Chapter III
Than gan Love nighe me nere, and with a noble countenance of visage and limmes, dressed her nigh my sitting-place.
'Take forth,' quod she, 'thy pen, and redily wryte these wordes. For if god wol, I shal hem so enforme to thee, that thy 5 leudnesse which I have understande in that mater shal openly be clered, and thy sight in ful loking therin amended. First, if thou thinke that goddes prescience repugne libertè of arbitrement, it is impossible that they shulde accorde in onheed of sothe to understonding.' 10
'Ye,' quod I, 'forsothe; so I it conceyve.'
'Wel,' quod she, 'if thilke impossible were away, the repugnaunce that semeth to be therin were utterly removed.'
'Shewe me the absence of that impossibilitè,' quod I.
'So,' quod she, 'I shal. Now I suppose that they mowe 15 stande togider: prescience of god, whom foloweth necessitè of thinges comming, and libertè of arbitrement, thorow whiche thou belevest many thinges to be without necessitè.'
'Bothe these proporcions be sothe,' quod I, 'and wel mowe stande togider; wherfore this case as possible I admit.' 20
'Truely,' quod she, 'and this case is impossible.'
'How so?' quod I.
'For herof,' quod she, 'foloweth and wexeth another impossible.'
'Prove me that,' quod I. 25
'That I shal,' quod she; 'for somthing is comming without necessitè, and god wot that toforn; for al thing comming he before wot, and that he beforn wot of necessitè is comming, as he beforn wot be the case by necessary maner; or els, thorow necessitè, is somthing to be without necessitè; and wheder, to 30 every wight that hath good understanding, is seen these thinges to be repugnaunt: prescience of god, whiche that foloweth necessitè, and libertè of arbitrement, fro whiche is removed necessitè? For truely, it is necessary that god have forweting of thing withouten any necessitè cominge.' 35
'Ye,' quod I; 'but yet remeve ye nat away fro myne understanding the necessitè folowing goddes be foreweting, as thus. God beforn wot me in service of love to be bounden to this Margarite-perle, and therfore by necessitè thus to love am I bounde; and if I had nat loved, thorow necessitè had I ben kept from al 40 love-dedes.'
'Certes,' quod Love, 'bicause this mater is good and necessary to declare, I thinke here-in wel to abyde, and not lightly to passe. Thou shalt not (quod she) say al-only, "god beforn wot me to be a lover or no lover," but thus: "god beforn wot me to be a lover 45 without necessitè." And so foloweth, whether thou love or not love, every of hem is and shal be. But now thou seest the impossibilitè of the case, and the possibilitè of thilke that thou wendest had been impossible; wherfore the repugnaunce is adnulled.'
'Ye,' quod I; 'and yet do ye not awaye the strength of necessitè, 50 whan it is said, th[r]ough necessitè it is me in love to abyde, or not to love without necessitè for god beforn wot it. This maner of necessitè forsothe semeth to some men in-to coaccion, that is to sayne, constrayning, or else prohibicion, that is, defendinge; wherfore necessitè is me to love of wil. I understande 55 me to be constrayned by some privy strength to the wil of lovinge; and if [I] no[t] love, to be defended from the wil of lovinge: and so thorow necessitè me semeth to love, for I love; or els not to love, if I not love; wherthrough neither thank ne maugrè in tho thinges may I deserve.' 60
'Now,' quod she, 'thou shalt wel understande, that often we sayn thing thorow necessitè to be, that by no strength to be neither is coarted ne constrayned; and through necessitè not to be, that with no defendinge is removed. For we sayn it is thorow necessitè god to be immortal, nought deedliche; and it 65 is necessitè, god to be rightful; but not that any strength of violent maner constrayneth him to be immortal, or defendeth him to be unrightful; for nothing may make him dedly or unrightful. Right so, if I say, thorow necessitè is thee to be a lover or els noon; only thorow wil, as god beforn wete. It is nat to understonde 70 that any thing defendeth or forbit thee thy wil, whiche shal nat be; or els constrayneth it to be, whiche shal be. That same thing, forsoth, god before wot, whiche he beforn seeth. Any thing commende of only wil, that wil neyther is constrayned ne defended thorow any other thing. And so thorow libertè of 75 arbitrement it is do, that is don of wil. And trewly, my good child, if these thinges be wel understonde, I wene that non inconvenient shalt thou fynde betwene goddes forweting and libertè of arbitrement; wherfore I wot wel they may stande togider. Also farthermore, who that understanding of prescience 80 properlich considreth, thorow the same wyse that any-thing be afore wist is said, for to be comming it is pronounced; there is nothing toforn wist but thing comming; foreweting is but of trouth[e]; dout[e] may nat be wist; wherfore, whan I sey that god toforn wot any-thing, thorow necessitè is thilke thing to be comming; 85 al is oon if I sey, it shal be. But this necessitè neither constrayneth ne defendeth any-thing to be or nat to be. Therfore sothly, if love is put to be, it is said of necessitè to be; or els, for it is put nat to be, it is affirmed nat to be of necessitè; nat for that necessitè constrayneth or defendeth love to be or nat to be. For 90 whan I say, if love shal be, of necessitè it shal be, here foloweth necessitè the thing toforn put; it is as moch to say as if it were thus pronounced--"that thing shal be." Noon other thing signifyeth this necessitè but only thus: that shal be, may nat togider be and nat be. Evenlich also it is soth, love was, and is, and shal 95 be, nat of necessitè; and nede is to have be al that was; and nedeful is to be al that is; and comming, to al that shal be. And it is nat the same to saye, love to be passed, and love passed to be passed; or love present to be present, and love to be present; or els love to be comminge, and love comminge to be 100 comming. Dyversitè in setting of wordes maketh dyversitè in understandinge; altho[ugh] in the same sentence they accorden of significacion; right as it is nat al oon, love swete to be swete, and love to be swete. For moch love is bitter and sorouful, er hertes ben esed; and yet it glad[d]eth thilke sorouful herte on 105 suche love to thinke.'
'Forsothe,' quod I, 'outherwhile I have had mokel blisse in herte of love that stoundmele hath me sorily anoyed. And certes, lady, for I see my-self thus knit with this Margarite-perle as by bonde of your service and of no libertè of wil, my herte wil 110 now nat acorde this service to love. I can demin in my-selfe non otherwise but thorow necessitè am I constrayned in this service to abyde. But alas! than, if I thorow nedeful compulsioun maugre me be with-holde, litel thank for al my greet traveil have I than deserved.' 115
'Now,' quod this lady, 'I saye as I sayde: me lyketh this mater to declare at the ful, and why: for many men have had dyvers fantasyes and resons, both on one syde therof and in the other. Of whiche right sone, I trowe, if thou wolt understonde, thou shalt conne yeve the sentence to the partie more probable 120 by reson, and in soth knowing, by that I have of this mater maked an ende.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'of these thinges longe have I had greet lust to be lerned; for yet, I wene, goddes wil and his prescience acordeth with my service in lovinge of this precious Margarite-perle. 125 After whom ever, in my herte, with thursting desyre wete, I do brenne; unwasting, I langour and fade; and the day of my desteny in dethe or in joye I +onbyde; but yet in th'ende I am comforted +by my supposaile, in blisse and in joye to determine after my desyres.' 130
'That thing,' quoth Love, 'hastely to thee neigh, god graunt of his grace and mercy! And this shal be my prayer, til thou be lykende in herte at thyne owne wil. But now to enforme thee in this mater (quod this lady) thou wost where I lefte; that was: love to be swete, and love swete to be swete, is not al oon for to 135 say. For a tree is nat alway by necessitè white. Somtyme, er it were white, it might have be nat white; and after tyme it is white, it may be nat white. But a white tree evermore nedeful is to be white; for neither toforn ne after it was white, might it be togider white and nat white. Also love, by necessitè, is nat 140 present as now in thee; for er it were present, it might have be that it shulde now nat have be; and yet it may be that it shal nat be present; but thy love present whiche to her, Margarite, thee hath bounde, nedeful is to be present. Trewly, som doing of accion, nat by necessitè, is comminge fer toforn it be; it may be 145 that it shal nat be comminge. Thing forsoth comming nedeful is to be comming; for it may nat be that comming shal nat be comming. And right as I have sayd of present and of future tymes, the same sentence in sothnesse is of the preterit, that is to say, tyme passed. For thing passed must nedes be passed; and 150 er it were, it might have nat be; wherfore it shulde nat have passed. Right so, whan love comming is said of love that is to come, nedeful is to be that is said; for thing comming never is nat comminge. And so, ofte, the same thing we sayn of the same; as whan we sayn "every man is a man," or "every lover is a lover," 155 so muste it be nedes. In no waye may he be man and no man togider. And if it be nat by necessitè, that is to say nedeful, al thing comming to be comming, than somthing comming is nat comminge, and that is impossible. Right as these termes "nedeful," "necessitè," and "necessary" betoken and signify thing nedes 160 to be, and it may nat otherwyse be, right [so] +this terme "impossible" signifyeth, that [a] thing is nat and by no way may it be. Than, thorow pert necessitè, al thing comming is comming; but that is by necessitè foloweth, with nothing to be constrayned. Lo! whan that "comming" is said of thinge, nat alway thing 165 thorow necessitè is, altho[ugh] it be comming. For if I say, "to-morowe love is comming in this Margarites herte," nat therfore thorow necessitè shal the ilke love be; yet it may be that it shal nat be, altho[ugh] it were comming. Neverthelater, somtyme it is soth that somthing be of necessitè, that is sayd "to come"; as 170 if I say, to-morowe +be comminge the rysinge of the sonne. If therfore with necessitè I pronounce comming of thing to come, in this maner love to-morne comminge in thyne Margarite to thee-ward, by necessitè is comminge; or els the rysing of the sonne to-morne comminge, through necessitè is comminge. Love sothely, 175 whiche may nat be of necessitè alone folowinge, thorow necessitè comming it is mad certayn. For "futur" of future is said; that is to sayn, "comming" of comminge is said; as, if to-morowe comming is thorow necessitè, comminge it is. Arysing of the sonne, thorow two necessitès in comming, it is to understande; that oon is 180 to-for[e]going necessitè, whiche maketh thing to be; therfore it shal be, for nedeful is that it be. Another is folowing necessitè, whiche nothing constrayneth to be, and so by necessitè it is to come; why? for it is to come. Now than, whan we sayn that god beforn wot thing comming, nedeful [it] is to be comming; yet therfore make 185 we nat in certayn evermore, thing to be thorow necessitè comminge. Sothly, thing comming may nat be nat comming by no way; for it is the same sentence of understanding as if we say thus: if god beforn wot any-thing, nedeful is that to be comming. But yet therfore foloweth nat the prescience of God, thing thorow 190 necessitè to be comming: for al-tho[ugh] god toforn wot al thinges comming, yet nat therfore he beforn wot every thing comming thorow necessitè. Some thinges he beforn wot comming of free wil out of resonable creature.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'these termes "nede" and "necessitè" have 195 a queint maner of understanding; they wolden dullen many mennes wittes.'
'Therfore,' quod she, 'I wol hem openly declare, and more clerely than I have toforn, er I departe hen[ne]s.
CH. III. 1. nygh. 5. the. 6. vndersta_n_d. 8. lyberte of arbetry of arbitrement; omit arbetry of. 15. Nowe. 17. thorowe. 22. Howe. 29. beforne. maner than (omit than). thorowe. 30. whed_er_to.
38. beforne wote. 40. thorowe. kepte. 44. shalte. onely. 44-5. beforne wote (twice). 47. nowe. 51. though; read through. 52. beforne wote. 53. coaction. 57. Supply I; for no read not; see l. 59. 58. thorowe. 59. thanke. 60. maye. 61. Nowe. shalte. 62. sayne. thorowe. 63. throughe. 64. sayne. 65. thorowe. 67. violente. 69. thorowe. the. 70. none. onely thorowe. beforne. 71. the.
73-4. thynge. 74. co_m_mende; for comminge. onely. 75. thorowe (twice). 76. done. 77. childe. vndersto_n_d. 81. thorowe. 84. trouth. dout. 85. wote. thorowe. 86. if it shal be; omit if. 92. toforne. 93. None. 94. onely. 102. altho. 103. signification. one. 105. eased. hert. 108. hert.
109. se. peerle. 110. hert. 111. nowe. 112. thorowe. 113. thorowe. 114. thanke. great. 116. Nowe. 118. reasons. 120. shalte con. 121. reason. 123. great luste. 126. hert. weete. 128. vnbyde (!). 129. be; for by. 133. nowe. the. 135. one. 138. maye. 141. nowe. the. 142. nowe. maye. 143. the. 144. some.
145. action. ferre. 154. thynge. 155. sayne. 161. I supply so. these termes; read this terme. 162. I supply a. 163-6. thorowe. (twice). 166. altho. 167. hert. 169. altho. 171. by; read be. 173. the warde. 176. thorowe. 177. made certayne. 179. thorowe. 180. one. 181. to forgoing.
184. Nowe. 185. I supply it. 186. certayne. thynge. thorowe. 187. maye. 190. thorowe. 191. wote. 193. thorowe. 200. hense; read hennes.
Chapter IV
Here of this mater,' quod she, 'thou shalt understande that, right as it is nat nedeful, god to wilne that he wil, no more in many thinges is nat nedeful, a man to wilne that he wol. And ever, right as nedeful is to be, what that god wol, right so to be it is nedeful that man wol in tho thinges, whiche 5 that god hath put in-to mannes subjeccion of willinge; as, if a man wol love, that he love; and if he ne wol love, that he love nat; and of suche other thinges in mannes disposicion. For-why, now than that god wol may nat be, whan he wol the wil of man thorow no necessitè to be constrayned or els defended for to 10 wilne, and he wol th'effect to folowe the wil; than is it nedeful, wil of man to be free, and also to be that he wol. In this maner it is soth, that thorow necessitè is mannes werke in loving, that he wol do altho[ugh] he wol it nat with necessitè.'
Quod I than, 'how stant it in love of thilke wil, sithen men 15 loven willing of free choice in herte? Wherfore, if it be thorow necessitè, I praye you, lady, of an answere this question to assoyle.'
'I wol,' quod she, 'answere thee blyvely. Right as men wil not thorow necessitè, right so is not love of wil thorow necessitè; 20 ne thorow necessitè wrought thilke same wil. For if he wolde it not with good wil, it shulde nat have been wrought; although that he doth, it is nedeful to be doon. But if a man do sinne, it is nothing els but to +wilne that he shulde nat; right so sinne of wil is not to be [in] maner necessary don, no more than wil is 25 necessarye. Never-the-later, this is sothe; if a man wol sinne, it is necessarye him to sinne, but th[r]ough thilke necessitè nothing is constrayned ne defended in the wil; right so thilke thing that free-wil wol and may, and not may not wilne; and nedeful is that to wilne he may not wilne. But thilke to wilne nedeful is; for 30 impossible to him it is oon thing and the same to wilne and not to wilne. The werke, forsothe, of wil, to whom it is yeve that it be that he hath in wil, and that he wol not, voluntarie +or spontanye it is; for by spontanye wil it is do, that is to saye, with good wil not constrayned: than by wil not constrayned it is constrayned to 35 be; and that is it may not +togider be. If this necessitè maketh libertè of wil, whiche that, aforn they weren, they might have ben eschewed and shonned: god than, whiche that knoweth al tr[o]uthe, and nothing but tr[o]uthe, al these thinges, as they arn spontanye or necessarie, +seeth; and as he seeth, so they 40 ben. And so with these thinges wel considred, it is open at the ful, that without al maner repugnaunce god beforn wot al maner thinges [that] ben don by free wil, whiche, aforn they weren, [it] might have ben [that] never they shulde be. And yet ben they thorow a maner necessitè from free wil +discended. 45
Hereby may (quod she) lightly ben knowe that not al thinges to be, is of necessitè, though god have hem in his prescience. For som thinges to be, is of libertè of wil. And to make thee to have ful knowinge of goddes beforn-weting, here me (quod she) what I shal say.' 50
'Blythly, lady,' quod I, 'me list this mater entyrely to understande.'
'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that in heven is goddes beinge; although he be over al by power, yet there is abydinge of devyne persone; in whiche heven is everlastinge presence, withouten 55 any movable tyme. There * is nothing preterit ne passed, there is nothing future ne comming; but al thinges togider in that place ben present everlasting, without any meving. Wherfore, to god, al thing is as now; and though a thing be nat, in kyndly nature of thinges, as yet, and if it shulde be herafter, yet evermore 60 we shul saye, god it maketh be tyme present, and now; for no future ne preterit in him may be founde. Wherfore his weting and his before-weting is al oon in understanding. Than, if weting and before-weting of god putteth in necessitè to al thinges whiche he wot or before-wot; ne thing, after eternitè or els after any 65 tyme, he wol or doth of libertè, but al of necessitè: whiche thing if thou wene it be ayenst reson, [than is] nat thorow necessitè to be or nat to be, al thing that god wot or before-wot to be or nat to be; and yet nothing defendeth any-thing to be wist or to be before-wist of him in our willes or our doinges to be don, or els 70 comminge to be for free arbitrement. Whan thou hast these declaracions wel understande, than shalt thou fynde it resonable at prove, and that many thinges be nat thorow necessitè but thorow libertè of wil, save necessitè of free wil, as I tofore said, and, as me thinketh, al utterly declared.' 75
'Me thinketh, lady,' quod I, 'so I shulde you nat displese, and evermore your reverence to kepe, that these thinges contraryen in any understanding; for ye sayn, somtyme is thorow libertè of wil, and also thorow necessitè. Of this have I yet no savour, without better declaracion.' 80
'What wonder,' quod she, 'is there in these thinges, sithen al day thou shalt see at thyne eye, in many thinges receyven in hem-selfe revers, thorow dyvers resons, as thus:--I pray thee (quod she) which thinges ben more revers than "comen" and "gon"? For if I bidde thee "come to me," and thou come, after, whan 85 I bidde thee "go," and thou go, thou reversest fro thy first comming.'
'That is soth,' quod I.
'And yet,' quod she, 'in thy first alone, by dyvers reson, was ful reversinge to understande.' 90
'As how?' quod I.
'That shal I shewe thee,' quod she, 'by ensample of thinges that have kyndly moving. Is there any-thing that meveth more kyndly than doth the hevens eye, whiche I clepe the sonne?'
'Sothly,' quod I, 'me semeth it is most kyndly to move.' 95
'Thou sayest soth,' quod she. 'Than, if thou loke to the sonne, in what parte he be under heven, evermore he +hyeth him in moving fro thilke place, and +hyeth meving toward the ilke same place; to thilke place from whiche he goth he +hyeth comminge; and without any ceesinge to that place he neigheth 100 from whiche he is chaunged and withdrawe. But now in these thinges, after dyversitè of reson, revers in one thinge may be seye without repugnaunce. Wherfore in the same wyse, without any repugnaunce, by my resons tofore maked, al is oon to beleve, somthing to be thorow necessitè comminge for it is comming, and 105 yet with no necessitè constrayned to be comming, but with necessitè that cometh out of free wil, as I have sayd.'
Tho liste me a litel to speke, and gan stinte my penne of my wryting, and sayde in this wyse.
'Trewly, lady, as me thinketh, I can allege authoritees grete, 110 that contrarien your sayinges. Job saith of mannes person, "thou hast put his terme, whiche thou might not passe." Than saye I that no man may shorte ne lengthe the day ordayned of his +dying, altho[ugh] somtyme to us it semeth som man to do a thing of free wil, wherthorow his deeth he henteth.' 115
'Nay, forsothe,' quod she, 'it is nothing ayenst my saying; for god is not begyled, ne he seeth nothing wheder it shal come of libertè or els of necessitè; yet it is said to be ordayned at god immovable, whiche at man, or it be don, may be chaunged. Suche thing is also that Poule the apostel saith of hem that tofore 120 wern purposed to be sayntes, as thus: "whiche that god before wiste and hath predestined conformes of images of his +sone, that he shulde ben the firste begeten, that is to saye, here amonges many brethren; and whom he hath predestined, hem he hath cleped; and whom he hath cleped, hem he hath justifyed; and 125 whom he hath justifyed, hem he hath magnifyed." This purpos, after whiche they ben cleped sayntes or holy in the everlasting present, wher is neither tyme passed ne tyme comminge, but ever it is only present, and now as mokel a moment as sevin thousand winter; and so ayenward withouten any meving is nothing lich 130 temporel presence for thinge that there is ever present. Yet amonges you men, er it be in your presence, it is movable thorow libertè of arbitrement. And right as in the everlasting present no maner thing was ne shal be, but only is; and now here, in your temporel tyme, somthing was, and is, and shal be, but 135 movinge stoundes; and in this is no maner repugnaunce: right so, in the everlasting presence, nothing may be chaunged; and, in your temporel tyme, otherwhyle it is proved movable by libertè of wil or it be do, withouten any inconvenience therof to folowe. In your temporel tyme is no suche presence as in the tother; for 140 your present is don whan passed and to come ginnen entre; whiche tymes here amonges you everich esily foloweth other. But the presence everlasting dureth in oonhed, withouten any imaginable chaunging, and ever is present and now. Trewly, the course of the planettes and overwhelminges of the sonne in dayes 145 and nightes, with a newe ginning of his circute after it is ended, that is to sayn, oon yeer to folowe another: these maken your transitory tymes with chaunginge of lyves and mutacion of people, but right as your temporel presence coveiteth every place, and al thinges in every of your tymes be contayned, and as now both 150 seye and wist to goddes very knowinge.'
'Than,' quod I, 'me wondreth why Poule spak these wordes by voice of significacion in tyme passed, that god his sayntes before-wist hath predestined, hath cleped, hath justifyed, and hath magnifyed. Me thinketh, he shulde have sayd tho wordes 155 in tyme present; and that had ben more accordaunt to the everlasting present than to have spoke in preterit voice of passed understanding.'
'O,' quod Love, 'by these wordes I see wel thou hast litel understanding of the everlasting presence, or els of my before 160 spoken wordes; for never a thing of tho thou hast nempned was tofore other or after other; but al at ones evenlich at the god ben, and al togider in the everlasting present be now to understanding. This eternal presence, as I sayd, hath inclose togider in one al tymes, in which close and one al thinges that ben in 165 dyvers tymes and in dyvers places temporel, [and] without posterioritè or prioritè ben closed ther in perpetual now, and maked to dwelle in present sight. But there thou sayest that Poule shulde have spoke thilke forsaid sentence +by tyme present, and that most shulde have ben acordaunt to the everlasting presence, 170 why gabbest thou +in thy wordes? Sothly, I say, Poule moved the wordes by significacion of tyme passed, to shewe fully that thilk wordes were nat put for temporel significacion; for al [at] thilk tyme [of] thilke sentence were nat temporallich born, whiche that Poule pronounced god have tofore knowe, and have cleped, than 175 magnifyed. Wherthorow it may wel be knowe that Poule used tho wordes of passed significacion, for nede and lacke of a worde in mannes bodily speche betokeninge the everlasting presence. And therfore, [in] worde moste semeliche in lykenesse to everlasting presence, he took his sentence; for thinges that here-beforn 180 ben passed utterly be immovable, y-lyke to the everlasting presence. As thilke that ben there never mowe not ben present, so thinges of tyme passed ne mowe in no wyse not ben passed; but al thinges in your temporal presence, that passen in a litel while, shullen ben not present. So than in that, it is more 185 similitude to the everlasting presence, significacion of tyme passed than of tyme temporal present, and so more in accordaunce. In this maner what thing, of these that ben don thorow free arbitrement, or els as necessary, holy writ pronounceth, after eternitè he speketh; in whiche presence is everlasting sothe and nothing but 190 sothe immovable; nat after tyme, in whiche naught alway ben your willes and your actes. And right as, while they be nat, it is nat nedeful hem to be, so ofte it is nat nedeful that somtyme they shulde be.'
'As how?' quod I; 'for yet I must be lerned by some 195 ensample.'
'Of love,' quod she, 'wol I now ensample make, sithen I knowe the heed-knotte in that yelke. Lo! somtyme thou wrytest no art, ne art than in no wil to wryte. And right as while thou wrytest nat or els wolt nat wryte, it is nat nedeful thee to wryte 200 or els wilne to wryte. And for to make thee knowe utterly that thinges ben otherwise in the everlastinge presence than in temporal tyme, see now, my good child: for somthing is in the everlastinge presence, than in temporal tyme it was nat; in +eterne tyme, in eterne presence shal it nat be. Than no reson 205 defendeth, that somthing ne may be in tyme temporal moving, that in eterne is immovable. Forsothe, it is no more contrary ne revers for to be movable in tyme temporel, and [im]movable in eternitè, than nat to be in any tyme and to be alway in eternitè; and to have be or els to come in tyme temporel, and 210 nat have be ne nought comming to be in eternitè. Yet never-the-later, I say nat somthing to be never in tyme temporel, that ever is [in] eternitè; but al-only in som tyme nat to be. For I saye nat thy love to-morne in no tyme to be, but to-day alone I deny it to be; and yet, never-the-later, it is alway in eternitè.' 215
'A! so,' quod I, 'it semeth to me, that comming thing or els passed here in your temporal tyme to be, in eternitè ever now and present oweth nat to be demed; and yet foloweth nat thilke thing, that was or els shal be, in no maner ther to ben passed or els comming; than utterly shul we deny for there without 220 ceesing it is, in his present maner.'
'O,' quod she, 'myne owne disciple, now ginnest thou [be] able to have the name of my servaunt! Thy wit is clered; away is now errour of cloude in unconning; away is blyndnesse of love; away is thoughtful study of medling maners. Hastely 225 shalt thou entre in-to the joye of me, that am thyn owne maistres! Thou hast (quod she), in a fewe wordes, wel and clerely concluded mokel of my mater. And right as there is no revers ne contrarioustee in tho thinges, right so, withouten any repugnaunce, it is sayd somthing to be movable in tyme 230 temporel, +afore it be, that in eternitè dwelleth immovable, nat afore it be or after that it is, but without cessing; for right naught is there after tyme; that same is there everlastinge that temporalliche somtyme nis; and toforn it be, it may not be, as I have sayd.' 235
'Now sothly,' quod I, 'this have I wel understande; so that now me thinketh, that prescience of god and free arbitrement withouten any repugnaunce acorden; and that maketh the strength of eternitè, whiche encloseth by presence during al tymes, and al thinges that ben, han ben, and shul ben in any 240 tyme. I wolde now (quod I) a litel understande, sithen that [god] al thing thus beforn wot, whether thilke wetinge be of tho thinges, or els thilke thinges ben to ben of goddes weting, and so of god nothing is; and if every thing be thorow goddes weting, and therof take his being, than shulde god be maker and auctour 245 of badde werkes, and so he shulde not rightfully punisshe yvel doinges of mankynde.'
Quod Love, 'I shal telle thee, this lesson to lerne. Myne owne trewe servaunt, the noble philosophical poete in Englissh, whiche evermore him besieth and travayleth right sore my name 250 to encrese (wherfore al that willen me good owe to do him worship and reverence bothe; trewly, his better ne his pere in scole of my rules coude I never fynde)--he (quod she), in a tretis that he made of my servant Troilus, hath this mater touched, and at the ful this question assoyled. Certaynly, his noble sayinges 255 can I not amende; in goodnes of gentil manliche speche, without any maner of nycetè of +storiers imaginacion, in witte and in good reson of sentence he passeth al other makers. In the boke of Troilus, the answere to thy question mayst thou lerne. Never-the-later, yet may lightly thyne understandinge somdel ben lerned, 260 if thou have knowing of these to-fornsaid thinges; with that thou have understanding of two the laste chapiters of this seconde boke, that is to say, good to be somthing, and bad to wante al maner being. For badde is nothing els but absence of good; and [as] that god in good maketh that good dedes ben good, 265 in yvel he maketh that they ben but naught, that they ben bad; for to nothing is badnesse to be [lykned].'
'I have,' quod I tho, 'ynough knowing therin; me nedeth of other thinges to here, that is to saye, how I shal come to my blisse so long desyred.' 270
CH. IV. 1. shalte. 6. subiection. 8. disposition. 9. nowe. 10. thorowe. 11. theffecte. folow. 12. fre. 13. thorowe. 14. altho. 15. howe stante.
16. thorowe. 19. the. 20-1. thorowe (thrice). 23. dothe. doone. 24. wyl; read wilne; see l. 30. 25. I supply in. done. 28. thynge. 29. frewyl. maye. 30. maye. 30-1. Some words repeated here. 31. one. 32. whome. 33. of; read or. 36. togyther; read togider. 37. libertie. aforne. 39. truthe (twice). 40. arne. syght; read seeth. 42. beforne. 43. I supply that. fre. aforne. 44. I supply it and that. 45. frewyl discendeth (!). 46. maye. 48. libertie. the. 49. beforne.
53. shalte. * A break here in Th. 59. nowe. thynge. 61. nowe. 63. one. 66. dothe. 67. reason. I supply than is. thorowe. 69. thynge. 70. done. 71. haste. 72. declarations. 73-4. thorowe (twice). 76. displease. 78. sayne. 78-9. thorowe. 80. declaration. 82. shalte se. 83. reasons. the. 84. gone. 85-6. thee (twice).
89. reasone. 91. howe. 92. the. 97. heigheth; read hyeth. 98. higheth; read hyeth. towarde. 99. gothe. heigheth; read hyeth. 100. ceasynge. 101. nowe. 102. reason. sey. 104. reasons. one. 105. thorowe. 108. list. stynt. 109. sayd. 110. gret. 111. sayenges. 112. putte. 113. length. 114. doyng; read dying. some. 115. thynge. -thorowe. dethe. 116. Naye. sayeng. 119. done. 120. saithe. toforne werne. 122. wyst. sonne; read sone.
124. brethern. 126. purpose. 129. onely. nowe. thousande. 130. ayenwarde. 132. thorowe. 134. onely. nowe. 141. done. 142. easely. 143. onehed. 144. nowe. 147. one yere. 148. mutation. 150. nowe. 151. sey. 152. spake. 153. signification. 155. sayde. 159. se.
163, 167. nowe. 166. I supply and. 167. therin; read ther in. 168. dwel. 169. be; read by. 171. to; read in. 172-3. signification (twice). 173. I supply at. 174. were nat thilke sentence; transpose, and insert of. borne. 176. Wherthorowe. know. 177. signification. 178. spech. 179. I supply in; and omit is after worde. 180. toke. 181. beforne. 186. signification. 188. thynge. done thorowe fre. 189. writte. 197. nowe.
199. arte (twice). 200. the. 201. the. 203. se nowe. childe. somthynge. 205. eternite; read eterne. reason. 208. movable (!). 210. and have to be. 213. I supply in. al onely. somtyme. 215. deny ne it; omit ne. alwaye. 217. nowe. 219. thynge. thereto; read ther to. 221. ceasyng. 222. nowe. I supply be. 223. witte. 224. nowe. awaye. 226. shalte. 227. haste. 229. contrarioustie. 231. and for; read afore.
234. toforne. maye. 236. Nowe. 237. nowe. fre. 241. nowe. 242. I supply god. beforne. 244. nothynge. thorowe. 248. tel the. 251. encrease. 253. schole. treatise. 255. sayenges. 256. gentyl manlyche. 257. nycite. starieres (!). 258. reason. 259. mayste. 260. somdele. 263. want. 265. I supply as. 267. I supply lykned. 269. howe.
Chapter V
'In this mater toforn declared,' quod Love, 'I have wel shewed, that every man hath free arbitrement of thinges in his power, to do or undo what him lyketh. Out of this grounde muste come the spire, that by processe of tyme shal in greetnesse sprede, to have braunches and blosmes of waxing frute in grace, 5 of whiche the taste and the savour is endelesse blisse, in joye ever to onbyde.'*
'Now, trewly, lady, I have my grounde wel understonde; but what thing is thilke spire that in-to a tree shulde wexe? Expowne me that thing, what ye therof mene.' 10
'That shal I,' quod she, 'blithly, and take good hede to the wordes, I thee rede. Continuaunce in thy good service, by longe processe of tyme in ful hope abyding, without any chaunge to wilne in thyne herte, this is the spire. Whiche, if it be wel kept and governed, shal so hugely springe, til the fruit of grace is 15 plentuously out-sprongen. For although thy wil be good, yet may not therfore thilk blisse desyred hastely on thee discenden; it must abyde his sesonable tyme. And so, by processe of growing, with thy good traveyle, it shal in-to more and more wexe, til it be found so mighty, that windes of yvel speche, ne scornes 20 of envy, make nat the traveyle overthrowe; ne frostes of mistrust, ne hayles of jelousy right litel might have, in harming of suche springes. Every yonge setling lightly with smale stormes is apeyred; but whan it is woxen somdel in gretnesse, than han grete blastes and +weders but litel might, any disadvantage to 25 them for to werche.'
'Myne owne soverayne lady,' quod I, 'and welth of myne herte, and it were lyking un-to your noble grace therthrough nat to be displesed, I suppose ye erren, now ye maken jelousy, envy, and distourbour to hem that ben your servauntes. I have lerned 30 ofte, to-forn this tyme, that in every lovers herte greet plentee of jelousyes greves ben sowe, wherfore (me thinketh) ye ne ought in no maner accompte thilke thing among these other welked wivers and venomous serpentes, as envy, mistrust, and yvel speche.' 35
'O fole,' quod she, 'mistrust with foly, with yvel wil medled, engendreth that welked padde! Truely, if they were distroyed, jelousy undon were for ever; and yet some maner of jelousy, I wot wel, is ever redy in al the hertes of my trewe servauntes, as thus: to be jelous over him-selfe, lest he be cause of his own 40 disese. This jelousy in ful thought ever shulde be kept, for ferdnesse to lese his love by miskeping, thorow his owne doing in leudnesse, or els thus: lest she, that thou servest so fervently, is beset there her better lyketh, that of al thy good service she compteth nat a cresse. These jelousies in herte for acceptable 45 qualitees ben demed; these oughten every trewe lover, by kyndly [maner], evermore haven in his mynde, til fully the grace and blisse of my service be on him discended at wil. And he that than jelousy caccheth, or els by wening of his owne folisshe wilfulnesse mistrusteth, truely with fantasy of venim he is foule 50 begyled. Yvel wil hath grounded thilke mater of sorowe in his leude soule, and yet nat-for-than to every wight shulde me nat truste, ne every wight fully misbeleve; the mene of these thinges +oweth to be used. Sothly, withouten causeful evidence mistrust in jelousy shulde nat be wened in no wyse person commenly; 55 suche leude wickednesse shulde me nat fynde. He that is wyse and with yvel wil nat be acomered, can abyde wel his tyme, til grace and blisse of his service folowing have him so mokel esed, as his abydinge toforehande hath him disesed.'
'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'of nothing me wondreth, sithen 60 thilke blisse so precious is and kyndly good, and wel is and worthy in kynde whan it is medled with love and reson, as ye toforn have declared. Why, anon as hye oon is spronge, why springeth nat the tother? And anon as the oon cometh, why receyveth nat the other? For every thing that is out of his kyndly place, by ful 65 appetyt ever cometh thiderward kyndely to drawe; and his kyndly being ther-to him constrayneth. And the kyndly stede of this blisse is in suche wil medled to +onbyde, and nedes in that it shulde have his kyndly being. Wherfore me thinketh, anon as that wil to be shewed and kid him profreth, thilke blisse shulde him 70 hye, thilk wil to receyve; or els kynde[s] of goodnesse worchen nat in hem as they shulde. Lo, be the sonne never so fer, ever it hath his kynde werching in erthe. Greet weight on hye on-lofte caried stinteth never til it come to +his resting-place. Waters to the see-ward ever ben they drawing. Thing that is light 75 blythly wil nat sinke, but ever ascendeth and upward draweth. Thus kynde in every thing his kyndly cours and his beinge-place sheweth. Wherfore +by kynde, on this good wil, anon as it were spronge, this blisse shulde thereon discende; her kynde[s] wolde, they dwelleden togider; and so have ye sayd your-selfe.' 80
'Certes,' quod she, 'thyne herte sitteth wonder sore, this blisse for to have; thyne herte is sore agreved that it tarieth so longe; and if thou durstest, as me thinketh by thyne wordes, this blisse woldest thou blame. But yet I saye, thilke blisse is kyndly good, and his kyndely place [is] in that wil to +onbyde. Never-the-later, 85 their comming togider, after kyndes ordinaunce, nat sodaynly may betyde; it muste abyde tyme, as kynde yeveth him leve. For if a man, as this wil medled gonne him shewe, and thilke blisse in haste folowed, so lightly comminge shulde lightly cause going. Longe tyme of thursting causeth drink to be the more 90 delicious whan it is atasted.'
'How is it,' quod I than, 'that so many blisses see I al day at myne eye, in the firste moment of a sight, with suche wil accorde? Ye, and yet other-whyle with wil assenteth, singulerly by him-selfe; there reson fayleth, traveyle was non; service had no tyme. This 95 is a queynt maner thing, how suche doing cometh aboute.'
'O,' quod she, 'that is thus. The erthe kyndely, after sesons and tymes of the yere, bringeth forth innumerable herbes and trees, bothe profitable and other; but suche as men might leve (though they nought in norisshinge to mannes kynde serven, or 100 els suche as tournen sone unto mennes confusion, in case that therof they ataste), comen forth out of the erthe by their owne kynde, withouten any mannes cure or any businesse in traveyle. And the ilke herbes that to mennes lyvelode necessarily serven, without whiche goodly in this lyfe creatures mowen nat enduren, 105 and most ben +norisshinge to mankynde, without greet traveyle, greet tilthe, and longe abydinge-tyme, comen nat out of the erthe, and [y]it with sede toforn ordayned, suche herbes to make springe and forth growe. Right so the parfit blisse, that we have in meninge of during-tyme to abyde, may nat come so lightly, but with greet 110 traveyle and right besy tilth; and yet good seed to be sowe; for ofte the croppe fayleth of badde seede, be it never so wel traveyled. And thilke blisse thou spoke of so lightly in comming, trewly, is nat necessary ne abydinge; and but it the better be stamped, and the venomous jeuse out-wrongen, it is lykely to enpoysonen 115 al tho that therof tasten. Certes, right bitter ben the herbes that shewen first [in] the yere of her own kynde. Wel the more is the harvest that yeldeth many graynes, tho longe and sore it hath ben traveyled. What woldest thou demen if a man wold yeve three quarters of nobles of golde? That were a precious gift?' 120
'Ye, certes,' quod I.
'And what,' quod she, 'three quarters ful of perles?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'that were a riche gift.'
'And what,' quod she, 'of as mokel azure?'
Quod I, 'a precious gift at ful.' 125
'Were not,' quod she, 'a noble gift of al these atones?'
'In good faith,' quod I, 'for wanting of Englissh naming of so noble a worde, I can not, for preciousnesse, yeve it a name.'
'Rightfully,' quod she, 'hast thou demed; and yet love, knit in vertue, passeth al the gold in this erthe. Good wil, accordant 130 to reson, with no maner propertè may be countrevayled. Al the azure in the worlde is nat to accompte in respect of reson. Love that with good wil and reson accordeth, with non erthly riches may nat ben amended. This yeft hast thou yeven, I know it my-selfe, and thy Margarite thilke gift hath receyved; in whiche 135 thinge to rewarde she hath her-selfe bounde. But thy gift, as I said, by no maner riches may be amended; wherfore, with thinge that may nat be amended, thou shalt of thy Margarites rightwisenesse be rewarded. Right suffred yet never but every good dede somtyme to be yolde. Al wolde thy Margarite with 140 no rewarde thee quyte, right, that never-more dyeth, thy mede in merit wol purvey. Certes, such sodayn blisse as thou first nempnest, right wil hem rewarde as thee wel is worthy; and though at thyn eye it semeth, the reward the desert to passe, right can after sende suche bitternesse, evenly it to rewarde. So 145 that sodayn blisse, by al wayes of reson, in gret goodnesse may not ben acompted; but blisse long, both long it abydeth, and endlesse it wol laste. See why thy wil is endelesse. For if thou lovedest ever, thy wil is ever ther t'abyde and neveremore to chaunge; evenhed of rewarde must ben don by right; than muste 150 nedes thy grace and this blisse [ben] endelesse in joye to +onbyde. Evenliche disese asketh evenliche joye, whiche hastely thou shalt have.'
'A!' quod I, 'it suffyseth not than alone good wil, be it never so wel with reson medled, but-if it be in good service longe 155 travayled. And so through service shul men come to the joye; and this, me thinketh, shulde be the wexing tree, of which ye first meved.*
CH. V. 2. fre. 4. greatnesse. 6. ioy. * A break here in Th. 8. Nowe. 10. meane. 12. the. 15. fruite. 16. al thoughe. 17. the. 24. somdele. 25. great. wethers; read weders. 28. hert. 29. displeased. nowe. 31. to-forne. hert great plentie. 33. thynge.
38. vndone. 41. disease. 42. thorowe. 47. I supply maner. 49. catcheth. 50. venyme. 53. trust. meane. 54. owen; read oweth. 58. eased. 59. diseased. 62. reason. 63. one. sprong. 64. anone. one. 66. appetite. thiderwarde. 68. vnbyde; read onbyde. 70. kydde. 71. kynde; read kyndes. 72. ferre.
73. great. 74. this; read his. 75. see warde. 77. course. 78. be; read by. 79. kynde; read kyndes. 80. sayde. 81-2. hert. 85. I supply is. vnbyde; read onbyde. 87. maye. leaue. 90. drinke. 92. Howe. se. daye. 95. reason. none. 96. thynge howe. 97. seasons. 98. forthe. 99. leaue. 100. they were nought; omit were. 101. soone. 102. forthe. 106. norisshen; read norisshinge. 106-7. great (twice). 108. it; read yit; see l. 111. seede toforne. spring.
109. forthe. parfyte. meanynge. 110. great. 111. seede. 117. I supply in. 119-122. thre (twice). 122. peerles. 123-6. gifte (thrice). 129. haste. knytte. 130. golde. 131. reason. 132. respecte. 132-3. reason (twice). 136. gifte. 141. the. 142. sodayne. 143. the. 144. rewarde.
146. sodayne. reason. 148. last. Se. 149. tabyde. 151. I supply ben. ioy. vnbyde (!). 152. ioy. 157. tre. * A break here in Th.
Chapter VI
Now, lady,' quod I, 'that tree to sette, fayn wolde I lerne.'
'So thou shalt,' quod she, 'er thou depart hence. The first thing, thou muste sette thy werke on grounde siker and good, accordaunt to thy springes. For if thou desyre grapes, thou goest not to the hasel; ne, for to fecchen roses, thou sekest not 5 on okes; and if thou shalt have hony-soukels, thou levest the frute of the soure docke. Wherfore, if thou desyre this blisse in parfit joye, thou must sette thy purpos there vertue foloweth, and not to loke after the bodily goodes; as I sayd whan thou were wryting in thy seconde boke. And for thou hast set thy-selfe in 10 so noble a place, and utterly lowed in thyn herte the misgoing of thy first purpos, this +setling is the esier to springe, and the more lighter thy soule in grace to be lissed. And trewly thy desyr, that is to say, thy wil algates mot ben stedfast in this mater without any chaunginge; for if it be stedfast, no man may it voyde.' 15
'Yes, pardè,' quod I, 'my wil may ben turned by frendes, and disese of manace and thretning in lesinge of my lyfe and of my limmes, and in many other wyse that now cometh not to mynde. And also it mot ofte ben out of thought; for no remembraunce may holde oon thing continuelly in herte, be it never so lusty 20 desyred.'
'Now see,' quod she, 'thou thy wil shal folowe, thy free wil to be grounded continuelly to abyde. It is thy free wil, that thou lovest and hast loved, and yet shal loven this Margaryte-perle; and in thy wil thou thinkest to holde it. Than is thy wil knit 25 in love, not to chaunge for no newe lust besyde; this wil techeth thyn herte from al maner varying. But than, although thou be thretened in dethe or els in otherwyse, yet is it in thyn arbitrement to chose, thy love to voyde or els to holde; and thilke arbitrement is in a maner a jugement bytwene desyr and thy 30 herte. And if thou deme to love thy good wil fayleth, than art thou worthy no blisse that good wil shulde deserve; and if thou chose continuaunce in thy good service, than thy good wil abydeth; nedes, blisse folowing of thy good wil must come by strength of thilke jugement; for thy first wil, that taught thyn 35 herte to abyde, and halt it from th'eschaunge, with thy reson is accorded. Trewly, this maner of wil thus shal abyde; impossible it were to turne, if thy herte be trewe; and if every man diligently the meninges of his wil consider, he shal wel understande that good wil, knit with reson, but in a false herte 40 never is voyded; for power and might of keping this good wil is thorow libertè of arbitrement in herte, but good wil to kepe may not fayle. Eke than if it fayle, it sheweth it-selfe that good wil in keping is not there. And thus false wil, that putteth out the good, anon constrayneth the herte to accorde in lovinge of 45 thy good wil; and this accordaunce bitwene false wil and thyn herte, in falsitè ben lykened +togider. Yet a litel wol I say thee in good wil, thy good willes to rayse and strengthe. Tak hede to me (quod she) how thy willes thou shalt understande. Right as ye han in your body dyvers membres, and fyve sondrye 50 wittes, everiche apart to his owne doing, whiche thinges as instrumentes ye usen; as, your handes apart to handle; feet, to go; tonge, to speke; eye, to see: right so the soule hath in him certayne steringes and strengthes, whiche he useth as instrumentes to his certayne doinges. Reson is in the soule, 55 which he useth, thinges to knowe and to prove; and wil, whiche he useth to wilne; and yet is neyther wil ne reson al the soule; but everich of hem is a thing by him-selfe in the soule. And right as everich hath thus singuler instrumentes by hemselfe, they han as wel dyvers aptes and dyvers maner usinges; and 60 thilke aptes mowen in wil ben cleped affeccions. Affeccion is an instrument of willinge in his apetytes. Wherfore mokel folk sayn, if a resonable creatures soule any thing fervently wilneth, affectuously he wilneth; and thus may wil, by terme of equivocas, in three wayes ben understande. Oon is instrument of willing; 65 another is affection of this instrument; and the third is use, that setteth it a-werke. Instrument of willing is thilke strength of the soule, which that constrayneth to wilne, right as reson is instrument of resons, which ye usen whan ye loken. Affeccion of this instrument is a thing, by whiche ye be drawe desyrously any-thing 70 to wilne in coveitous maner, al be it for the tyme out of your mynde; as, if it come in your thought thilke thing to remembre, anon ye ben willing thilke to done or els to have. And thus is instrument wil; and affeccion is wil also, to wilne thing as I said; as, for to wilne helth, whan wil nothing theron 75 thinketh; for anon as it cometh to memorie, it is in wil. And so is affeccion to wilne slepe, whan it is out of mynde; but anon as it is remembred, wil wilneth slepe, whan his tyme cometh of the doinge. For affeccion of wil never accordeth to sicknesse, ne alway to wake. Right so, in a true lovers affeccion of willing, 80 instrument is to wilne tr[o]uthe in his service; and this affeccion alway abydeth, although he be sleping or thretned, or els not theron thinking; but anon as it cometh to mynde, anon he is stedfast in that wil to abyde. Use of this instrument forsothe is another thing by himselfe; and that have ye not but whan 85 ye be doing in willed thing, by affect or instrument of wil purposed or desyred; and this maner of usage in my service wysely nedeth to be ruled from wayters with envy closed, from spekers ful of jangeling wordes, from proude folk and hautayn, that lambes and innocentes bothe scornen and dispysen. Thus 90 in doing varieth the actes of willinge everich from other, and yet ben they cleped "wil," and the name of wil utterly owen they to have; as instrument of wil is wil, whan ye turne in-to purpos of any thing to don, be it to sitte or to stande, or any such thing els. This instrument may ben had, although affect and usage be 95 left out of doing; right as ye have sight and reson, and yet alway use ye* +nat to loke, [ne] thinges with resonning to prove; and so is instrument of wil, wil; and yet varyeth he from effect and using bothe. Affeccion of wil also for wil is cleped, but it varyeth from instrument in this maner wyse, by that nameliche, whan it 100 cometh in-to mynde, anon-right it is in willinge desyred, and the negatif therof with willing nil not acorde; this is closed in herte, though usage and instrument slepe. This slepeth whan instrument and us[e] waken; and of suche maner affeccion, trewly, some man hath more and some man lesse. Certes, trewe lovers 105 wenen ever therof to litel to have. False lovers in litel wenen have right mokel. Lo, instrument of wil in false and trewe bothe, evenliche is proporcioned; but affeccion is more in some places than in some, bycause of the goodnesse that foloweth, and that I thinke hereafter to declare. Use of this instrument is wil, 110 but it taketh his name whan wilned thing is in doing; but utterly grace to cacche in thy blisse +desyreth to ben rewarded. Thou most have than affeccion of wil at the ful, and use whan his tyme asketh wysely to ben governed. Sothly, my disciple, without fervent affeccion of wil may no man ben saved. This 115 affeccion of good service in good love may not ben grounded, without fervent desyr to the thing in wil coveited. But he that never reccheth to have or not to have, affeccion of wil in that hath no resting-place. Why? For whan thing cometh to mynde, and it be not taken in hede to comin or not come, therfore in 120 that place affeccion fayleth; and, for thilke affeccion is so litel, thorow whiche in goodnesse he shulde come to his grace, the litelnesse wil it not suffre to avayle by no way in-to his helpes. Certes, grace and reson thilke affeccion foloweth. This affeccion, with reson knit, dureth in everiche trewe herte, and evermore 125 is encresing; no ferdnesse, no strength may it remove, whyle tr[o]uthe in herte abydeth. Sothly, whan falsheed ginneth entre, tr[o]uthe draweth away grace and joye bothe; but than thilke falsheed, that trouth[e] hath thus voyded, hath unknit the bond of understanding reson bytwene wil and the herte. And who-so 130 that bond undoth, and unknitteth wil to be in other purpose than to the first accorde, knitteth him with contrarye of reson; and that is unreson. Lo, than, wil and unreson bringeth a man from the blisse of grace; whiche thing, of pure kynde, every man ought to shonne and to eschewe, and to the knot of wil and reson 135 confirme.
Me thinketh,' quod she, 'by thy studient lokes, thou wenest in these wordes me to contrarien from other sayinges here-toforn in other place, as whan thou were somtyme in affeccion of wil to thinges that now han brought thee in disese, which I have thee 140 consayled to voyde, and thyn herte discover; and there I made thy wil to ben chaunged, whiche now thou wenest I argue to with[h]olde and to kepe! Shortly I say, the revers in these wordes may not ben founde; for though dronkennesse be forboden, men shul not alway ben drinklesse. I trowe right, for 145 thou thy wil out of reson shulde not tourne, thy wil in one reson shulde not +onbyde. I say, thy wil in thy first purpos with unreson was closed; constrewe forth of the remenant what thee good lyketh. Trewly, that wil and reson shulde be knit togider, was free wil of reson; after tyme thyne herte is assentaunt to them 150 bothe, thou might not chaunge. But if thou from rule of reson varye, in whiche variaunce to come to thilke blisse desyred, contrariously thou werchest; and nothing may knowe wil and reson but love alone. Than if thou voide love, than +weyvest [thou] the bond that knitteth; and so nedes, or els right lightly, that 155 other gon a-sondre; wherfore thou seest apertly that love holdeth this knot, and amaystreth hem to be bounde. These thinges, as a ring in circuit of wrethe, ben knit in thy soule without departing.'
'A! let be! let be!' quod I; 'it nedeth not of this no rehersayle to make; my soule is yet in parfit blisse, in thinking of 160 that knotte!'*
CH. VI. 1. Nowe. set fayne. 3. set. 5. fetchen. 6. leauest. 8. parfite ioy. set. purpose. 10. booke. haste. 12. purpose. setteles; read setling. 13. desyre. 14. mote. 15-16. maye (twice). 17. disease. 18. nowe. 19. mote. 20. one.
32. Nowe se. 22, 23. frewyl (twice). 24. haste. 26. teacheth. 27. varyeng. 30. desyre. 31. arte. 36. halte. 38. hert. 40. reason. 42. thorowe. hert. 45. anone. 47. togyther. 48. the. strength. Take. 49. howe. 51-2. aparte (twice). 52. fete. 53. se. 55. Reason. 57. reason.
61. affections. Affection. 62. folke. 65. thre. One. 68. reason. 69. Affection. 74. affection. 75. thynge. 77-81. affection (four times). 86. affecte. 93. purpose. 94. syt.
97. * A break here in Th. ne ought; read nat. I supply ne. 98. effecte. 99. Affection. 100. name lyche. 102. negatyfe. 103. thoughe. 104. vs. 104-8. affection (twice). 112. catche. desyred; read desyreth. 113. muste. affection (often). 117. desyre. 118. retcheth. 120. comyn. 124-5. reason (twice). 125. knytte. 126. encreasyng. maye. 128. ioy. both. 129. bonde. 130-2. reason. 131. bonde vndothe.
133. unreason (twice). 135. reason. 138. sayenges. toforne. 139. affection. 140. nowe. the. disease. the. 146. reason (twice). 147. vnbyde; read onbyde. purpose. 148. unreason. remenante. the. 150. fre. 149-151. reason (thrice). 154. weuest; read weyvest thou. 155. bonde. 156. gone. 158. ringe. 160. parfyte. * A break here in Th.
Chapter VII
'Very trouth,' quod she, 'hast thou now conceyved of these thinges in thyne herte; hastely shalt thou be able very joye and parfit blisse to receyve; and now, I wot wel, thou desyrest to knowe the maner of braunches that out of the tree shulde springe.' 5
'Therof, lady,' quod I, 'hertely I you pray; for than leve I +wel, that right sone after I shal ataste of the frute that I so long have desyred.'
'Thou hast herd,' quod she, 'in what wyse this tree toforn this have I declared, as in grounde and in stocke of wexing. First, 10 the ground shulde be thy free wil, ful in thyne herte; and the stocke (as I sayde) shulde be continuaunce in good service by long tyme in traveyle, til it were in greetnesse right wel woxen. And whan this tree suche greetnesse hath caught as I have rehersed, the braunches than, that the frute shulde forth-bringe, 15 speche must they be nedes, in voice of prayer in complayning wyse used.'
'Out! alas!' quod I tho, 'he is soroufully wounded that hydeth his speche, and spareth his complayntes to make! What shal I speke the care? But payne, even lyk to helle, sore hath 20 me assayled, and so ferforth in payne me thronge, that I leve my tree is seer, and never shal it frute forth bringe! Certes, he is greetly esed, that dare his prevy mone discover to a true felowe, that conning hath and might, wherthrough his pleint in any thinge may ben amended. And mokel more is he joyed, that with herte 25 of hardinesse dare complayne to his lady what cares that he suffreth, by hope of mercy with grace to be avaunced. Truely I saye for me, sithe I cam this Margarit to serve, durst I never me discover of no maner disese; and wel the later hath myn herte hardyed suche thinges to done, for the grete bountees and worthy 30 refresshmentes that she of her grace goodly, without any desert on my halve, ofte hath me rekened. And nere her goodnesse the more with grace and with mercy medled, which passen al desertes, traveyls, and servinges that I in any degre might endite, I wolde wene I shulde be without recover, in getting of this blisse for 35 ever! Thus have I stilled my disese; thus have I covered my care; that I brenne in sorouful anoy, as gledes and coles wasten a fyr under deed asshen. Wel the hoter is the fyr that with asshen it is overleyn. Right longe this wo have I suffred.'
'Lo,' quod Love, 'how thou farest! Me thinketh, the palasy-yvel 40 hath acomered thy wittes; as faste as thou hyest forward, anon sodaynly backward thou movest! Shal nat yet al thy leudnesse out of thy braynes? Dul ben thy skilful understandinges; thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred. Wost thou nat wel (quod she) but every tree, in his sesonable tyme of burjoninge, shewe his 45 blomes fro within, in signe of what frute shulde out of him springe, els the frute for that yere men halt delivered, be the ground never so good? And though the stocke be mighty at the ful, and the braunches seer, and no burjons shewe, farwel the gardiner! He may pype with an yvè-lefe; his frute is fayled. 50 Wherfore thy braunches must burjonen in presence of thy lady, if thou desyre any frute of thy ladies grace. But beware of thy lyfe, that thou no wode lay use, as in asking of thinges that strecchen in-to shame! For than might thou nat spede, by no maner way that I can espy. Vertue wol nat suffre villany out of him-selfe to 55 springe. Thy wordes may nat be queynt, ne of subtel maner understandinge. Freel-witted people supposen in suche poesies to be begyled; in open understandinge must every word be used. "Voice without clere understanding of sentence," saith Aristotel, "right nought printeth in herte." Thy wordes than to abyde in 60 herte, and clene in ful sentence of trewe mening, platly must thou shewe; and ever be obedient, her hestes and her wils to performe; and be thou set in suche a wit, to wete by a loke ever-more what she meneth. And he that list nat to speke, but stilly his disese suffer, what wonder is it, tho[ugh] he come never 65 to his blisse? Who that traveyleth unwist, and coveyteth thing unknowe, unweting he shal be quyted, and with unknowe thing rewarded.'
'Good lady,' quod I than, 'it hath ofte be sene, that +weders and stormes so hugely have falle in burjoning-tyme, and by perte 70 duresse han beten of the springes so clene, wherthrough the frute of thilke yere hath fayled. It is a greet grace, whan burjons han good +weders, their frutes forth to bringe. Alas! than, after suche stormes, how hard is it to avoyde, til efte wedring and yeres han maked her circute cours al about, er any frute be able 75 to be tasted! He is shent for shame, that foule is rebuked of his speche. He that is in fyre brenning sore smarteth for disese; him thinketh ful long er the water come, that shulde the fyr quenche. While men gon after a leche, the body is buryed. Lo! how semely this frute wexeth! Me thinketh, that of tho 80 frutes may no man ataste, for pure bitternesse in savour. In this wyse bothe frute and the tree wasten away togider, though mokel besy occupacion have be spent, to bringe it so ferforth that it was able to springe. A lyte speche hath maked that al this labour is in ydel.' 85
'I not,' quod she, 'wherof it serveth, thy question to assoyle. Me thinketh thee now duller in wittes than whan I with thee first mette. Although a man be leude, commenly for a fole he is nat demed but-if he no good wol lerne. Sottes and foles lete lightly out of mynde the good that men techeth hem. I sayd therfore, 90 thy stocke must be stronge, and in greetnesse wel herted: the tree is ful feble that at the firste dent falleth. And although frute fayleth oon yere or two, yet shal suche a seson come oon tyme or other, that shal bringe out frute that [is parfit]. *Fole, have I not seyd toforn this, as tyme hurteth, right so ayenward tyme heleth 95 and rewardeth; and a tree oft fayled is holde more in deyntee whan it frute forth bringeth. A marchaunt that for ones lesinge in the see no more to aventure thinketh, he shal never with aventure come to richesse. So ofte must men on the oke smyte, til the happy dent have entred, whiche with the okes owne swaye 100 maketh it to come al at ones. So ofte falleth the lethy water on the harde rocke, til it have thorow persed it. The even draught of the wyr-drawer maketh the wyr to ben even and supple-werchinge; and if he stinted in his draught, the wyr breketh a-sonder. Every tree wel springeth, whan it is wel grounded and 105 not often removed.'
'What shal this frute be,' quod I, 'now it ginneth rype?'
'Grace,' quod she, 'in parfit joy to endure; and therwith thou begon[ne].'
'Grace?' quod I; 'me thinketh, I shulde have a reward for my 110 longe travayle?'
'I shal telle thee,' quod she; 'retribucion of thy good willes to have of thy Margarite-perle, it bereth not the name of mede, but only of good grace; and that cometh not of thy desert, but of thy Margarytes goodnesse and vertue alone.' 115
Quod I, 'shulde al my longe travayle have no reward but thorow grace? And som-tyme your-selven sayd, rightwisnesse evenliche rewardeth, to quyte oon benefit for another.'
'That is sothe,' quod Love, 'ever as I sayde, as to him that doth good, which to done he were neyther holden ne yet 120 constrayned.'
'That is sothe,' quod I.
'Trewly,' quod she, 'al that ever thou doest to thyne Margaryte-perle, of wil, of love, and of reson thou owest to done it; it is nothing els but yelding of thy dette in quytinge of thy grace, which 125 she thee lente whan ye first mette.'
'I wene,' quod I, 'right litel grace to me she delivered. Certes, it was harde grace; it hath nyghe me astrangled.'
'That it was good grace, I wot wel thou wilt it graunte, er thou departe hence. If any man yeve to another wight, to whom 130 that he ought not, and whiche that of him-selfe nothing may have, a garnement or a cote, though he were the cote or els thilke clothing, it is not to putte to him that was naked the cause of his clothinge, but only to him that was yever of the garnement. Wherfore I saye, thou that were naked of love, and of thy-selfe 135 non have mightest, it is not to putte to thyne owne persone, sithen thy love cam thorow thy Margaryte-perle. Ergo, she was yever of the love, although thou it use; and there lente she thee grace, thy service to beginne. She is worthy the thank of this grace, for she was the yever. Al the thoughtes, besy doinges, 140 and plesaunce in thy might and in thy wordes that thou canst devyse, ben but right litel in quytinge of thy dette; had she not ben, suche thing hadde not ben studyed. So al these maters kyndly drawen hom-ward to this Margaryte-perle, for from thence were they borowed; al is hoolly her to wyte, the love that thou 145 havest; and thus quytest thou thy dette, in that thou stedfastly servest. And kepe wel that love, I thee rede, that of her thou hast borowed, and use it in her service thy dette to quyte; and than art thou able right sone to have grace; wherfore after mede in none halve mayst thou loke. Thus thy ginning and ending is 150 but grace aloon; and in thy good deserving thy dette thou aquytest; without grace is nothing worth, what-so-ever thou werche. Thanke thy Margaryte of her grete grace that +hiderto thee hath gyded, and praye her of continuaunce forth in thy werkes herafter; and that, for no mishappe, thy grace overthwartly 155 tourne. Grace, glorie, and joye is coming thorow good folkes desertes; and by getting of grace, therin shullen ende. And what is more glorie or more joye than wysdom and love in parfit charitè, whiche god hath graunted to al tho that wel +conne deserve?' And with that this lady al at ones sterte in-to 160 my herte: 'here wol I onbyde,' quod she, 'for ever, and never wol I gon hence; and I wol kepe thee from medlinge while me liste here onbyde; thyne entermeting maners in-to stedfastnesse shullen be chaunged.'
CH. VII. 1. nowe. 2. hert. 3. parfyte. nowe. 5. spring.
7. wol; read wel. soone. atast. 9. herde. tre. 11. grounde. frewyl. hert. 13. greatnesse. 14. gretnesse. 20. lyke. hel. 22. tre. bring. 23. greatly eased. 28. came. 29. disease. 30. great bounties. 36. disease. 37. bren. 38. fyre (twice). 40. howe. 41. forwarde. 42. backwarde.
47. spring. halte. 48. grounde. 53. wodelay. stretchen. 56. spring. 58. worde. 60-1. hert (twice). 64. meaneth. 65. disease. 69. wethers; read weders. 70. fal. 71. beaten. 72. great. 73. wethers; read weders. forthe. 74. howe harde. 77. disease. 78. fyre. 79. gone. 80. howe.
81. maye. sauoure. 83. occupation. spente. ferforthe. 84. spring. 87. the nowe. 89. fooles lette. 90. teacheth. 91. greatnesse. 93. one (twice). season. 94. I supply is parfit. * A break here in Th. 95. healeth. 96. deyntie. 97. forthe. 102. thorowe. 103-4. wyre (thrice). 104. breaketh. 105. tre. 107. nowe. 108. parfyte. 109. begon; read begonne. 110. rewarde. 112. tel the. 113. beareth. 114. onely. deserte. 116. rewarde. thorowe.
118. one benefyte. 120. dothe. 124. catchword it is; misprinted yet is on the next page. 126. the lent. 127. lytle. 129. graunt. 131. nothynge maye. 132. weare. 133. put; read putte. 134. onely. 136. put. 137. came thorowe. 138. althoughe. lent. the. 139. thanke. 141. canste. 144. homewarde. 145. holy. 147. the. 149. arte. 151. alone. 152. worthe.
153. great. hytherto; read hiderto. 154. the. forthe. 156. thorowe. 158. wysdome. 159. parfyte. 160. canne; read conne. 161. hert.
Chapter VIII
Soberliche tho threw I up myn eyen, and hugely tho was I astonyed of this sodayne adventure; and fayn wolde I have lerned, how vertues shulden ben knowen; in whiche thinges, I hope to god, here-after she shal me enfourmen; and namely, sithen her restinge-place is now so nygh at my wil; and anon al 5 these thinges that this lady said, I remembred me by my-selfe, and revolved the +lynes of myne understondinge wittes. Tho found I fully al these maters parfitly there written, how mis-rule by fayned love bothe realmes and citees hath governed a greet throwe; how lightly me might the fautes espye; how rules in love 10 shulde ben used; how somtyme with fayned love foule I was begyled; how I shulde love have knowe; and how I shal in love with my service procede. Also furthermore I found, of perdurable letters wonderly there graven, these maters whiche I shal nempne. Certes, non age ne other thing in erthe may the leest sillable of 15 this in no poynte deface, but clerely as the sonne in myne understandinge soule they shynen. This may never out of my mynde, how I may not my love kepe, but thorow willinge in herte; wilne to love may I not, but I lovinge have. Love have I non, but thorow grace of this Margarite-perle. It is no maner doute, that 20 wil wol not love but for it is lovinge, as wil wol not rightfully but for it is rightful it-selve. Also wil is not lovinge for he wol love; but he wol love for he is lovinge; it is al oon to +wilne to be lovinge, and lovinges in possession to have. Right so wil wol not love, for of love hath he no partie. And yet I denye not lovinge 25 wil [may] wilne more love to have, whiche that he hath not whan he wolde more than he hath; but I saye, he may no love wilne if he no love have, through which thilke love he shuld wilne. But to have this loving wil may no man of him-selfe, but only through grace toforn-going; right so may no man it kepe, but by grace 30 folowinge. Consider now every man aright, and let seen if that any wight of him-selfe mowe this loving wel gete, and he therof first nothing have; for if it shulde of him-selfe springe, either it muste be willing or not willing. Willing by him-selfe may he it not have, sithen him fayleth the mater that shulde it forth bringe. 35 The mater him fayleth; why? He may therof have no knowing til whan grace put it in his herte. Thus willing by him-selfe may he it not have; and not willing, may he it not have. Pardè, every conseyt of every resonable creature otherwyse wil [wol] not graunte; wil in affirmatif with not willing by no way mowe acorde. 40 And although this loving wol come in myn herte by freenesse of arbitrement, as in this booke fully is shewed, yet owe I not therfore as moche alowe my free wil as grace of that Margaryte to me lened. For neyther might I, without grace to-forn going and afterward folowing, thilke grace gete ne kepe; and lese shal I it 45 never but-if free wil it make, as in willinge otherwyse than grace hath me graunted. For right as whan any person taketh willing to be sobre, and throweth that away, willing to be dronke; or els taketh wil of drinking out of mesure; whiche thing, anon as it is don, maketh (thorow his owne gilte by free wil) that [he] leseth 50 his grace. In whiche thing therfore upon the nobley of grace I mote trusten, and my besy cure sette thilke grace to kepe, that my free wil, otherwyse than by reson it shulde werche, cause not my grace to voyde: for thus must I bothe loke to free wil and to grace. For right as naturel usage in engendring of children may 55 not ben without +fader, ne also but with the +moder, for neyther +fader ne +moder in begetting may it lacke; right so grace and free wil accorden, and withoute hem bothe may not lovinge wil in no partie ben getten. But yet is not free wil in gettinge of that thing so mokel thank-worthy as is grace, ne in the kepinge therof 60 so moche thank deserveth; and yet in gettinge and keping bothe don they accorde. Trewly, often-tyme grace free wil helpeth, in fordoinge of contrarye thinges, that to willinge love not accorden, and +strengtheth wil adversitees to withsitte; wherfore +al-togider to grace oweth to ben accepted, that my willing deserveth. Free 65 wil to lovinge in this wyse is accorded. I remembre me wel how al this book (who-so hede taketh) considereth [how] al thinges to werchinges of mankynde evenly accordeth, as in turning of this worde 'love' in-to trouthe or els rightwisnesse, whether that it lyke. For what thing that falleth to man in helping of free 70 arbitrement, thilke rightwisnesse to take or els to kepe, thorow whiche a man shal be saved (of whiche thing al this book mencion hath maked), in every poynte therof grace oweth to be thanked. Wherfore I saye, every wight havinge this rightwisnesse rightful is; and yet therfore I fele not in my conscience, that to al 75 rightful is behoten the blisse everlastinge, but to hem that ben rightful withouten any unrightfulnesse. Some man after some degree may rightfully ben accompted as chaste men in living, and yet ben they janglers and ful of envy pressed; to hem shal this blisse never ben delivered. For right as very blisse is without al maner 80 nede, right so to no man shal it be yeven but to the rightful, voyde from al maner unrightfulnesse founde; so no man to her blisse shal ben folowed, but he be rightful, and with unrightfulnesse not bounde, and in that degree fully be knowe. This rightfulnesse, in as moche as in him-selfe is, of none yvel is it cause; and of al 85 maner goodnesse, trewly, it is +moder. This helpeth the spirit to withsitte the leude lustes of flesshly lykinge. This strengtheth and maintayneth the lawe of kynde; and if that otherwhyle me weneth harm of this precious thing to folowe, therthorough is [it] nothing the cause; of somwhat els cometh it aboute, who-so 90 taketh hede. By rightfulnesse forsothe wern many holy sayntes good savour in swetenesse to god almighty; but that to some folkes they weren savour of dethe, in-to deedly ende, that com not of the sayntes rightwisnesse, but of other wicked mennes badnesse hath proceded. Trewly, the ilke wil, whiche that the 95 Lady of Love me lerned 'affeccion of wil' to nempne, which is in willing of profitable thinges, yvel is it not, but whan to flesshly lustes it consenteth ayenst reson of soule. But that this thing more clerely be understande, it is for to knowe, whence and how thilke wil is so vicious, and so redy yvel dedes to perfourme. 100 Grace at the ginninge ordeyned thilke wil in goodnesse ever to have endured, and never to badnesse have assented. Men shulde not byleve, that god thilke wil maked to be vicious [in] our firste +faders, as Adam and Eve; for vicious appetytes, and vicious wil to suche appetytes consentinge, ben not on thing in kynde; other 105 thing is don for the other. And how this wil first in-to man first assented, I holde it profitable to shewe; but if the first condicion of resonable creature wol be considred and apertly loked, lightly the cause of suche wil may be shewed. Intencion of god was, that rightfully and blissed shulde resonable nature ben maked, 110 himselfe for to kepe; but neyther blisful ne rightful might it not be, withouten wil in them bothe. Wil of rightfulnesse is thilke same rightfulnesse, as here-to-forn is shewed; but wil of blisse is not thilke blisse, for every man hath not thilke blisse, in whom the wil therof is abydinge. In this blisse, after every 115 understandinge, is suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any maner nede, whether it be blisse of aungels or els thilke that grace first in paradise suffred Adam to have. For al-though angels blisse be more than Adams was in paradyse, yet may it not be +denyed, that Adam in paradyse ne had suffisaunce of blisse; 120 for right as greet herte is without al maner of coldenesse, and yet may another herte more hete have; right so nothing defended Adam in paradyse to ben blessed, without al maner nede. Al-though aungels blisse be moche more, forsothe, it foloweth not [that], lasse than another to have, therfore him nedeth; but 125 for to wante a thing whiche that behoveth to ben had, that may 'nede' ben cleped; and that was not in Adam at the first ginning. God and the Margaryte weten what I mene. Forsothe, where-as is nede, there is wrecchednesse. +God without cause to-forngoing made not resonable creature wrecched; for him to 130 understande and love had he firste maked. God made therfore man blissed without al maner indigence; +togider and at ones took resonable creature blisse, and wil of blissednesse, and wil of rightfulnesse, whiche is rightfulnesse it-selve, and libertee of arbitrement, that is, free wil, with whiche thilke rightfulnesse may 135 he kepe and lese. So and in that wyse [god] ordayned thilke two, that wil (whiche that "instrument" is cleped, as here-toforn mencion is maked) shulde use thilke rightfulnesse, by teching of his soule to good maner of governaunce, in thought and in wordes; and that it shulde use the blisse in obedient maner, withouten 140 any incommoditè. Blisse, forsothe, in-to mannes profit, and rightwisnesse in-to his worship god delivered at ones; but rightfulnesse so was yeven that man might it lese, whiche if he not lost had, but continuelly [might] have it kept, he shulde have deserved the avauncement in-to the felowshippe of angels, in whiche thing 145 if he that loste, never by him-selfe forward shulde he it mowe ayenward recovere; and as wel the blisse that he was in, as aungels blisse that to-him-wardes was coming, shulde be nome at ones, and he deprived of hem bothe. And thus fil man un-to lykenesse of unresonable bestes; and with hem to corrupcion and 150 unlusty apetytes was he under-throwen. But yet wil of blisse dwelleth, that by indigence of goodes, whiche that he loste through greet wrecchednesse, by right shulde he ben punisshed. And thus, for he weyved rightfulnesse, lost hath he his blisse; but fayle of his desyr in his owne comoditè may he not; and +where 155 comodites to his resonable nature whiche he hath lost may he not have, to false lustes, whiche ben bestial appetytes, he is turned. Folye of unconning hath him begyled, in wening that thilke ben the comoditees that owen to ben desyred. This affeccion of wil by libertè of arbitrement is enduced to wilne thus thing that 160 he shulde not; and so is wil not maked yvel but unrightful, by absence of rightfulnesse, whiche thing by reson ever shulde he have. And freenesse of arbitrement may he not wilne, whan he it not haveth; for while he it had, thilke halp it not to kepe; so that without grace may it not ben recovered. Wil of commoditè, 165 in-as-moche as unrightful it is maked by willinge of yvel lustes, willing of goodnesse may he not wilne; for wil of instrument to affeccion of wil is thralled, sithen that other thing may it not wilne; for wil of instrument to affeccion desyreth, and yet ben bothe they 'wil' cleped. For that instrument wol, through affeccion it wilneth; 170 and affeccion desyreth thilke thing wherto instrument him ledeth. And so free wil to unlusty affeccion ful servaunt is maked, for unrightfulnesse may he not releve; and without rightfulnesse ful fredom may it never have. For kyndly libertee of arbitrement without it, veyne and ydel is, forsothe. Wherfore yet I say, (as 175 often have I sayd the same), whan instrument of wil lost hath rightfulnesse, in no maner but by grace may he ayen retourne rightfulnesse to wilne. For sithen nothing but rightfulnesse alone shulde he wilne, what that ever he wilneth without rightfulnesse, unrightfully he it wilneth. These than unrightful appetytes and 180 unthrifty lustes whiche the +flesh desyreth, in as mokel as they ben in kynde, ben they nat bad; but they ben unrightful and badde for they ben in resonable creature, where-as they being, in no waye shulde ben suffred. In unresonable beestes neyther ben they yvel ne unrightful; for there is their kynde being. 185
CH. VIII. 1. threwe. 2. fayne. 3. howe. 5. nowe. nyghe. 7. lyues (!). founde. 8. parfytely. howe. mysse-. 9. cyties. great. 10-12. howe (five times). 13. founde. 15. none. thynge. maye. 17. maye. 18. howe. maye. thorowe. 19. maye. none. 20. thorowe.
23. one. wil; read wilne. 26. I supply may. 27. maye. 29. onely. 30. toforne. maye. 31. nowe. sene. 32. get. 33. nothynge. spring. 35. forthe bring. 36. maye. 39. reasonable. I supply wol. 40. graunt. affyrmatife. 41. hert. frenesse. 43. frewyl (throughout). 44. leaned. 45. afterwarde. get; read gete. 50. done. thorowe. I supply he. 52. set. 53. reason. 55. maye. 56-7. father (twice); read fader. mother (twice); read moder.
57-8. maye. 60. thankeworthy. 61. thanke. 62. done. 64. strength; read strengtheth; see l. 87. al togyther. 66. howe. 67. booke. Supply how. 71. thorowe. 72. booke. 78. maye. 86. mother; read moder. 89. harme. Supply it. 90. nothynge. 91. werne. 93. come; read com.
96. affectyon. 98. reason. thynge. 99. vndersta_n_d. howe. 100. redye. 103. vycious. I insert in; Our (sic). 104. father; read faders. 106. done. howe. 108-110. reasonable (twice). 113. -forne. 119, 122. maye. 120. denyded (!). 121. great. 122. heate. nothynge. 124. thoughe. 125. I supply that. 126. thynge. maye. 128. meane. 129. wretchydnesse. good; read God. 130. reasonable. wretched.
132. togyther. 133. toke reasonable. 134. lybertie. 135. fre. 136. I supply god. 137. cleaped. toforne. 138. teachyng. 141. profyte. 143. not loste had not; I omit second not. 144. I supply might. kepte. 146. forwarde. 147. ayenwarde. 150. vnreasonable. 153. great wretchydnesse. 154. loste. 155. desyre. were; read where. 156. reasonable. loste. 159. affection. 162. reason. 163. frenesse. 164. halpe.
167-170. affection (thrice). 172. frewyl. affection. 173. maye. 174. fredome. libertie. 176. loste. 181. flyes (!); read flesh. 184. vnreasonable.
Chapter IX
Knowen may it wel ben now of these thinges toforn declared, that man hath not alway thilke rightfulnesse which by dutè of right evermore haven he shulde, and by no way by him-selfe may he it gete ne kepe; and after he it hath, if he it lese, recover shal he it never without especial grace. Wherfore 5 the comune sentence of the people in opinion, that every thing after destenee is ruled, false and wicked is to beleve. For though predestinacion be as wel of good as of badde, sithen that it is sayd, god +hath destenees made, whiche he never ne wrought; but, for he suffreth hem to be maked, as that he hardeth, whan he 10 naught missayth, or +let in-to temptacion, whan he not delivereth: wherfore it is non inconvenient if in that maner be sayd, god toforn have destenyed bothe badde and her badde werkes, whan hem ne their yvel dedes [he] neyther amendeth ne therto hem grace +leneth. But specialliche, predestinacion of goodnesse 15 alone is sayd by these grete clerkes; for in him god doth that they ben, and that in goodnesse they werchen. But the negatif herof in badnesse is holden, as the Lady of Love hath me lerned, who-so aright in this booke loketh. And utterly it is to weten, that predestinacion properly in god may not ben demed, no more 20 than beforn-weting. For in the chapitre of goddes beforn-weting, as Love me rehersed, al these maters apertly may ben founden. Al thinges to god ben now +togider and in presence duringe. Trewly, presence and predestinacion in nothing disacorden; wherfore, as I was lerned how goddes before-weting and free 25 choice of wil mowe stonden +togider, me thinketh the same reson me ledeth, that destenye and free wil accorden, so that neyther of hem bothe to other in nothing contrarieth. And resonabliche may it not ben demed, as often as any thing falleth [thorow] free wil werching (as if a man another man wrongfully anoyeth, wherfore 30 he him sleeth), that it be constrayned to that ende, as mokel folk cryeth and sayth: 'Lo, as it was destenyed of god toforn knowe, so it is thorow necessitè falle, and otherwyse might it not betyde.' Trewly, neyther he that the wrong wrought, ne he that him-selfe venged, none of thilke thinges thorow necessitè wrought; 35 for if that [oon] with free wil there had it not willed, neyther had [he] wrought that he perfourmed; and so utterly grace, that free wil in goodnesse bringeth and kepeth, and fro badnesse it tourneth, in al thinge moste thank deserveth. This grace maketh sentence in vertue to abyde, wherfore in body and in soule, in ful 40 plentee of conninge, after their good deserving in the everlastinge joye, after the day of dome shul they endelesse dwelle; and they shul ben lerned in that kingdom with so mokel affect of love and of grace, that the leste joye shal of the gretest in glorie rejoice and ben gladded, as if he the same joye had. What wonder, 45 sith god is the gretest love and the *gretest wisdom? In hem shal he be, and they in god. Now than, whan al false folk be ashamed, which wenen al bestialtè and erthly thing be sweter and better to the body than hevenly is to the soule; this is the grace and the frute that I long have desyred; it doth me good the 50 savour to smelle.
Crist, now to thee I crye of mercy and of grace; and graunt, of thy goodnes, to every maner reder ful understanding in this leude pamflet to have; and let no man wene other cause in this werke than is verily the soth. For envy is ever redy, al 55 innocentes to shende; wherfore I wolde that good speche envy evermore hinder.
But no man wene this werke be sufficiently maked; for goddes werke passeth man[ne]s; no man[ne]s wit to parfit werke may by no way purvay th'ende. How shuld I than, so leude, aught wene of 60 perfeccion any ende to gete? Never-the-later, grace, glorie, and laude I yelde and putte with worshipful reverences to the sothfast god, in three with unitè closed, whiche that the hevy langour of my sicknesse hath turned in-to mirthe of helth to recover. For right as I was sorowed thorow the gloton cloud of manifolde 65 sickly sorow, so mirth [of] ayencoming helth hath me glad[d]ed and gretly comforted. I beseche and pray therfore, and I crye on goddes gret pitè and on his mokel mercy, that this[e] present scorges of my flessh mow maken medecyne and lechecraft of my inner man[ne]s helth; so that my passed trespas and tenes 70 through weping of myn eyen ben wasshe, and I, voyded from al maner disese, and no more to wepe herafter, y-now be kept thorow goddes grace; so that goddes hand, whiche that merciably me hath scorged, herafter in good plite from thence merciably me kepe and defende. 75
In this boke be many privy thinges wimpled and folde; unneth shul leude men the plites unwinde. Wherfore I pray to the holy gost, he lene of his oyntmentes, mennes wittes to clere; and, for goddes love, no man wonder why or how this question come to my mynde. For my greet lusty desyr was of this lady to ben 80 enfourmed, my leudenesse to amende. Certes, I knowe not other mennes wittes, what I shulde aske, or in answere what I shulde saye; I am so leude my-selfe, that mokel more lerninge yet me behoveth. I have mad therfore as I coude, but not sufficiently as I wolde, and as mater yave me sentence; for my 85 dul wit is hindred by +stepmoder of foryeting and with cloude of unconning, that stoppeth the light of my Margarite-perle, wherfore it may not shyne on me as it shulde. I desyre not only a good reder, but also I coveite and pray a good book-amender, in correccion of wordes and of sentence; and only this 90 mede I coveite for my travayle, that every inseër and herer of this leude fantasye devoute horisons and prayers to god the greet juge yelden; and prayen for me in that wyse, that in his dome my sinnes mowe ben relesed and foryeven. He that prayeth for other for him-selfe travayleth. 95
Also I praye, that every man parfitly mowe knowe thorow what intencion of herte this tretys have I drawe. How was it, that sightful manna in deserte to children of Israel was spirituel mete? Bodily also it was, for mennes bodies it +norisshed; and yet, never-the-later, Crist it signifyed. Right so a jewel 100 betokeneth a gemme, and that is a stoon vertuous or els a perle. Margarite, a woman, betokeneth grace, lerning, or wisdom of god, or els holy church. If breed, thorow vertue, is mad holy flesshe, what is that our god sayth? 'It is the spirit that yeveth lyf; the flesshe, of nothing it profiteth.' Flesshe is flesshly 105 understandinge; flessh without grace and love naught is worth. 'The letter sleeth; the spirit yeveth lyfelich understanding.' Charitè is love; and love is charitè. God graunt us al[le] therin to be frended! And thus THE TESTAMENT OF LOVE is ended. 110
CH. IX. 1. nowe. toforne. 4. get. 7. destenye. thoughe. 9. sayde. god hadnest (!); read god hath destenees. 11. missaythe. ledde; read let = ledeth. 12. none. toforne. 14. I supply he. 15. leueth.
16. sayde. great. dothe. 17. negatyfe. 21. beforne (twice). 22. apertely maye. 23. nowe to-gyther. 24. nothynge. 25. howe. 26. togyther. reason. 27. leadeth. frewyl. 28. reasonablyche. 29. demyd. I supply thorow. frewyl. 32. folke. toforne know. 33. thorowe. fal. 34. wronge. 35. thorowe. 36-7. I supply oon and he. 39. thanke. 41. plentie. 42. ioy. dwel. 43. kyngdome. affecte. 44-6. greatest (twice). * A break here in Th. 47. folke. 48. swetter. 50. dothe. 51. smel.
52. Christ. the. 59. mans; read mannes (twice). 61. get. 62. put. 63. thre. 66. I supply of. 68. this; read thise. 69. medecyn. lechcraft. 70. mans. 72. I now; for y-now. 73. thorowe. ha_n_de. 80. great. desyre. 84. made. 86. wytte. -mother; read moder.
89. onely. booke. 90. correction. onely. 92. great. 94. released. 96. thorowe. 97. treatyse. Howe. 99. meate. norissheth; read norisshed. 100. Christ. 101. stone. 103. thorowe. made. 104. saythe. spyrite. 105. lyfe. 109. al; read allë.
* * * * *
II. THE PLOWMANS TALE.
HERE BEGINNETH THE PLOWMANS PROLOGUE.
The Plowman plucked up his plow, Whan midsommer mone was comen in, And sayd, 'his beestes shuld ete y-now, And lig in the grasse, up to the chin; They ben feble, both oxe and cow, 5 Of hem nis left but boon and skin.' He shook of share, and cultre of-drow, And hong his harneys on a pin.
He took his tabard and his staf eke, And on his heed he set his hat; 10 And sayde, he wolde saynt Thomas seke, On pilgrimage he goth forth plat. In scrippe he bar both breed and lekes, He was forswonke and all forswat; Men might have seen through both his chekes, 15 And every wang-toth and where it sat.
Our hoste beheld wel all about, And saw this man was sunne y-brent; He knew well by his senged snout, And by his clothes that were to-rent, 20 He was a man wont to walke about, He nas nat alway in cloystre y-pent; He coud not religiousliche lout, And therfore was he fully shent.
Our host him axed, 'what man art thou?' 25 'Sir,' quod he, 'I am an hyne; For I am wont to go to the plow, And erne my mete yer that I dyne. To swete and swinke I make avow, My wyf and children therwith to fynd, 30 And servë god, and I wist how; But we lewd men ben full[y] blynd.
For clerkes saye, we shullen be fayn For hir lyvelod [to] swete and swinke, And they right nought us give agayn, 35 Neyther to ete ne yet to drinke. They mowe by lawë, as they sayn, Us curse and dampne to hell[e] brinke; Thus they putten us to payn, With candles queynt and belles clinke. 40
They make us thralles at hir lust, And sayn, we mowe nat els be saved; They have the corn and we the dust, Who speketh ther-agayn, they say he raved.'
'What, man,' quod our host, 'canst thou preche? 45 Come neer, and tell us some holy thing.' 'Sir,' quod he, 'I herde ones teche A prest in pulpit a good preching.' 'Say on,' quod our host, 'I thee beseche.' 'Sir, I am redy at your bidding. 50 I pray you that no man me reproche Whyl that I am my tale telling.
THUS ENDETH THE PROLOGUE, AND HERE FOLOWETH THE FIRST PART OF THE TALE.
Part I
A sternë stryf is stered newe In many stedes in a stounde, Of sondry sedes that ben sewe; 55 It semeth that som ben unsounde. For some be gretë growen +on grounde, Some ben souple, simple and small; Whether of hem is falser founde, The falser, foul mote him befall! 60
That oon syde is, that I of tell, Popes, cardinals, and prelates, Parsons, monkes, and freres fell, Priours, abbottes of grete estates; Of heven and hell they kepe the yates, 65 And Peters successours they ben all; This is demed by oldë dates; But falshed, foul mote it befall!
The other syde ben poore and pale, And people put [al] out of prees; 70 And semë caytifs sore a-cale, And ever in oon without encrees, +I-cleped lollers and londlees; Who toteth on hem, they been untall. They ben arayed all for the pees; 75 But falshed, foul mote it befall!
Many a countrey have I sought, To know the falser of these two; But ever my travail was for nought, All so fer as I have go. 80 But as I wandred in a wro, In a wode besyde a wall, Two foules saw I sitte tho; The falser, foul mote him befall!
That oon did plede on the Popes syde, 85 A Griffon of a grim stature. A Pellicane withouten pryde To these lollers layde his lure; He mused his matter in mesure, To counsayl Christ ever gan he call. 90 The Griffon shewed as sharp as fyre, But falshed, foul mote it befall!
The Pellican began to preche Both of mercy and of mekeness; And sayd, that "Christ so gan us teche, 95 And meke and merciable gan bless. The Evangely bereth witness A lamb, he lykneth Christ over-all, In tokening that he mekest was, Sith pryde was out of heven fall. 100
And so shulde every Christned be; Preestes, Peters successours, Beth lowlich and of low degree, And usen none erthly honours, Neyther crown, ne curious cove[r]tours, 105 Ne +pelure, ne other proudë pall; Ne nought to cofren up greet tresours; For falshed, foul mote it befall!
Preest[e]s shuld for no cattel plede, But chasten hem in charitè; 110 Ne to no batail shuld men lede For inhaunsing of hir own degree; Nat wilnë sittings in hy see, Ne soverayntè in hous ne hall; All worldly worship defye and flee; 115 For who willeth highnes, foul shal fall!
Alas! who may such sayntes call That wilneth welde erthly honour? As lowe as Lucifer such shal fall, In baleful blacknesse y-builde hir bour; 120 That eggeth the people to errour, And maketh hem to hem [be] thrall; To Christ I hold suche oon traytour, As lowe as Lucifer such shal fall.
That willeth to be kinges peres, 125 And hygher than the emperour; Some that were but pore freres Now wollen waxe a warryour. God is nat hir governour, That holdeth no man his +peragall; 130 Whyl covetyse is hir counsaylour, All such falshed mot nedë fall.
That hye on horse willeth ryde In glitterand golde of grete aray, I-paynted and portred all in pryde; 135 No commun knight may go so gay. Chaunge of clothing every day, With golden girdles grete and small; As boystous as is bere at bay; All such falshed mot nedë fall. 140
With prydë +punysheth the pore, And somë they sustayn with sale; Of holy churche maketh an hore, And filleth hir wombe with wyne and ale; With money filleth many a male, 145 And chaffren churches when they fall, And telleth the people a lewed tale; Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!
With chaunge of many maner metes, With song and solace sitting long, 150 And filleth hir wombë, and fast fretes, And from the metë to the gong; And after mete with harp and song, And ech man mot hem lordes call; And hotë spyces ever among; 155 Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!
And myters mo than oon or two, I-perled as the quenes heed; A staf of golde, and +perrey, lo! As hevy as it were mad of leed; 160 With cloth of gold both newe and reed, With glitterand +gown as grene as gall, By dome will dampnë men to deed; All suche faytours, foul hem fall!
And Christes people proudly curse 165 With brode bokes, and braying bell; To putte pennyes in hir purse They woll sell both heven and hell; And in hir sentence, and thou wilt dwell, They willen gesse in hir gay hall; 170 And though the soth thou of hem tell, In greet cursinge shalt thou fall.
That is blessed, that they blesse, And cursed, that they cursë woll; And thus the people they oppresse, 175 And have their lordshippes at full; And many be marchauntes of woll, And to purse penyes woll come thrall; The porë people they all to-pull, Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall! 180
Lordes motë to hem loute, Obeysaunt to hir brode blessing; They ryden with hir royall route On a courser, as it were a king; With saddle of golde glitt[e]ring 185 With curious harneys quayntly crallit, Styroppes gaye of gold-mastling; All suche falshed, foul befall it!
Christes ministers +cleped they been, And rulen all in robberye; 190 But Antichrist they serven clene, Attyred all in tyrannye; Witnesse of Johns prophecye, That Antichrist is hir admirall, Tiffelers attyred in trecherye; 195 All suche faytours, foul hem fall!
Who sayth, that some of hem may sinne, He shal be +demed to be deed; Some of hem woll gladly winne All ayenst that which god forbed; 200 "All-holyest" they clepen hir heed, That of hir rulë is regall; Alas! that ever they eten breed; For all such falshed woll foul fall.
Hir heed loveth all honour, 205 And to be worshipped in worde and dede; Kinges mot to hem knele and coure; To the apostles, that Christ forbede; To popes hestes such taketh more hede Than to kepe Christes commaundëment; 210 Of gold and silver mot ben hir wede, They holdeth him hole omnipotent.
He ordayneth by his ordinaunce To parish-preestes a powére; To another a greter avaunce, 215 A greter poynt to his mystere; But for he is hyghest in erth here, To him reserveth he many a poynt; But to Christ, that hath no pere, Reserveth he neither opin ne joynt. 220
So semeth he above[n] all, And Christ aboven him nothing; Whan he sitteth in his stall, Dampneth and saveth as him think. Such pryde tofore god doth stink; 225 An angell bad John to him nat knele, But only to god do his bowing; Such willers of worship must evil fele.
They ne clepen Christ but sanctus deus, And clepen her heed Sanctissimus; 230 They that such a sect[ë] sewis, I trowe, they taken hem amisse. In erth[ë] here they have hir blisse, Hir hye master is Belial; +Christ his people from hem wisse! 235 For all such falsë will foul fall!
They mowë both[ë] binde and lose, And all is for hir holy lyf; To save or dampne they mowë chose, Betwene hem now [ther] is gret stryf. 240 Many a man is killed with knyf, To wete which of hem have lordship shall; For such, Christ suffred woundes fyve; For all such falshed will foul fall.
Christ sayd: Qui gladio percutit 245 With swerdë shall [he surely] dye; He bad his preestes pees and grith, And bad hem not drede for to dye; And bad them be both simple and slye, And carkë not for no cattall, 250 And +truste on god that sitteth on hye; For all [such] falsë shull foul fall.
These wollen makë men to swere Ayenst Christes commaundëment; And Christes membres all to-tere 255 On rode as he wer newe y-rent. Suche lawes they make by commun assent, Ech on it choweth as a ball; Thus the pore be fully shent, But ever falshed foule it +fall! 260
They usen [never] no symonye, But sellen churches and prioryes; Ne [yet] they usen no envye, But cursen all hem contraryes; And hyreth men by dayes and yeres 265 With strength to holde hem in hir stall; And culleth all hir adversaryes; Therefor, falshed! foul thou fall!
With purse they purchase personage, With purse they paynen hem to plede; 270 And men of warrë they woll wage, To bringe hir enemyes to the dede. And lordes lyves they woll lede, And moche take, and give but small; But he it so get, from it shall shede, 275 And make such falsë right foul fal!
They halowe nothing but for hyre, Churchë, font, ne vestëment; And make[n] orders in every shyre, But preestes paye for the parchement; 280 Of ryatours they taken rent, Therwith they smere the shepes skall; For many churches ben oft suspent; All such falshed, yet foul it fall!
Some liveth nat in lecherye, 285 But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves, And punisheth the pore for putrye; Them-selfe it useth all their lyves. And but a man to them [him] shryves, To heven comë never he shall; 290 He shal be cursed as be captyves, To hell they sayn that he shall fall.
There was more mercy in Maximien, And in Nero, that never was good, Than [there] is now in some of +hem 295 Whan he hath on his furred hood. They folowe Christ that shedde his blood To heven, as bucket in-to the wall; Suche wreches ben worse than wood; And all such faytours, foule hem fall! 300
They give hir almesse to the riche, To maynteynours, and to men of lawe; For to lordes they woll be liche, An harlottes sone nat worth an hawe! Sothfastnessë suche han slawe, 305 They kembe hir crokets with cristall; And drede of god they have down drawe; All suche faytours, foul hem fall!
They maken parsons for the penny, And canons of hir cardinals; 310 Unnethes amongest hem all any That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals! For Christ made never no cathedrals, Ne with him was no cardinall Wyth a reed hatte as usen mynstrals; 315 But falshed, foul mote it befall!
+Hir tything, and hir offring both, They cle[y]meth it by possessio[u]n; Thérof nill they none forgo, But robben men as [by] raunsoun. 320 The tything of Turpe lucrum With these maisters is meynall; Tything of bribry and larson Will makë falshed full foul fall!
They taken to fermë hir sompnours 325 To harme the people what they may; To pardoners and false faytours Sell hir seles, I dar well say; And all to holden greet array, To multiply hem more metall, 330 They drede full litell domes day Whan all such [falsë] shall foul fall.
Suche harlottes shull men disclaunder For they shullen make hir gree, And ben as proude as Alexaunder, 335 And sayn to the pore, "wo be ye!" By yere ech preest shall paye his fee To encrese his lemmans call; Suche herdes shull well yvell thee, And all such falsë shull foul fall! 340
And if a man be falsly famed, And woldë make purgacioun, Than woll the officers be agramed, And assigne him fro town to town; So nede he must[e] paye raunsoun 345 Though he be clene as is cristall, And than have an absolutioun; But all such falsë shull foul fall!
Though he be gilty of the dede, And that he [yet] may money pay, 350 All the whyle his purse woll blede He may use it fro day to day! These bishoppes officers goon full gay, And this game they usen over-all; The pore to pill is all +hir pray; 355 All such falsë shull foul fall!
Alas! god ordayned never such lawe, Ne no such craft of covetyse; He forbad it, by his sawe, Such governours mowen of god agryse; 360 For all his rules +ben rightwyse. These newe poyntes ben pure papall, And goddes lawë they dispyse; And all such faytours shul foul fall!
They sayn that Peter had the key 365 Of hevin and hell, to have and hold; I trowe Peter took no money For no sinnes that he sold! Such successours ben to bold, In winning all their wit they wrall; 370 Hir conscience is waxen cold; And all such faytours, foule hem fall!
Peter was never so great a fole To leve his key with such a lorell, Or to take such cursed such a tole 375 He was advysed nothing well. I trowe, they have the key of hell; +Hir maister is of that place marshall; For there they dressen hem to dwell, And with fals Lucifer there to fall. 380
They ben as proude as Lucifer, As angry, and as envious; From good fayth they ben full fer, In covetyse they ben curious; To catche catell as covytous 385 As hound, that for hunger woll yall; Ungoodly, and ungracious; And nedely, such falshed shal foul fall!
The pope, and he were Peters heyr, Me think, he erreth in this cas, 390 Whan choyse of bishoppes is in dispeyr, To chosen hem in dyvers place; A lord shall write to him for grace, For his clerke +pray anon he shall; So shall he spede[n] his purchas; 395 And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
Though he +conne no more good, A lordes prayer shal be sped; Though he be wild of will or wood, Nat understanding what men han red, 400 A boster, and (that god forbede!) As good a bishop +as my hors Ball, Suche a pope is foule be-sted, And at [the] lastë woll foul fall!
He maketh bishops for erthly thank, 405 And nothing for Christes sake; Such that ben ful fatte and rank, To soulë hele non hede they take. Al is well don what ever they make, For they shal answere at +ones for all; 410 For worldes thank, such worch and wake, And all such falsë shall foul fall!
Suche that +connë nat hir Crede With prayer shull be mad prelates; Nother +conne the gospell rede, 415 Such shull now welde hye estates. The hye goodes frendship hem makes, They toteth on hir somme totall; Such bere the keyes of hell-yates, And all such falsë shall foul fall. 420
They forsake, for Christes love, Traveyl, hunger, thurst, and cold; For they ben ordred ever all above Out of youthe til they ben old. By the dore they go nat in-to the fold, 425 To helpe +hir sheep they nought travall; Hyred men all suche I holde, And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
For Christ hir king they woll forsake, And knowe him nought for his povert; 430 For Christes lovë they woll wake, And drink pyment [and] ale apart. Of god they seme nothing a-ferd; As lusty liveth, as Lamuall, And dryve hir sheep into desert; 435 All such faytours shull foul fall!
Christ hath twelve apostels here; Now say they, ther may be but oon, That may nat erre in no manere; Who leveth nat this, ben lost echoon! 440 Peter erred, so dide nat John; Why is he cleped the principall? Christ cleped him Peter, but himself the stoon; All falsë faytours, foule hem fall!
Why cursen they the croysery, 445 Christes Christen crëatures? For bytwene hem is now envy To be enhaunsed in honours. And Christen livers, with hir labours, For they leve on no man mortall, 450 +Ben do to dethe with dishonours; And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
What knoweth a tillour at the plow The popes name, and what he hat? His crede suffyseth him y-now, 455 And knoweth a cardinall by his hat. Rough is the pore, unrightly lat, That knoweth Christ his god royall; Such maters be nat worth a gnat; But such false faytours, foule hem fall! 460
A king shall knele and kisse his sho; Christ suffred a sinfull kisse his feet. Me thinketh, he holdeth him hye y-now, So Lucifer did, that hye +seet. Such oon, me thinketh, him-self foryet, 465 Either to the trouth he was nat call; Christ, that suffred woundes wet, Shall makë such falshed foul fall!
They layeth out hir largë nettes For to take silver and gold, 470 Fillen coffers, and sackes fettes, There-as they soules cacche shold. Hir servaunts be to +hem unhold, But they can doublin +hir rentall To bigge hem castels, and bigge hem hold; 475 And all such falsë, foule hem fall!
HERE ENDETH THE FIRST PART OF THIS TALE, AND HERAFTER FOLOWETH THE SECONDE PART.
Part II
To accorde with this wordë "fal" No more English can I find; Shewe another now I shall, For I have moche to say behind, 480 How preestes han the people pynd, As curteys Christ hath me [y-]kend, And put this matter in my mind To make this maner men amend.
Shortly to shende hem, and shewe now 485 How wrongfully they worche and walke; O hye god, nothing they tell, ne how, But in goddes word, +tell many a balke. In hernes holde hem and in halke, And prechin of tythes and offrend, 490 And untruely of the gospell talke; For his mercy, god it amend!
What is Antichrist to say But evin Christes adversáry? Such hath now ben many a day 495 To Christes bidding full contráry, That from the trouthë clenë vary; Out of the wayë they ben wend; And Christes people untruely cary; God, for his pitè, it amend! 500
That liven contráry to Christes lyf, In hye pride agaynst mekenesse; Agaynst suffraunce they usen stryf, And angre ayenst sobrenesse; Agaynst wisdom, wilfulnesse; 505 To Christes tales litell tend; Agaynst mesúre, outragiousnesse; But whan god woll, it may amend!
Lordly lyf ayenst lowlinesse, And demin all without mercy; 510 And covetyse ayenst largesse, Agaynst trewth[e], trechery; And agaynst almesse, envy; Agaynst Christ they comprehend. For chastitè, they maynteyn lechery; 515 God, for his gracë, this amend!
Ayenst penaunce they use delytes, Ayenst suffraunce, strong defence; Ayenst god they use yvel rightes, Agaynst pitè, punishments; 520 Open yvell ayenst continence; Hir wicked winning wors dispend; Sobrenesse they sette in-to dispence; But god, for his goodnesse, it amend!
Why cleymen they hoolly his powére, 525 And wranglen ayenst all his hestes? His living folowen they nothing here, But liven wors than witles beestes. Of fish and flesh they loven feestes, As lordes, they ben brode y-kend; 530 Of goddes pore they haten gestes; God, for his mercy, this amend!
With +Dives such shall have hir doom That sayn that they be Christes frendes, And do nothing as they shuld doon; 535 All such ben falser than ben fendes. On the people they ley such bendes, As god is in erthe, they han offend; Sucour for suchë Christ now sende us. And, for his mercy, this amend! 540
A token of Antichrist they be, His careckes ben now wyde y-know; Receyved to preche shall no man be Without[ë] token of him, I trow. Ech Christen preest to prechen ow, 545 From god abovë they ben send. Goddes word to all folk for to show, Sinfull man for to amend.
Christ sente the pore for to preche; The royall riche he did nat so; 550 Now dar no pore the people teche, For Antichrist is over-all hir fo. Among the people he mot go; He hath bidden, all such suspend; Some hath he hent, and thinketh yet mo; 555 But all this god may well amend.
All tho that han the world forsake, And liven lo[w]ly, as god bad, In-to hir prison shullen be take, Betin and bounden, and forth lad. 560 Herof I rede no man be drad; Christ sayd, his [servaunts] shulde be shend; Ech man ought herof be glad; For god ful well it woll amend.
They take on hem royáll powére, 565 And saye, they havë swerdes two, Oon curse to hell, oon slee men here; For at his taking Christ had no mo, Yet Peter had [that] oon of tho. But Christ to Peter smyte gan defend, 570 And in-to the sheth bad putte it tho; And all such mischeves god amend!
Christ bad Peter kepe his sheep, And with his swerde forbad him smyte; Swerd is no tole with sheep to kepe 575 But to shep[h]erdes that sheep woll byte. Me thinketh, suche shep[h]erdes ben to wyte Ayen hir sheep with swerd that contend; They dryve hir sheep with greet dispyte; But al this god may well amend. 580
So successours to Peter be they nought Whom [that] Christ madë cheef pastour; A swerd no shep[h]erde usen ought But he wold slee as a bochour. For who-so were Peters successour 585 Shuld bere his sheep till his bak bend, And shadowe hem from every shour; And all this god may wel amend.
Successours to Peter ben these In that that Peter Christ forsook, 590 That had lever the love of god [to] lese Than a shep[h]erde had to lese his hook. He culleth the sheep as doth the cook; Of hem [they] taken the woll untrend, And falsely glose the gospell-book; 595 God, for his mercy, +hem amend!
After Christ had take Peter the kay, Christ sayd, he mustë dye for man; That Peter to Christ gan withsay; Christ bad him, 'go behind, Sathan!' 600 Such counsaylours many of these men han For worldes wele, god to offend; Peters successours they ben for-than, But all such god may well amend.
For Sathan is to say no more 605 But he that contrary to Christ is; In this they lernë Peters lore, They sewen him whan he did mis; They folowe Peter forsothe in this, In al that Christ wolde +him reprende, 610 Nat in that that longeth to hevin blis; God for his mercy hem amend!
Some of the apostels they sewen in cas, Of ought that I can understonde, Him that betrayed Christ, Judas, 615 That bar the purse in every londe; And al that he might sette on honde, He hidde and stal, and [gan] mispend; His rule these traytours han in honde; Almighty god [now] hem amend! 620
And at last his lord gan tray Cursedly, through his covetyse; So wolde these trayen him for money, And they wisten in what wyse! They be seker of the selfe ensyse; 625 From all sothnesse they ben frend; And covetyse chaungen with queyntyse; Almighty god all suche amend!
Were Christ on erthë here eft-soon, These wolde dampnë him to dye; 630 All his hestes they han fordon, And sayn, his sawes ben heresy; Ayenst his +maundëments they cry, And dampne all his to be [y-]brend; For it lyketh nat hem, such losengery; 635 God almighty hem amend!
These han more might in England here Than hath the king and all his lawe, They han purchased hem such powére To taken hem whom [they] list nat knawe; 640 And say, that heresy is hir sawe, And so to prison woll hem send; It was nat so by elder dawe, God, for his mercy, it amend!
The kinges lawe wol no man deme 645 Angerliche, withouten answere; But, if any man these misqueme, He shal be baited as a bere; And yet wel wors they woll him tere, And in prisón woll hem [be] pend 650 In gyves, and in other gere; Whan god woll, it may [a]mend.
The king taxeth nat his men But by assent of the comminaltè; But these, ech yere, woll raunsom hem 655 Maysterfully, more than doth he; Hir seles, by yerë, better be Than is the kinges in extend; Hir officers han gretter fee; But this mischeef [may] god amend! 660
For who-so woll prove a testament Thát is natt all worth ten pound, He shall paye for the parchëment The third part of the money all round. Thus the people is raunsound, 665 They say, such part to hem shulde apend; There as they grypen, it goth to ground; God, for his mercy, it amend!
A simple fornicacioun, Twenty shillings he shall pay; 670 And than have an absolucioun, And al the yere usen it forth he may! Thus they letten hem go a-stray, They recke nat though the soul be brend; These kepin yvell Peters key, 675 And all such shep[h]erdes god amend!
Wonder is, that the parliament And all the lordes of this lond Here-to taken so litell entent To helpe the people out of hir hond; 680 For they ben harder in +hir bond, Wors bete[n] and [more] bitter brend Than to the king is understond; God him helpe this to amend!
What bisshoppes, what religio[u]ns 685 Han in this lande as moch lay-fee, Lordshippes, and possessio[u]ns More than the lordes, it semeth me! That maketh hem lese charitè, They mowë nat to god attend; 690 In erthe they have so high degree, God, for his mercy, it amend!
The emperour yaf the pope somtyme So hyghe lordship him about, That, at [the] laste, the sely kyme, 695 The proudë popë putte him out! So of this realme is in dout, But lordes be ware and +hem defend; For now these folk be wonder stout, The king and lordes now this amend! 700
THUS ENDETH THE SECONDE PART OF THIS TALE, AND HERAFTER FOLOWETH THE THIRDE.