power that is not founden myghty to kepe hym selfe Nowe trewly a greate fole is he that for such thyng wolde sette the knotte in thyne herte Also power of realmes is not thylk greatest power amonges the worldly powers rekened And yf suche powers han wretchednesse in hem selfe it foloweth other powers of febler condicion to ben wretched and than that wretchednesse shulde be cause of such a knotte But euery wyght that hath reason wote well that wretchednesse by no waye maye bene cause of none suche knotte wherfore such power is no cause That powers haue wretchednesse in hem selfe maye ryght lyghtly bene preued If power lacke on any side on that side is no power but no power is wretchednesse for al be it so the power of emperours or kynges or els of theyr realmes whych is the power of the prynce stretchen wyde and brode yet besyde is ther mokell folke of whyche he hath no coÌ„maundement ne lordshyp ther as lacketh his power hys nonepower entreth where vnder spryngeth that maketh hem wretches No power is wretchednesse and nothynge els but in this maner hath kinges more porcion of wretchednesse thaÌ„ of power Trewly such powers bene vnmighty for euer they ben in drede howe thylke power froÌ„ lesinge may be keped of sorowe so drede sorily prickes euer in their hertes litle is y e power which careth ferdeth it selfe to maintayn Vnmyghty is y e wretchednes whych is entred by the ferdful wenyng of the wretch him selfe knotte ymaked by wretchednesse is betwene wretches wretches all thyng bewaylen wherfore the knotte shulde be bewayled and ther is no such perfyte blysse that we supposed at the gynning Ergo power in nothing shulde cause such knottes wretchednesse is a kyndly propertie in suche power as by waye of drede whiche they mowe not eschewe ne by no way lyne in sikernesse For thou wost wel ê™ she he is nought mighty that wold done y t he may not doone ne perfourme Therfore quod I these kynges and lordes that han suffysaunce at the ful of men and other thinges mowen well bene holden myghty their coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes ben done it is neuermore denied Foole ê™ she or he wot him selfe mighty or wotte it not for he is nought myghty that is blynde of his might and wote it not That is sothe quod I Than yf he wet it he must nedes ben a drad to lesen it He that wot of his might is in dout y t he mote nedes lese so leadeth hym drede to ben vnmyghtye And yf he retche not to lese lytle is that worth y t of y e lesyng reson retcheth nothing if it were myghty in power or in strengthe the lesyng shulde bene wythset and whan it cometh to the lesyng he may it not wythâ—yt Ergo thylke myght is leude and naughty Such mightes arne ylike to postes and pyllers that vpright stonden and greate might han to beare many charges yf they croke on any syde lytell thynge maketh hem ouerthrow Thys is a good ensaÌ„ple ê™ I to pyllers postes y t I haue seneouerthrowed my selfe and hadden they bene vnderput wyth any helpes they had not so lyghtly fal ThaÌ„ holdeste thou hym mighty that hath manye men armed and many seruauntes and euer he is adradde of hem in his herte and for he gasteth hem somtyme he mote y e more feare haue Comenly he that other agasteth other in hym ayenwarde werchen the same and thus warnyshed mote he be and of warnish the houre drede Lytel is that myght right leude who so taketh hede Than semethe it ê™ I that such famulers about kinges and greate lordes shulde great myght haue Although a sypher in augrym haue no myght in signifycation of it selfe yet he yeueth power in significacion to other and these clepe I the helpes to a post to kepe hym from fallynge Certes quod she thylke skylles bene leude why but yf y e shorers ben wel grounded the helpes shullen slyden and suffre the charge to fal her myght lytle auayleth And so me thynketh quod I that a poste alone stondynge vpright vpon a basse may lenger in great burthen endure than croken pillers for all theyr helpes and her grounde be not syker That is soth ê™ she for as the blynde in bearynge of the lame gynne stomble both shulde fal right so such pyllers so enuyroned wyth helpes in fallynge of the grounde fayleth altogyther how ofte than suche famulers in theyr moost pryde of prosperyte bene sodaynly ouerthrowen Thou haste knowe many in a moment so ferre ouerthrow that couer might they neuer whan the heuynesse of suche faylynge cometh by case of fortune they mowe it not eschewe and myghte and power yf there were any shulde of strength such thynges voyde weyue and so it is not Lo than whiche thynge is this power that tho men han it they bene agast in no tyme of full hauyng be they syker yf they wolde weyue drede as they mowe not lytle is in worthynesse Fye therfore on so naughtye thynge any knot to cause Lo in aduersitie thylke bene his foes that glosed and semed frendes in welthe thus arne hys famylyers his foes and his enemyes and nothynge is werse ne more myghty for to anoy than is a familier enemye these thynges maye they not weyue so trewelye theyr myghte is not worth a cresse And ouer all thing he y t maye not wythdrawe the bridell of hys fleshly lustes and hys wretched complayntes nowe thinke on thy selfe trewly he is not mighty I can se no waye y u lyeth to the knot Thylke people thaÌ„ that setten their hertes vpoÌ„ suche myghtes and powers often bene begyled Parde he is not myghty that maye do anye thing that another may done him the selue and that meÌ„ haue as great power ouer hym as he ouer other A iustice that demeth men ayenward hath bene often demed Buserus slewe his gestes and he was slaine of Hercules his geste Hugest betrayshed many men and of Collo was he betrayed He that with swerde smytteth with swerde shall be smitten Than gan I to studyen a while on these thinges and made a countenaunce with my hande in maner to bene huyshte Nowe lette sene quod she me thynketh somwhat there is wythin thy soule that troubleth thy vnderstandynge saye on what it is Quod I tho me thynketh that although a maÌ„ by power haue suche myghte ouer me as I haue ouer other that disproueth no myght in my person but yet may I haue power myght neuer the later Se nowe ê™ she thine owne leudnesse He is myghty that may wythout wretchednes and he is vnmyghty that may it not with sitte but then he that might ouer the he woll put on the wretchednesse thou might it not wythsytte Ergo thou seest thy selfe what foloweth But nowe quod she woldest thou not skorne thou se a flye han power to done harme to another flye thilk haue no myght ne ayenturninge him selfe to defende Yes certes quod
bade they toke it for the beste Her dremes shul not now ben it olde for me Ful were her heedes of fumosyte That causeth dremes of whyche ther is no charge They slepen tyl it was pryme large The moste parte but it were Canace She was ful mesurable as women be For of her father had she take her leue To gon to rest sone alter it was eue Her lyst not appalled for to be Nor on the morowe vnfestlyche for to se And slept her fyrst slepe and awoke For suche a ioy she in her herte toke Both of her queynt Rynge of her myrrour That twenty tymes she chaunged her colour And in her slepe ryght for impressyon Of her myrrour she had a visyon Wherfore or the sonne vp gan glyde She cleped her maistresses her besyde And sayd her luste for to aryse ¶ These olde women that ben gladly wyse As is her maystresse answerde her anon And sayd madame whither wol ye gon Thus erly◠for folke ben al in reste ¶ I wol quod she aryse for me leste No lenger for to slepe but walken aboute Her maystresse cleped wome a great route And vp they ryse wel ten or twelue Vp ryseth fresshe Canace her selue As ioly and bright as the yonge sonne That in the Ram is four degrees vp ronne No hygher was he whan she redy was And sorthe she walketh an easye paas Arrayed after the lusty season sote Lightly for to playen to walken on fete Nought but fyue or sixe of her meyne And in a trenche fer in the parke gethe she ¶ The vapour whiche y t fro the erth glode Maketh the sonne to seme ruddy and brode But nathelesse it was so fayre a syght That it made al her hertes for to lyght What for the ceason and for the morownyng And for the soules that she herde synge For right anon she wyste what they ment Right by her songe and knewe al her entent ¶ The knotte why that euery tale is tolde If it be taryed tyl luste be colde Of hem that han it herkened after yore The sauour passeth euer lenger the more For fulsomnesse of prolixite And by the same reason thynketh me I shulde vnto the same knot condiscende And make of her walkyng sone an ende ¶ Amydde a ti◠for drye as whyt as chalke As Canace was playeng in her walke There sate a fauron ouer her heed ful hye That with a pytous voyce gan to crye That al the wodde resowned of her cry And beaten had her selfe so pytously With bothe her wynges tyl the reed blode Ran endelonge the tre there as she stode And euer in one she cryed and shright And with her becke her seluen so she pyght That there nas Tygre ne cruel beste That dwelleth in wodde eyther in foreste That nolde hā wept yf that they wepe coude For sorowe of her she shright alway so loude For there nas neuer yet man on lyue If that he couthe a faucon wel discryue That herde of suche another of fayrenesse As wel of plumage as of gentylnesse Of shappe of al that might trekened be A faucon peregryn than semed she Of scrude londe euermore as she stoode She swouned now now for lacke of blood Tyl welny is she fal fro the tree ¶ This fayre kynges doughter this Canace That on her fynger bare the queynte rynge Thrugh which she vnderstod wel euery thīg That any foule may in hys leden sayne And coude answere hym in his leden agayne Hath vnderstande what this faucon seyde And welny for routhe almost she deyde And to the tre she gothe ful hastely And on this faucon loketh ful pytously And helde her lappe abrod for wel she wyste The faucon muste fallen from the twyste Whā y t she swouned next for lacke of bloode A longe whyle to wayten there she stoode Tyl at the laste she spake in this manere Vnto the hauke as ye shalen after here ¶ What is the cause yf it be for to tell That ye ben in this furyal payne of hell Quod Canace vnto this hauke aboue Is thys for sorowe of dethe or losse of loue For as I trowe these ben causes two That causen most a gentyll hert wo Of other harme it nedeth not to speke For ye vpon your selfe you wreke Whiche proueth wel that eyther ire or drede Mote ben encheson of your cruell dede Syu that I se none other wyght you chace For the loue of god so doth your selfe grace Or what may be your helpe for west or est Ne sawe I neuer er now no byrde ne beest That farde with hym selue so pytously Ye slee me with your sorowe veryly I haue of you so great compassioun For goddes loue come fro the tre adowne And as I am a kynges doughter trewe If that I veryly the causes knewe Of your disease yf it lay in my myght I wolde amende it certes or it be nyght As wysely helpe me great god of kynde And herbes shal I right ynowe fynde To hele with your hurtes hastely Tho shright this faucon yet more spitously Than euer she dyd fell to grounde anone And lyeth a swoune deed as is a stone Tyl Canace hath in her lappe itake Vnto the tyme she gan of swoune awake And after that she of swoune gan abreyde Ryght in her haukes leden thus she sayde That pite renneth soone in gentyl herte Felyng his semilitude in paynes smerte Is proued al day as men may se As wel by werke as by authorite For gentle hert kepeth gentilnesse I se wel that ye haue of my distresse Campassyon my fayre Canace Of very womanly benignyte That nature in your principles hath sette But for none hope for to fare the bette But for to obey vnto your hert free And for to make other beware by me As by the whelpe chastised is the Lyon Right for that cause and for that conclusyon Whyle that I haue a leyser and a space Myne harm I wol confessen or I pace And euer while that one her sorowe tolde That other wepte as she to water wolde Tyl that the Faucon badde her to be styl And with a sike thus she sayd her tyl ¶ There I was bredde alas that ilke day And fostred in a roche of marble gray So tenderly that nothyng eyleth me I ne wist not what was aduersyte Tyl I coude flye ful hye vnder the skye There dwelte a Terselet me fast by That semed wel of al gentylnesse Al were he ful of trayson and of falsnesse It was so wrapped vnder humble chere And vnder hewe of trouth in suche manere Vnder pleasaunce and vnder busy payne That no wight coud haue wede he coud fain So depe in greyne he dyed his colours Right as a serpent hideth him vnder flours Tyl he may se hys tyme for to byte Right so this God of loues ipocrite Dothe so hys serymones and obeysaunce with his dissimulynge fayre assemblaunce That sowneth vnto gentilnesse of loue
To worchen as he had what But he fynde neyther thys ne that Than may he begge tyll that he Haue getten hys necessyte Or yf hys wynnyng be so lyte That hys labour woll not acquyte Suffyciantly all hys lyuyng Yet may he go hys breed beggyng Fro doore to doore he may go trace Tyll he the remenaunt may purchace Or yf a man wolde vndertake Any emprise for to make In the rescous of our lay And it defenden as he may Be it with armes or lettrure Or other couenable cure If it be so he poore be Than may he begge tyll that he May fynde in trouthe for to swynke And get hym clothe meate and drynke Swynke he wyth hys hondes corporell And not wyth hondes espyrituell IN all this case and in semblables If that there ben mo resonables He may begge as I tell you here And els not in no manere As willyam seynt Amour wolde preche And ofte wolde dispute and teche Of thys mater all openly At Parys full solemply And also god my soule blesse As he had in thys stedfastnesse The accorde of the vniuersyte And of the people as semeth me NO good man ought it to refuse Ne ought hym therof to excuse Be wrothe or blythe who so be For I woll speke and tel it the All shulde I dye and be put doun As was seynt Poule in derke prisoun Or be exiled in thys caas wyth wronge as mayster william was That my mother Hypocrise Banysshed for her great enuye MY mother flemed hym Seynt Amour Thys noble dyd suche labour To susteyne euer the loyalte That he to moche agylte me He made a boke and let it write wheryn hys lyfe he dyd all write And wolde yche renyed beggyng And lyued by my traueylyng If I ne had rent ne other good what weneth he that I were wood For labour might me neuer plese I haue more wyll to ben at ese And haue well leuer sothe to saye Before the people pattre and pray And wrye me in my foxerye Vnder a cope of papelardie Q Vod Loue what dyuell is this that I here What wordes tellest y u me here What sir Falsnesse that apert is Than dredest thou not god No certis â–ª For selde in great thyng shall he spede In this worlde that god woll drede For folke that hem to vertue yeuen And truely on her owne lyuen And hem in goodnesse aye coutene On hem is lytell thrifte ysene Suche folke drinken great misese That lyfe may me neuer plese But se what golde han vsurers And syluer eke in garners Taylaâ—â—ers and these monyours Bayliffâ—s bedels prouost countours These lyuen well nygh by rauyne The smale people hym mote enclyne And they as wolues wol hem eten Vpon the poore folke they geten Full moche of that they spende or kepe Nys none of hem that he nyll strepe And wâ—yne hem selfe well at full wythout scaldyng they hem pull The stronge the feble ouergothe But I that weare my symple clothe Robbe bothe robbyng and robbours And gyle gylyng and gylours By my treget I gather and threst The great tresour in to my cheste That lyeth wyth me so faste bounde Myne hygh paleys do I founde And my delytes I fulfyll wyth wyne at feestes at my wyll And tables full of entremees I woll no lyfe but ease and pees And wynne golde to spende also For whan the great bagge is go It cometh ryght with my iapes Make I not well tomble myne apes To wynnen is alway myne entent My purchace is better than my rent For though I shulde beten be Ouer all I entremet me Without me may no wight dure I walke soules for to cure Of all the worlde cure haue I In brede and length boldly I woll bothe preche and eke counsaylen with hondes wyll I not trauaylen For of the Pope I haue the bull I ne holde not my wyttes dull I woll not stynten in my lyue These Emperours for to shriue Of kynges dukes and lordes grete But poore folke all quyte I lete I loue no suche shryuyng parde But it for other cause be I recke not of poore men Her astate is not worthe an hen Where fyndest thou a swynker of labor Haue me vnto hys confessour But Empresses and duchesses These quenes and eke countesses These abesses and eke bygyns These great ladyes palasyns These iolye knyghtes and bayliues These nonnes and these burgeys wyues That ryche ben and eke plesyng And these maydens welfaryng where so they clad or naked be Vncounsayled gothe there none fro me And for her soules sauete At lorde and lady and her meyne I aske whan they hem to me shriue The proprete of all her lyue And make hem trowe bothe moste and leest Her parysshe preest nys but a beest Ayens me and my company That shrewes ben as great as I For whyche I woll not hyde in holde No pryuite that me is tolde That I by worde or signe ywis Ne woll make hem knowe what it is And they wollen also tellen me They hele fro me no pryuite And for to make you hem perceyuen That vsen folke thus to disceyuen I woll you sayne withouten drede what menne maye in the Gospell rede Of saynt Mathue the gospelere That saythe as I shall you saye here VPon the chayre of Moyses Thus it is glosed doutlees That is the olde Testament For therby is the chayre ment Sytte Scribes and Pharysen That is to sayne the cursed men whyche that we hypocrites call Dothe that they preche I rede you all But dothe nat as they done a dele That bene nat wery to saye wele But to do well no wyll haue they And they wolde bynde on folke alwaye That bene to begyled able Burdons that ben importable On folkes shulders thynges they couchen That they nyll wyth her fyngers touchen And why woll they nat touche it why For hem ne lyste nat sykerly For sadde burdons that men taken Make folkes shulders aken And yf they do ought that good be That is for folke it shulde se Her burdons larger maken they And make her hemmes wyde alwaye And louen seates at the table The fyrste and most honorable And for to hanne the fyrste chayris In synagogges to hem full dere is And wyllen that folke hem loute and grete whan that they passen through the strete And wollen be cleped mayster also But they ne shulde nat wyllen so The gospell is there agaynst I gesse That sheweth well her wyckednesse ANother custome vse we Of hem that wol ayenst vs be we hate hiÌ„ deedly euerichone we wol werrey him as one Hym y e one hateth hate we al And coÌ„iecte how to done him fal And yf we sene hym wynne honour Rychesse or preyse through hys valour Prouende rente or dignyte Full faste ywis compassen we By what ladder he is clomben so And for to maken hym downe to go with trayson we woll hym defame And done hym lese hys good name Thus from hys ladder we hym
of no kynde wherfore thylke shoulde be no waye to the knot whan thylke is went the knotte wendeth after Lo nowe at all proues none of all these thinges mowe perfectlye ben in vnderstandyng to ben way to the duryng blysse of the knot But nowe to conclusyon of these matters herkeneth these wordes Very sommer is knowe from the wynter in shorter cours draweth the dayes of DeceÌ„bre than in the moneth of Iune The sprynges of May faden and folowen in October These thinges ben not vnbounden from theyr olde kynde they haue not lost her werke of their propre estate Men of voluÌ„tarious wyll withsyt y e henens gouerneth Other thynges suffren thynges pacyently to werche Man in what estate he be yet wolde he bene chaunged Thus by queynt thynges blysse is desyred and the frute that cometh of these springes nys but anguysh and bytter although it be a whyle swete it may not be withholde hastely they departe thus al daye fayleth thinges that fooles wende Ryght thus haste thou fayled in thy fyrste wenynge He that thinketh to sayle and drawe after the course of the starre de polo antartico shall he neuer come northwarde to the contrary starre of polus articus of whiche thinges yf thou take kepe thy fyrst out waye goinge pryson and exyle maye be cleped The grounde falsed vnderneth and so haste thou fayled No wyght I wene blameth hym that stynteth in misgoing and secheth redye waye of hys blysse Nowe me thynketh quod she that it suffyseth in my shewynge the wayes by dignitie rychesse renoume and power if thou loke clerely arne no wayes to the knotte EVerye argument ladye ê™ I tho that ye han maked in these fore nempned maters me thynketh hem in my full wytte conceyued shall I nomore yf god wil in the contrary be begyled But fayne wolde I and it weâ—e your wyll blysse of the knotte to me were declared I myght fele the better how myne hert myght assente to pursue the ende in seruyce as he hath be gone O quod she there is a melody in heuen which clerkes clepen armonye but that is not in breakynge of voyce but it is a maner swete thynge of kyndly werchynge that causeth ioye out of nombre to recken and that is ioyned by reason and by wysedome in a quantitie of proporcyon of knyttyng God made all thynge in reason and in wytte of proporcyon of melodye we mowe not suffyse to shewe It is wrytten by great clerkes and wyse that in earthlye thynges lyghtly by studye and by trauayle the knowynge maye be getten â–ª but of suche heuenly melodye mokell trauayle wol brynge out in knowyng ryght lytle Swetnesse of this paradyse hath you rauyshed it semeth ye slepten rested from all other diseases so kyndly is your hertes therin ygrounded Blysse of two hertes in full loue knyt may not aright ben ymagyned euer is theyr contemplacion in full of thoughty study to pleasaunce mater in bryngyng comforte eueryche to other And therfore of erthly thynges mokell mater lyghtly commeth in your lernynge Knowledge of vnderstondynge that is nygh after eye but not so nygh the couetyse of knyttynge in your hertes More soueraygne desyre hath euerye wyght in lytle hearynge of heuenly connyng than of mokell materyall purposes in earth Ryght so it is in propertie of my seruauntes that they ben more affyched in sterynge of lytle thynge in his desyre than of mokell other mater lasse in his conscience This blysse is a maner of sowne delicious in a queynt voyce touched and no dynne of notes there is none impressyon of breakynge laboure I can it not otherwyse nempne for wantynge of pryuye wordes but Paradyse terrestrye full of delicyous melodye withouten trauayle in sowne perpetual seruice in full ioy coueyted to endure Onely kynde maketh hertes in vnderstandyng so to slepe that otherwyse may it not be nempned ne in other maner names for lykyng swetnesse can I not it declare al sugre and hony all mynstralsye and melodye ben but soote and galle in comparisoÌ„ by no maner proporcyon to recken in respecte of thys blysfull ioye This armonye this melodye this perdurable ioye may not be in doinge but betwene heuens and elementes or twey kyndly hertes ful knyt in trouth of naturall vnderstondyng withouten wenyng and disceyte as heuens and planettes which thinges contynually for kyndely accordaunces foryeteth all contraryous meanynges that into passyue diseases may sowne euermore it thyrsteth after more werkyng These thinges in proporcyon be so well ioyned that it vndoth all thyng which into badnesse by any waye maye be accompted Certes ê™ I this is a thynge precious and noble Alas that falsenesse euer or wantruste shoulde be mayntayned this ioye to voyde Alas that euer any wretche shulde thorowe wrath or enuy â—anglyng dare make to shoue this melody so farre abacke that openly dare it not ben vsed truly wretches ben fulfylled with â—auy and wrath and no wight els Flebring and tales in suche wretches shall appeare openly in euery wyghtes ere with ful mouth so charged mokell malyce moued many ininnocentes to shende god wold theyr soule therwith were stâ—angled Lo trouth in this blysse is hyd and ouer all vnder couert hym hydeth He dare not come a place for waytyng of shrewes CoÌ„menly badnesse goodnesse amastryeth with my selfe and my soule this ioye wolde I bye yf I the goodnesse were as moche as the nobley in melody O ê™ she what goodnesse maye be accompted more in this materyall worlde truly none that shalt thou vnderstonde Is not euery thyng good that is contrariant and destroying euyll Howe els ê™ I Enuy wrath and falsenesse ben generall ê™ she and that wote euery man beinge in his ryght mynde the knotte the whiche we haue in this blysse is contraryaunt and distroyeth such maner euils ergo it is good what hath caused any wyght to don any good dede Fynde me anye good but yf this knotte be the chefe cause Nedes mote it be good that causeth so many good dedes Euery cause is more and worthyer than thyng caused and in that mores possessyon all thynges lesse ben compted As the kynge is more than his people and hath in possessyon all his realme after Ryght so the knot is more than all other goodes thou myght recken all thynges lasse and that to hym loÌ„geth oweth into hys mores cause of worshyppe and of wyll do tourne it is els rebell and out of his mores defendynge to voyde Ryght so of euery goodnesse into the knotte and into the cause of his worshyp oweth to turne And truly euerye thyng that hath beinge profytably is good but nothynge hath to ben more profytably than this knot kynges it mayntayneth and hem theyr powers to mayntayne It maketh mysse to ben ameÌ„ded with good gouernaunce in doinge It closeth hertes so togyther y e rancour is out thresten who that it lengest kepeth lengest is gladded I trowe ê™ I heretyckes and mysmeanynge people hence forwarde woll mayntayne this knotte for there throughe shall they ben mayntayned and vtterly
was fee symple to hym in effecte Hys purchasynge myght not be to hym suspecte Nowhere so besy a man as he there nas And yet he semed besyer then he was In termes had he case and domes all That fro the tyme of kynge Wylliam was fall Therto he could endyte and maken a thynge There coude no wyght pynche at hys wrytynge And euery statute coude he playne by rote He rode but homely in a medley cote Gyrte wyth a seynt of sylâ—â— with barres smale Of hys arraye tell I no lenger tale ¶ The Frankeleyn x. A Frankeleyn there was in hys companye Whyte was hys berde as is the deysye And of hys complexion he was sanguyne Well loued he by the morowe a soppe in wyne To lyuen in delyte was euer hys wonne For he was Epycures owne sonne That helde opinion that playne delyte Was very felicitye perfyte An housholder and that a great was he Saynt Iulian he was in hys countre Hys breed hys ale was alwaye after one A better byended man was no where none Wythout bake meate was neuer hys house Of fyshe and fleshe and that so plenteous It shewed in hys house of meate and drynke Of all deyntes that men coude thynke After the sondrye seasons of the yere So chaunged he hys meate and hys suppere Full many afaâ—â—e parâ—ryche had he in mewe And many a dreme and many a lâ—â—e in stewe Wo was hys coke but hys â—â—uce were Poynante and sharpe and redy all hys gere Hys table dorâ—naunt in hys hall alwaye Stode redy couered all the longe daye At cessions there was he lorde and syre Full ofte tyme he was knyght of the shyre An anelace and a gepsere all of sylke Hynge at hys gyrdell whyte as morowe mylke A shyryfe had he bene and a countour Was nowhere suche a worthy vauesour ¶ The Haberdassher xi An Haberdassher there was and a carpenter A webbe a dyer and a tapyser All they were yclothed in o lyuere Of a solempne and a great fraternyte Full fresshe and newe her geare ipyked was Her knyues ychaped nere not wyth bras But all with syluer wrought ful clene and wele Her gyrdels and her pouches euerydele Wel semed eueryche of hem a fayre burgeys To sytten at a yelde hal on the hye deys Eueryche for the wysdome that he can Was shape lyche for to ben an alderman For catayle had they ryght ynough and rent And eke her wyues wolde it well assent And els certayne they were to blame It is full fayre to ben yeleped madame And gon to vigylles al before And haue a mantel royall yche ybore ¶ The Coke xii A Coke they had wyth hem for the nones To boyle the chykens and the mary bones And pouder merchaunt tarte and galyngale Well coude he knowe a draught of London ale He couthe rosthe sethe boyâ—e and frye Make morâ—reys and wel bake a pye But great harme was it as it thought me That on hys shynne a mormal had he And blynke manger made he wyth the beste ¶ The Shypman xiij A Shipman was ther wonnyng fer by west For aught I wete he was of Detchemouthe He rode vpon a rowney as he couthe In a gowne of faldyng to the kne A dagger hangyng by a lace had he Aboute hys necke vnder hys arme downe The hote sommer had made his hew a browne And certayne he was a good felawe Full many a draught of wyne had he drawe From Burdeux ward whiles y e chapmen slepe Of nyce conscience toke he no kepe If that he faught and had the hygher honde By water he sent hem home to euery londe But of hys crafte to recken wel hys tydes Hys streames and his daungers hym besydes Hys herbrough hys moone hys lodemanage There was none suche from Hul to Cartage Hardy he was and wyse to vndertake Wyth many a tempest had hys berde be shake He knewe all the hauens as there were Fro Scotlande to the Cape de fenestere And euery creke in Britayne and in Spayne Hys barge was called the Maudelayne ¶ De doctour of Phisyke xiiij Wyth vs there was a doctour of phisyke In thys worlde ne was there none hym lyke To speke of phisyke and of surgerye For he was grounded in Astronomye He kepte hys pacyent a full great del In houres by hys magyke naturel Wel couthe he fortune the assendent Of hys ymage for hys pacyent He knewe the cause of euery maladye Were it of colde hete moyste or drie And wherof engendred what humour He was a very perfyte practysour The cause yknowe and of hys harme the rote A none he gaue to the sycke man his bote Full redy had he hys apotecaries To sende hym dregges and hys lectuaries For eche of hem made other for to wynne Her frendshyp was not newe to begynne Wel knewe he the olde Esculapius And Dioscorides and eke Ruffus Olde Hippocrates Haly and eke Gallen Serapion Rasis and also Auicen Auerroys Damasceue and Constantyn Bernarde Gatisden and Gylbertyn Of hys dyete meserable was he For it was of no superfluyte But of great nourysshynge and digestyble Hys study was but lytel on the Byble In sangwyne and in perce he clad was al Lyned wyth Taffata and wyth sendal And yet he was but easy of dispence He kepte that he wanne in tyme of pestylence For golde in Physyke is a cordyal Therfore he loued golde in specyal ¶ The wyfe of Bathe .xv. A good wyfe there was besyde Bathe But she was somdel dese and that was scathe Of clothe makynge she had suche an haunte She passed hem of Ipre or of Gaunte In all the parysshe wyfe ne was there none That to the offrynge before her shulde gone And yf there dyd certayn ryght wrothe was she That she was al out of charite Her kerchers ful fyne were of grounde I durst swere they wayden ten pounde That on a Sonday were vpon her heed Her hosen were of fyne scarlet reed Full strayte ystrayned and shoesful newe Bolde was her face and reed was her hewe She was a worthy woman al her lyue Husbandes at the churche dore had she fyue Withouten other company in youthe But therof nedeth not to speke as nouthe And thryse had she ben at Hierusalem She had passed many a stronge streme At Rome had she ben and at Boloyne In Galys at saynt Iames and at Coloyne She couth moche of wandrynge by the waye Gat tothed was she sothely for to saye Vpon an ambler easely she sat Ywympled well and on her heed an hat As brode as is a bokeler or a targe A foot mantel aboute her hyppes large And on her fete a payre of spurres sharpe In felyshyp well couth she laughe and carpe Of remedyes of loue she coude perchaunce For the couth of that arte the olde daunce ¶ The Person xvi A Good man there was of relygyoun And was a poore person of a toun But riche he was of holye thought and werke He was also a lerned man
reche not a bene Though I come after hym with Haubake I speke in prose and let hym rymes make And with that worde he with a sobre chere Began hys tale as ye shullen after here ¶ Here endeth the man of lawes Prologue and here foloweth hys tale O Hateful harme condycioÌ„ of pouert With thurst with colde with huÌ„gre so coÌ„fouÌ„ded To asken helpe the shameth in thyn hert If thou non aske w t nede thou art so wounded that very nede vnwrapeth al thy wouÌ„des hid Maugry thyn heed thou must for indygence Or stele or begge or borowe thy dispence Thou blamest Christ and sayest ful bytterly He misdeparteth rychesse temporall Thy neyghbour thou wytest synfully And sayest tyou haste to lytel he hath all Parfay sayst thou somtyme he reken shall whan that his tayle shal brenne in glede For he nought helpeth nedeful in her nede Herken what is the sentence of the wyse Better is to dyen than to haue indygence Thyne selfe neygbour wol the dispyse If thou be poore farwel thy reuerence Yet of the wyse man take thys sentence Al the dayes poore men ben wycke Beware therfore or thou come to the pricke If thou be poore thy brother hateth the And al thy frendes fleeth fro the alas O ryche marchauntes ful of we le be ye O noble prudent folke as in this caas Your bagges ben not fylde with ambes aas But w t cyse synke y t renneth for your chauÌ„ce At Christenmasse mery may ye daunce Ye seken loude see for your wynnynges As wyse folke ye knowen al the state Of reignes ye ben fathers of tidynges And tales bothe of peace and debate I was right nowe of tales desolate Nere that a marchant gone is many a yere Me taught a tale whiche ye shullen here IN Surrey whiloÌ„ dwelte a company Of chapmen rych and therto sad and trewe That wyde were senten her spicery Clothes of golde and satten ryche of hewe Her chafare was so thryfty and so newe That euery wight hath deyntie to chafare Wyth hem and eke to sellen hem her ware Nowe fel it that the maisters of that sorte Han shapen hem to Rome for to wende Were it for chapmanhode or for disporte NoÌ„ other messangere wold the thyder sende But comeÌ„ hem selfe to Rome thys is y e ende And in suche place as thought heÌ„ auauntage For her entent they taken her herbygage Soiourned haÌ„ these marchauÌ„tes in y e town Certayne tyme as fel to her pleasaunce But so byfel that the excellent renowne Of the emperours doughter dame CustauÌ„ce Reported was with euery cyrcumstaunce Vnto these surreyn marchauÌ„tes in such wise Fro day to day as I shal you deuyse This was the comen voyce of euery man Our emperour of Rome god hym se A doughter hath y t sythen the worlde began To rekeÌ„ as wel her goodnesse as her beaute Nas neuer suche a nother as is she I pray to god in honour her sustene And wolde she were of al Europe the quene In her is hye beautie without pride Youthe without grenhede or folye To al her werkes vertu is her gyde Humblesse hath slayne in her al tyrannye She is a myrrour of al curtesye Her herte is very chambre of holynesse Her honde mynistre of fredom and almesse And al this voyce was soth as god is trew But now to our purpose let vs turne agayn These marchaÌ„tes han doÌ„ fret her ships new And whaÌ„ they han this blisful mayden seyn Home to Surrey ben they went ageyn And done her nedes as they han done yore And lyuen in welth I can say no more Now fel it y t these marchaÌ„tes stodeÌ„ in grace Of hym that was the Soudon of Surrye For whaÌ„ y t they came froÌ„ any straunge place He wolde of hys benygne curtesye Maken hem good chere besyly aspye Tydynges of sondry realmes for to lere The wonders that they might seen or here Amonge other thynges specially These marchantes haue hym tolde of dame Custaunce So gret noblesse in ernest ceryously That this SoudoÌ„ hath cauÈt so great plesaÌ„ce To han her fygure in hys remembraunce And al his luste and al hys besy cure was for to loue her whyle his lyfe may dure Parauenture in that ylke large boke Which that cleped is the heueÌ„ twritten was with sterres whan that he his byrthe toke That he for loue shulde han his dethe alas For in the sterres clerer than is the glas Is written god wot who so coude it rede The dethe of euery man withouten drede In sterres many a wynter there byfore was written the deth of Hector of Achilles Of Pompey and Iulius or they were bore The stryfe of Thebes and of Hercules Of Sampson Turnus and of Socrates The dethe but that mens wyttes ben so dull That no wyght can wel rede it at the full This SoudoÌ„ for his priue counsayle sene And shortly of thys mater for to pace He hath to hem declared al hys entent And said heÌ„ certain but yf he might haue grace To haue CustauÌ„ce withyn a lytel space He nas but deed and charged hem to hye To shapen for his lyfe some remedye Diuers men diuersly they sayden The argument they casten vp and doun Many a subtell reason forthe they layden They speken of Magike and abusyoun But finally as in conclusyoun They can not seen in that non auauntage Ne in non other way saue in maryage Than sawe they therin suche difficulte By way of reason to speke al playne Bycause that there was suche diuersyte Bitwene her bothe lawes that they sayne They trow y t no christen prince wolde fayne wedden hys chylde vnder our lawes swete That vs was taught by Mahounde our prophete And he answerde rather than I lese Custaunce I wol be christen doutels I mote ben hers I may non other chese I pray you holde your argumentes in pees Saueth my lyfe and be not recheles To getten her that hath my lyfe in cure For in thys wo I may not long endure what nedeth greater delatatyon I say by treatie and ambassadrye And by the popes meditation And al the chirche and al the cheualry That in distruction of Maumetry And in encrease of Christes lawe dere They ben accorded as ye shal here Howe that the Soudon and his baronage And al hys lieges shulde ichristned be And he shal han Custaunce in mariage And certayne golde I not what quantite And her to fynde sufficient surete The same accord was sworne on eyther syde Now fayre CustauÌ„ce almyghty god y e gyde Nowe woldeÌ„ som men waiten as I gesse That I shulde tellen al the purueyaunce That the Emperour of hys noblesse Hath shapen for hys daughter dame CustaÌ„ce Wel may men knoweÌ„ that so gret ordynaÌ„ce May no man tellen in a lytell clause As was arayde for so hyghe a cause Bishoppes ben shapeÌ„ with her for to weÌ„de Lordes and ladies and knightes of renown And other folke ynowe this is the ende
To done at home as sone as it may be The labour which that longeth to me And than may I at leyser it beholde If she the way to the castel holde And as she wolde ouer the thresholde gon The Markes came and gan her for to call And she sette downe her water potte anon Besyde the thresholde of the ore stal And downe vpon her knees she gan to fal And with sadde countenaunce kneled styl Tyl she had herde what was the lordes wyl This thoughtful Markes spake to y e mayd wel soberly and sayd in this manere where is your father Grisylde he sayd And she with reuerence and meke chere Answerde lorde he is al redy here And in she gothe without lenger lette And to the Markes she her father fette He by the honde than toke this olde man And sayd thus whan he had hym asyde Ianycola I neyther may ne can Lenger the pleasaunce of myne herte hyde If that thou vouchsafe what so euer betyde Thy doughter wol I take or that I wende As for my wyfe to my lyues ende Thou louest me I wotte wel certayne And arte my faythful liege man ybore And al that lyketh me I dare wel sayne It lyketh the and specially therfore Tel me that poynte that I haue said before If that thou wolt to this purpose drawe To take me for thy sonne in lawe ¶ This sodayne case the man astoned so That reed he wext abashed al quakyng He stode ne vnneth sayd he wordes mo But onely thus ê™ he lorde my wyllyng Is as ye wol ne ayenst your lykyng I wol nothyng ye be my lorde so dere Right as you lyste gouerne this matere Than wol I thus ê™ this Markes sothly That in thy chambre I you and she Haue a collation and wost thou why For I wol aske her yf her wyl be To be my wyfe and rule her after me And al this shal she done in thy presence I wol not speke out of thyn audyence And in the chambre while they were about The treties whiche ye shal after here The people came into the house without And wondred hem in how honest manere So tentifly she kept her father dere But vtterly Grisylde wonder myght For neuer erste sawe she suche a syght No wonder is though she be astoned To se so great a gest come into that place She was neuer to suche gestes woned For which she loked with ful pale face But shortly fro this mater for to pace These weren the wordes y t the Markes sayd To this benygne and very faythful mayde ¶ Grisylde he said ye shal wel vnderstonde It lyketh vnto your father and me That I you wedde and eke it may so stonde As I suppose that ye wol that it so be But these demaundes I aske fyrst ê™ he That sythen it shal be done in hasty wyse wol ye therto assent or els you auyse I say thus be ye redy with good herte To al my luste and that I frely may As me best liketh though ye laugh or smerte And neuer ye to grutche nyght ne day whan I say ye that ye say not ones nay Neyther in word ne by frowning couÌ„tenaÌ„ce Swere this here I swere our aliaunce ¶ WoÌ„dryng vpoÌ„ these wordes quakyng for drede She said lorde indigne vnworthy Am I to thylke honour that ye me bede But right as ye wol so wol I And here I swere that neuer wyllyngly In word werke ne thouÈt I nil you disobey For to be deed though me were loth to dey ¶ This is ynough Grisylde myne ê™ he And forthe he gothe with a sobre chere Out at the dore and after came she And to the people he said in this manere This is my wyfe ê™ he that stondeth here Honoureth her loueth her I you pray who so me loueth there nys no more to say And for that no thyng of her olde gere She shulde bring in to his house he badde That women shulde dispoyle her right there Of which these ladyes were nothing gladde To haÌ„dle her clothes in which she was clad But nathelesse thys mayden bright of hewe Fro foote to heed they clothed han al newe Her heer han they kembed y t laye vntressed Ful rudely and with her fyngres smale A crowne on her heed they han idressed And set it ful of ouches great and smale Of her array what shulde I make a tale Vnneth the people her knew for her fairnesse whan she transfourmed was in such richesse ¶ This Markes hath her spoused w t a ringe Bought for the same cause than her set Vpon an horse snowe white wel amblynge And to his paleys or he lenger let with ioyful people that her ladde and met Conueyed her thus the day they spende In reuel tyl the sonne gan discende And shortly forthe this tale for to chace I saye that to this newe Markessesse God hath ysent suche fauour of hys grace That it semed not as by her lykelynesse That she was borne and fedde in rudenesse As in a cote or in an oxe stal But norished in an emperoures hal To euery wight she woxen is so dere And worship ful y e folke ther as she was bore And fro her byrthe knewe her yere by yere Vnneth trowed they but durst haue swore That to Ianycola of whiche I spake before She doughter nas for as by coniecture Hem thought she was a nother creature For though that euer vertuous was she She was encreased in suche excellence Of thewes good set in hye bounte And so discrete and fayre of eloquence So benygne and digne of reuerence And coulde the peoples hertes so enbrace That eche her loued that loked in her face Not onely of Saluce in the town Publyshed was the bountie of her name But eke besyde in many a regioun If one sayd wel an other sayd the same So spradde of her bountie the same That men women bothe yonge and olde Gone to Saluces her to beholde ¶ This walter lowly and ful royally Wedded hath wyth fortunate honeste In goddes peace lyueth ful easely At whom outwarde grace ynough had he And for he sawe that vnder lowe degre was honest vertue hyd the people him helde A prudent man and that is sene wel selde ¶ Not only this Grisylde through her wyt Couthe al the feate of wyfely humblesse But eke whan the case required it The comen profyte coulde she redresse There nas discorde rancour ne heuynesse In al the londe that she ne couthe apese And bring hem al wysely in rest and ese Though her husbond absent were or none If gentylmen or other of her countre were wrothe she wolde bring hem at one So wyse and rype wordes had she And iugement of so great equite That she fro heuen sent was as men wende People to saue euery wronge to amende ¶ Not longe tyme after this Grisylde Was wedded she a doughter had ybore Al had she leuer haue borne a man chylde
ful besely Ryght so the see desyreth naturally To folowen her that is goddesse Both of the see and ryuers more and lesse wherfore lorde Phebus thys is my request Do thys myracle or do myne herte brest That nowe nexte at thys opposicion which in sygne shal be the lyon As prayeth her so great a floode to brynge That fyue fadome at the lest it ouer sprynge The hyest rocke in Armoryke Britayne And let thys floode dure yeares twayne Then rertes to my lady may I saye Holdeth your heste the rockes ben awaye Thys thynge may ye lyghtly done for me Pray her to gone no faster course then ye I say thus prayeth your sâ—ster that she go No faster course then ye in yeres two Then shal she be at the ful alway And spryng floode lastyng both nyght day And but she vouchsafe in suche manere To graunt me my souerayne lady dere Pray her to synken euery rocke adoun In to her owne darke regioun Vnder the grounde there pluto dwelleth in Or neuer more shal I my lady wyn Thy teÌ„ple in Delphos wol I barefote seke O lorde Phebus se the teres on my cheke And on my payne haue some compassioun And wyth y e worde in swoune he fel adoun And longe tyme he lay in a traunce His brother which y t knew of his penauÌ„ce Vp caught hym and to bed hym brought Dyspayred in thys turmeÌ„t this thought Lette I thys woful creature lye Chese he whether he wol lyue or dye ¶ Aruyragus wyth heale and great honour As he that was of chyualry the floure Is comen home and other worthy men O blysful arte thou nowe Dorigen That hast thy lusty husboÌ„de in thyne armes That freshe knight y e worthy man of armes Thot loueth the as hys owne hertes lyfe Nothynge lyst hym to be ymaginatyfe Yf any wyght had spokeÌ„ while he was out To her of loue therof had he no dout He entendeth not to suche matere But daÌ„ceth lusteth maketh her good chere And thus in ioye blysse let hym dwel And of woful Aurelius wol I tel ¶ In langour and in tourment dyspitous Two yere and more lay wretched Aurelius Er any fote on erth he myght gone Ne comforte in thys tyme had he none Saue of hys brother whych was a clerke He knewe of al thys wo and al thys werke For to none other creature certayne Of thys mater durst he no worde sayne Vnder hys brest he bare it more secre Then euer dyd Pamphilus for Galathe Hys brest was hole wythout for to sene But in hys herte aye was the arowe kene And wel ye knowen that of a sursanure In surgery is perlous the cure But meÌ„ myght touch y e arow or come therby Hys brother wepeth and wayleth priuely Tyl at the last hym fel in remembraunce That whyle he was at OrliauÌ„ce in FrauÌ„ce As these clerkes yonge that ben lykerous To reden artes they ben curiouse Seken in euery halke and in euery herne Perticuler science for to lerne He hym remembred that vpon a dey At Orliaunce in studye a boke he sey Of magyke naturel whych hys felawe That was in that tyme a bacheler of lawe Al were he there to lerne another crafte Had priuely vpon hys dere ylafte whych booke spake of mochel aperacions Touchynge the .xxiiij. mansions That longen to the moone and such folye As in our dayes is not worth a flye For holy church sayeth in our byleue Ne sustreth none illusyon vs to greue And when thys boke was in his remeÌ„brauÌ„ce Anone for ioye hys hyrte gan daunce And to hym selfe he sayd priuely My brother shal be waryshed sykerly For I am syker that there be sciences By whych men maken dyuers aparences Suche as these subtel tregetores play For ofte at feestes haue I wel herde say That tragetors wythin an hal large Haue made come in water and a barge And in the hall rowen vp and doun Somtyme hath semed a grym lyoun And somtyme floures sprynge as in a meede Somtyme a vyne and grapes whyte rede Somtyme a castel of lyme and stone And when hym lyked voyden hem anone Thus semed it to euery mannes syght ¶ Now then conclude I thus yf y t I myght At Orliaunce some olde felowe fynde That had this moones mansions in mynde Or other magyke naturel aboue He shuld wel make my brother haue his loue For wyth an apparaunce a clerke may make To mannes syght that al the rockes blake Of Britayne were yuoyded euerychone And shyppes by the brynke to comen gone And in such forme enduren a yere or two Then were my brother waryshed of hys wo Then muste she nedes holde her behest Or els he shal shame her at the lest ¶ what shuld I make a lenger tale of thys Vnto hys brothers bedde he comen is And suche comforte he yaue hym for to gone To Orliaunce that he vp sterte anone And on hys way then is he forth yfare In hope to ben lessed of hys care ¶ when they were comen almoste to y e cyte But yf it were a two furlonge or thre A yonge clerke roming by him selfe they met whych that in latyn thryftely hem gret And afterwarde he sayd a wonder thynge I knowe the cause of your coÌ„mynge And er they farther any foote wente He tolde hem al that was in her entente ¶ Thys Breton clerke asked him of felowes The whych he had knowen in olde dayes He answered hym that they deed were For whych he wept ofte ful many a tere ¶ Downe of his horse Aurelius light anone And wyth this magicien forth is he gone Home to hys house made hym wel at ese Hem lacked no vytaile that hem might plese So wel arayed an house as there was one Aurelius in hys lyfe sawe neuer none ¶ He shewed hym or he went to suppere Forestes and parkes ful of wylde dere He sawe there hertes wyth her hornes hye The greatest that euer were sene wyth eye He se of hem an hundred slaine with houÌ„des And some of arowes bled w t bytter wouÌ„des He sawe when voyded were the wylde dere These fauconers vpon a fayre ryuere That wyth the haukes han the heron slayne Tho saw he knightes iustyng in a playne And after thys he dyd hym suche pleasaunce That he hym shewed hys lady in a daunce On which him selfe dauÌ„ced as hym thought And whaÌ„ this maister y t this magike wrouÈt Sawe it was tyme he clapped his hoÌ„des to And farwel our reuel al was ago And remeued neuer out of his house whyle they sawe al this syght merueylouse But in his studye there his bokes be They saten styl no wight but they thre ¶ To him this maister called his squyer And sayd hym thus is redy our supper Almost an hour it is I vndertake Sythen I you bade our supper redy make whan that these worthy men went with me Into my studye there as my bokes be ¶ Sir ê™ the squier whan it lyketh you
ye shulde paye more ywys ¶ This preest y e suÌ„me of fourty pouÌ„de anone Of nobles fette and tolde hem euerychone To thys chanon for thys ylke receyte Al hys worchynge was fraude and dysceyte Sir prest he said I kepe for to haue no loos Of my crafte for I wolde it were kept cloos And as ye loue me kepeth it secre For and men knowe al my subtelte By god men wolde haue so great enuye To me bycause of my philosophye I shulde be deed there were none other way ¶ God it forbyd ê™ the preest what ye say Yet had I leuer spende al the good whych that I haue and els waxe I wood Then that ye shulde fallen in suche myschefe For your good wyl haue ye ryght good prefe ê™ the chanon and farewel graunt mercy He went hys way neuer the preest hym sey After that day when that thys prest sholde Maken assay at such tyme as he wolde Of thys receyte farewel it nolde not be Lo thus be iaped and begyled was he Thus maketh he hys introduction To brynge folke to her destruction Consydereth syrs howe in eche estate Betwyxt men and golde is debate So ferforth that vnnethes there is none Thys moultiplyenge blyndeth so many one That in good fayth I trowe that it be The greatest cause of suche scarsite These phylosophers speaken so mystely In this craft that men can not come therby For any wytte that men haue now a dayes They may wel chattre iaÌ„gle as do y e iayes And in her termes set her luste and payne But to her purpose shul they neuer attayne A man may lyghtly lerne yf he haue ought To multiplye brynge hys good to nought Lo suche a lucre is in thys lusty game A mans myrth it wol turne al to grame And empten also great and heuy purses And maken folke to purchase curses Of hem that han also her good ylente O fye for shame they that han be brente Alas can not they flye the fyres hete Ye that it vsen I rede that ye it lete Lest y t ye lesen al for better theÌ„ neuer is late Neuer to thryue were to longe a date Though y t ye prolle aye ye shal it neuer fynd Ye ben as bolde as is bayarde the blynd That bloÌ„dereth forth peryl casteth he none He is as bolde to renne ayenst a stone As for to go besyde in the waye So faren ye that multiplyen I saye Yf that your eyen can not sene aryght Loketh that your mynde lacke not his syght For though ye loke neuer so brode stare Ye shal not wynne a myte in that chaffare But wast al that ye may repe and renne wythdrawe the fyre leste it to fast brenne Medleth wyth that arte no more I mene For yf ye done your thryfte is gone ful clene And ryght as swyth I wol you tellen here what y t the philosophers sayn in this matere ¶ Lo thus sayeth Arnolde of the new toun As hys rosarye maketh mencioun He sayeth ryght thus wythouten any lye There may no man Mercurye mortifye But yf it be wyth hys brothers knowlegyng Lo howe y t he whych fyrst sayde thys thyng Of philosophers father was Hermes He sayeth howe the dragon doutles Ne dyeth not but yf he be slayne wyth hys brother And thys is for to sayne By the dragon Mercurye and none other He vnderstode y t brimstone was his brother That out of Sol and Luna were ydrawe And therfore sayd he take hede to my sawe Let no maÌ„ busye hym this arte for to seche But he that the entencion and speche Of philosophers vnderstande can And yf he do he is a lende man For thys science and thys connyng ê™ he Is of the secre of the secres parde ¶ Also there was a dysciple of Plato That on a tyme sayd hys mayster to As hys boke Semor wol bere wytnesse And thys was hys demauÌ„de in sothfastnesse Tel me the name of the preuy stone ¶ And Plato answered vnto hym anone Take the stone that Tytanos men name ¶ whych is y e ê™ he Magnatia is the same Sayd Plato yea syr and is it thus Thys is ignotum per ignotius what is Magnatia good syr I you pray ¶ It is a water that is made I say Of elementes foure quod Plato ¶ Tel me the roche good syr ê™ he tho Of that water yf it be your wyl Nay nay ê™ Plato certayne that I nyll The philosophers were ysworne echone That they shulde dyscouer it vnto none Ne in no boke it wryte in no manere For vnto Christ it is so lefe and dere That he wol not that it dyscouered be But where it lyketh to hys deite Man to enspyre and eke for to defende when that hym lyketh lo thys is his ende ¶ Then conclude I thus sens y e god of heueÌ„ Ne wyl not that the phylosophers nemen Howe that a maÌ„ shal come vnto thys stone I rede as for the best let it gone For who so maketh god hys aduersarye As for to werch any thynge in contrarye Vnto hys wyl certes neuer shal he thriue Though that he multiplye terme of his lyue And there a poynte for ended is my tale God sende euery true man bote of hys bale ¶ Here endeth the tale of the chanons yeman a no here foloweth the doctour of phisykes prologue When thys yeman hys tale ended had Of thys false chanon whych was so bad Our hoste gan saye truely and certayne Thys preest was begyled sothe for to sayne He wenynge for to be a philosopher Tyl he ryght no golde lefte in hys cofer And sothly thys preest had alther iape Thys cursed chanon put in hys hode an ape But al thys passe I ouer as now Syr doctour of phisyke yet I pray you Tel vs a tale of some honeste matere It shal be done yf that ye wol it here Sayd thys doctour hys tale began anone Now good meÌ„ ê™ he herkeneth euerychone ¶ Here endeth the doctour of phisykes prologue and here begynneth hys tale THere was as telleth vs Tytus Liuius A knyght that clypped was Virginius Fulfylled of honour and of worthynesse And stronge of frendes and of rychesse A doughter he had by hys wyfe And neuer had he mo in al hys lyfe Fayre was thys mayde in excellent beaute Abouen euery wyght that man may se For nature hath wyth souerayne diligence Formed her in so great excellence As though she wolde say lo I nature Thus can I forme and paynt a creature when that me lyste who can me counterfete PigmalioÌ„ not though he alway forge bete Or graue or paynte for I dare wel sayne Appelles or zeusis shulde werche in vayne To graue or paynte or forge or bete Yf they presumed me to counterfete For he that is the former principall Hath made me hys vycar generall To fourme and paynte erthely creaturis Right as me lyste for al thyng in my cure is Vnder the moone that may
a foole forsoth it apperteyneth not vnto a wyse man to maken suche a sorowe Youre doughter wyth the grace of God shall waryshe and escape And all were it so that she ryght now were deed ye ne oughte not as for her death your selfe distroye Seneke saythe the wyse man shal not take to gret discomforte for the dethe of hys children but certes he shuld suffre it in pacieÌ„ce as wel as he abydeth y e deth of hys owne proper person ¶ Thys Mellebeus answerde anon and sayd what man ê™ he shuld of hys wepynge stynt that hath so great a cause for to wepe Iesus hym selfe our lorde wepte for y e dethe of Lazarus hys frende Prudence answerd certes wel I wote a temperate wepynge is nothyng defended to hym that sorouful is amonge folke in sorowe but it is rather grauÌ„ted hym to wepe The apostel Poule vnto y e Romans writeth men shuld reioyce with heÌ„ that maketh ioye and wepe with suche folke as wepen But though a temperate wepyng be graunted certes outragyous wepynge is defended Mesure of wepyng shulde be coÌ„sydred after the lore that techeth vs Sencke Whan that thy frende is deed ê™ he let not thyne eyen to moist ben of teeres ne to moch drie although teeres comen to thyn eyen let hem not fal And whan thou hast forgon thy frende do diligence to gette a nother frende and this is more wisdom thaÌ„ for to wepe for thy frende which thou hast lorne for therin is no bote And therfor yf ye gouerne you by sapience put away sorowe out of your herte Remembreth you that Iesus Sirake sayth a man that is ioyus and glad in herte it him conserueth storishyng in hys age but sothely a sorowful here maketh hys bones drie He sayth eke thus that sorowe in herte sleeth ful manye a man Salomon sayth that right as moughthes in the shepes sleyse anoyeth the clothes and the smale wormes y t tree ryght so anoyeth sorowe the hert of man wherfore vs ought as wel in the dethe of our children as in the losse of our temporal goodes haue pacience Remembre you vpon pacient Iobe whaÌ„ he had loste hys children and hys temporal substaunce and in hys body endured and receyued ful many a greuous trybulacion yet sayde he thus Oure lorde it sent to me oure lorde hath byrafte it me right so as our lorde wold right so it be done iblessed be the name of our lorde To these forsayd thinges Melibeus vnto hys wyfe Prudence answerd Al thy wordes ê™ he ben true and therto profytable but truely myn herte is troubled with this sorow so greuously that I not what to do Let cal ê™ Prudence youre true frendes al and thy lynage which that ben wyse telleth to hem your case herkeneth what they say in counsaylyng and gouerne you after her sentence Salomon saythe werke all thy thynges by counsayle thou shalte neuer rue Than by couÌ„sayle of his wife PrudeÌ„ce this Melibeus let caule a great congrygacion of people as surgyens physicions olde folke and yong some of hys olde enemyes reconciled as by her semblant to hys loue and to hys grace And therwithal ther came some of his neighbours that dyd hym reuereÌ„ce more for drede thaÌ„ for loue as it happeth oft There comen also ful many subtyl flaterers wyse aduocates lerned in the law And whaÌ„ these folke togyders assembled were this Melibeus in sorowfull wyse shewed hem his case and by the maner of his speche it semed that in herte he bare a cruel yre redy to don vengeaunce vpon hys foos sodainly he desyred y t weâ—e shulde begyn but nathelesse yet asked he counsayle vpon this mater A surgyen by lycence and assent of suche as were wyse vp rose and vnto Melibeus sayd as ye shal here ¶ Sir ê™ he as to vs surgiens apertayneth that we do to euery wight the best that we can where as we ben withholdeÌ„ to our pacient that we don no damage wherfore it happeth many tyme ofte that whan two men haue eueriche wounded other one surgyen healeth hem both wherfore vnto oure arte it is not pertineÌ„t to norishe werre ne parties to supporte But certes as to the warysshyng of your doughter al be it so that perilously she be wounded we shal do so tentyfe besynesse fro day to night that with y e grace of god she shal ben hole and sounde as sont as is possible Almost right in the same wyse the physiciens answerd saue that they sayde a fewe wordes more That ryght as maladies ben by her contraries cured right so shal man warisshe werre by peace Hys neyghbours full of enuye hys fayned frendes that semed reconciled and his flatterers maden semblauÌ„ce of wepyng enpayred and agrutched moche of this mater in praysinge greatly Melibe of might of power of richesse and of frendes dispysing the power of his aduersaries and sayd vtterly that he anon shulde wreken hym on hys foos and begyn warre Vp rose then an aduocat that was wyse byleue and by counsayle of other that were wyse and sayd The nede for the whych we bene assembled in thys place is a full heuye thynge a great mater bycause of y e wronge and of the wyckednesse that hath be done eke by reason of great damages that in tyme commynge ben possyble to fallen for y e same and eke by reason of the great rychesse and power of the partyes both for the whyche reasons it were a full greate peryll to erren in thys matter Wherfore Melibeus thys is oure sentence we counsayle you abouen all thynge that ryghte anone thou do thy delygence in kepynge of thy proper persone in suche a wyse that thou ne wante none espye ne watche thy bodye for to saue And after that we counsayle that in thyne house thou â—et suffycieÌ„t garryson so as they may as well thy bodye as thy house defende but certes to mouen warre or to done sodeynly vengeauÌ„ce we maye not deme in so lytel tyme y t it were profytable wherfore we aske leyser space to haue delyberacion in thys case to deme for the commen prouerbe sayeth thus He that sone demeth sone shall repente And eke men sayne thylke iudge is wyse that sone vnderstandeth a matter and iugeth by leyser For all be it taryenge be noyfull algate it is not to be reproued in yeuynge of iudgemente ne in vengeaunce takynge when it is sufficyent and resonable And that shewed oure Lorde Iesu Christe by ensample for when the woman was takeÌ„ in auoutry and was brought in hys presens to knowen what shulde be done of her persone al be it that he wyst wel hym self what he wold answere yet ne wold he not answere sodeynly but he wolde haue delyberacion and in the grounde he wrote twyse and by thys cause we asken delyberation and we shall then by the grace of God couÌ„sayle you y t thynge that shal be profytable Vp sterte then the yonge folke at ones y e
drede myne house to aproch To this sentence answerde anon Prudence Warnishyng ê™ she of hye toures of hye edyfices is with great costages and with great trauayle and whan that they ben accoÌ„plished yet ben they not worth a strawe but yf they ben defended with trew frendes that ben olde and wyse And vnderstondeth wel that y e greatest and the stroÌ„gest garnyson that ryche men maye haue as wel to kepen her parsone as her goodes is y t they be byloued with her subiectes and with her neyghbours For thus saythe Tullius that there is a maner garryson that no man may venquishe ne discomfyte and that is a lorde to be byloued of his cytezyns of his people ¶ Nowe sir as to the thyrde poynte where as your olde and wyse counsaylours sayde that ye ought not sodainly ne hastely procede in this nede â–ª but that ye oughten puruayen and aparayle you in this case with great dylygence and delyberacion Verily I trowe y t they sayde right trewly and ryght sothe For Tullius sayth In euery dede or thou begyn it apparayle the with great dyligence Than say I in vengeaunce takyng in werre in batayle and in warnestoryng or thou begyn I rede that thou apparayle the therto and do it with great delyberacioÌ„ For Tullius saith The longe apparelynge to fore the batayle maketh shorte victorie And Cassidorus saith The garryson is stronger whan it is longe tyme auysed But nowe let vs speke of the counsayle that was acorded by your neyghbours suche as don you reuerence withouteÌ„ loue your olde enemyes reconciled your flatterers that counsayled you certayne thynges priuely and openly counsayled you the contrarye The yong folke also that counsayled you to venge you to make werre anon Certes syr as I haue sayde byfore ye haue greatly erred to clepe suche maner of folke to youre counsayle whiche counsaylours ben ynoughe reproued by the resons a forsayd But nathelesse let vs nowe discende to the special Ye shul fyrste procede after the doctryne of Tullius Certes the trouthe of thys mater or of thys counsayle nedeth not dyligently to enquire for it is wel wyste which they ben that han done you this trespas and vilanye and howe many trespasours and in what maner they haue done al thys wronge to you and al this vilanye And after thys than shul ye examyne the seconde condicion whiche Tullius addeth in thys mater For Tullius putteth a thyng whiche that he clepeth consentyng this is to say who ben they and whiche ben they and howe manye that coÌ„senten to thy counsayle in thy wylfulnesse to done hasty vengeaunce And let vs consyder also who ben they and howe manye they ben that consented to youre aduersaries As to the fyrst poynt it is wel knowen whiche folke they be that coÌ„sented to your hasty wylfulnesse For trewly al tho that counsayl you to maken sodayne werre ne be not your frendes Let se nowe whiche ben they that ye holden so greatly your freÌ„des as to your person For al be it so that ye be mighty rich certes ye ben but alone for trewly ye ne haue no chyld but a doughter ne ye haue no brethern ne cosyns germayns ne none other nye kynrede wherfore your enemyes shuld stynte to plede with you ne to distroye your person Ye knowe also that youre rychesse mot be dispended in dyuers parties And whaÌ„ that euery wight hath his parte they wollen take but lytell regarde to venge your dethe But thyne enemyes ben thre they haue manye brethern children cosyns other nye kynred though so were that thou haddest slayne of hem two or thre yet dwelleth ther ynowe to auenge her dethe and to slee thy person And though so be that your kynrede be more stedfaste and syker than the kyn of your aduersaryes yet neuer the lesse your kynrede is but after kynrede for they ben but lytel sybbe to you and the kynne of your enemyes ben nye sybbe to hem And certes as in that her condicion is better than is yours Than let vs consyder also of the counsaylynge of hem that counsayled you to take sodayne vengeaunce whether it acorde to reson or non And certes ye know wel nay for as by ryght and reson there maye no man take vengeaunce of no wight but the iuge that hath iurisdiction of it whan it is graunted hym to take vengeaunce hastely or attemperatly as the lawe requireth And yet more ouer of thylke worde that Tullius clepeth coÌ„sentynge thou shalte coÌ„sent yf that thy might and thy power may consente and suffyse to thy wilfulnesse and to thy counsaylours And certes thou mayste wel saye naye for sykerly as for to speke properly we may do nothyng but suche thynge as we may done ryghtfully and certes righfully ye may take no vengeaunce as of your own propre auctorite Than maye ye se that youre power ne consenteth not ne accordeth not with your wylfulnesse Nowe let vs examyne the thyrde poynt that Tullius clepeth consequence Thou shalte vnderstonde that the vengeaunce y t thou purposest for to take is consequent and therof foloweth an other vengeaunce peryl and werre and other damages withouten nombre of whiche we be not ware as at this tyme. And as touchynge the fourth poynte y t Tullius clepeth engendring thou shalte consyder that this wrong whiche that is done to the is engendred of y e hate of thyne enemyes and of y e vengeaunce takyng vpon hem that wolde engender a nother vengeaunce and mochel sorowe wastyng of rychesse as I sayde ere Nowe sir as touchyng the fylte poynte that Tully clepeth causes whiche is the laste poynte thou shalte vnderstonde that the wronge that thou haste receyued hathe certayne causes whiche that clerkes callen orien and efficien and causa longinqua and causa propinqua that is to saye the ferre cause and the nyghe cause The ferre cause is almyghty God that is cause of al thynges The nere cause is the thre enemyes The cause accidental was hate The cause material ben the fyue woundes of thy doughter The cause formal is the maner of theyr werkynge that brought ladders and clambe in at thy wyndowes The cause fynal was for to sle thy doughter it letted not in as moche as in them was But for to speke of y u ferre cause as to what ende they shulde come or fynally what shal betyde of them in thys case ne canne I not deme but by coniectynge and supposynge for we shall suppose that they shall come to a wycked ende bycause that the boke of decrees saythe Selde or wyth greate payne ben causes brought to a good ende whan they ben badly begonne Now sir yf men wolde aske me why that god suffred men to do you this villanye truly I can not wel answere as for no sothfastnesse For the Apostel saythe that the scyences and the iugementes of our lorde God almighty ben ful depe there may no man comprehende ne serche hem Nathelesse by certayne presumpcyous
her husbande auaunt hym of hys rychesse and hys money dyspraysynge y e power of hys aduersaryes she spake and sayd in thys wyse Certes dere syr I graunt you that ye be ryche myghty and that y e rychesse is good to hem that haue well gotten hem and that well can vse hem For ryght as the body of a man may not lyue wythout the soule no more may it lyue with out the temporel goodes and by ryches may a man get hym great frendes And therfore sayeth Pamphillus Yf a nerthes doughter he sayth be riche she may chefe of a thousand men whyche she woll take to her husbande for of a thousande one woll not forsake her ne refuse her And thys Pamphillus sayeth also Yf thou be ryght happy that is to say yf thou be ryche thou shalte fynde a greate nombre of felowes frendes And yf thy fortune chaūge farewel frendshyp felowshyp for thou shalte be alone wythout any cōpany but yf it be the companye of poore folke And yet sayeth thys Pamphillus more ouer that they that bene bonde and thrall of lynage shall be made worthye and noble by the rychesses And ryghte so as by the rychesses there come many goodnesses ryghte so by pouertie come there many harmes and yuels for greate pouertie cōstrayneth a man to do many yuels And therfore calleth Cassiodor pouertye the mother of ruyne that is to saye the mother of ouerthrowynge or of fallynge downe And therfore sayeth Peter Alfonce One of the greatest aduersyties of thys worlde is when a free man by kynde or of byrth is constrayned by pouerty to eat the almesse of hys enemye And the same sayeth Innocent in one of hys bokes He sayeth that sorowfull and myshappy is the condicion of a poore begger for yf he aske not hys meate he dyeth for honger and yf he aske he dyeth for shame and algates necessite constrayneth hym to aske And therfore sayeth Salomon that better is to dye then for to haue suche pouerte And as the same Salomon sayeth Better it is to dye of bytter deth then for to lyue in suche wyse By these reasons that I haue said vnto you by many other reasons that I coulde say I graunt you that rychesses ben good to hem y t getten hem well and to hem that wel vsen tho rychesses And therfore wol I shewe you howe ye shal behaue you in gatherynge of rychesses and in what maner ye shullen vse hem Fyrst ye shall get hem wythout great desyre by good leyser sokynglye and not ouerhastelye for a man that in to desyrynge to get rychesse habandoneth hym fyrste to thefte and to all other yuels And therfore sayeth Salomon He that hasteth hym to besely to waxe ryche he shall be none innocent He sayeth also that the rychesse that hastely cometh to a man sone and lyghtly goeth and passeth from a man but that rychesse that cometh lytel lytel wexeth alwaye and multiplyeth And syr ye shall gette rychesse by your wyte and by your trauayle vnto your profyte and that wythout wronge or harme doynge to any other persone For the lawe sayeth there maketh no mā him selfe riche yf he do harme to an other wyght thys is to say that nature defendeth and forbyddeth by ryghte that no man make hym selfe ryche vnto the harme of an other person And Tullius sayeth that no sorowe ne no drede of death ne nothing that maye fall vnto a man is so moche ayenst nature as a man to encreace hys owne profyte to the harme of an other mā And though the great myghty mē get rychesses more lyghtly then thou yet shalte thou not be ydell ne slowe to do thy profyte for thou shalte in all wyse flye ydelnesse For Salomon sayeth y e ydelnesse teacheth a man to do many yuels And the same Salomon sayeth that he that trauayleth and besyeth hym to tylth his lāde shall eate breed but he that is ydell casteth hym to no besynesse ne occupacion shal fal in to pouerte and dye for honger And he that is ydell and slowe can neuer fynde couenable tyme for to do hys profyte For there is a versyfyer sayeth that the ydel man excuseth him in wynter bycause of the greate colde and in sommer bycause of the heete For these causes sayeth Caton waketh and enclyne you net ouer moche for to slepe for ouer moche reste nourysheth and causeth many vyces And therfore sayeth saynt Ierom do some good dedes that the deuell whyche is our enemye ne fynde you not vnoccupyed for the dyuel ne taketh not lyghtly vnto his wer kynge suche as he fyndeth occupyed in good werkes Then thus in gettynge rychesses ye must flye ydelnesse And afterward ye shul vse the rychesses whyche ye haue gote by your wyte and by youre trauayle in suche maner that men holde you not to scarce ne to sparyng ne foole large that is to say ouer large a spēder For ryghte as men blame an auaricious mā bycause of hys scarcite and chynchery in the same wyse is he to blame that spendeth ouer largelye And therfore sayeth Caton Vse sayeth he the rychesses that thou haste gotten in suche maner that men maye haue no mater ne cause to call the nother wretche ne chynche For it is greate shame to a man to haue a poore herte and a ryche purse He sayeth also the goodes that thou haste gote vse them by measure that is to saye spende mesurably for they that foolyshly waste and dyspende the goodes that they haue when they haue no more propre of her owne then they shape hem to take y e goodes of an other man I saye then that ye shall flye auaryce vsynge youre rychesse in suche maner that men saye not that youre rychesses bene buryed but that ye haue hem in your myghte and in youre weldynge For a wyse man repreueth the auaricyous man and sayeth thus in thys verses two Wherto and why buryeth a man hys goodes by hys great auaryce and knoweth well that nedes he muste dye for death is the ende of euerye man ▪ as in thys presente lyfe And for what cause or encheson ioyneth he hym or knytteth he hym so faste vnto hys goodes that all hys wyttes mowe not dysceuer hym ne departe hym fro hys goodes and knoweth well or ought to knowe that when he is deade he shall nothynge beare wyth hym out of thys worlde And therfore sayeth saynt Augustyne that the auaricyous mā is lykened vnto hell that the more it swaloweth the more desyre it hathe to swalowe and deuoure And as well as ye wolde eschewe to be called an auaricyous man or chynche as well shulde ye kepe and gouerne you in such a wyse that men call you not foole large Therfore sayeth Tullius The goodes of thyne house ne shulde not be hydde ne kepte so close but that they myghte be opened by pyte and debonayrte that is to saye to yeue hem parte that haue greate nede Ne thy goodes shulde not be so
haue be steered to venge you and make werre Right so without her counsayle shall ye not accorde you ne haue peace with your aduersaries For the lawe sayth There is nothyng so good by waye of kynde as a thyng to be vnbounde by him that it was ybounde Than dame Prudence wythout delay or taryenge sent anone her messanger for her kynsfolke and her olde frendes whyche that were trewe and wise and told hem by order in the presence of Melibe al the mater as it is aboue expressed and declared And prayed hem that they wolde saye theyr aduyse and counsayle what best were to do in this nede And whan Melibeus frendes had taken her aduyse and delyberacion of the forsayd mater and had examyned it by great busynesse and dilygence They yaue ful counsaile for to haue peace and rest and that Melibee shulde receyue wyth good hert hys aduersaris to foryeuenesse and mercy And whan dame Prudence had herd thassent of her lorde Melibee and the counsayle of hys frendes accorde with her wyl and her entencion she was wondersly gladde in her hert and sayde There is an olde prouerbe sayd she That y e goodnesse that thou maist do this day do it and abyde it nat ne delay it nat tyl the next daye And therfore I counsayle that ye sende your messengers suche as be discrete and wyse vnto your aduersaries tellyng hem on your behalf that yf they wol treat of peace and accorde that they shape heÌ„ wyth out delay or taryeng to come vnto vs whyche thyng performed was in dede And whan these trespasours and repentyng folke of her folies that is to say the aduersaries of Melibeus had herde what these messangers sayd vnto hem they were ryght gladde and ioyful and answered ful mekely and benygnely yeldyng grace and thankes to her lorde Melibeâ— and to al hys companye and shope hem without delaye to go wyth the messangers and obeyed to the commaundement of her lorde Melibeus And ryght anone they toke her way to the courte of Melibe toke with hem some of their true freÌ„des to make faythe for hem for to be her borowes And whaÌ„ they were comen to the presence of Melibee he sayd to hem these wordes It stondeth thus sayde Melibee and soth it is that causelesse without skyl and reson ye haue done great iniuries and wronges to me and my wyfe Prudence and to my doughter also for ye haue entred in to my house by violence and haue done suche outrage that all men knowe wel that ye haue deserued dethe And therfore woll I knowe and wete of you whether ye woll put the punishynge and the chastylyng and the vengeaunce of thys outrage in the wyl of me and of my wyfe or ye wol not Than the wysest of hem thre answerd for hem al and sayd Sir sayd he we know wel that we ben vnworthy to come to the courte of so great a lorde and so worthy as ye be for we haue so gretly mistaken vs and haue offended and agylted in such wyse agayn your hygh lordshyp that truely we haile deserued the dethe but yet for the great goodnesse and debonairte that al the worlde wytnesseth of your person we submytte vs to y e excelleÌ„cye and benygnytye of your gracious lordeshyp and ben redy to obey to al your commaundementes besechynge you that of your merâ—iable pyte ye wel consyder oure great repentaunce and lowe submyssyon and graunt vs foryeuenesse of our outragyous trespace and offence For wel we knowe that your liberal grace and mercye stretcheth ferther in to the goodnesse than don oure outragious gyltes and trespaces in to the wyckednesse Al be it that cursedly and damnably we haue agilted agaynst your hygh lordshyp THan Melibee tooke hem vp fro the grounde ful benygnely and receyued her oblygacions and her bondes by her othes vpon her pledges and borowes and assyned hem a certayne day to retourne vnto hys courte for to receyue and accept the sentence and iugement that Melibeus wolde coÌ„maunde to be don on hem by the causes aforsayd which thynges ordayned euery man returned to hys house And whan dame PrudeÌ„ce sawe her tyme she fayned and asked her lorde Melibe what vengeaunce he thought to take on hys aduersaries To whyche Melibe answerde and sayde â–ª Certes sayde he I thynke and purpose me fully to disherit theÌ„ of al that euer they haue and for to putte them in exile for euer Certes sayd dame Prudence thys were a cruel sentence and moche ayenst reason For ye be rich ynough and haue no nede of other mennes riches And ye might lyghtly in this wyse gete you a couetous name whiche is a vicious thyng and ought be eschewed of euery good man For after the sayeng of the apostel Couetise is rote of al harmes And therfore it wer better to you to lese so moch good of your owne than for to take of theyr good in thys maner For better it is to lese good with worship than to wyn good with vilanye and shame And euerye man ought to do his dilygence and his busynesse to gette him a good name And yet shal he not onely busy him in kepyng hys good name but he shal al so enforce hym alwaye to do some thynge by whiche he may renewe hys good name For it is writteÌ„ that the old good lose of a maÌ„ or good name is soone gone and past whan it is not renewed And as touchynge that ye say that ye wol exile your aduersaries that thynketh me moche ayenst reason and out of measure consydringe the power that they haue yeue you vpon them selfe And it is wrytten that he is worthy to lese hys pryuilege that mysuseth y e might and power that is gyuen hym And I sette case ye might enioyne hem y t payne by right lawe whiche I trowe ye maye nat do I saye ye myghte not put it to execution for parauenture than it were lyke to tourne to y e werre as it was before And therfore yf ye woll that men do you obeysaunce ye muste demean you more curteisly that is to saye ye muste yeue more easy sentences and iugement For it is wrytten he that most curteisly commaundeth to hym men moost obey And therfore I praye you that in thys necessyte and in thys nede ye caste you to ouercome youre hert For as Senet sayth he that ouercometh hys herte ouercometh twise And Tully sayth there is nothyng so commendable in a great lorde as whan he is debonaire and meke and apeseth hym lyghtly And I praye you that ye woll nowe forbere to do vengeaunce in suche a maner that youre good name maye be kepte and conserued and that men may haue cause and mater to prayse you of pyte and mercye and that ye haue no cause to repent you of thynge that is done For Senecke saythe he ouercometh in an yuel manere that repenteth hym of hys victorie Wherfore I praye you let mercy be in your hert to theffecte
heuen And certes tyll they done amendemeÌ„t â–ª right as god yaue hys blessing to Pharao by the seruice of Iacob to Laban by the seruice of Ioseph Ryght so god wol yeue hys curse to such lordshyps as sustayn the wyckednes of her seruauntes but they come to amendement Pride of the table appeareth also full ofte for certes ryche men ben called to festes and pore folke benâ— put awaye rebuked And also in excesse of diuers meates and drynkes namely such maner bake meates dishemetes brenning of wylde fyre peynted and castelled wâ—th paper and semblable waste so that it is â—â—usyon to thynke And also in to greate â—â—cyousnesse of vessell and curiosytye of mâ—â—stralcye the whyche a man is sterred moâ— to delyces of lecherye yf so be he sette hys herte the lesse vpon oure Lorde Iesu Chriâ—t certaynlye it is a synne And certaynlye the delyces myght be so greate in thys case that a man myghte lyghtlye fall by hem into a deadly synne The especes that sourde of pride sothly whan they sourde of malyce ymagined auysed and forecaste or els of vsage ven deedly syn it is no dout And whaÌ„ they sourde by freelte vnauysed sodenlye sodenlye wythdrawe ayene all be they greuouse synnes I gesse that they be nat deedly Now might meÌ„ aske wherof that pride sourdeth and springeth I saye that soÌ„tyme it spryngeth of the goodes of nature somtyme of the goodes of fortune and soÌ„tyme of the goodes of grace Certes the goodes of nature stondeth only in goodes of bodye or goodes of y e soule Certes goodes of the body bene heel of body strength deliuernes beautie gentry fraÌ„chise Goodes of nature of the soule ben good with sharpe vnderstaÌ„dyng subtel engin vertue naturel good memory Goodes of fortune be ryches hye degrees of lordships praysyngs of the people Goodes of grace bene science power to suffer spounell traueyle benigne vertuous coÌ„templation vnderstanding of temptation semblable thynges of whych forsayd goodes certes it is a full greate folye a man to haue pride in any of hem all Nowe as for to speke of goodes of nature God wot that somtyme we haue hem in nature asmoche to our damage as to our profyt As to speke of heel of body truly it passeth ful lyghtly also it is full oft occasion of sickenesse of the soule for God wot y e fleshe is a great enemy to the shule therfore the more that the bodyes hole the more be we in peril to fal Also for to haue pride in hys strength of body it is an hie foly for certes the fleshe coueteth ayenst the spirite the more stroÌ„g the fleshe is the sorier maye the soule be And ouer all this strength of body worldly hardinesse causeth ful oft many man to perell and mischaunce also to haue pride of his gentry is right great foly for oftyme the geÌ„try of y e body taketh awey the gentry of the soule also we ben al of o father mother all we ben of o nature rotten corrupt both rich pore Forsoth o maner geÌ„try is for to praise that aparelleth maÌ„nes courage wyt vertue moralite maketh him Christes chyld For trust well that ouer what maÌ„ that syn hath maystry he is a very churle to synne Nowe ben there general signes of geÌ„tlenes as esche wyng of vice ribaudry seruage of syâ—n worde in werke countenaunce vsyng of vertue curtesy clennes to be liberal that is to say large by measure for y t y t passeth measure is foly synne Another is to remembre hym of bouÌ„tie that he of other folke hath receiued Another is to be benigne to hys good subictes wherfore sayth Senecke there is nothyng more couenable to a maÌ„ of hygh estate than debonairte and pite And therfore these flyes that men call bees whan they make her kynge they chese one that hath no pricke wherwyth he may stynge Another is man to haue a noble hert a diligent to attayne to the hyghe vertuous thynges Nowe certes a man to haue pride in the goodes of grace is also an outragious foly for those gyftes of grace y t shulde haue tourned hym to goodnesse and to medycen tourneth hym to venym and confusion as fayth saynte Greg. Certes also who so hath pride in the goodnesse of fortune he is a ful greate fole For somtyme is a maÌ„ a great lorde by the morne that is a catyfe and a wretche or it be nyght and somtyme the ryches of a man is cause of his death Somtyme the delyces of a man is cause of a greuous melady throughe whyche he dyeth Certes the comendation of the people is somtyme full false and brotell for to trust Thys day they prayse to morow they blame God wot desyre to haue coÌ„mendation of the people hath caused death to manye a busye man Nowe syth that so it is that ye haue vnderstande what is pride and which be the speces of it and whence it sourdeth spryngeth nowe ye shall vnderstand which is the remedy ayenst it Humilytie or mekenesse is the remedye ayenst pride y t is a vertue through whyche a maÌ„ hath very knowledge of hym selfe and holdeth of hym selfe no price ne deyntie as in regarde of hys desertes consyderynge euer hys freelte Now bene there thre maner of humilytes As humylyte in herte another humylytye is in mouthe and the thyrde is in workes The humilytie in herte is in four maners That one is whan a manne holdeth hym selfe as nought worth before God of heuen The seconde is whan he dispiceth none other man The thyrde is whan he ne recketh nat though men holde hym nought worth And the fourth is whaÌ„ he is not sory of his humiliation Also the humilitie of mouth is in four thinges In a temperate speche in humilitie of spech whaÌ„ he coÌ„fesseth with his owne mouth that he is suche as him thynketh that he is in his hert Another is whaÌ„ he prayseth the bounte of another man nothyng therof minyssheth Humilitye also in werke is in foure maners The fyrste is whan he putteth other men before him y e second is to chese the lowest place ouer al the thyrde is gladly to assent to good couÌ„sayle the fourth in to stand gladly to the awarde of his souerains or of him that is in hier degre Certeyn this is gret werke of humilite ¶ De Inuidia AFter Pride woll I speke of the foule synne of Enuye whyche that is after the worde of the philosofer sorow of other mennes prosperitie And after the worde of saynt Augustin it is sorowe of other mennes wele the ioy of other meÌ„nes harme This foule synne is platly agaynste the holy ghost al be it so that euery synne is ayenst the holy gost yet nathles for asmoch as bounte apertayneth properly to the holy gost enuy cometh properly of malice therfore it is properlye ayenst the bountie of the holy gost Nowe hath malice
an arowe or caste a stone with whych he sleeth a man he is an homicide Al so if a womā by negligēce ouerlieth her child in her slepynge it is homicide deedly synne Also when a man distourbleth conception of a chylde and maketh a woman eyther bareyne by drynkynge of venymous herbes thorough whyche she maye not conceyue or sletth a chylde by drynkes or els putteth certayne materiall thynges in her secre places to slee the chylde or els doth vnkyndly synne by whyche a man or a womā shedeth her nature in maner or in a place there as a chylde maye not be conceyued Or els yf so be that a woman hathe conceyued and hurteth her selfe and by that myshap the chylde is slayne yet it is homicide What saye we of those women that murtheren her chyldren for bycause of eschewynge of worldly shame Certes it is an horryble homicide Homicide is also yf a man approche to a womā by desyre of lecherye thorough whyche the chylde is peryshed or els smyteth a woman wetyngly throughe whyche she leseth her chylde All these bene homicides and horrible dedly synnes Yet come there of yre mo synnes as well in worde as in thought and dede As he that arretteth vpon God or blameth god of the thynge of whych he is hym selfe gylty or dyspyseth God and all hys halowes as done the cursed hasardours in dyuers countreyes Thys cursed synne done they when they fele in her herte ful wyckedly of God of hys halowes Also when they treate vnreuerentlye the sacrament of the aulter that synne is so great that vnneth it may be released but that the mercy of God passeth al hys werkes it is so greate and he so benygne Then commeth of yre an atterly anger whē a man is sharpelye amoneshed in hys shryfte to leaue hys synne Then woll he be angry and answere hokerlye and angerlye or defende or excuse hys synne by vnstedfastnesse of hys fleshe or elles he dydde it for to holde companye wyth hys felowes or elles he sayeth the fende entyced hym or elles he dothe it for hys youth or elles his complexion is so coragious that he maye not forbeare or elles it is hys destenye he sayeth vnto a certayne age or elles he sayeth it commeth hym of gētylnesse of hys aūcesters and semblable thynges All these maner of folke so wrappe hem in her synnes that they ne woll not delyuer hym selfe For sothlye no wyghte that excuseth hym selfe wylfullye of hys synne maye not be delyuered of hys synne tyl that he mekelye beknoweth hys synne After thys then commeth swearynge that is expresse agaynste the commaundemente of God and thys befalleth often of angre and of yre God sayeth Thou shalte not take the name of thy Lorde God in vayne or in ydell Also oure Lorde Iesu Christe sayeth by the worde of saynte Mathewe Ne wyll ye not sweare in all maner neyther by heauen for it is goddes trone ne by earth for it is the benche of his feete ne by Hierusalem for it is the cytie of a greate kynge ne by thyne heed for thou mayste not make an heere neyther whyte ne blacke but say by youre worde yea yea naye naye and what that is more it is of yuell Thus sayeth Christe For Christes sake sweare not so synfullye in dysmembrynge of Christe By soule herte bones and bodye for certes it semeth that ye thynke that the cursed Iewes ne dysmembred not ynoughe the preciyous persone of Christe but ye dysmembre hym more And yf so be that the lawe compell you to sweare then ruleth you after the lawe of God in your swearyng as sayeth Ieremy the fourth chapter Thou shalte kepe thre condicions thou shalt swere in trouth in dome in ryghtwysenesse thys is to saye thou shalte sweare sothe For euerye lesynge is ayenst Christ for Christ is verye trouth And thynke well thys that euerye great swearer not compelled laufully to swere the plage shal not depart fro his house whyle he vseth suche vnlawfull swearynge Thou shalte swere also in dome when thou arte constrayned by thy domes man to wytnesse trouthe Also thou shalt not sweare for enuye neyther for fauoure neyther for mede or rewarde but onelye for ryghteousnesse for declarynge of it to the honoure and worshyppe of God and to the aydinge and helpe of thyne euen christen And therfore euerye man that taketh goddes name in ydel or falselye sweareth wyth hys mouthe or els taketh on hym the name of Christe to be called a christen man and lyueth ayenst Christes lyuynge and hys teachynge all they take goddes name in ydell Loke also what sayeth saynt Peter Actuum iiij Capitu. Non est aliud nomē sub celo c. There is none other name sayeth saynt Peter vnder heauen yeue to men in whyche they maye be saued that is to saye but the name of Iesu Christ Take hede eke howe precious is the name of Iesu Christ as sayeth saynt Paule ad Philippenses secundo In nomine Iesu c. That in the name of Iesu euery knee of heauenly creatures earthlye and of hell shulde bowe for it is so hye and so worshypfull that the cursed fende in hel shulde tremble to heare it named Then semeth it that men that sweare so horriblye by hys blessed name that they dyspyse it more boldely then the cursed Iewes or els the dyuell that trembleth whē he heareth hys name Nowe certes syth that swearyng but yf it be lawfullye done is so hyelye defended moche more is forswearynge falslye and yet nedelesse What say we also of hem that delyte hem in swearynge and holde it a genterye or a māly dede to sweare great othes And what of hem y t of very vsage ne cease not to sweare greate othes all be the cause not worthe a strawe Certes thys is horrible synne Swerynge sodeynly is also a great synne But let vs go now to that horrible synne swearynge of adiuration and coniuration as done these false enchaūtours or nigromācers in basyns full of water or in a bryght swearde in a cercle in a fyre or in the sholderbone of a shepe I can not saye but that they done cursedly dampnably ayenst Christe and all the fayth of holy churche What say we of hem y t beleue on Deuinales as by flyghte or by noyse of byrdes or of beestes or by sorte by Geomācye by dremes by chyrkynge of dores or crakynge of houses by gnawynge of rattes suche maner wretchednesse ▪ Certes al these thynges ben defended by god and holy church for whyche they bē accursed tyl they come to amendemēt y t on such fylth set her belyue Charmes for woūdes or maladye of men or of beestes yf they take any effecte it maye be perauenture that God suffreth it for folke shuld yeue the more fayth and reuerence to hys name Nowe woll I speke of leasynges whych generally is false sygnifyaunce of worde in entent to dysceyue hys euen christen Some lesynge is of which there cometh none auaūtage to
but God made woman of the rybbe of Adam for woman shulde be felowe vnto man Man shulde beare hym to hys wyfe in fayth ▪ in trouth and in loue as sayth saynt Paule that a man shulde loue hys wyfe as Christ loueth holye churche that loued it so well that he dyed for it so shulde a man for hys wyfe yf it were nede Nowe howe that a woman shulde be subiecte to her husbande that telleth saynte Peter fyrst in obedience And also as sayth the decree A womā that is a wyfe as long as she is a wyfe she hath none auctoritye to swere ne beare witnes without leaue of her husbande y t is her Lorde alwaye he shulde be so by reason She shulde also serue hym in al honestye be attēpperate of her array I woll well that they shulde set her entent to please her husbādes but not be queintise of her araye S. Ierom sayeth wiues y t be apparelled in sylke and precious purple ne mowe nat clothe hem in Iesu Christe Saynt Greg. sayeth also that no wyghte seketh precious aray but only for vaynglory to be honoured the more of the people It is great foly a woman to haue great araye outwarde and in her selfe be foule inwarde A wyfe shulde also be mesurable in lokynge in bearyng and in laughing and discrete in al her wordes and her dedes and aboue all worldelye thynges she shulde loue her husbande wyth al her herte and to hym be true of her bodye So shulde an husbande be to hys wyfe For sythe that all the body is the husbandes so shuld her hert be or els there is betwixte hem two as in that no perfyte mariage Than shall men vnderstande that for thre thynges a man and hys wyfe fleshly may assemble The first is for th entent of engendrure of chyldren to the seruice of god for certes that is the cause finall of matrimony Another cause is to yelde ech of hem to other y e dettes of her bodyes for neyther of hem hath power of ther owne bodyes The thyrde is to eschew lechery and vyllanye The fourthe is forsoth deedlye synne As to the fyrste is meritorye the seconde also for as sayeth the decre that she hath meryte of chastite that yeldeth to her husbande the dette of her body yee thought it be ayenst her lykynge and the luste of her herte The thyrde maner is venyall synne and truelye scarscely may anye of these be wythout venyal synne for the corruption and for the delyte The fourth maner is for to vnderstand if they assemble only for amorous loue and for none of the forsayde causes but for to accomplyshe the brennynge delyte they recke not howe ofte sothlye it is deedly sinne and y t wyth sorowe some folke woll payne hem more to do then to her appetyte suffiseth The seconde maner of chastitye is for to be a clene wydowe and eschew the enbrasynges of a man and desyre the enbrasynge of Iesu Christe These bene those that haue bene wyues and haue forgote her husbandes and also women that haue done lecherye and bene receyued by penitence And certes yf that a wyfe coulde kepe her all chaste by licence of her husbande so that she yeue neuer none occasion that he offende it were to her a greate meryte Thys maner of woman that obserueth chastitie in clothynge in countenaunce abstinent in eatinge drinkyng in spekyng and in dede she is the vessel or the boxe of the blessed Maudelayne y e fulfylleth holy church of good ordour The thyrde maner of chastitie is virginitie and it behoueth that she be holye in herte clene of body than is she spouse of Iesu Christe and she is the life of aungels she is the pray synge of thys worlde she is as these martyrs in regaly she hath in her y t tonge maye not tell ne herte thynke Virginitie bare our Lorde Iesu Christe and virgyn was hym selfe Another remedy ayenst lechery is speciallye to withdrawe suche thynges as yeue occasyon to that vylanye as ease eatynge and drinkyng For certes whan the potte boylleth stronglye the best remedy is to wyth draw the fyre Slepyng longe in great quiete is also a great nouryce to lecherye Another remedy ayenst lechery is that a man or a woman eschew the company of hem by whiche he douteth to be tēpted For all be it so that the dede is withstande yet is there great temptation Sothly a whyte walle all thoughe it ne brenne not fullye by stickyng of the candell yet is the wal blacke of the flame Ful oft tyme I rede that no mā trust in hys owne perfection but he be stronger than Sampson or holyer than Daniel or wyser than Salomon Nowe after that I haue declared you as I can the seuyn deedly sinnes and some of her braūches wyth her remedies Sothly yf I coulde I wolde tel you the ten commaundementes but so hye doctrine I put to diuines Nathlesse I hope to God they ben touched in this treatise eche of hem ¶ Sequitur secunda pars penitentie NOwe for asmuche as the seconde parte of penitence stont in confession of mouth as I be gan in the fyrste chap I saye saynte Austen sayeth Sinne is euery worde and euery dede and all that men coniecte agaynst the lawe of Iesu Christe and thys is for to synne in hert in mouth and in dede by the fyne wyttes which ben syght hearyng smellyng tastyng or sauour felynge Nowe it is good to vnderstande that that agredgeth muche euery sinne Thou shalt consider what thou art that doste the syn whether thou be male or female yonge or olde gentyll or thrall free or seruaunt hole or sicke wedded or single ordred or vnordred wyse or fole clerke or seculer yf she be of thy kynrede bodilye or gostly or no yf any of thy kynred haue synned wyth her or no many mo thynges Another circumstaunce is this whether it be done in fornicacion or in aduoutry or no in maner of homiced or no horrible great synnes or smal how long thou hast cōtinued in synne The thyrde circumstaunce is the place there thou hast done synne wheder in other mennes houses or in thyne owne in felde in church or in churchyarde in church dedecate or no. For yf the churche be halowed man or woman spyl his kinde within that place by way of sinne or wicked tēptation the churche is enterdited the preest that dyd such a villany the terme of all hys life he shulde no more synge masse and if he did he shulde do deedly synne at euery tyme y t he so songe masse The fourth circūstaūce is by which mediatours or by which messēgers or for enticement or for cōsentment to beare cōpany with felowshyp For manye a wretche for to beare cōpanye wol go to the dyuel of heel wherfore they that egge or cōsent to the sinne ben parteners of the sinne of the temptation of the synner The fyfth circumstaunce is howe many times that he hath
Nowe downwarde grosse nowe vpright And walowe in wo the longe nyght Thyn armes shalte thou sprede a brede As man in werre were forwerede Than shall the come a remembraunce Of her shappe and her semblaunce wherto none other maye be pere And wete thou well wythout were That the shall se somtyme that nyght That thou haste her that is so bryght Naked betwene thyne armes there All sothfastnesse as though it were Thou shalte than make castels in Spayne And dreme of ioye al but it vayne And the delyten of ryght nought whyle thou so slombrest in that thought That so swete and delytable The whyche in soth nys but a fable For it ne shall no whyle laste Than shalte thou syghe and wepe faste And saye dere god what thynge is this My dreme is turned all amys whyche was ful swete and apparent But nowe I wake it is all shent Nowe yede thys mery thought away Twenty tymes vpon a day I wolde thys thought wolde come agayne For it alegeth well my payne It maketh me full of ioyefull thought It sleeth me that it lasteth nought Ah lorde why nyll ye me socoure The ioye I trowe that I langoure The deth I wolde me shulde slo whyle I lye in her armes two Myne harme is harde wythouten wene My great vnease full ofte I mene BVt wolde loue do so I myght Haue fully ioye of her so bryght My payne were quitte me richly Alas to greate a thynge aske I It is but folye and wronge wenyng To aske so outragious a thyng And who so asketh folyly He mote be warned hastely And I ne wote what I maye say I am so ferre out of the way For I wolde haue full great lykyng And full greate ioye of lasse thyng For wolde she of her gentylnesse withouten more me ones kesse It were to me a greate guerdon Relece of al my passion But it is harde to come therto All is but foly that I do So hygh I haue myne herte sette where I maye no comforte gette I wote not where I saye wel or nought But thys I wote well in my thought Thet it were better of her alone For to stynte my wo and mone A loke on her I cast goodly That for to haue all vtterly Of an other all hole the play Ah lorde where I shal byde the day That euer she shal my lady be He is full cured that maye her se A god whan shall the dawnyng sprynge To lyggen thus is an angry thynge I haue no ioye thus here to lye whan that my loue is not me bye A man to lyen hath great disese whyche may not slepe ne rest in ese I wolde it dawed and were now day And that the nyght were went away For were it daye I wolde vp ryse Ah slowe sunne shewe thyne enprise Spede the to sprede thy beemes bryght And chace the derkenesse of the nyght To put away the stoundes stronge whych in me lasten al to longe The nyght shalte thou contynue so wythout rest in payne and wo yf euer thou knewe of loue distresse Thou shall mowe lerne in that sickenesse And thus endurynge shalte thou lye And ryse on morowe vp erly Out of thy bedde and harneys the Er euer dawnyng thou mayst se Al priuely than shalte thou gone what whyder it be thy selfe alone For reyne or hayle for snowe for slete Thyder she dwelleth that is so swete The whiche may fall a slepe be And thynketh but lytle vpon the Than shalte thou go ful foule aferde Loke yf the gate be vnsperde And wayte wythout in wo and payne Ful yuel a coulde in wynde and rayne Than shalt thou go the dore before If thou mayst fynde any shore Or hole or refte what euer it were Than shalte thou stoupe and laye to eerâ— If they wythin a slepe be I meane al saue thy lady free whom wakynge yf thou mayst aspye Go put thy selfe in inpardye To aske grace and the bymene That she may wete wythout wene That thou nyght no reste haste had So sore for her thou were bestad women well ought pytie to take Of hem that sorowen for her sake And loke for loue of that relyke That thou thynke none other lyke For whan thou hast so great annoy Shal kysse the er thou go awey And holde that in ful great deynte And for that no man shal the se Before the house ne in the way Loke thou begone agayne er day Such commyng and such goyng Such heuynesse and such walkyng Maketh louers wythouten any wene Vnder her clothes pale and lene For loue leaueth coloure ne cleernesse who loueth trewe hath no fatnesse Thou shalt well by thy selfe se That thou must nedes assayed be For men that shape hem other way Falsely her ladyes for to betray It is no wonder though they be fatte wyth false othes her loues they gatte For ofte I se suche losengeours Fatter than Abottes or priours Yet wyth o thynge I the charge That is to saye that thou be large Vnto the mayde that her doth serue So best her thanke thou shalt deserue yeue her gyftes and get her grace For so thou may thanke purchace That she the worthy holde and fre Thy lady and al that may the se Also her seruauntes worshyp aye And please as much as thou maye Great good through hem maye come to the Bycause wyth her they bene priue They shal her tell howe they the fande Curreys and wyse and wel doande And she shal preyse wel the more Loke out of lande thou be not fore And yf such cause thou haue that the Behoueth to gone out of countre Leaue hole thyne hert in hostage Tyl thou agayne make thy passage Thynke longe to se the swete thyng That hath thyne herte in her kepyng Nowe haue I tolde the in what wyse A louer shal do me seruice Do it than yf thou wolte haue The mede that thou after craue WHan loue al thys had boden me I sayd hym sir howe may it be That louers may in such manere Endure y e paine ye haue said here I meruayle me wonder faste Howe any man may lyue or laste In such payne and such brennyng In sorowe and thought and such syghyng Aye vnrelesed wo to make whether so it be they slepe or wake In such anoy continually As helpe me god this meruayle I Howe man but he were made of stele Myght lyue a month such paynes to fele THe God of loue than sayde me Frende by the fayth I owe to the May no man haue good but he it bye A man lyueth more tenderlye The thyng that he hath bought moste dere For wete thou well wythout were In thanke that thinge is taken more For whych a man hath suffred sore Certes no wo ne may attayne Vnto the sore of loues payne None yuell therto ne may amounte No more than a man counte The droppes that of the water be For drye as wel the greate see Thou myghtest as the harmes tell Of hem that wyth loue dwell In seruice
estate and also his renowne His wyt his shap and eke his gentyllesse But most her fauour was for his distresse was al for her thought it were a routh To sleen suche one yf that he ment trouthe ¶ Now myght some enuyous iangle thus This was a sodayn loue how might it be That she so lyghtly loued Troylus Ryght for the fyrst syght yea parde Now whoso sayd so mote he neuer the For euery thynge a gynnyng hath it nede Er al be wrought withouten any drede For I saye nat that she so sodaynly Yafe hym her loue but that she gan enclyne To lyken hym tho I haue tolde you why And after that his manhod and his pyne Made that loue within her gan to myne For which by processe and by good seruyce He wan her loue and in no sodayne wyse And also blysfull Venus wele arayed Sat in her seuenth house of heuen tho Disposed wele and with aspectes payed To helpe sely Troylus of his wo And soth to sayne she nas nat al a fo To Troylus in his natiuitie God wote that wele the sooner sped he Now let vs stynt of Troylus a throwe That rydeth forth and let vs turne fast Vnto Creseyde y t henge her heed full lowe There as she sat alone and gan to cast wheron she wolde apoynt her at the last If it so were her Eme ne wolde cesse For Troylus vpon her for to presse And lorde so she gan in her thought argue In this matter of which I haue you tolde And what to don best wer what to eschue That plyted she full oft in many solde Now was her hert warme now was it cold And what she thought soÌ„what shal I write As myne autor lysteth for tendyte She thought fyrst that Troylus persone She knewe by syght eke his gentelnesse And thus she sayd al wer it nought to don To grauÌ„t him loue yet for his worthynes It wer honour with play with gladnesse In honestie with suche a lorde to dele For myne estate and also for his heale Eke wel wot I my kynges sonne is he And syth he hath to se me suche delyte Yf I wolde vtterlyche his syght flye Peraduenture he might haue me in despite Through which I miÈt stoÌ„d in worse plyte Now were I wyse me bate to purchace without nede there I may stonde in grace In euery thyng I wot there lyeth mesure For though a man forbyd dronkenesse He nought forbyddeth that euery creature Be dâ—â—nlesse for alwaye as I gesse Eke syth I wot for me is his distresse I ne ought nat for that thyng hym despyse Syth it is so he meaneth in good wyse And eke I knowe of longe tyme agone His thewes good and that he nys nat nyce No vauntour sayne men certayn he is non To wyse is he to done so great a vyce Ne al 's I nyl hym neuer so cherice That he shall make auaunt by iust cause He shall me neuer bynde in suche a clause Now set I case the hardest is iwys Men myght demen that he loueth me what dishonour were it vnto me this May iche him let of that why nay parde I knowe also and alwaye here and se Men louen women al this towne about Be they the werse â–ª why nay without dout I thynke eke how he worthy is to haue Of al this noble towne the thryftyest That woman is yf she her honour saue For out and out he is the worthyest Saue onely Hector which that is the best And yet his lyfe lyeth al nowe in my cure But suche is loue and eke myne auenture Ne me to loue a wondre is it nought For well wot I my selfe so god me spede All woll I that none wyst of this thought I am one the fayrest out of drede And goodlyest whoso that taketh hede And so men sayne in al the towne of Troye what woÌ„der is though he of me haue ioye I am myne owne woman well at ease I thanke it god as after myne estate Right yonge stond vntyed in lusty lese withouten ielousye and suche debate Shal no husbond sayne to me checke mate For eyther they ben full of ielousye Or masterfull or louen nouelry what shal I don to what fyne lyue I thus Shal I nat loue in case yf that me lest what pardieux I am not religious And though that I myne hert set at rest Vpon this knyght that is the worthyest And kepe alway myne honour my name By all ryght it may do me no shame But right as whan the son shyneth bright In Marche y t chaungeth oft tyme his face And that a cloude is put w t wynde to flight which ouersprat the sonne as for a space A cloudy thought gaÌ„ through her soul pace That ouersprad her bryght thoughtes all So that for feare almoost she gan to fall That thouÈt was this Alas syth I am fre Sulde I now loue and put in ieopardye My sykernesse and thrallen lybertye Alas how durst I thynken that follye May I not well in other folke aspye Her dredful ioy her constreynt her payne There loueth non that she ne hath waye to playne For loue is yet the most stormy lyfe Ryght of hym selfe that euer was begon For euer some mystrust or nyce stryfe There is in loue some cloude ouer the sun Therto we wretched womeÌ„ nothing coÌ„ whan vs is wo but wepe and syt thynke Our wrech is this our owne wo to drynke Also wycked tonges bene so prest To speke vs harme eke men be so vntrue That ryght anon as cessed is her lest So cesseth loue and forth to loue anewe But harme ydo is done whoso it rewe For thouÈ these meÌ„ for loue hem first to reÌ„de Full sharpe begynnyng breketh oft at ende How ofte tyme maye men rede and sene The treson that to women hath be do To what fyne is suche loue I can not sene Or where becommeth it whan it is go There is no wyght that wote I trowe so wher it becoÌ„meth lo no wiÈt on it sporneth That erst was nothynge into nought tourneth How besy yf I loue eke must I be To plesen hem that iangle of loue demen And coyen hem that they say no harm of me For though ther be no cause yet hem semen Al be for harme y t folke her frendes quemen And who may stoppen euery wycked tonge Or sowne of bels whyle y t they ben ronge And after that her thought gan for to clere And sayd he which y t nothyng vndertaketh Nothyng acheueth be hym loth or dere And w t an other though her hert quaketh ThaÌ„ slepeth hope and after drede awaketh Now hote now cold but thus betwixeÌ„ twey She rysle her vp and went her to pley Adowne the stayre anonryght tho she went Into her gardyn with her neces thre And vp and downe they madeÌ„ many a went Flexippe she Tarbe and Antigone To playen that it ioye was to se And other of her women a great
wel ê™ Pandare as I haue tolde you thrie Let be your nyee shame and your folye And speke with him in eysyng of his herte Let nycete not do you both smerte But theron was to heauen and to done Consydryng althyng it may nat be And why for shame and it were eke to sone To graunten him so great a liberte For playnly her entent as sayd she was for to loue hym vnwyst yf she myght And guerdon him w t nothiÌ„g but with syght But Pandare thought it shall not be so If that I may thys nyce opinyon Shal not ben holden fully yeres two what shuld I make of thys a long sermon He muste assent on that conclusion As for the tyme and whan that it was eue And al was wel he rose and toke hys leue And on his way faste homwarde he sped And ryght for ioye he felt his herte daunce And Troylus he founde alone abed That lay as done these louers in a traunce Betwixen hope and derke disesperaunce But Pandare ryght at hys in comyng He song as who saith lo somwhat I bring And sayd who is in his bed so sone yburyed thus it am I frende ê™ he who Troylus nay helpe me so the moone ê™ Pandarus thou shalt vp ryse and se A charme that was sent ryght nowe to the The which can healen the of thyne axesse If thou do forthwith al thy besynesse Ye through the myght of god ê™ Troylus And Pandarrus gan him the lettre take And sayde parde god hath holpen vs Haue here a lyght and loke on al these blake But ofte gan the hert glade and quake Of Troylus whyle he it gan to rede So as the wordes yaue him hope or drede But finally he toke al for the beste That she him wrote for somwhat he beheld on which he thought he might hys hert rest Al couered she the wordes vnder shelde Thus to the more worthy parte he helde That what for hope PaÌ„darus beheste His great wo foryede he at the leste But as we may al day our seluen se Through wood or coole the more fyre Ryght so encrease of hoope of what it be Therwyth he full ofte encreaseth eke desyre Or as an oke cometh of a lytle spyre so through this lettre whiche y t she him sent Encreasen gan desyre of which he brent wherfore I say alway that day nyght This Troylus gan to desyren more Than he dyd erste through hoope did his myght To preasoÌ„ on as by PaÌ„darus lore And writen to her of his sorowes sore Fro day to day he lete it nought refreyde That by PaÌ„dare he somwhat wrote or seid And dyd also his other obseruaunces That tyll a louer longeth in thys caas And after that his dyce turned on chaunces So was he eyther glad or sayd alas And helde after hys gestes aye his paas And after such answers as he had So were his dayes sory eyther glad But to PaÌ„dare was alwaye his recours And pytously gan aye on him to playne And him besought of rede some socours And PaÌ„darus that saw his wode payne wert wel nygh deed for routh soth to sayne And besyly with al his herte caste Some of his wo to sleen and that as faste And sayd Lorde frende brother dere God wote that thy disease doth me wo But wylt thou stynten al this woful chere And by my trouth er it be dayes two And god to forne yet shal I shape it so That thou shalt come in to a certayne place Ther as y u maist thy selfe prayen for grace And certaynly I not yf thou it woste But they that bene experte in loue it say It is one of the thynges forthereth moste A man to haue a leyser for to pray And syker place his wo for to bewray for in good hert it mote some routh impresse To here and se the gyltlesse in distresse ParaueÌ„ture thinkest thou though it be so That kinde wolde her done for to begynne To haue a maner routh vpon my wo Sayth dauÌ„ger nay y u shalt me neuer winne So ruleth her hertes goste within That though she bende yet she stont on rote what in effecte is thys vnto my bote Thinke here ayen whan that the sturdy oke On which men hacketh ofte for the nones Receyued hath the happy fallyng stroke The great sweyght doth it come all at ones As done these rockes or these mylne stones for swyfter course cometh thiÌ„g y t is of wight whan it discendeth than done thinges light But rede that boweth down for euery blast Ful lyghtly cesse wynde it wol aryse But so nyl not an oke whan it is cast It nedeth me nought longe the forbyse Men shal reioysen of a great empryse Atcheued wel and stant withouten dout Al haue men ben the lenger there about But Troylus nowe tell me yf the lest A thyng which that I shal asken the which is thy brother that thou louest best â–ª As in thy very hertes preuyte I wys my brother Diephebus tho ê™ he Now ê™ PaÌ„dare er houres twyse twelue He shal the case vnwyst of it him selue Nowe let me alone and worken as I maye Quod he and to Deiphebus went he tho which had his lord great frende bene aye Saue Troylus no man he loued so To tel in shorte without wordes mo Quod Pandarus I pray you that ye be Frende to a cause which that toucheth me Yes parde ê™ Deiphebus wel thou wost Al that euer I may and god to fore Al nere it but for the man I loue moste My brother Troylus but say wherfore It is for syth the day that I was bore I nas ne neuer mo to bene I thynke Ayenst a thyng that myght the forthynke PaÌ„dare gan him thanke and to him seyd Lo sir I haue a lady in thys towne That is my nece and called is Creseyd which some men wolde done oppressioun And wrongfully haue her possessioun wherfore I of your lordshyp you beseche To bene our frende withouten more speche Deiphebus hym answerde O is not thys That thou speakest of to me thus strauÌ„gely Creseyde my frende He sayd hym yes Then nedeth ê™ Deiphebus hardely Nomore of this to speke for trusteth wel y t I woll be her champion wyth spore and yerde I ne rought not though al her foes it herde But tel me howe for thou wost thys matere I myght best auaylen nowe let se Quod Pandarus yf ye my lorde so dere wolden â—s now do thys honour to me To prayen her to morowe lo that she Came vnto you her playntes to deuyse Her aduersaryes wolde of it agryse And yf I more durst praye as nowe And chargen you to haue so great trauayle To haue some of your brethreÌ„ here with you That myghten to her cause bet auayle Then wote I well she myght neuer fayle For to ben holpen what at your instaunce what wyth her other frendes gouernaunce Deiphebus whych y t comen was of kynde To all
TWenty thousande tymes er she lette She tonked god she euer with hym mette So coulde he hym gouerne in suche seruyce That al the worlde ne might it bet deuyse For she founde him so discrete in all So secrete and of suche obeysaunce That well she felte he was to her a wall Of steele and shelde of euery displesaunce That to ben in hys good gouernaunce So wyse he was she was nomore afered I meane as ferre as ought ben required And Pandarus to quicke alway the fyre was euer ylyke prest and dyligent To ease his frende was set al hys desyre He shone aye on he to and fro was sent He letters bare whan Troylus was absent That neuer man as in hys frendes nede Ne bare hym bet than he withouten drede But now paraueÌ„ture som maÌ„ wayteÌ„ wold That euery worde or sonde loke or chere Of Troylus that I rehercen shulde In all this whyle vnto hys lady dere I trowe it were a longe thyng for to here Or of what wight y t stante in suche disioynte His wordes al or euery loke to poynte For sothe I haue nat herde it done er this In storye none ne no man here I wene And though I wolde I coulde nat ywys For there was some epystel hem betwene That wold as saith myn auctour wel coÌ„tene Nye half this boke of which hiÌ„ lyst nat write Howe shulde I than a lyue of it endyte But to the great effecte than say I thus That stondyng in concorde and in quyete Thys ylke two Creseyde and Troylus As I haue tolde and in this tyme swete Saue onely often might they nat mete Ne leyser haue her speches to fulfell That it befyl ryght as I shall you tel That Pandarus that euer dyd his might Right for the fyne that I shall speke of here As for to bryngen to his house some nyght His fayre nece and Troylus yfere where as at leyser al thys hygh matere Touchyng her loue were at y e ful vp bounde Had out of doute a tyme to it founde For he with great delyberation Had euery thyng that therto might auayle Forne caste and put in execution And neyther lefte for coste ne for trauayle Come yf hem lyste hem shuld nothyng fayle And for to ben in aught aspyed there That wyste he wel an inpossyble were Dredelesse it clere was in the wynde Of euery pye and euery let game Nowe all is wel for al the worlde is blynde In this mater bothe fremed and tame This tymber is al redy vp to frame Vs lacketh naught but that weten wolde A certayne houre in which she comen shulde And Troylus that all this purueyaunce Knewe at the full and wayted on it aye And here vpon eke made great ordynaunce And founde hys cause therwith his aray If that he were myssed nyght or day There whyle he was aboute this seruyce That he was gone to done hys sacrifyce And muste at suche a temple alone wake Answered of Apollo for to be And fyrst to sene the holy laurer quake Er that Apollo spake out of the tree To tell hym next whan grekes shulde flye And for thy let hym no man god forbede But pray Apollo helpe in thys nede Nowe is there lytell more for to done But Pandare vp and shortly for to sayne Right sone vpon the chaungyng of y e moone whaÌ„ lightlesse is y e world a night or twayne And that the welken shope hym for to rayne He streyght a morowe vnto hys nece wente Ye haue well herde the fyne of hys entente WhaÌ„ he was comeÌ„ he gan anon to playe As he was wonte and of hym selfe to iape And fynally he swore and gan her say By this and that she shulde hym nat escape No lenger done hym after her to cape But certaynly she muste by her leue Come soupen in hys house wyth hym at eue At which she lough gan her fyrst excuse And sayd it rayneth lo howe shulde I gone Let be ê™ he ne stonde nat thus to muse This mote be done ye shal come there anone So at the laste herof they fell at one Or els faste he swore her in her eere He nolde neuer comen there she were Sone after this she to hym gan rowne And asked hym yf Troylus were there He swore her nay for he was out of towne And sayd nece I pose that he were there You durste neuer haue the more feere For rather than men might hym there aspye Me were leuer a thousande fold to dye Naught lyst myne auctour fully to declare what that she thought whan he sayd so That Troylus was out of towne yfare And yf he sayd therof sothe or no But that wythouten awayte with him to go She grauÌ„ted him syth he her that besought And as hys nece obeyed as her ought But nathelesse yet gan she hym beseche All though w t him to gone it was no feere For to beware of gofyshe peoples speche That dreme thynges which that neuer were And well auyse him whom he brought there And sayd him eme sens I muste on you tryst Loke al be wel and do nowe as you lyst He swore her this by stockes and by stones And by the goddes that in heuen dwell Or els were him leauer soule and bones wyth Pluto kyng as depe ben in hell As Tantalus what shulde I more tell whan al was well he rose and toke his leue And she to souper came whan it was eue wyth a certayne of her owne men And with her fayre nece Antigone And other of her women nyne or ten But who was glad nowe who as trowe ye But Troylus that stode and myght it se Throughout a lytel wyndowe in a stewe There hebeshet sith midnight was in mewe Vnwyst of euery wight but of Pandare But to the poynt nowe whan y t she was coÌ„e wyth all ioye and all frendes fare Her eme anone in armes hath her nome And than to the supper all and some whan tyme was ful softe they hem sette God wote there was no deynte ferre to fette And after supper gannen they to ryse At ease well with hert freshe and glade And wel was him that coude best deuyse To lyken her or that her laughen made He songe she playde he tolde a tale of wade But at the laste as euery thyng hath ende She toke her leaue and nedes wolde wende But o fortune executrice of wyerdes O influentes of these heuens hye Sothe is that vnder god ye ben our hierdes Though to vs beestes ben the causes wrie This mene I now for she gaÌ„ homward hye But execute was al besyde her leue At the goddes wil for which she muste bleue The bente moone with her hornes pale Saturnus and Ioue in CaÌ„câ—o ioyned were That suche a rayne from heuen gan auale That euery maner woman that was there Had of that smoky rayne a very feere At whiche Pandare tho lough sayd thenne Nowe were it tyme a lady to gon henne But good
shal not scapen one That Troyan is and for the great feere He durst not that ye dwelte lenger there what woll ye more o louesom lady dere Let Troye and troyans fro your herte pace Dryue out y t bytter hope make good chere And clepe ayen the beaute of your face That ye wyth salte teeres so deface For Troye is brought in suche a ieopardye That it to saue is nowe no remedye And thynketh wel ye shal in grekes fynde A more parfyte loue er it be nyght Then any troyan is and more kynde And bet to seruen you woll done hys myght And yf ye vouchsafe my lady bryght I woll ben he to seruen you my selue Yea leauer then be lorde of Greces twelue And wyth y t worde he gan to waxen reed And in hys speche a lytel whyle he quoke And cast asyde a lytell wyth hys heed And stynte a whyle afterwarde he woke And sobrely on her he threwe hys loke And sayd I am al be it to you no ioye As gentyll a man as any wyght in Troye For yf my father Tydeus he seyde Ilyued had I had ben er thys Of Calcidony and Arge a kynge Creseyde And so hope I that I shal be ywys But he was slayne alas the more harme is Vnhappely at Thebes all to rathe Polymyte and many a man to scathe But herte myne sythe that I am your mā And ben the fyrst of whome I seche grace To serue you as hertely as I can And euer shall whyle I to lyue haue space So that er I departe out of thys place Ye woll me graunt that I maye to morowe At better leyser tell you of my sorowe what shulde I tell hys wordes y t he seyd He spake ynough for o daye at the mest It preueth well he spake so that Creseyde Graunted on the morowe at hys request For to speake wyth hym at the leest So that he nolde speake of suche matere And thus she to hym sayd as ye mowe here As she that had her herte on Troylus So fast that there maye it none arace And straungely she spake and sayd thus O Diomede I loue that ylke place There I was borne Ioues for thy grace Delyuer it soone of all that doth it care God for thy myght so leue it well to fare That grekes wold her wrath on Troy wrek Yf that they myght I knowe it wel ywys But it shall naught befallen as ye speke And god to forne and farther ouer thys I wote my father wyse and redy is And that he me hath bought as ye me tolde So dere I am the more vnto hym holde That Grekes ben of hygh condition I wote eke wel but certayne men shal fynde As worthy folke wythin Troy toun As connyng as parfyte and as kynde As ben betwyxtr Orcades and Inde And that ye coude well your lady serue I trowe eke well her thanke for to deserue But as to speke of loue ywys she seyde I had a lorde to whome I wedded was The whose myne herte was all tyll he deyde And other loue as helpe me nowe Pallas There in myne herte nys ne neuer was And that ye ben of noble and hygh kynrede I haue well herde it tellen out of drede And that doth me to haue so great a wonder That ye woll scorne any woman so Eke god wote loue and I ben fer asonder I am dysposed bet so mote I go Vnto my death playne and make wo what I shall after done I can not say But trewly as yet me lyst not play Myne herte is nowe in tribulatioun And ye in armes besy daye by daye Herafter when ye wonnen haue the toun Perauenture then so it happen may That when I se that I neuer ere say Then woll I werke y t I neuer ere wrought Thys worde to you ynoughe suffysen ought To morow eke wol I spekē wyth you fayne So that ye touchen naught of thys matere And when you lyst ye may come here againe And er ye gone thus moche I saye you here As helpe me Pallas wyth her heere 's clere Yf that I shulde of any greke haue routhe It shulde be your seluen by my trouthe I saye not therfore that I wol you loue Ne say not nay but in conclusioun I meane well by god that syt aboue And therwythall she caste her eyen doun And gā to sigh said Troilus Troy toun Yet bydde I god in quyete and in reste I maye you sene or do myne herte breste But in effecte and shortly for to saye Thys Diomede all freshly newe agayne Gan preasen on and faste her mercy praye And after thys the soth for to sayne Her gloue he toke of which he was ful fayne And fynally when it was woxen eue And all was well he rose and toke hys leue The bryght Venus folowed aye taught The way there brode Phebus downe alight And Cythera her chare horse ouer raught To whyrle out of the lyon yf she myght And Signifer hys candels sheweth bryght when that Creseyde vnto her bedde wente wythin her fathers fayre bryght tente Retournyng in her soule aye vp downe The wordes of thys sodayne Diomede Hys great estate and peryl of the towne And that she was alone and had nede Of frendes helpe and thus be gan to brede The cause why the soth for to tell She toke fully purpose for to dwell The morow came and goostly for to speke This Diomede is come vnto Creseyde And shortly leste that ye my tale breke So wel he for hym selfe spake and seyde That all her syghes sore downe he leyde And fynally the sothe for to sayne He lefte her the great of all her payne And after this the storye telleth vs That she him yaue the fayre baye stede The whiche she ones wan of Troylus And eke a broche and that was lytel nede That Troylus was she yaue this Diomede And eke the bet from sorowe him to releue She made him weare a pencell of her sleue I fynde eke in stories els where whan through the body hurte was Diomede Of Troylus tho wepte she many a teere whā that she sawe his wyde woundes blede And that she toke to kepen him good hede And for to healen him of his smerte Men sayn I not that she yaue him her herte But trewly the storie telleth vs There made neuer woman more wo Than she whan that she falsed Troylus She sayd alas for nowe is clene ago My name in trouthe of loue for euermo For I haue falsed one the gentyllest That euer was and one the worthyest Alas of me vnto the worldes ende Shal neyther ben ywritten nor ysonge No good word for these bokes wol me shēde Irolled shall I ben on many a tonge Throughout y e worlde my bel shal be ronge And women moste woll hate me of all Alas that suche a caas me shulde fall They wol sayne in as moche as in me is I haue hem done dishonour welaway Albe I nat
harme was al aboute his herte Priam full ofte and eke his mother dere His bretherne his sustren gan him frayne why he so soroufull was in all his chere And what thyng was y e cause of al his payne But al for naught he nolde hys cause playne But sayd he felte a greuous maladye Aboute his herte and fayne he wolde dye So on a day he laye him downe to slepe And so byfell that in slepe him thought That in a forest faste he walked to wepe For loue of her y t him these paynes wrought And vp and downe as he that forest sought He mette he sawe a bore with tuskes greate That slept ayenst the bright sonnes heate And by this bore faste in her armes folde Lay kyssyng aye his lady bright Creseyde For sorow of which whan he it gan beholde And for dispyte out of his slepe he breyde And loude he cryed on Pandarus and seyde O Pandarus nowe knowe I croppe roote I nam but deed there nys non other boote My lady bright Creseyde hath me betrayde In whom I trusted moste of any wight She els where hath nowe her herte apayde The blyfful goddes through her gret might Haue in my dreame yshewed it full right Thus in my dreme Creseyde haue I behold And all this thyng to Pandarus he tolde O my Creseyde alas what subtylte what newe lust what beaute what science what wrathe of iuste cause haue ye to me what gylte of me what fel experience Hath me rafte alas thyne aduertence O trust o faythe o depe assuraunce who hath me rafte Creseyde all my plesauÌ„ce Alas why let I you from hence go For which wel nigh out of my wyt I breyde who shall nowe trowe on any othes mo God wote I wende o lady bright Creseyde That euery worde was gospel that ye seyde But who may bet begyle yf hym lyste Than he on whom men wenen best to tryste What shall I done my Pandarus alas I fele nowe so sharpe a newe payne Sens that there is no remedye in this caas That bet were it I with myn hoÌ„des twayn My seluen slowe than alway thus to playn For throgh y e deth my wo shuld haue an end Ther euery day with lyfe my selfe I shende Pandare answerde sayd alas the whyle That I was borne haue I nat sayd er thys That dreames many a maner man begyle And why for folke expounden hem amys Howe darste thou sayne that false thy lady is For any dreame right for thyn owne drede Let be this thought y u canst no dremes rede ParaueÌ„ture there thou dreamest of this bore It may so be that it may signifye Her father whiche that olde is and eke hore Ayen the sonne lythe on poynte to dye And she for sorowe gynneth wepe and crye And kysseth him there he lythe on y e grounde Thus shuldest y u thy dreme aright expounde Howe might I than done ê™ Troylus To knowe of this yea were it neuer so lyte Now sayest thou wisely ê™ this Pandarus My rede is this sens thou canst wel endyte That hastely a letter thou her write Through which y u shalt well bringen about To knowe a sothe of that thou arte in doute And se nowe why for this I dare wel sayne That yf so is that she vntrewe be I can nat trowen that she wol write agayne And yf she write thou shalt ful sone yse As whether she hath any lyberte To come ayen or els in some clause If she be let she woll assygne a cause Thou hast nat writteÌ„ to her sens y t she went Nor she to the and this I durste lay There may suche cause ben in her entente That hardely thou wolt thy seluen say That her abode the best is for you tway Nowe write her than thou shalt fele sone A sothe of all there is no more to done Acorded ben to this conclusyoun And that anon these ylke lordes two And hastely sate Troylus adoun And rolleth in his herte to and fro Howe he may best discryuen her his wo And to Creseyde his owne lady dere He wrote right thus sayd as ye may here ¶ The copy of the letter RIght freshe floure whose I haue ben and shall WithouteÌ„ parte of els where seruyce Wyth herte body lyfe luste thought and all I wofull wight in euery humble wyse That tonge can tel or herte may deuyse As ofte as mater occupyeth place Me recommaunde vnto your noble grace Lyketh it you to weten swete herte As ye wel knowe howe longe tyme agon That ye me left in aspre paynes smerte whan that ye went of whiche yet bote non Haue I non had â–ª but euer worse bygon Fro day to day am I and so mote dwell whyle it you lyst of we le and wo my well For which to you with dredeful hert trewe I write as he that sorowe driueth to write My wo that euery houre encreaseth newe Complaynyng as I dare or can endyte And that defaced is that may ye wyte The teares which that froÌ„ myne eyen rayne That wolden speke yf y t they durste playne You fyrst beseche I that your eyen clere To toke on this defouled ye nat holde And ouer al this that ye nat lady dere wol vouchsafe this letter to beholde And by the cause eke of my 〈◊〉 colde That sleeth my wyt yf aught amys me sterte Foryeue it me myne owne swete herte If any seruaunt durst or ought of ryght Vpon his lady pitously complayne Than wene I that I ought be that wyght CoÌ„sydred this that ye these monthes twayn Haue taryed there ye sayden sothe to sayn But ten dayes ye nolde in hoste soiourne But in two monthes yet ye nat retourne But for as moche as me mote nedes lyke All that you lyst I dare nat playne more But humbly with soroufull syghes syke You write I myne vnresty sorowes sore Fro day to day desyryng euer more To knowen fully yf your wyll it were Howe ye haue fared don while ye be there Whose welfare and heale eke god encrease In honour suche that vpwarde in degree It growe alway so that it neuer cease Right as your herte aye can my lady free Deuyse I pray to god so mote it be And graunt it that ye soone vpon me rewe As wisely as in all I am to you trewe And yf you lyketh knowen of the fare Of me whose wo ther may no wiÈt discryue I can no more but chest of euery care At writyng of this letter I was on lyue Al redy out my wofull gost to dryue whiche I delay and holde him yet in honde Vpon the syght of mater of your sonde Myne eyen two in vayn with which I se Of soroufull teares salte arn woxen wellis My songe in playnt of myne aduersyte My good in harm myn ease eke woxeÌ„ hell is My ioye in wo I can sey nowe nought ellis But turned is for whiche my lyfe I wary Euery ioye prease in his contrary
fro louers lefte and al forlayne whan thys was sayd downe in an extasy Rauyshed in sprite in a dreame she fel And by apparaunce herde where she dyd lye Cupide the kyng tynkyng a syluer bel which men myght here fro heuen in to hel At whose sounde before Cupide aperes the seueÌ„ planets discendyng fro their speres which hath power of all thyng generable To rule and stere by their great influence weder and wynde and course variable And fyrste of al Saturne gaue hys sentence which gaue to Cupide lytle reuerence But as a boystous churle in hys manere Came crabbedly wyth austryne loke chere His face frounced his lere was lyke y e leed Hys teth chattred sheuered wyth the chyn His eyen drouped hole sonken in hys heed Out at his nose the myldrop fast gan ryn with lyppes blo chekes leaue and thyn The yse yekels y t fro hys heer downe honge was wonder great as a speare as longe Attour hys belte his lyarte lockes lay Feltred vnfayre ouerfret wyth frostes hore His garment and his gate fal gay of gray His widdred wede fro hiÌ„ y e winde out wore A boustous bow within his hande he bore Vnder his gyrdel a fashe of felone flayns Feddred with yse heeded wyth holstayns Than Iupiter ryght fayre and amiable God of the sterres in the fyrmament And norice to al thyng generable Fro hys father Saturne farre different with burly face and browes bryght brent Vpon hys heed a garlonde wonders gaye Of floures fayre as it had ben in Maye his voice was clere as christal was his eien As golddeÌ„ wier so glettring was his heare His garmente and his gyte ful gay of grene wyth golden lystes gylte on euery geare A burly brande aboute his myddle he beare In his ryght hande he had a groundeÌ„ spere Of hys father the wrath fro vs to bere Next after him came Mars the god of yre Of stryfe debate and all discentioun To chyde and fyght as feirse as any fyre In harde harnesse hewmoÌ„de habergioun And on his haunch a rousty fel fauchoun And in his hande he had a rousty sworde writhyng his face with many angry worde Shaking his brande befor Cupide he come with reed visage grisely glowyng eyen And at his mouth a blubber stode of fome Lyke to a boore whettinge his tuskes keyn Right tulsure lyke but temperaunce in tene An horne blew w t many boustous bragge which al this world w t warre hath made to wagge ThaÌ„ fayre Phebus lanterne laÌ„pe of lyght Of man beest both frute and florishyng Tender norice and banysher of nyght And of the worlde causyng by his mouyng And influence lyfe in al erthly thyng without coÌ„forte of whom of force to nought Must go dye y t al this world hath wrought As kyng royal he rode vpon a chare The which Phiton soÌ„tyme gyded vnright the bryghtnesse of hys face whaÌ„ it was bare Non might beholde for persing of his sight This golden carte with firy beames bright Foure yoked stedes ful different of hewe But bayt or tyring through the speres drew The first was sord w t mane as reed as rose Called Eoye in to the orient The seconde stede to name hight Ethyose whitely and pale and some dele ascendent The thyrde Perose right hote eke feruent The fourth was blacke called Phelologee which rolleth Phebus downe in to the see Venus was there present that goddes gay Her sonnes quarel to defende and make his owne complaynt cladde in a nyce aray the one halfe grene thother halfe sable blake white heer as golde kembet shed a bake But in her face semed great variaunce whyle parfite trouth whyles incoÌ„staunce Vnder smylyng she was dissimulate Prouocatyue with blynkes amorous And sodaynly chaunged and alterate Angry as any serpent venomous Ryght pungityue with wordes odious Thus variauÌ„t she was who lyst take kepe with one eye laugh and with y e other wepe In tokenyng that al flesshly paramour which Venus hath in rule gouernaunce Is somtyme swete somtyme bytter sour Ryght vnstable and full of variaunce Mynged with careful ioy false pleasauÌ„ce Now hote now colde now blythe now full of wo now grene as lefe now widred ago with boke in hand than come Mercurious Ryght eloquent and full of rethorye with polyte termes and delicious with penne and ynke to report all readye Settyng songes and syngen merely His hode was red hecled attour his crown Lyke tyll a poete of the olde fassyoun Bores he bare with fyne electuares And sugred syropes for digestion Spyces belongyng to the potiquares with many holsome swete confectioun Doctor in phisyke cled in a scarlet gowne And furred wele as such one ought to be Honest good and nat a worde couth lye Next after him come lady Synthia The last of al and swyftest in her spere Of colour blacke busked with hornes twa And in the nyght she lysteth best tapere Hawe as the leed of colour nothyng clere For al the light she boroweth at her brother Tytan for of her self she hath none other Her gyte was gray and full of spottes blak And on her breest a churle paynted full euen Bearyng a bush of thornes on his backe which for his theft miÈt clime no ner y e heueÌ„ Thus whaÌ„ they gadred wer y e goddes seueÌ„ Mercurius they chosed with one assent To be forespeker in the parlyment who had ben there and lykyng for to here His facondetonge and termes exquisyte Of rethorike the practyke he myght lere In brefe sermon a preignauÌ„t sentence write Before Cupide valyng his cappe alyte Sper is the cause of that vacatioun And he anon shewed his ententioun Lo ê™ Cupide who wol blaspheme y e name Of his owne god eyther in worde or dede To all goddes he doth both losse and shame And shulde haue bytter paynes to his mede I say this by yonder wretche Creseyde The which thrugh me was soÌ„tyme flour of loue Me my mother she statelye gan reproue Saying of her great infelicitie I was the cause and my mother Venus She called a blynde goddes myght nat se with sclaunder and defame iniurious Thus her lyuyng vnclene and lecherous She wolde retort in me and my mother To whoÌ„ I shewed my grace aboue al other And syth ye are al seuen delicate Participant of deuyne sapience This great iniure done to our hye estate Me thiÌ„k w t payn we shulde make recoÌ„pence was neuer to goddes done such violence As well for you as for my selfe I saye Therfore go helpe to reuenge I you praye Mercurius to Cupide gaue answere And sayd syr kyng my couÌ„sayle is that ye Referre you to the hyest planet here And take to him the lowest of degree The payne of Creseyde for to modefye As god Saturne with hym take Synthia I am coÌ„tent ê™ he to take they twa Than thus proceded Saturne the moone whan they the matter rypely had degest For the despyte to
thou were any other thyng quod she No quod I Nowe wel know I quod she other cause of thy malady and that ryght great Thou hast left for to knowen thy selfe what thou art thorow whych I haue playnly founden the cause of thy maladye or els the entre of recouerynge of thy heale For why For thou arte confounded wyth foryetynge of thy selfe For thou soroudeste that thou arte exiled of thy propre goodes And y u ne wyste what is th ende of thinges for thy demeste thou that felonous and wycked mē be myghty and welful and for thou haste foryeten by whyche gouernementes the worlde is gouerned for thy wenest thou that these mutacions of fortune fleten wythout gouernour These ben the causes not onlye to maladye but certes greate causes to deathe But I thanke the auctour and the maker of heale that nature hathe not al forleten the. I haue great nouryshing of thyne heale and that is the soth sentence of gouernaunce of the worlde that thou byleuest that the gouernyng of it is not subiect ne vnderput to the foly of these happes auēturous but to the reasonne of god and therfore dout the nothing for of this lytle sparke thyne heate of lyfe shall shyne But for as moch as it is not time yet of faster remedies and the nature is of thoughtes thus disceyued that as ofte as they caste away soth opinions they clothen hem in false opinions Of the whych false opinions the darkenesse of perturbacion wexeth vp that cōfoundeth the very insyght And that derkenesse shal I somwhat assaye to makē thynne and weake by lyght and meanelyche remedyes so that after that the darkenesse of disceyuyng thinges be done away thou may know the shynyng of very lyght Nubibus atris cōdita nullum fundere possunt sydera lumen Si mare voluens turbidus auster misceat estū Vitrea dudum parque serenis c. THe sterres couered with blacke cloudes ne mowe yeten adoun no lyght yf the trouble wynde that hight Auster turning and walowyng the see medleth the heate that is to sayne the boylynge vp from the bottome The wawes that were whylom clere as glasse lyke to the fayre bryght dayes withstant anone the syghtes of men by the filth and ordure that is resolued And the fleting streme that reyleth downe diuersly from hygh mountaygnes is arrested and resisted oft time by thencoūtryng of a stone that is departed and fallen from some rocke And for thy if thou wylt loken deme sothe wyth clere lyght and holden the way wyth a right path weyue thou ioy driue fro drede fleme thou hope ne let no sorowe approche that is to sayne Let none of these foure passions ouercome or blende the. For cloudye darke is thylke thoughte and bounde wyth brydels where as these thynges reignen ¶ Explicit liber primus POst hec paulisper obticuit atque vbi attentionem meam modesta taciturnitate collegit sic exorsa est Si penitus egritudinis tuc causas habitumque c. The seconde boke of Boecius AFter thys she stynte alytell after that she had gadered by a temper stylnesse myne attētion as who so myght sayne thus After these thynges she stynt a lytle and she aperceyued by a temper stylnesse that I was ententyfe to heren her she began to speake in thys wyse Yf I quod she haue vnderstāden and knowen vtterly the causes and the habite of thy malady thou languyshest and art defected for desyre talent of thy rathar fortune She that ylke fortune onely that is chaunged as thou faynest to the warde hathe peruerted the clerenesse and the estate of thy courage I vnderstonde the fele or manyfolde colours and disceytes of thylke merueylous monstre fortune and she vseth full flateryng familiaryte wyth hem that she enforceth to begyle so longe tyl that she confounde with vnsufferable sorowe hem that she hath lefte in dispayre vnpurueyed And if thou remembrest wel the kynde the maners and the deserte of thylke fortune thou shalt well know that as in her thou neuer ne haddest ne hast ylost any fayre thynge But as I trowe I shal not greatly trauaylen to done the remēbren on these thynges For thou were wont to hurtelen dispysen her wyth many wordes whan she was blandyshynge and present and pursudeste her with sentences that weren drawen oute of myne entre that is to say of myn enformacyon but no sodayne mutation ne betydeth not wythout a maner chaūgyng of corages And so it is befal that thou art a lytyl departed fro the peace of thy thought but nowe is time that thou drynke and ataste some softe and delytable thinges so y t whan they be entred wythin the it mowen make waye to strenger drynkes of medictus Come nowe forth therfore the suasion of swetnesse rethoryen whych that goth onelye the ryght waye whyle she forsakethe not myne estatutes And wyth Rethoryke come forthe musyke a damosel of our house that syngeth nowe lyghter modes or prolacions and nowe heuyer What ayleth the man ▪ what is it that hath cast the into murnyng and in to wepyng I trowe that thou haste sene some newe thynge and vncouthe Thou wenest that fortune be chaūged ayen me ▪ but thou weneste wronge yf that thou wene alway tho ben her maners She hath rather kepte as to the warde her proper stablenesse in the chaungynge of her selfe ryght suche was she flatterde the and dysceyued the wyth vnlefull lykynges and false welefulnesse Thou haste nowe knowen and atteynte the doubtous or double vysage of thylke blynde goddesse fortune She that yet couerethe and wymplethe her to other folke hathe shewed her selfe euerye deale to the If thou apporuest her and thinkest that she is good vse her maners and playne the not and thou agryfeste her false trechexye dispyse and caste awaye her that playeth so harmefullye for she that is nowe cause of so muche sorow to the shulde be to the cause of peace and of ioy She hath forsaken the forsothe the which that neuer man maye be syker that she ne shall forsaken hym Glose But nathlesse some bokes haue the text thus Forfoth she hathe forsaken the ne there nys no man syker that she ne hathe not forsaken Holdeste thou than thylke welefulnesse precyous to the that shall passen and is present deare worthe to the whyche that nys not fayethfull for to dwell and whan she gothe awaye that she bryngeth a wyght in sorow For sens she maye not be wyth holden at a mannes wyll she makethe hym a wretche whan she depertethe fro hym what other thynge is styttyng fortune but a maner shewynge of wretchenesse that is to come Ne it sufficeth not onely to loken on thyng that is present before the eyen of a man but wisdome loketh and measureth th ende of thynges and the same chaungynge from one to another that is to sayne from aduersyte in to prosperyte makethe that the manaces of fortune ne bene not for to dreden ne the
neadeth of full many helpynges to kepen the dyuersities of precious hostilementes And sothe it is that of many thynges they haue nede that many thynges haue And ayenwarde of lytle thynge nedeth hym that measureth his fyll after the nede of kynde and not after thoutrage of couetise It is so than that ye men haue no propre good sette in you for suche ye moten seke outwarde in forayne and subiect thynges So is than the condicion of thynges turned vp so downe that a man that is a deuyne beest by meryte of his reason thynketh that hym selfe nys neither fayre ne noble but yf it be through possessioÌ„ of hostilimeÌ„tes that ne han no soules And certes all other thynges ben apayed of her owne beauties But ye men that be semblable to god by your reasonable thought desyren to apparaylen your excellent kynde of y e loweste thynges Ne ye vnderstonden not how greate a wronge is done to your creatoure For he wolde that mankynde were most worthy and noble of any erthly thingâ— and ye thresten downe youre dignityes benethen the lowest thynges For yf that all the good of euerye thynge be more precyous than is thylke thynge whose that the good is syth ye demen that the foulest thynges ben youre goodes than submytten ye and put your selueÌ„ vnder the foulest thynges by your estimation and certes this betydeth not without youre deserte For certes suche is the condition of all man kynde that onelye whan it hath knowynge of it selfe than passeth it in noblesse all other thynges And whan it forletteth the knowinge of it selfe than it is broughte benethen all beestes For why all other lyuynge beestes han of kynde to knowen nat hem selfe but whan that men letten the knowynge of hem selfe it commeth hem of vyce But how brode sheweth the erroure and the follye of you men that wenen that any thynge maye ben apparayled with straunge apparelmentes â–ª but forsoth that maye not be done For yf a wyght shyneth with thynges that ben put to hym As thus Yf thylke thynges shynen with whiche a man is apparelled Certes thylke thynges been commended and praysed with whiche he is apparelled but nathelesse thynge that is couered and wrapped vnder that dwelleth in his fylth And I denye that thylke thyng be good that anoyeth hym that hath it Gab I of this Thou wolt saye naye Certes ryches haue anoyed full oft hem that han had tho rychesse sytht that euerye wycked shrewe is for his wyckednesse the more gredye after other folkes rychesses wheresoeuer it be in any place be it golde or precious stones and weneth him onlye most worthy that hath hem Thou thaÌ„ that so besy dredrest now the swerde and the speare yf thou haddest entred in the pathe of this lyfe auoyde wayfaryng man than woldest thou syng beforne the thefe as who saith a poore man that beareth no rychesse on him by the waye may boldly syng beforne theues for he hath nat wherof to be robbed O precyous and ryght clere is the blysfulnesse of mortall richesse that whan thou hast goten it than hast thou lorne thy sekernesse Felix nimium prioretas Contenta fidelibê° aruis Nec inerti perdita luxu Facili que sera solebat Ieiunia soluete glande Nec bacchia munera norat Liquido confundere melle Nec lucida vellera serum c. BLysfull was the fyrste age of men they helden hem apayde wyth the metes that y e trewe feldes broughten forth they ne destroyed nor disceyued nat hem selfe wyth outrage they weren wonte lyghtlye to slaken her hunger at euyn wyth â—â—rhornes of okes they ne coude nat medel y u yefte of Bacchus to the clere hony that is to sayne they coulde make no piement or clarre Ne they coude nat medell the bryght fleeces of the countre of Seryens wyth the venym of Tiry thys is to sayn they coude nat dyen whyte fleâ—es of Syrien couÌ„tre with the blode of a maner shelfyssh that men fynden in Tyrie wyth which blode men dyen purple they slepten holsome slepes vpon the grasse and dronken of the rennyng waters and lyen vnder the shadowes of the hye Pyne trees Ne no geste or straunger ne carfe yet the hye see wyth oores or wyth shyppes ne they ne hadden seyn yet no newe strondes to leden marchaundyse in to dyuers countrees Tho weren the cruel claryons full hust and full styl Ne blode yshad by egre hate ne had deyed yet armures For where to or whiche woodnesse of enemyes wolde fyrst mouen armes whan they sawen cruell woundes ne none meedes be of blode yshad I wolde that oure tymes shulde turne ayen to tholde maners But the anguishous loue of hauyng in folke burneth more cruellye than the mountayn of Ethna that ay breÌ„neth Alas what was he that first dalfe vp the gobbettes or the weyghtes of golde couered vnder erthe and the precious stones that wolden haue be hydde He dalfe vp precious peryls that is to sayne that he that hem fyrst vp dalfe he dalfe vp a precious peryll for why for the preciousnesse of suche thyng hath many man ben in peryll Quid autem de dignitatibus potentiaque disseram quas vos vere dignitatis ac potestatis inscii celo exequatis Que si in improbissimum quemque ceciderint c. BVt what shall I saye of dignytees powers the whiche ye men that neyther knowen very dignyte ne very power areysen hem as hyghe as the heuen â–ª the whyche dignytes and powers yf they comen to any wycked maÌ„ they done as great domages and distructions as dothe the flambe of the mountayne Ethna whaÌ„ the flambe waloweth vp ne no deluuy ne dothe so cruell harmes Certes ye remembre wel as I trow that thylke dignyte that men cleape the imperye of counsaylours the whyche whylom was begynnyng of fredom your elders coueyted to haue done away that dignyte for the pryde of the counsaylours And ryght for that same youre elders before that tyme had done awaye out of the cyte of Rome the kynges name that is to sayne they nolde haue no lenger no Kynge But nowe yf so be that dignytees powers ben yeuen to good men the whyche thyng is full selde what agreable thynges is there in tho dignytees powers but onely the goodnesse of folke that vsen hem And therfore is it thus that honour cometh not to vertue bycause of dignyte and ayenwarde honoure cometh to dygnyte for cause of vertue But whiche is thylke your dereworth power that is so clere and so requyrable O ye erthlye beestes consyder ye not ouer whyche thynge that it semeth that ye haue power Nowe yf thou sawe a mouse amonge other myce that chalenged to hym selfwarde right and power ouer all other myce howe greate scorne woldest thou haue of it Glosa So fareth it by men the bodye hathe power ouer the body for yf thou loke well vpon the body of a wight what thyng shalt thou fynd more freel than is mankynde
so thou beholdynge fyrste the false goodes begyn to wythdrawe thy necke fro the earthly affections afterwardes the verye goodes shullen entren into thy corage Tum defixo paululum visu et velut in angustam sue mentis sedem recepta sic cepit P. Omnis mortalium cura quaÌ„ multiplicium studiorum labor exercet c. THo fastened she a lytell the syght of her eyen she wyth drewe her syght as it were in to the strayte seete of her thought and began to speke ryght thus All the cures ê™ she of mortall folke whych y t trauaylen hem in many maner studyes gone certes by dyuers wayes but nathelesse they enforceÌ„ hem all to comen onely to th ende of blysfulnesse And blysfulnesse is suche a good that who so hath goten it he ne maye ouer that thynge more desyre And thys thinge forsoth is so souerayne good that it conteyneth in hym selfe all maner of goodes to the whyche good yf there fayled any thynge it myght not ben souerayne good for then were some good oute of thys souerayne good that myght be desyred Nowe is it clere and certayne that blysfuâ—nesse is a parfyte state by the congregacion of all goodes the which blysfulnesse as I haue sayd all mortall folke enforcen hem to get by dyuers wayes For why the couetyse of euery good is naturelly planted in the hertes of men but the myswandrynge erroure misledeth hem into false goodes Of y e which men some of hem weneÌ„ that souerayne good be to lyuen without nede of any thynge And other men demen y e souerayne good be ryght dygne of reuerence and enforcen hem to be reuerenced amoÌ„ge her neyghbours by the honours that they haue gotte And some folke there ben that holden that ryghte hye power be souerayne good enforcen hem for to reignen or els to ioynen hem to hem that reygneÌ„ And it semeth to other folke that noblesse of renome be the souerayne good hasten hem to getten hem glorious name by the artes of werre or of peace And many folke mesuren and gessen that souerayne good be ioye and gladnesse and wenen that it be ryght blysful thyng to pluÌ„gen in voluptuous delytes And there ben some folke that entrechaungen the causes and y e endes of these forsayd goodes As they that desyren rychesses to haue power delites or els they desyre power for to haue money or for cause of renoÌ„me In these thynges and suche other is tourned al the entencion of desyrynges and werkes of meÌ„ as thus Noblesse and fauoure of people which that yeueth to al men as it semeth hem a maner clerenesse of renomme and wyfe chyldren that meÌ„ desyren for cause of delyte and meriness But forsoth frendes ne shullen not be rekened amoÌ„ge the goodes of fortune but of vertue for it is a full holy maner thynge All these other thynges forsoth be taken for cause of power or els for cause of delyte Certes nowe am I ready to referren the goodes of the body to these forsayd thynges abouen For it semeth that strength and greatnesse of bodye yeuen power and worthynesse that beaute and swyftnesse yeuen glorye and renomme and helth of bodye semeth to yeuen delyte In all these thynges it semeth onely that blysfulnesse is desyred for why thylke thynge that euerye man desyreth moste ouer all thynges he demeth that it be souerayne good But I haue dysfyned that blysfulnesse is souerayne good for whyche euery wyght demeth that thylke estate y t he desyreth ouer all thynges that it be blysfulnesse Now hast thou theÌ„ before thyne eyen almost al the purposed forme of the welefulnesse of mankinde that is to sayne rychesse honours power glorye and delytes the whych delyte only coÌ„sydered he Epicurus and iuged and establysshed that delyte is the souerayne good for as moche as all other thynges as hym thought byrefte awaye ioye and myrth from the herte But I returne agayne to the studyes of men of whyche men the corage alwaye reherseth and seketh y e souerayne good all be it so that it be wyth a dyrked memorye but he note by whych pathe ryghte as a dronken man note nought by whych path he may returne home to hys house Semeth it then that folke forleyen and erren to enforcen hem to haue nede of nothing Certes there is none other thing that maye so moche performen blysfulnesse as an estate plenteous of all goodes that ne hath nede of none other thynge but that is suffysaunt of hym selfe vnto hym selfe And folyen suche folke then that wenen y t thylke thyng that is ryght good that it is eke ryght worthy of honour of reuerence certes nay For that thynge nys neyther foule ne worthy to be despysed that well nygh all the entencion of mortall folke trauaylen to get it And power eke ought not to be rekened amoÌ„ges goodes What els For it nys not to wene that thylke thynge that is moste worthy of all thynges be feble wythout streÌ„gth And clerenesse of renome ought that to bene dyspysed Certes there may no man forsake that all thynge that is right excellent and noble that it ne semeth be ryght clere renomed For certes it nedeth not to saye that blysfulnesse be anguyshous ne drery ne subiect to greuaunces ne sorowes sens that in ryght lytell thynges folke seken to haue and to vsen that maye delyten hem Certes these ben the thynges that men wyllen and desyren to geten for thys cause desyren they rychesses dygnytees regnes glorye and delytes For therby wenen they to haue suffysaunce honour power renome and gladnesse Then is it good that men seken thus by so many dyuers studyes in whych desyre it maye not lyghtly be shewed howe great is the strength of nature For howe so men haue diuers sentences and dyscordynges algates men accorden al in louynge the ende of good Quantas rerum flectit habenas Natura potens quibus immensum Legibus orbeÌ„ prouida seruet Stringatque ligans irresoluto Singula nexu placet arguto Fidelibus lentis promere cantu c. IT lyketh me to shewe by subtyl songe with slacke and delytable sowne of strynges how that nature myghtely enclyneth flytteth the gouernemeÌ„t of thinges by suche lawes she purucyable kepeth the great world how she byndyng restrayneth al thynges by a bonde y t may not be vnbounden Al be it so y t the lyons of the countrey of Pene beren the fayre chaynes and takeÌ„ meates of the handes of folke that yeuen it hem and dreden her sturdye maysters of whyche they be wonte to suffre beatinges yf that her horrible mouthes ben bledde that is to faine of beestes deuoured her corage of tyme passed that hath bene ydle and rested repayreth ayen and they roren greuously and remembren on her nature and slaken her neckes froÌ„ her chaynes vnbounde and her maistre fyrst to torne wyth blody tethe assayeth the wood wrathes of hem that is to sayne they
Phi. The thynges than ê™ she that ne bene no goodes whan they bene diuers whan they begynnen to be al one thyng than bene they goodes ne cometh it not thaÌ„ by the gettyng of vnyte that they be maked goodes Boece So semeth it quod I Philo. But al thynge that is good ê™ she graunteste thou that it be good by the participation of good or no Boece I graunt it quod I Philoso Than must thou grauÌ„ted quod she by semblable reason that one and good be one same thynge For of thynges of whyche the effecte nys not naturelly diuers nedes her substaunce must be one same thyng Boece I ne maye not denye it quod I Philoso Haste thou not knowen well ê™ I that all thynge that is hath so longe hys dwellyng and his substaunce as longe as it is one but whan it forletteth to bene one it muste nedes dyen and corrumpen togyther B. In which maner ê™ I Philo. Ryght as in beestes quod she whan the soule and the bodye bene conioyned in one and dwellen togyther it is cleped a beest and whan her vnite is distroyed by the dysceuerauÌ„ce of that one from that other than sheweth it wel y t it is a deed thing and it is no lenger no beast And the body of a wight whyle it dwelleth in one fourme by coniunction of membres it is well sene that it is a fygure of mankynde And yf the partyes of the bydye be deuyded and disceuered that one from that other that they distroye the vnite y e body forleteth to be that it was beforne And who so wold renue in the same maner by all thynges he shulde sene y t without dout euery thynge is in hys substaunce as longe as it is one And whan it forleteth to be one it dyeth and perisheth Boece whaÌ„ I consyder quod I manye thynges I se none other Philoso Is there any thyng ê™ she that in as muche as it lyueth naturelly that forleteth the talent or the apetyte of his beynge and desyreth to come to deathe and to corruption Boece If I consyder quod I the beastes that haue anye maner nature of wyllyng and nyllyng I ne fynde no beest but yf it be constrayned fro wythout forthe that forleteth or dyspyceth the entencion to lyuen and to duren or that wyll hys thankes hasten hym to dyen For euerye beaste trauayleth hym to defende and kepe the sauacion of hys lyfe and escheweth death and dystruction But certes I doute me of herbes and trees that ne haue no felynge soules ne no naturell workynges seruynge to appetytes as beastes haue whether they haue appetyte to dwelle and to duren Philosoph Certes quod she therof dare the not doute Nowe loke vpon the herbes and trees for they wexen fyrste in suche place as bene couenable to hem in whyche places they mowe not dyen ne dryen as longe as her nature maye defende hem For some of hem wexen in feldes some wexen in mouÌ„taignes and other wexe in mareys and other cleauen on rockes and some wexen pleÌ„teous in sondes And yf any wyght enforce hym to beare hem in to other places they wexen drye For nature yeueth to euerye thynge that is conueniente to hym and trauayleth that they ne dye as longe as they haue power to dwellen and to lyuen what wylte thou sayne of thys that they drawen all her nouryshynges by her rootes ryghte as they haddeÌ„ her mouthes yplouÌ„ged within the earthes and sheaden by her maryes her wodde and her barke And what wylte thou sayne of thys that thylke thynge that is ryghte softe as the marye is that is alwaye hydde in the seate all within and that is defended from wythoute by the stedfastnesse of wodde and that the vttereste barkes is put ayenst the distemperaunce of the heauen as a defendoure myghtye to suffrâ—â— harme And thus certes mayste thou well sene howe great is the dyligence of nature For all thynges renouelen and publyshed hem wyth seede ymultyplyed Ne there nys no man that ne wote well that they ne bene ryghte as a foundemente and edefyce for to duren not onely for a tyme but ryghte as for to dure perdurably by generatioÌ„ And y t thinges eke that men went ne haue no soules ne desyre they not by semblable reason to kepen that is hys that is to sayne that is accordynge to her nature in conseruation of her beyng and enduryng For wherfore els beareth lyghtnesse the flambes vp and the weyghte presseth the earth adowne but for as muche as thylke places and thylke mouinges be couenable to eueryth of hem And forsothe euery thynge kepeth thylke that is accordynge propre to hym ryght as thynges that bene contraryous and enemies corrumpen hem And yet the harde thinges as stones cleauen and holden her parties togyther right fast harde and defenden hem in withstaÌ„dyng that they ne departen lyghtly and yeuen place to hem that breaken or deuydeÌ„ hem but nathlesse they retournen ayen soone in to the sam thynges from whence they be araced But fyre fâ—eeth and refuseth all deuysyon Ne I ne treate not nowe here of wylful mouinges of the soule that is knowyng but of naturell entention of thynges as thus Ryght as we swalowen the meate that we receyuen and ne thynke not on it and as we draw our breath in slepyng that we weten whyle we slepen For certes in the beestes the loue of her lyuynges ne of her beynges ne cometh not of the wylnynges of the soule but of the begynnynges of nature for certes thoroughe constraynynge causes wyll desyreth embraseth ful oft tymes the deth that nature dredeth that is to sayn as thus that a man maye be constrayned so by some cause that his wyl desyreth and taketh the deathe whyche that nature hateth dredeth full sore And some tyme we sene the contrary as thus y t the wyll of a wyght disturbeth and constrayneth that that nature alwaye desyreth and requyreth that is to say y t werkes of generacion by the which generacion onely dwelleth and is susteyned the longe durabylite of mortall thynges as thus Thys charite and this loue that euery thynge hathe to hym selfe ne cometh not of the mouynge of the soule but of the entencion of nature For the purueyaunce of God hathe yeuen to thynges that bene create of hym thys that is a full great cause to lyuen and to duren for whyche they desyren naturelly her lyfe as longe as euer they mowen for whych thou mayst not dreden by no maner that all thynges that bene anye where that they ne requireÌ„ naturelly the ferme stablenesse of perdurable dwellyng and eke the eschewyng of distruction Boece I coÌ„fesse ê™ I that I se wel now and certaynly withouten dout the thinges that a whyle ago semeden vncertaine to me Philoso But ê™ she thylke thynge that desyreth to be and dwell perdurablye he desyreth to bene one for yf that one were distroyed certes beynge shulde there none dwellen to no wyght Boece That is
teares wepten for pyte Tho was not the heade of Ixion tonemented by the ouerthrowynge whele And Tantalus that was distroyed by the woodnesse of longe thurst dispysed the floodes to drynke The foule that hyght Vultur that eateth the stomake or the gyserne of Tityus is so fulfylled of hys songe that it nyll eaten ne tyren no more At the laste the Lorde and iuge of soules was moued to myserirordies and cryed we bene ouercomeÌ„ ê™ he yeue we to Orpheus hys wyfe to beare hym company he hath well ybought her by hys songes and hys dyties but we wyll putten a law 〈◊〉 thys and couenaunte in the yefte that is to sayn y t tyl he be out of hel yf he loke behinde hym that hys wyfe shall come agayne vnto vs. But what is he that maye yeue a law to louers loue is a greater law and a stronger to him selfe than any lawe that meÌ„ may yeuen Alas whan Orpheus and hys wyfe were almost at the termes of the night that is to sayne at the laste boundes of hell Orpheus loked backewarde on Eurydice hyâ— wyfe and loste her and was deade Thys table apertayneth to you all who so euer desyreth or seketh to lede his thought in to the souerayne daye that is to saye to clerenesse of souerayne good For who so euer be so ouercomen that he fixe his eyen into the pytte of hell that is to sayne who so euer sette hys thoughtes in erthly thynges all y t euer he hath draweÌ„ of y e noble good celestiall he leseth it whan he loketh to the helles thys is to sayne into lowe thynges of the earth ¶ Thus endeth the thyrde boke of Boece and here after foloweth the fourth HEc cum philosophia dignita te vultus et oris grauitate seruata leniter suauiter que cecinisset Tum ego nondum penitus insiti meroris oblitus c. WHen Philosophie had songen softly delectably the forsayd thynges kepyng y e dignite of her chere the weyghte of her wordes I theÌ„ that ne had all vtterly foryeten the wepyng and the mournynge that was set in myne herte forbrake the entencion of her that entended yet to sayne some other thynges O quod I thou that arte gyderesse of verye lyght the thinges that thou hast sayd me hytherto ben to me so clere and shewynge by the dyuyne lokynge of hem and by thy reasons that they ne mowen ben ouercomen And thylke thynges that thou toldest me all be it so that I had whylom foryeten hem for â—he sorowe of the wronge that hath be done to me yet neuerthelesse they ne weren not vtterly vnknowen to me But thys same is namely a ryght greate cause of my sorowe so y t as the gouernour of thynges is good yf that yuels moweÌ„ ben by any wayes or els yf that yuels passen wythout punyshyng the which thyng only how worthy is it to ben woÌ„dred vpon Thou consydrest it well thy selfe certaynly But yet to this thynge there is yet an other thynge ioyned more to be wondred vpon For felonye is emperesse and floureth ful of rychesse and vertue nys not all only wyth out medes but it is cast downe and eke fortroden vnder the fete of felonous folke and it abyeth the tourmentes in stede of wycked fâ—ions Of all whyche thynges there is no wyght maye maruaylen ynough ne complaynen that such thynges be done in the reygne of god that al thynges wote and al thynges maye and ne wyl not only but good thinges Then sayd she thus Certes quod she that were a great maruayle an abashyng wyth out ende and well more horrible then al the monsters yf it were as thou wenest that is to sayne that in the ryghte ordayne house of so moch a father and an ordaynour of meyne that the vessels that ben foule and vyle shuld ben honoured and heryed and the precious vessels shuld ben defouled and vyle But it is not so for yf the thynges that I haue concluded a lytel here beforne ben kept hole and vnaraced thou shalte well knowe by the authorite of god of the whose reygne I speke that certes the good folke be alwaye myghty and shrewes ben alwaye outcaste and feble Ne the vyces be neuer more wythout payne ne the vertues ne be not wythout mede And that blysfulnesse cometh alway to good folke and infortune cometh alway to wicked folke And thou shalt well knowen many thynges of thys kynde that shuld ceasen thy playntes and strengthen the wyth stedfast sadnesse And for thou hast sene the forme of very blysfulnesse by me that haue whylom shewed it the and thou haste knowen in whome blysfulnesse is set althynge treated that I trow be necessary to put forth I shall shewen the the waye that shall bryngen the ayen vnto thyne house and I shall fyxe fethers in thy thought by which it maye arysen in heyght so that all tribulation ydone awaye thou by my gydynge and by my pathe and by my fledes shalte mowen retourne hole and sounde into thy countrey Sunt etenim penne volueres michi Que celsa conscendunt polt Quas sibi cli velox mens induit c. THen for thy swyfte fethers y t surmounten the heyght of the heuen when the swyft thought hath clothed it in tho feathers it dyspiseth the hatefull erthes and surmounteth the rouÌ„denesse of the great ayre and it seeth the cloudes behynde hys backe passeth the heyghte of the regyon of the fyre that enchaufeth by the swyfte mouynge of the fyrmament tyll that he aryseth into the houses that bearen the sterres and ioyneth the waye wyth the sunne Phebus and felowshyppeth the waye of the olde colde Saturnus he ymaked a knyght of the clere sterre that is to sayeÌ„ wheÌ„ the thought is made goddes knight by the sekynge of clere trouthe to comen to the verye knowlege of god And thilk soule reÌ„neth by y e clerke of sterrres in al the places there as the shynynge nyght is ypaynted that is to sayne the nyght that is cloudlesse For on nyghtes that be cloudlesse it semeth that the heauen were paynted wyth dyuers ymages of sterres And wheÌ„ he hath done there ynough he shall forleten the laste heuen and he shall presen and wenden on the backe of the swyft fyrmament and he shal be maked parfyte of the worshypfull lyght of god There holdeth the lorde of thinges the sceptre of hys might and attempreth the gouernementes of the worlde and the shynynge iuge of thynges stable in hym selfe gouerneth y e swyft carte or wayne that is to sayne the cyrculer mouynge of the sunne And yf thy waye ledeth y e ayen so that thou be brought thyder then wylt thou saye that is the countrye that thou requyrest of whych thou ne haddest no mynde but nowe it remembreth me well here was I borne here wol I fasteÌ„ my degre here wol I dwel But yf the lyketh then to loken on the darkenesses of the earth that thou haste forleten then shalte
vnder stone Or euer he shulde his hertes ease restore In her fayled nothynge that I coude gesse One wyse nor other preuy nor perte A garyson she was of al goodlynesse To make a frounter for a louers herte Right yonge fresshe a woman ful couerte Assured wele of porte and eke of chere we le at her ease withouten wo or smerte Al vnderneth the standerde of daungere To se the feest it weryed me ful sore For heuy ioye doth sore the herte trauayle Out of the prese I me withdrawe therfore And set me downe alone behynde a trayle Ful of leues to se a great meruayle with grene wrethes ybounden wonderly The leues were so thycke withouten fayle That throughout no man might me espy To this lady he came ful curtesly whaÌ„ he thought tyme to dauÌ„ce w t her a trace Set in an herber made fule plesauntly They rested hem fro thens but a lytel space Nygh hem were none of a certayne compace But onely they as farre as I coude se Saue the trayle there I had chose my place There was no more bytwene hem two me I harde the louer syghyng wonder sore For aye the more the sorer it him sought His inwarde paine he coude not kepe in store Nor for to speke so hardy was he nought His leche was nere y e gretter was his thouÈt He mused sore to conquere his desyre For no maÌ„ may to more penauÌ„ce be brought That in his heate to bring him to the fyre The herte began to swel within his cheste So sore strayned for anguisshe for payne That al to peces almoste it to brest whan both at ones so sore it dyd constrayne Desyre was bold but shame it gan refrayne That one was large the other was ful close No lytel charge was layde on him certayne To kepe suche werre and haue so many fose Ful ofteÌ„ tymes to speke him selfe he payned But shamfastnesse drede sayd euer nay Yet at the last so sore he was constrayned whan he full longe had put it in delay To his lady ryght thus than gan he say with dredeful voyce wepyng halfe in a rage For me was purueyed an vnhappy day whan I fyrst had a syght of your vysage I suffre payne god wote ful hote brennynge To cause my dethe all for my true seruyse And I se well ye recke therof nothyng Nor take no hede of it in no kynde wyse But whan I speke after my best aduyse Ye set it at nought but make therof a game And thoughe I sewe so great an entrepryse Yet peyreth not your worship nor your fame Alas what shulde it be to you preiudyce If that a man do loue you faythfully To your worshyp eschewynge euery vyce So am I yours and wyll be veryly I chalenge nought of ryght and reason why For I am hole submyt vnto your seruyce Ryght as ye lyst it be ryght so wyll I To bynde my self where I was in frauÌ„chise Lamant Though it be so that I can nat deserue To haue your grace but alway lyue in drede Yet suffre me you for to loue and serue withouten maugre of your most goodlyhede Both faith trouth I gyue your womaÌ„hede And my seruyce wythout any callynge Loue hath me bouÌ„d withoute wage or mede To be your man and leue all other thynge La dame Whan thys lady had herde al this language She gaue answere full softe and demurely wythout chaungynge of colour or courage Nothynge in haste but mesurably Me thinketh syr your thought is great foly Purpose ye nought your labour for to cese For thynketh not whyles ye lyue and I In thys mater to set your herte in pease Lamant There may none make the peace but only ye which are the grounde cause of al this war For wyth your eyen the letters written be By whyche I am defyed and put a far Your plesaunt loke my very lode star was made herande of thilke same defyaunce whiche vtterly behyght me for to barre My fayhtfull trust and all myne affyaunce La dame To lyue in wo he hath great fantasy And of hys herte also slypper holde That onely for beholdynge of an eye Can nat abyde in peace as reason wolde Other or me yf ye lyst ye may beholde our eyeÌ„ are made to loke whi shuld we spare I take no kepe neyther of yonge ne olde who feleth smerte I counsayle hym beware Lamant If it be so one hurte another sore In hys defaute that feleth the greuaunce Of very ryght a man may do no more Yet reason wolde it were in remembraunce And syth fortune onely by her chaunce Hath caused me to suffre all thys payne By your beaute wyth all the cyrcumstaunce why lyste ye haue me in so great dysdayne La dame To your persone ne haue I no dysdayne Nor neuer had trewly ne nought wyll haue Nor ryght great loue nor hatred in certayne Nor your counsayle to know so god me saue Yf suche loue be in your mynde ygraue That lytell thynge may do you dyspleasauÌ„ce You to begyle or make you for to raue I wyll nat cause no suche encomberaunce Lamant What euer it be y t me hath thus purchased wenynge hath nat dysceyued me certayne But feruent loue so sore hath me ychased That I vnware am casten in your chayne And syth so is as fortune lyst ordayne All my welfare is in your haundes fall In eschewynge of more myscheuous payne who sonest dyeth hys care is leest of all La dame This syckenesse is ryght easy to endure But fewe people it causeth for to dye But what they meane I knowe it very sure Of more comforte to drawe the remedy Suche be there nowe playnyng ful pytously That fele god wote nat alther grettest paine And yf so be loue hurte so greuously Lesse harm it were one sorowful thaÌ„ twayn Lamant Alas madame yf that it myght you please Moche better it were by way of gentylnesse Of one sory to make twayne wel at ease Than hym to destroye that lyueth in distresse For my desyre is neyther more nor lesse But my seruyce to do for your pleasaunce In eschewynge all maner doublenesse To make two ioyes in stede of one greuauÌ„ce La dame Of loue I seke neyther pleasaunce nor ease Nor haue therin no great affyaunce Though ye be sick it doth me nothing please Also I take no hede of your pleasaunce Chese who so wyll her hertes to auaunce Fre am I nowe and free wyll I endure To be ruled by mannes gouernaunce For erthely good Nay that I you ensure Lamant Loue which that ioy sorowe doth departe Hath set the ladyes out of all seruage And largely dothe graunt hem for her parte Lordshyp and rule of euery maner of age The poore seruauÌ„t nought hath of auantage But what he may gete onely by purchesse And he that ones to loue doth hys homage Full often tymes dere bought is the rychesse La dame Ladyes be nat so symple thus I mene So dull of wyt
from you fro no mo Fortune wyll thys that I for wele or wo My lyfe endure your mercy abydynge And very ryght wyll that I thynke also Of your worshyp aboue all other thynge La dame To your worshyp se well for that is nede That ye spende nat your season all in vayne As touchynge myne I rede you take no hede By your folly to put your selfe in payne To ouercome is good and to restrayne An herte whyche is disceyued follyly For worse it is to breke than bowe certayne Better bowe than to fall sodaynly Lamant Nowe fayre lady thynke syth it fyrst began That loue hath set myn herte vnder his cure It neuer myght ne truely I ne can None other serue whyle I shall here endure In most fre wyse therof I make you sure which may not be withdrawe this is no nay I must abyde all maner aduenture For I may neyther put to nor take away La dame I holde it for no gyfte in sothfastnesse That one offreth where it is forsake For suche a gyfte is abandonynge expresse That wyth worship ayen may not be take He hath an herte full fell that lyst to make A gyfte lyghtly that put is to refuse But he is wyse that suche conceyte wyl slake So that hym nede neyther to study ne muse Lamant He shulde nat muse y t hath hys seruyce spent On her whyche is a lady honourable And yf I spende my tyme to that entent Yet at the lest I am not reprouable Of fayned herte to thynke I am vnable Or I mystoke whan I made thys request By whiche loue hath of entreprise notable So many hertes gotten by conquest La dame If that ye lyste do after my counsayle Seche a fayrer and of more hygher fame whych in seruyce of loue wyll you preuayle After your thought accordynge to the same He hurteth both hys worshyp and hys name That follyly for twayne hī selfe wyl trouble And he also leseth his after game That surely can not set hys poyntes double Lamant This your counsayle by ought that I can se Is better sayd than done to myne aduyse Though I byleue it not forgyue it me Myne herte is such so hole without feyntyse That I ne may gyue credence in no wyse To thyng which is not sowning vnto truth Other counsayle I se be but fantasyse Saue of your grace to shewe pyte and ruth La dame I holde hym wyse that worketh no foly And whan hym lyst can leue parte therfro But in connynge he is to lerne truely That wolde hym selfe conduyte can not so And he that wyll not after counsayle do His sute he putteth in to dysperaunce And all the good that shulde fall hym to Is lost and deed clene out of remembraunce Lamant Yet wyl I sewe thys matter faythfully whyles I lyue what euer be my chaunce And yf it hap that in my truth I dye Than deth shal do me no displeasaunce But whan that I by your harde suffraunce Shall dye so true with so great a payne Yet shal it do me much the lesse greuaūce Than for to lyue a false louer certayne La dame Of me get ye ryght nought thys is no fable I wyl to you be neyther harde nor strayte And ryght wyl not no man customable To thynke ye shulde be sure of my conceyte who secheth sorowe his be the receyte Other counsayle can I not fele nor se Nor for to lerne I cast me not to awayte who wyll therof let hym assaye for me Lamant Ones must it be assayde that is no nay wyth suche as be of reputacyon And of true loue the ryght honour to pay Of free hertes gotten by dewe raunsome For frewyl holdeth thys opinion That it is great duresse and discomforte To kepe a herte in so strayte a prison That hath but one body for his disporte La dame I knowe so many causes meruaylous That I must nede of reason thynke certaine That such auenture is wonder peryllous And yet wel more the coming backe againe Good or worshyp therof is seldome sene where I ne wyll make suche araye As for to fynde a pleasaunce but a barayne whan it shal cost so dere the fyrst assaye Lamant Ye haue no cause to dout of this mater Nor you to mene with no such fantasyse To put me farre al out as a straunger For your goodnesse can thinke wel aduyse That I haue made a pryse in euery wyse By whiche my truth sheweth open euidence My longe abydyng and my trewe seruyce Maye well be knowen by playne experience La dame Of very ryght he may be called trewe And so must he be take in euery place That can discerne and set as he ne knewe And kepe the good yf he it may purchace For who y t prayeth or swereth in any case Right wel ye wote in y t no trouth is preued Such hath there bene are that getē grace And lese it sone whan they haue it acheued Lamant If truth me cause by vertue souerayne To shewe good loue alway fynde cōtrary And cherish y t which sleeth me with y e paine This is to me a louely aduersary whan y e pyte which longe on slepe doth tary Hath set the fyne of al my heuynesse Yet her comforte to me moost necessary Shal set my wyll more sure in stablenesse La dame The wofull wight what maye he thynke or say The contrary of al ioy and gladnesse A sicke bodye his thought is alway From hem that felen no sore nor sickenesse Thus hurtes bene of diuers busynesse which loue hath put to great hyndraunce And truth also put in forgetfulnesse whan they ful sore begyn to sigh askaunce Lamant Now god defende but he be harmelesse Of al worship or good that may befall That to werst tourneth by his lewdnesse A gyfte of grace or any thinge at all That his ladie vouchsafe vpon him call Or cherisheth him in honorable wise In that defaute what euer he be that fall Deserueth more than deth to suffre twyse La dame There is no iuge yset on suche trespace By whych of right loue may recouered be One curseth fast another doth manace Yet dyeth none as farre as I can se But kepe her course alway in one degre And euermore theyr labour doth encrease To brynge ladies by theyr great subtelte For others gylte in sorowe and disease Lamant Albeit so one doth so great offence And is not deed nor put to no iustyce Right well I wote him gayneth no defence But he must ende in ful mischeuous wyse And all euer sayd god wyl him dispyse For falshed is euer ful of cursedenesse that his worshyp may neuer haue interprise where it reygneth hath the wylfulnesse La dame Of that haue they no great fere now a daise Such as wyl say and maynteyne it therto That stedfast truth is nothing for to prayse In hem that kepe it longe in wele or wo Theyr busye hertes passen two and fro They be so wel
fantasyes in suche wordes as we lerneden of our dames tonge And although thys boke be lytel thanke worthy for the leudnesse in trauayle yet such wrytynges exciten men to thylke thynges y t bene necessarie for euery mā therby maye as by a perpetual myrrour sene the vyces or vertues of other in which thynge lyghtly may be cōceyued to eschewe peryls and necessaries to catche after as auētures haue fallen to other people or persons Certes y e soueraynst thing of desyre and moste creature reasonable haue or els shulde haue ful appetyte to theyr perfection vnresonable beestes mowen not syth reason hath in hem no werkynge Then reasonable that wol not is comparysoned to vnresonable and made lyke hem Forsothe the moste souerayne and fynall perfection of mā is in knowynge of a soth wythouten any entent dysceyuable and in loue of one very god that is inchaungeable that is to knowe and loue hys creatour ¶ Nowe principally the meane to brynge in knowlegyng and louyng hys creatour is the consyderacion of thinges made by the creatour wherthrough be thylke thynges that bene made vnderstādynge here to our wyttes arne the vnsene priuytees of god made to vs sightful knowing in our cōtemplacion vnderstandyng These thinges then forsoth moch bryngen vs to y e ful knowlegynge sothe and to the parfyte loue of the maker of heauenly thynges Lo Dauid sayeth thou haste delyted me in makynge as who sayeth to haue delite in y e tune how god hath lent me in cōsyderation of thy makynge wherof Aristotle in the boke de Animalibus sayeth to naturel philosophers It is a great lykynge in loue of knowynge theyr creatour and also in knowynge of causes in kyndelye thynges consydred Forsothe the formes of kyndly thynges y e shap a great kyndly loue mē shulde haue to the werkman y t hem made The crafte of a werkman is shewed in the werke Herefore truly the philosophers with a lyuely studye many noble thynges ryghte precious and worthy to memory wrytten by a great swet ande trauayle to vs leften of causes the properties in natures of thynges To whyche therfore Phylosophers it was more ioye more lykynge more herty lust in kyndly vertues maters of reason y e perfection by busy study to knowe thē to haue had al the treasure al the rychesse al y e vaynglory y t the passed Emperours prynces or kynges hadden Therfore y e names of hem in y e boke of perpetual memory in vertue peace arne wrytten and in the contrary that is to sayne in stixe y e foule pytte of helle arne thilke pressed that suche goodnesse hated And bycause thys boke shall be of loue and the pryme causes of sterynge in that doynge with passyons and dyseases for wantynge of desyre I wyll that this boke be cleped y e Testamēt of loue But now thou reder who is thylke y e wyl not in scorne laughe to here a dwerfe or els halfe a man say he wyll rende out the swerd of Hercules handes also he shulde set Hercules gades a myle yet ferther and ouer that he had power of strength to pul vp the spere that Alisander y e noble myght neuer wegge And that passyng al thynge to ben master of Fraunce by myght there as the noble gracious Edwarde the thyrde for all hys greate prowes in vyctories ne myght al yet cōquere Certes I wote wel ther shal be made more scorne iape of me that I so vnworthely clothed altogether in the cloudy cloude of vncōnynge wyl puttē me in prees to speke of loue or els of the causes in that mater sythen all y e greatest clerkes han had ynough to done and as who sayth gathered vp clene toforne hem wyth theyr sharpe sythes of connynge all mowen and made therof great rekes and noble full of all plentyes to fede me and many another Enuye forsothe cōmendeth nought hys reason y t he hath in hayne be it neuer so trusty And although these noble repers as good workmen and worthy theyr hyer haue al drawe and bounde vp in y e sheues made many shockes yet haue I ensample to gather the smale crōmes and fullē my walet of tho that fallen from the borde among◠the smale houndes notwythstandynge the trauayle of the almoygner y t hath drawe vp in the cloth al the remyssayles as trenchours and the relyfe to bere to the almesse Yet also haue I leue of y e noble husbonde Boece although I be a straunger of connynge to come after his doctrine and these great workmē and glene my handfuls of the shedynge after theyr handes if me fayle ought of my ful to encrease my porcion with that I shal drawe by priuytyes out of the shocke a slye seruaunt in hys owne helpe is often moche cōmēded knowyng of trouth in causes of thīges was more hardyer in the fyrst sechers and so sayth Aristotle lyghter in vs y t hath folowed after For theyr passyng study han freshed our wyttes and our vnderstandynge han excyted in cosyderacion of trouth by sharpnesse of theyr reasons Vtterly these thinges be no dremes ne iapes to throwe to hogges it is lyfelyche meate for chyldren of trouth and as they me betyden whē I pylgrimaged out of my kyth in wynter when the wether out of measure was boystous the wylde wynde Borias as hys kynde asketh wyth dryenge coldes maked the wawes of the Occian see so to aryse vnkyndely ouer the cōmune bankes that it was in poynte to spyl al the earth ¶ Thus endeth the prologue and here after foloweth the fyrst boke of the Testament of Loue. ALas Fortune alas I that somtyme in delycious houres was wont to enioy blysful stoundes am nowe dryue by vnhappy heuynes to bewayle my sondry yuels in tene Trewlye I leaue in myne herte is wryte of perdurable letters al the entencions of lamentacion that now ben ynempned for any maner dysease outwarde in sobbynge maner sheweth sorowfull yexynge from wythin Thus from my comforte I gynne to spylle syth she that shulde me solace is ferre fro my presence Certes her absence is to me an hell my sternyng deth thus in wo it myneth y t endelesse care is throughe out myne herte clēched blysse of my ioye that ofte my murthed is turned into galle to thynke on thynge that maye not at my wyll in armes me hent Myrth is chaunged into tene when swynke is there continually that reste was wonte to soiourne and haue dwellynge place Thus wytlesse thoughtfull syghtlesse lokinge I endure my penaunce in this derke prysone caytisned fro frendshyp and acquaintaunce and forsaken of all y e any worde dare speke Straunge hath by waye of intrucyon made hys home there me shuld be yf reason were herde as he shulde Neuerthelater yet hertely lady precious Margarit haue mynd on thy seruaunt and thynke on hys dysease howe lyghtles he lyueth sythe the beames brēnende in loue of thyne eyen arne so be wēt that worldes and cloudes atwene vs tweye
doth not that other wherfore vnsely dothe not begyle Selynesse dysceyueth vnsely put awaye doute That one maketh men blynde that other openeth theyr eyen in shewyng of wretchednesse The one is ful of drede to lese that is not his owne that other is sobre and maketh men dyscharged of mokell heuynesse in burthen The one draweth a man from very good y e other haleth hym to vertue by the hookes of thoughtes And wenyst thou not that thy dysease hath done the mokel more to wynne then euer yet thou lostest and more then euer the contrary made the wynne Is not a greate good to thy thynkynge for to knowe the hertes of thy sothfast frēdes ▪ Pardy they ben proued to y e ful the trewe haue dysceuered from the false Trewly at the goynge of the ylke brotel ioy ther yede no more awaye then the ylke that was not thyne proper He was neuer from that lyghtly departed thyne owne good therfore leaueth it styl wyth the. Nowe good quod she for howe moche woldest thou somtyme haue boughte thys very knowyng of thy frendes from the flatterynge flyes that the glosed when thou thought thy self sely But thou that playnest of losse in rychesse hast founden the most dere worthy thynge that thou clepest vnsely hath made the moche thynge to wynnen And also for conclusion of all he is frende that nowe leaueth not hys herte frō thyne helpes And yf that Margarite denyeth nowe not to suffre her vertues shyne to the wardes wyth spreadynge beames as farre or farther then yf thou were sely in worldly ioye trewely I saye not els but she is somdele to blame Ah peace quod I and speake nomore of thys myne hert breaketh now thou touchest any suche wordes A well quod she then let vs syngen thou hearest no more of these thynges at thys tyme. ¶ Thus endeth the fyrste boke of the Testament of Loue and here after foloweth the seconde VEry welthe maye not be founden in al thys world and that is well sene Lo howe in my moost comforte as I wende moste supposed to haue hadde ful answere of my contrary thoughtes sodaynly it was vanysshed And all the workes of man faren in the same wyse when folke wenen beste her entente for to haue and wylles to perfourme anone chaungynge of the lyft syde to y e ryght halue tourneth it so clene into another kynde that neuer shall it come to the fyrste plyte in doynge O thys wrongful sterynge so soone other wysed out of knowynge but for my purpose was at my begynnynge and so dureth yet yf God of hys grace tyme woll me graunt I thynke to perfourme thys worke as I haue begonne in loue after as my thynne wytte with inspiracion of him that hildeth al grace woll suffre Greuously god wotte haue I suffred a great throwe that the romayne Emperour whyche in vnite of loue shulde accorde and euery wyth other in cause of other to auaunce and namely sythe thys empyre to be corrected of so many sectes in heresie of faith of seruyce o rule in loues religion Trewlye al were it but to shende errontous opinions I maye it no lenger suffre for many menne there ben that sayne loue to ben in grauel and sande that wyth see ebbynge and flowynge woweth as ryches that sodaynly vanysheth And some sayne that loue shuld be in wyndy blastes that stoundmele turneth as a phane and glorye of renome whyche after lustes of the varyaunt people is areysed or stylled Many also wenen that in the sonne and the moone and other sterres loue shulde ben foūden for amonge all other planettes moste soueraynly they shynen as dygnityes in reuerence of estates rather then good han and occupyen Ful many also there ben that in okes and in huge postes supposen loue to be groūded as in strength in might which mowen not helpen theyr owne wretchednesse when they gynne to fall But suche dyuersyte of sectes ayenst the ryghtfull byleue of loue these errours ben forth spredde that loues seruaūtes in trewe rule and stedfaste faythe in no place darne apere Thus irrecuperable ioy is went and anoy endlesse is entred for no man aryght reproueth suche errours but confyrmen theyr wordes and sayne that bad is noble good and goodnes is badde to whyche folke the prophet byddeth wo without ende Also many tonges of great false techinges in gylynge maner principally in my tymes not only wyth wordes but also wyth armes loues seruauntes and professe in hys religyō of trewe rule pursewen to confoūden and to dystroyen And for as moche as holy fathers that oure christen faythe aproued and strengthed to the iewes as to mē resonable and of dyuinite lerned proued thilke fayth with resones and wyth authorities of the olde testament of the newe her pertinacye to distroy But to paynyms that for beestes and houndes were holde to put hem out of theyr errour was myracles of god shewed These thynges were fygured by comynge of thāgel to the shepeherdes and by the sterre to paynyms kynges as who sayeth angel reasonable to resonable creature and sterre of myracle to people bestial not lerned werne sent to enforme But I louers clerke in all my connyng and with al my mightes truly I haue no such grace in vertue of myracles ne for to dyscomfyte falsheedes suffyseth not authorites alone sythen that suche heretykes and mayntenours of falsytes Wherfore I wote wel sythen that they ben men and reason is approued in hem the clowde of erroure hath her reason bewonde probable resons whych that catchende wyt rightfully may not with sytte By my trauaylynge studye I haue ordeyned hem wyth y e authorite mysglosed by mannes reason to graunt shall be enduced Now gynneth my penne to quake to thynken on the sentences of the enuyous people whych alwaye ben redy both ryder and goer to skorne and to iape thys leude boke and me for rancoure hate in theyr hertes they shullen so dyspyse that althoughe my booke be leude yet shall it ben more leude holden and by wycked wordes in many maner apayred Certes me thynketh the sowne of theyr bad speche ryght nowe is full both myne eares O good precious Margarite myne herte shulde wepe yf I wyste ye token hede of suche maner speche but trewly I wotte wel in that your wysedom shal not asterte For of god maker of kynde wytnesse I toke that for none enuy ne yuell haue I drawe thys matter together but onely for goodnesse to maintayne and errours in falsytees to destroye Wherfore as I sayde wyth reason I thynke thylke forsayd errours to distroye and dequace These reasons and suche other yf they enduce men in loues seruyce trewe to beleue of parfyte blysse yet to full fayth in credence of deserte fully mowe they not suffise sythen faythe hath no meryte of mede when mannes reason sheweth experience in doynge For vtterlye no reason the parfyte blysse of loue by no waye may make to be comprehended Lo what is a parcell of louers ioye
same reason quod she maye be made in generall on all the bodily goodes for they comen ofte to throw out shrewes After this he is stroÌ„g that hath myght to haue great burthyns he is lyght and swyfte that hathe souerante in runnynge to passe other ryghte so he is a shrewe on whoÌ„ shreude thynges and badde han most wyrchyng And ryght as philosophy maketh philosophers my seruice maketh louers Ryghte so if dignities weren good or vertuous they shulde maken shrewes good and turne her malyce and make hem be vertuous but that do they not as it is proued but causeÌ„ rancour debate Ergo they be not good but vtterly badde Had Nero neuer bene Emperoure shulde neuer hys dame haue be slayn to maken open the priuitie of his engendrure Herodes for his dignitie slewe many chyldreÌ„ The dignite of king Pompey wolde haue distroyed al Italy Therfore mokyl wisedome goodnes both nedeth in a person the malyce in dignitie slyly to bridel and with a good bytte of arest to withdrawe in case it wolde praunce otherwise than it shulde trewly ye yeue to dignities wrongful names in your cleping They shulde hete not dignitie but moustre of badnes mayntenour of shrewes Pardy shyne the suÌ„ne neuer so bryght it brynge forth no heate ne sesonably the herbes brynge out of the erth but suffre frostes and colde and the erth baraine to lygge be time of his compas in circute aboute ye wolde wonder and dispreyse that sunne If the mone be at full and sheweth no lyghte but derke and dymme to your syghte appereth and make distruction of y e waters wol ye not suppose it be vnder cloude or in clips and that some priuy thing vnknowen to your wyttes is cause of suche contrarious doyng ThaÌ„ yf clerkes that han ful insight and knowyng of such impedimeÌ„tes enforme you of the sothe very idiotes ye bene but yf ye yeuen credence to thylke clerkes wordes yet it doth me tene to sene many wretches reioycen in such maner planets Trewly lytle con they on phylosophy or els on my lore that any desyre hauen such lightyng planettes in y t wyse any more to shew Good Ladye ê™ I tell ye me how ye meane in these thynges Lo quod she the dignities of your citie sunne mone nothyng in kynd shewe theyr shynyng as they shulde For the sunne made no breÌ„nyng hete in loue but fresed enuye in mennes hertes for feblenesse of shynynge hete and the mone was about vnder an olde cloude the lyuenges by waters to distroye Lady ê™ I it is supposed they had shined as they shulde Yee quod she but nowe it is proued at the full their beaute in kyndly shynynge fayled wherfore dignitye of hym seluen hath no beautie in fayrnesse ne dryueth nat awaye vices but encreaseth so be they no cause of the knot Now se in good trouth holde ye not such sonnes worthy of no reuerence and dignities worthy of no worshyp that maketh men to do the more harmes I not quod I No ê™ she and thou se a wyse good man for hys goodnesse and wysenesse wolte thou not do hym worship Therof he is worthy That is good skyl quod I it is dewe to suche both reuerence and worshyp to haue Than quod she a shrewe for hys shreudnesse all tho he be put forth to forne other for ferd yet is he worthy for shreudnes to be vnworshypped of reuerence no part is he worthy to haue to coÌ„trarious doyng belongeth and that is good skyl For righte as besmyteth the dignities thylke same thinge aycuwarde hym smyteth or els shulde smite And ouer this thou wost wel quod she that fyre in euery place heateth where it be water maketh wete why for kyndely werking is so yput in hem to do such thinges for euery kyndly in werkynge sheweth his kynde But though a wight had ben mayre of your citie manye wynter togyther and come in a straunge place ther he were not knowen he shuld for his dignite haue no reuerence ThaÌ„ neyther worshyppe ne reuerence is kyndelye propre in no dignitie sythen they shuldeÌ„ don theyr kynde in such doyng yf any were And yf reuerence ne worshyppe kyndly be not set in dignities they more therin bene shewed thaÌ„ goodnesse for that in dignitie is shewed but it proueth that goodnesse kyndly in hem is not grounded I wys neyther worshyppe ne reuerence ne goodnesse in dignitie doone none offyce of kynde for they haue none such propertie in nature of doenge but by false opinion of the people Lo how somtyme thilk that in your citie werne in dignitie noble yf thou lyst hem nempne they bene nowe ouerturned bothe in worshyppe in name and in reuerence wherfore suche dignities haue no kyndely werchynge to worshyppe and of reuerence he that hathe no worthynesse on it selfe Now it ryseth and nowe it vanysheth after the varyaunt opynyon in false hertes of vnstable people Wherfore yf thou desyre the knotte of thys iewell or els yf thou woldest suppose she shuld sette the knotte on the for such maner dignitie than thou weneste beautye or goodnesse of thylke somwhat encreaseth the goodnesse or vertue in the body But dignitye of hem selfe bene not good ne yeuen reuerence ne worshippe by their owne kynde howe shulde they than yeue to any other a thynge that by no waye mowe they haue hem selfe It is sene in dignitie of the Emperour and of many mo other that they mowe not of hem selue kepe theyr worshyp ne theyr reuerence that that in a lytle whyle it is now vp and now downe by vnstedfast hertes of the people what bouÌ„tie mow they yeue that wyth cloude lyghtlye leaueth hys shyning Certes to the occupier is mokyl appeyred sythen such doynge dothe vylany to hym that maye it not mayntayne wherfore thylke waye to the knotte is croked and yf anye desyre to come to the knotte he muste leane thys waye on his lefte syde or els shal he neuer come there AVayleth ought ê™ she power of myght in mayntenaunce of worthy to come to thys knot Parde ê™ I yee for hertes bene rauyshed from such maner thynges Certes ê™ she though a fooles hert is with thing rauished yet therefore is no generall cause of the powers ne of a syker parfyte herte to be loked after Was not Nero the moost shrewe one of thylke that men rede yet had he power to make senatours iustices princes of many landes was not that great power Yes certes quod I wel quod she yet myght he not help him selfe out of disease whaÌ„ heÌ„ gan fal How many ensamples canst thou remeÌ„bre of kynges great and noble and huge power holden yet they myghte not kepe hem selue from wretchednesse Howe wretched was kyng Henry Curtmantyll er he deyed he had not so moch as to couer w t hys membres and yet was he one of the greatest kinges of al the Normandes of sprynge most possession had O a noble thinge and clere is
the not of tyme to come but yeuen the coÌ„fort in hope of well doing and of gettyng agayne the double of thy lesynge w t encreasyng loue of thy Margarite perle therto For this hytherto y u hast had al her ful dauÌ„ger and so thou myght amende all that is mysse and all defautes that somtyme thou dyddest and that nowe in all thy tyme to that ylke Margaryte in full seruyce of my lore thyne herte hath contynued wherfore she ought moch the rather enclyne fro hâ—t daungerous sete These thynges ben yet â—â—yt by the holdynge anker in thy lyue holden mote they To god I praye all these thynges at full ben performed For whyle thys anker holdeth I hope thou shalte safely escape and whyle thy trew meanyng seruice aboute brynge in dispyte of all false meaners that the of newe haten for this trew seruyce thou arte nowe entred CErtayne ê™ I amonge thynges I asked a question which was y e way to the knot Trewly lady howe so it be I teÌ„pt you wyth questions and answers in spekyng of my fyrst seruyce I am now in full purpose in the pricke of the hert y t thilke seruice was an enprisonmeÌ„t alway bad naughty in no maner to be desyred Ne y t in gettyng of the knot may it nothyng auayle A wyse gentyll hert loketh after vertue non other bodily ioyes alone And bycause toforne this iÌ„ tho wayes I was sette I wote wel my selfe I haue erred of the blysse fayled so out of my waye hugely haue I ron Certes ê™ she y t is sothe there thou hast myswent eschew that path froÌ„ hens forwarde I rede Wonder I trewly why the mortal folke of this worlde seche these wayes outforth it is preued in youre selfe Lo howe ye ben coÌ„founded with errour folly The knowyng of very cause waye is goodnesse vertue Is there any thyng to the more precious than thy selfe Thou shalt haue in thy power y t thou woldest neuer lese and that in no way may be taken fro the and thilk thyng is that is cause of this knot And yf dethe mow it nat reue more thaÌ„ an erthly creature thilke thing than abydeth with thy selfe soule so our conclusion to make suche a knot thus getten abydeth with this thyng with the soule as long as they last a soule dieth neuer vertue goodnesse euermore w t y e soule endureth this knot is perfite blysse ThaÌ„ this soule in this blysse endlesse shal enduren Thus shul hertes of a trewe knot ben eased thus shul their soules beÌ„ pleased thus perpetually in ioye shul they synge In good trouth ê™ I here is a good begynnyng yeue vs more of this way Quod she I sayd to y e nat longe sythen that resonable lyfe was one of thre thynges it was proued to the soule euerye soule of reason hath two thynges of steryng lyfe one in vertue and another in the bodily workynge and whan the soule is the maister ouer the body than is a man maister of hym selfe a maÌ„ to be a maister ouer him selfe lyueth in vertue and in goodnesse as reson of vertue techeth so the soule the body worchyng vertue togider lyuen resonable lyfe which clerkes clepen felycite in lyueng and theryn is the hye way to this knot these olde philosophers that hadden no knowyng of diuyne grace of kyndly reason alone wenden that of pure nature wythouteÌ„ any helpe of grace me might haue yshoued thother lyuenges resonablye haue I lyued and for I thynke herafter yf god woll I haue space thylk grace after my leude knowyng declare I leaue it as at thys tyme. But as I sayd he that outforth loketh after y e wayes of this knotte connyng with which he shulde know the way inforth slepeth for the tyme wherfore he that wol this way knowe must leaue the lokyng after false wayes outforth opeÌ„ the eyen of hys conscience and vnclose hys herte Seest nat he that hath trust in the bodily lyfe is so besy bodily wouÌ„des to anoynt in kepynge frome smert for all out may they nat be healed that of woundes in hys true vnderstandynge he taketh no hede the knowynge euenforth slepeth so harde but anone as in knowyng a wake than gynneth y e preuy medicines for healyng of his trewe enteÌ„t inwardes lightly healeth conscience yf it be wel handled Than must nedes these wayes come out of the soule by steâ—yng lyfe of the body els maye no man come to perfyte blysse of this knotte and thus by this waye he shal come to the knot and to the perfyte selynesse that he wende haue had in bodilye goodes outforthe Yea ê™ I shall he haue botâ—e knotte riches power dignite and renome in this maner waye Ye ê™ she y t shall I shewe the. Is he nat riche that hath suffisaunce and hath the power that no man may amaistrieÌ„ Is nat gret dignite to haue worshyp and reuereÌ„ce hath he nat glorie of renome whose name perpetuall is duryng and out of nombre in comparation These be thynges that men wenen to getten out forth ê™ I Ye ê™ she they that loken after a thyng that nouÈt is therof in al ne in partie longe mowe they gapen after That is soth ê™ I therfore ê™ she they that sechen gold in grene trees â–ª and wene to gader precyous stones amonge vynes and layne her nettes in mountaynes to fysh thynkeÌ„ to hunt in depe sees after hart hynde and sechen in erth thylke thynges that surmouÌ„teth heuen what may I of hem say but folyshe ignoraunce mysledeth wandryng wretches by vncouth wayes that shulden be forleten and maketh hem blynde fro the ryght pathe of trewe way that shuld ben vsed Therfore in generall erroure in mankynde departeth thylke goodes by mysse sechynge whyche he shulde haue hole and he sought by reason Thus gothe he begyled of that he sought in hys hode men haue blowe a iape Nowe ê™ I yf a man be vertuous all in vertue lyueth howe hathe he all these thynges That shall I prouen ê™ she what power hathe anye man to let another of lyueÌ„g in vertue for prisonmeÌ„t or any other disese he taketh it paciently discoÌ„fyteth he nat the tyraunt ouer hys soule no power maye haue Than hathe that man so tourmented suche power that he nyll be discoÌ„fit ne ouercome may he nat ben sythen pacience in hys soule ouercometh and as nat ouercomen Suche thyng that may nat be a maistred he hath nede to nothyng for he hath suffisaunce ynowe to helpe him selfe And thylke thyng that thus hath power and suffysaunce no tyrant may it reue hath dignyte to sette at nought all thynges here it is a great dignite that deth may a maistry Wherfore thilk power suffisaunce so enclosed wyth dignyte by all reson renome must haue Thys is thylke ryches w t suffisance ye shulde loke after thys is thilke worshipful dignite ye shulde coueyt this is thylke
goodly goodnesse and after thys manyfolde good is sayd that is to saye good in kynde and good in gendre and good of grace and good of ioye Of good in kynde Austen saythe all that ben ben good But peraunter thou woldest wete whether of hem selfe it be good or els of anothers goodnesse for naturel goodnesse of euery substaunce is nothyng els than his substanciall beyng whiche is ycleaped goodnesse after comparyson that he hath to his fyrste goodnesse so as it is inductatyfe by meanes in to the fyrste goodnesse Boece sheweth thys thynge at the full that this name good is in general name in kynde as it is comparysoned generally to his princypal ende whyche is god knotte of al goodnesse Euery creature cryeth god vs made so they han full apered to thylke god by affection suche as to hem longeth and in thys wyse all thynges ben good of the great god whyche is good alone Thys wonder thyng ê™ I howe ye haue by manye reasons proued my fyrst way to be errour and misgoyng and cause of baddesse and feble meuynge in the grounde ye aleged to be roted whence is it that suche badnesse hathe sprynges sythen all thynges thus in generall ben good and badnesse hathe no beynge as ye haue declared I wene if al thinges ben good I might than wyth the fyrst waye in that good haue ended and so by goodnesse haue comen to blysse in your seruyce desyred All thynge ê™ she is good by beyng in partycipacion out of the fyrst goodnesse whyche goodnesse is corrupte by badnesse and badde meanyng maners god hathe in good thynges that they ben good by beyng and not in yuel for there is absence of ryghtfull loue for badnesse is nothynge but onelye yuell wyll of the vser and through gyltes of the doer wherfore at the gynnyng of the worlde euery thynge by hym selfe was good and in vnyuersall they werne ryght good An eye or a hande is fayrer and betterer in a body sette in his kyndely place than from the body disceuered Euerye thing in his kyndly place being kyndly good dothe werche and out of that place voyded it dissolueth and is defouled him selue Oure noble god in glyteraÌ„de wyse by armony this worlde ordeyned as in purtreytures storyed wyth colours medled in whyche blacke and other derke coloures coÌ„menden the golden the asured paynture euerye putte in kyndely place one besyde another more for other glytereth right so lytle fayre maketh right fayre more glorious and right so of goodnesse and of other thynges in vertue Wherfore other badde and not so good perles as thys Margaryte that we han of this matter yeuen by the ayre lytell goodnesse and lytell vertue ryght mokell goodnesse and vertue in thy Margaryte to ben proued in shynynge wyse to be founde and shewed Howe shulde euer goodnesse of peace haue ben knowe but yf vnpeace somtyme reygne and mokell yuell wrothe Howe shulde mercy ben proued and no trespeace were by due iustifycacion to bepunysshed Therfore grace and goodnesse of a wyght is founde the soroufull hertes in good meanynge to endure ben comforted vnyte and accorde bytwene hertes knytte in ioye to abyde What wenest thou I reioyce or els accompte hym amonge my seruauÌ„tes that pleaseth Pallas in vndoynge of Mercurye all be it that to Pallas he be knytte by tytle of lawe not accordyng to reasonable coÌ„science and Mercurye in doynge haue grace to ben suffered or els hym that weneth the moone for fayrenesse of the eue sterre Lo otherwhyle by nyghtes lyght of the moone greatlye comforteth in derke thoughtes and blynde Vnderstandyng of loue yeueth great gladnesse who so lyste not byleue whan a sothe tale is shewed adewe and a deblys his name is entred Wyse folke and worthy in gentyllesse bothe of vertue and of lyuyng yeuen full credence in sothnesse of loue wyth a good hert there as good euydence or experyence in doynge sheweth not the contrarye Thus myghtest thou haue full prefe in thy Margarytes goodnesse by commendement of other iewels badnesse and yuelnesse in doynge Stoundemele diseases yeueth seuerall houres in ioye Nowe by my trouthe ê™ I thys is well declared that my Margaryte is good for sythen other ben good and she passeth manye other in goodnesse and vertue wherthrough by maner necessarye she muste be good and goodnesse of thys Margaryte is no thynge els but vertue wherfore she is vertuous and yf there fayled any vertue in any syde there were lacke of vertue badde nothynge els is ne maye be but lacke and wante of good and goodnesse and so shulde she haue that same lacke that is to saye badde and that maye not be for she is good and that is good methynketh all good and so by consequence me semeth vertuous and no lacke of vertue to haue But the sonne is not knowe but he shyne ne vertuous herbes but they haue het kynde werchynge ne vertue but it stretche in goodnesse or profyte to another is no vertue â–ª Than by all wayes of reason sythen mercye and pytie ben moste commended amonge other vertues and they myght neuer ben shewed refreshement of helpe and of comforte but nowe at my moste nede and that is the kynde werkynge of these vertues trewely I wene I shall not varye frome these helpes Fyre and yf he yeue non heate for fyre is not demed The sonne but he shyne for sonne is not accompted water but it wete the name shall ben chaunged Vertue but it werche of goodnesse dothe it fayle and in to his contrarye the name shall ben reuersed and these beÌ„ impossyble wherfore the contradictorie that is necessarye nedes muste I leue Certes ê™ she in thy person and out of thy mouthe these wordes lyen well to ben sayd and in thyne vnderstandyng to be leued as in entent of thys Margaryte alone and here now my speche in coÌ„clusyon of these wordes IN these thynges ê™ she that me lyst now to shew openly shal be founde the mater of thy sycknesse what shal ben y e medicyn that may be thy sorowes lysse and comfort as well the as al other that amysse haue erred out of the way walked so that any drope of good wyll in amendement ben dwelled in theyr hertes Prouerbes of Salomon openly teacheth howe somtyme an innocent walkyd by the waye in blyndnesse of a derke nyght whom mette a woman yf it be lefely to saye as a strumpet arayed redily purueyed in turnynge of thoughtes with veyne ianglynges and of rest inpacient by dissymulacion of my termes sayeng in thys wyse Come be we dronken of our swete pappes vse we coueytous collynges And thus drawen was this innocent as an oxe to the larder Ladye ê™ I to me this is a queynte thynge to vnderstonde I praye you of this parable declare me the entent This innocent ê™ she is a scholer lernynge of my lore in seckyng of my blysse in whyche thynge the daye of hys thought turnyng enelyneth in to eue and the sonne
of loue vp and downe I woll retourne and speken of my payne The poynt is this of my destructioun My ryght lady my saluacioun Is in a fray and not to whom to playne O hert swete O lady souerayne For your disese I ought wel swoun swelt Though I none other harme ne drede felt To what fyne made the god that syt so hye Beneth hym loue other company And strayneth folke to loue maugre her heed And than her ioye for ought I can espye Ne lasteth not the twynklyng of an eye And some haue neuer ioye tyll they be deed what meaneth this what is this mystihed wherto constrayneth he his folke so fast Thynge to desyre but it shulde last And though he made a louer loue a thyng And maketh it seme stedfast and duryng Yet putteth he in it suche misauenture That rest nys there in his yeuyng And that is wondre that so iust a kynge Doth suche hardnesse to his creature Thus whether loue breke or els dure Algates he that hath with loue to done Hath ofter wo than chaunged is the mone It semeth he hath to louers enmitie And lyke a fyssher as men maye all daye se Bayteth his angle hoke with some plesauÌ„ce Tyl many a fysh is wode to that he be Câ—ased therwith and than at erst hath he Al his desyre and therwith al mischaunce And though ylyne breke he hath penaunce For with that hoke he wounded is so sore That he his wages hath for euermore The broche of Thebes was of suche kynde So full of rubies and of stones of Inde That euery wyght that set on it an eye He wende anon worth out of his mynde So sore the beautie wolde his hert bynde Tyl he it had him thought he must dye And whan that it was his than shulde he dry Such wo for dred ay while y t he it had That welnygh for the feare he shuld mad And whan it was fro his possessyon Than had he double wo and passyon That he so fayre a iewel hath forgo But yet this broche as in conclusyon was not the cause of his confusyon But he that wrought it enfortuned it so That euery wyght y t had it shulde haue wo And therfore in the worcher was the vyce And in the coueyture that was so nyce So fareth it by louers and by me For though my lady haue so great beautie That I was made to I had get her grace She was not cause of myne aduersitye But he that wrought her as mote I the That put suche a beautye in her face That made me coueyten and purchace Myne owne deth hym wyte I that I dye And myne vnwyt y t euer I clambe so hye But to you hardy knyghtes of renowne Syth that ye be of my deuysyoun Al be I nat worthy to so great a name Yet sayne these clerkes I am your patrone Therfore ye ought haue some compassioun Of my disease and take it nat a game The proudest of you may be made full tame wherfore I pray you of youre gentylesse That ye complayne for myne heuynesse And ye my ladyes that ben true and stable By way of kynde ye ought to ben able To haue pytye of folke that ben in payne Now haue ye cause to cloth you in sable Syth that your empres the honorable Is desolate wel ought ye to playne Now shulde your holy teares fal rayne Alas your honour and your emprice Nygh deed for drede ne can her not cheuyce Complayneth eke ye louers al in fere For her that with vnfayned humble chere was euer redy to do you socour CoÌ„playneth her that euer hath be you dere CoÌ„playneth beautye fredome and manere CoÌ„playneth her that endeth your labour CoÌ„playneth thylke ensample of al honour That neuer dyd but gentlenesse Kytheth therfore in her some kyndnesse ¶ The complaynt of Venus THere nys so hygh comfort to my pleasaunce whan that I am in anye heuynesse As for to haue layser of remembraunce Vpon the manhode and the worthynesse Vpon the trouth and on the stedfastnesse Of hym whose I am all whyle I may dure There ought to blame me no creature For euery wight prayseth his gentylesse In hym is bountie wysdome gouernauÌ„ce wel more than any mans wyt can gesse For grace hath wolde so farforth him auauÌ„ce That of knyghthode he is parfyt ryches Honour honoureth hym for his noblesse Therto so wel hath fourmed him nature That I am his for euer I hym ensure For euery wyght prayseth his gentylesse And notwithstandyng all his suffysaunce His gentle hert is of so great humblesse To me in worde in werke in countenauÌ„ce And me to serue is all his besynesse That I am set in very sykernesse Thus ought I blysse wel myne auenture Syth that hym lyst me seruen honoure For euery wyght prayseth his gentylesse Now certes loue it is ryght couenable That men full dere abye thy noble thynges As wake a bed and fasten at the table weping to laugh syng in complayninges And downe to cast visage and lokynges Often to chaunge vysage countenaunce Playe in slepyng dremen at the daunce All the reuers of any glad felynge Ielousye he hanged by a cable She wolde al knowe through her espyinge There doth no wyght nothyng so resonable That all nys harme in her ymaginyng Thus dere abought is loue in yenyng which oft he yeueth without ordinaunce As sorowe ynough and lytle of plesaunce All the reuers of any glad felynge A lytle tyme his yefte is agreable But full accombrouse is the vsyng For subtel ielousye the disceyuable Ful often tyme causeth distourbyng Thus ben we euer in drede and suffryng In no certayne we languyshen in penaunce And haue wel oft many an harde mischauÌ„ce All the reuers of any glad felyng But certes loue I saye not in suche wyse That for to scape out of your lace I ment For I so longe haue ben in your seruyce That for to lete of wyll I neuer assent No force though ielousye me tourment Suffyseth me to se hym whan I may And therfore certes to myne endyng day To loue hym best shal me neuer repent And certes loue whan I me wel auyse Of any estate that men may represent Than haue ye made me through your frauÌ„chyse Chese the best that euer in erth went Now loue wel hert and loke thou neuer steÌ„t And let the ielous put it in assaye That for no payne woll I not say nay To loue hym best shal I neuer repent Herte to the it ought ynough suffyse That loue so hye a grace to you sent To chose the worthyest in all wyse And moost agreable vnto myne entent Seke no ferther neyther way ne went Syth ye haue suffisaunce vnto my paye Thus wol I ende this coÌ„playninge or this laye To loue hym best shal I neuer repent ¶ Lenuoye PRynces receyueth this complaynyng in gree Vnto your excelleÌ„t benignite Dyrecte after my lytle sustysaunce For elde that in my spirit dulleth me