onehed. 37. I supply that. 38. constitution. 39. profite. stretch. 42. Se. howe may. 45. the. 46. profite. 47. Howe. 48. nowe. 50. perfection.
51. leful. 52. hert. se. 55. ware. 57. thre. 58. I supply it. electyon. 59. hert. 62. reason. maye. 68. recth (for retch); read recche. 69. cease. 73. p_ar_te. I supply that. 73-5. foule. 77. harme. 79. done. 81. one. 82. reason. 85. greatest.
90. I supply and. 92. bad. negatyfe (first time). 94. I supply not. 99. done. 101. dothe. 102. even; read ever. 105. tho. 107-8. done (twice). 108. hert. 109. merite. 111. reason. 113. done. shulde I; put for shuldest thou. 115. neds (sic). 116-7. done (twice). 118. I supply is and that. 120. thorowe fre. hert. 122. done. 123. I supply may. rewarde claym.
130. Nowe. 134. meaneth. 135. hert. 136. fre. 138. se. 140. ente_n_tion. 142. lern. 143-6. fre (twice). 148. onelych. 149. bad. 151. fre. 151. disposition. 153. payn. 155. forwote. 156. be; for by. fre. 157. onely be; for by. Howe. 157-60. togyther; read togider. 158. fre.