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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) BOOK III. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces)
BOOK III. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces) [1897]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols.
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BOOK III.
CHAPTER I.
Book. III: Ch. I.
OF nombre, these clerkes, that it is naturel somme of discrete thinges, as in tellinge , two, , and so forth; but al nombres,[ ] is determined for moste . Wherfore in nombre this of my besy leudenesse I thinke to ende and parfourme. Ensample by this worlde, in5[ ] tymes is devyded; of whiche the first is cleped † , that is to say, going out of trewe way; and al that tho dyeden, in were they punisshed for a man[ne]s sinne, til grace and mercy fette hem thence, and there ended the firste tyme. The seconde tyme lasteth from the comming of merciable grace until the ende10 of transitorie tyme, in whiche is shewed the true way in fordoinge of the badde; and that is y-cleped tyme of Grace. And that is not yeven by of yeldinge for another, but through goodnesse of the yever of grace in thilke tyme.15 Who-so can wel understande is shapen to be saved in souled blisse. The thirde tyme shal whan transitorie thinges of worldes han their ende; and that shal ben in Joye, glorie, and rest, both body and soule, that wel han deserved in the tyme of Grace. And thus in that heven † shul they perpetuelly,20 without any imaginatyfe yvel in any halve. These tymes are figured by tho dayes that our god was closed in erthe; and in the thirde , shewing our to joye and blisse of tho that it deserven, by his merciable grace. So this leude , in maters, accordaunt to tho tymes,25[ ] lightly by a good inseër ben understonde; as in the firste, of misse-goinge shewed, with sorowful pyne punisshed, †that cryed after mercy. In the seconde, is Grace in good waye proved, whiche is faylinge without , thilke first misse amendinge, in of tho erroures, and even to bringe,30 with of welfare in-to amendement wexinge. And in the thirde, Joye and blisse graunted to him that wel deserve it, and hath savour of understandinge in the tyme of grace. Thus in Joye, of my thirde boke, shal the mater be til it ende.
But special cause I have in my to make this 35 of a , that is so precious a gemme † , clere and litel, of whiche stones or the tonges of us Englissh people tourneth the right names, and clepeth hem ‘Margery-perles ’; thus varieth our speche from many other langages. For trewly Latin, Frenche, and many mo other langages hem,40 Margery-perles, [ ] the name ‘Margarites,’ or ‘Margarite-perles’; wherfore in that denominacion I wol me acorde to other mens tonges, in that name-cleping. These clerkes that of kyndes, and studien out the there of thinges, : the Margarite is a litel perle, throughout holowe and rounde and45 vertuous; and on the see-sydes, in the more Britayne , in muskle-shelles, of the hevenly dewe, the best ben engendred; in whiche by experience ben founde three fayre vertues. is, it yeveth to the feling spirites in bodily persones of . Another is good; it is profitable helthe ayenst passions of sorie mens hertes. And the thirde, it is nedeful and noble in staunching of bloode,50 there els to moche wolde out . To whiche perle and vertues me list to lyken at this tyme Philosophie, with her speces, that is, natural, and moral, and resonable; of whiche thinges hereth what these clerkes. Philosophie is knowing of devynly and manly thinges joyned with studie of good living;55 and this in two thinges, that is, conninge and opinion. Conninge is whan a thing by reson is conceyved. But and fooles and leude men, many wil conceyve a thing and mayntayne it as for sothe, though reson be in the contrarye; wherfore conninge is a straunger. Opinion is a thing is in60 , and from mens very knowleging and by no [ ] fully declared, as thus: if the sonne be so mokel as men wenen, or els if it be more than the erthe. For in sothnesse the quantitè of that planet is unknowen to erthly dwellers; and yet by opinion of some men it is holden for more than midle-erth.65
The first spece of philosophie is naturel; whiche in kyndely thinges † , and sheweth causes of heven, and strength of[ ] kyndely course; as by arsmetrike, geometry, musike, and by astronomye techeth wayes and of hevens, of planetes, and of sterres aboute heven and erthe, and other elementes.70
The seconde spece is moral, whiche, in order, of living maners techeth; and by reson proveth vertues of soule moste worthy in[ ] our ; whiche ben prudence, justice, temperaunce, and strength. Prudence is goodly in knowing of thinges. Strength voideth al adversitees aliche even. Temperaunce distroyeth75 beestial with esy . And Justice rightfully jugeth; and juging departeth to every wight that is his owne.
The thirde spece turneth in-to of understanding; al[ ] thinges to be sayd soth and discussed; and that in two thinges is devyded. is , another is rethorike; in whiche two al80 lawes of mans ben grounded or els maintayned.
And for this is of Love, and therafter his name, and philosophie and lawe muste here-to acorden by their clergial discripcions, as: philosophie for love of is declared, lawe for mainteynaunce of is holden: and these with love must85 nedes acorden; therfore of hem in this place have I touched. Ordre of homly thinges and honest maner of livinge in vertue, with rightful jugement in causes and profitable in of realmes and , by evenhed profitably to90 raigne, nat by singuler avauntage ne by privè envy, ne by soleyn in covetise of worship or of goodes, ben disposed in open rule shewed, by love, philosophy, and lawe, and yet love, toforn al other. Wherfore as in unitè they accorden, and ende, that is, and rest, they causen norisshinge; and in the95 joye maynteynen to endure.
than, as I have declared: my acordeth with of thinges; and the Margarit in vertue is lykened to Philosophy, with her speces. In whiche maters ever twey ben acordaunt with bodily , and the thirde with the100 soule. But in conclusion of my boke and of this in knittinge togider, Lawe by sondrye maners shal be lykened; that is to saye, lawe, right, and custome, whiche I wol declare. Al that is lawe cometh of goddes ordinaunce, by kyndly worching; and thilke thinges ordayned by mannes wittes arn y-cleped right,105 which is ordayned by many maners and in written. But custome is a thing that is accepted for right or for lawe, there-as lawe and right faylen; and there is no difference, whether it come of scripture or of reson. Wherfore it sheweth, that lawe is kyndly governaunce; right cometh out of mannes probable110 ; and custome is of commen usage by length of tyme used; and custome nat writte is usage; and if it be writte, it is y-written and y-cleped. But lawe of kynde is commen to every nation, as of man and woman in love, succession of children in heritance, of thing115 by strength taken or lent; and this lawe among al other the soveraynest gree in worship; whiche lawe began at the beginning of creature; it varied yet never for no chaunging of tyme. Cause, forsothe, in ordayning of lawe was to constrayne mens hardinesse in-to , and withdrawing his yvel120 wil, and turning malice in-to goodnesse; and that innocence sikerly, withouten teneful anoye, shrewes safely might[ ] inhabite by proteccion of safe-conducte, so that the shrewes, for harme, by brydle of shulden restrayne. But forsothe, in kyndely lawe, is commended but such as goddes[ ] wil hath confirmed, ne nothing denyed but of125 goddes wil in heven. Eke than al lawes, or custome, or els constitucion by usage or wryting, that contraryen lawe of kynde, utterly ben repugnaunt and adversarie to our goddes wil of heven. Trewly, lawe of kynde for goddes own lusty wil is verily to mayntayne; under whiche (and unworthy ) bothe professe130 and reguler obediencer and bounden to this Margarite-perle as by knotte of loves statutes and stablisshment in kynde, whiche that goodly not be withsetten. Lo! under this bonde am[ ] I constrayned to abyde; and man, under lawe ruled, by that lawe oweth, after desertes, to ben rewarded by or by mede,135 but-if mercy weyve the payne. So than † may be , that mercy bothe right and lawe passeth. of al these maters is the lest clere understanding, to weten, at of this thirde boke; ful knowing, goddes grace, I thinke to make neverthelater. Yet if these thinges han a good140 and a † inseër, whiche that can souke hony of the harde stone, oyle of the drye rocke, [ ] may lightly fele nobley of mater in my leude closed. But for my shal be of joye (as I sayd), and I [ ] so set fro thilke place fro whens gladnesse shulde come; my corde is to short to my boket145 ought of that water; and fewe men be abouten my corde to eche, and many in ful ben redy it shorter to make, and to enclose , that my boket of joye nothing shulde , but empty returne, my careful sorowes to encrese: (and if I dye for payne, that were gladnesse at their hertes): good 150 me water in-to the cop of these mountayns, and I shal drinke therof, my thurstes to , and sey, these be comfortable welles; in-to helth of goodnesse of my saviour am I holpen. And yet I saye more, the house of joye to me is nat opened. How dare my sorouful goost than in any mater of gladnesse thinken to155 trete? For ever sobbinges and complayntes be redy refrete in his , as werbles in manifolde stoundes comming about I not than . And therfore, what maner of joye coude [ ] endyte? But yet at dore shal I knocke, if the key of David wolde the locke 160 , and he me in, whiche that childrens tonges both[ ] openeth and closeth; where he † wercheth, departing goodly as him lyketh.
to goddes laude and reverence, of the reders, amendement of maners of the herers, encresing of worship among165 Loves servauntes, releving of my in-to grace of my jewel, and plesance of this , I am stered in this making, and for nothing els; and if any good thing to mennes lyking in this scripture be founde, thanketh the maister of grace, whiche that of that good and al other is authour and principal170[ ] doer. And if any thing be insufficient or els mislyking, † that the leudnesse of myne unable conning: for body in disese anoyeth the understanding in soule. A disesely letteth the wittes [ ] many thinges, and namely in sorowe. The custome never-the-later of Love, † long tyme of service, in175 termes I thinke to pursue, whiche ben lyvely to yeve understanding in other thinges. But , to of this Margarites goodnesse, I may her not halfe preyse. Wherfore, nat she for my , but this for her, is worthy to be commended, tho my be leude; right as thinges nat for places, but places180 for thinges, ought to be desyred and praysed.
CHAPTER II.[ ]
Ch. II.
‘ ,’ quod Love, ‘trewly thy wordes I have wel understonde. Certes, me thinketh hem right good; and me wondreth why thou so lightly passest in the lawe.’
‘Sothly,’ quod I, ‘my wit is leude, and I am right , and5 that mater depe. shulde I than have waded? Lightly might I have drenched, and spilte ther my-selfe.’
‘ ,’ quod she, ‘I shal helpe to . For right as lawe punissheth brekers of preceptes and the contrary-doers of the written , right so lawe rewardeth and10 yeveth mede to hem that lawe strengthen. By one lawe this rebel is punisshed and this innocent is meded; the shrewe is enprisoned and this rightful is corowned. The same lawe that joyneth by wedlocke without forsaking, the same lawe yeveth lybel of departicion bycause of devorse both demed and declared.’15
[ ] ‘Ye, ye,’ quod I, ‘I fynde in no lawe to mede and rewarde in goodnes the of desertes.’
‘Fole,’ quod she, ‘ , converted in your lawe, mikel [ ] deserveth. Also of Rome was crowned, that by him the maynteyners of Pompeus weren knowen and distroyed; and yet20[ ] was this Paulyn of Pompeus counsaile. This lawe in Rome hath yet his name of mesuring, in mede, the bewraying of the conspiracy, ordayned by tho senatours the deth. Julius Cesar is acompted in-to Catons rightwisnesse; for ever in trouth florissheth his name the knowers of . Perdicas was25 crowned in the heritage of Alexander the , for tellinge of a prevy hate that king Porrus to Alexander hadde. Wherfore every wight, by of lawe, after his rightwysenesse apertely his mede may chalenge; and so thou, that maynteynest lawe of kynde, and therfore hast suffred in the lawe, is30 worthy to be rewarded and ordayned, and † thy mede might thou chalenge.’
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘this have I wel lerned; and ever hensforward I shal drawe me therafter, in of wil to abyde, this lawe bothe maynteyne and kepe; and so hope I best entre in-to35 your grace, wel deservinge in-to worship of a wight, without nedeful compulsion, [ ] ought medefully to be rewarded.’
‘Truly,’ quod Love, ‘that is sothe; and tho[ugh], by , good service in-to and avantage , utterly many men it demen to have more desert of mede than good wil40 nat compelled.’
‘ now,’ quod I, ‘ men holden of this the contrary. And what is good service? Of you wolde I here this question declared.’
‘I shal say ,’ quod she, ‘in a fewe wordes:—resonable45 workinges in plesaunce and of thy soverayne.’
‘ shulde I this performe!’ quod I.
‘Right wel,’ quod she; ‘and here me a litel. It is hardely (quod she) to understande, that right as mater by due overchaunginges foloweth his and his forme, right so every50 man, by rightful werkinges, ought to folowe the desyres in his , and toforn to what ende he deserveth. For many tymes he that loketh nat after th’endes, but utterly therof is unknowen, befalleth often many yvels to done, wherthrough, er he55 be , shamefully he is confounded; th’ende[s] therof neden to be before loked. To every desirer of suche foresight in good service, thinges specially nedeth to be rulers in his workes. First, that he do good; next, that he do [ ] by in his owne ; and the thirde, that he do godly, withouten any60 surquedry in thoughtes. That your werkes shulden be good, in service or in any other actes, authoritès many may be aleged; neverthelater, by thus it be shewed. Al your werkes be cleped seconde, and moven in vertue of the firste wercher, whiche in good workes wrought you to procede; and right so65 your werkes moven in-to vertue of the laste ende: and right in the first workinge were nat, no man shulde in the seconde werche. Right so, but ye feled to what ende, and seen their goodnes closed, ye shulde no more † what ye wrought; but the ginning gan with good, and there shal it in the laste ende, if70 it be wel considred. Wherfore the middle, if other-wayes it drawe than accordant to the endes, there stinteth the course of good, and another maner course entreth; and so it is a by himselve; and every part [ ] be nat accordant to his al, is and ought to be eschewed. Wherfore every thing that is wrought75 and be nat good, is nat accordant to th’endes of his al hole; it is foul, and ought to be withdrawe. Thus the persons that neither don good ne shamen foule their making. Wherfore, without working of good actes in good service, may no man ben accepted. Truely, the ilke that han might to do good and it nat, the80 crowne of worship shal be take from hem, and with shame shul they be anulled; and so, to make werke acordant with his endes, every good servaunt, by of consequence, muste do good nedes . Certes, it suffiseth nat alone to do good, but goodly withal folowe; the thanke of goodnesse els in nought he85 deserveth. For right as al your being come from the good, in whom al goodnesse is closed, right so your endes ben directe to the same good. Aristotel determineth that ende and good ben one, and convertible in understanding; and he that in wil doth awey good, and he that loketh nat to th’ende, loketh nat to good; but he that doth good and doth nat goodly , [ ]90 draweth away the direction of th’ende nat goodly, must nedes be . Lo! badde is nothing els but absence or of good, as derkenesse is absence or negative of light. Than he that dooth [ ] goodly, directeth thilke good in-to th’ende of badde; so muste thing nat good folowe: eke badnesse to suche95 folke ofte foloweth. Thus contrariaunt workers of th’ende that is good ben worthy the contrary of th’ende that is good to have.’
‘How,’ quod I, ‘may any good dede be , but-if goodly it helpe?’100
‘Yes,’ quod Love, ‘the devil many good dedes, but goodly he leveth be-hynde; for † badly and in disceyvable wyse he worketh; wherfore the contrary of th’ende him foloweth. And do he never so many good dedes, bicause goodly is away, his goodnes is nat rekened. Lo! than, a man do good,105 but he do goodly, th’ende in goodnesse wol nat folowe; and thus in good service both good dede and goodly musten joyne togider, and that it be with free choise in ; and els deserveth he nat the in goodnes: that wol I prove. For if thou do any-thing good by chaunce or by happe, in what thing110 art thou therof worthy to be commended? For nothing, by of that, turneth in-to thy praysing ne lacking . Lo! thilke thing by hap, by thy wil is nat caused; and therby thanke or lacke deserve? And sithen that fayleth, th’ende which[ ] that wel shulde rewarde, must faile. Clerkes sayn, no man115 but willinge is blessed; a good dede that he hath is nat of free choice willing; without whiche blissednesse may nat folowe. Ergo, neither thanke of goodnesse ne service [ ] in [that] is contrary of the good ende. So than, to good service longeth good dede goodly don, choice in .’120
‘Truely,’ quod I, ‘this have I wel understande.’
‘Wel,’ quod she, ‘every thing thus sufficiently by lawe, that is cleped justice, [ ] . For lawe and justice was ordayned in this wyse, suche desertes in goodnesse, 125 after quantitè in doinge, by mede to rewarde; and of necessitè of suche justice, that is to say, rightwysenesse, was free choice in deserving of wel or of yvel graunted to resonable creatures. Every man hath free arbitrement to chose, good or yvel to performe.’
130‘ ,’ quod I tho, ‘if I by my good wil deserve this Margaritperle, and am nat therto compelled, and have free choice to do what me lyketh; she is than holden, as me thinketh, to rewarde th’entent of my good wil.’
‘Goddes forbode els,’ quod Love; ‘no wight otherwyse,135 I trowe; free wil of good after-mede deserveth.’
‘Hath every man,’ quod I, ‘ choice by necessary maner of wil in every of his doinges that him lyketh, by goddes proper purvyaunce? I wolde that wel declared to my leude understanding; for “necessary” and “necessitè” ben wordes of mokel140 , closing (as to saye) so mote it be nedes, and otherwyse may it nat betyde.’
‘This shalt thou ,’ quod she, ‘so thou take hede in my speche. If it were nat in mannes owne libertè of wil to do good or bad, but to the one teyed by bonde of goddes preordinaunce,145 than, do he never so wel, it were by nedeful compulcion of thilk bonde, and nat by choice, wherby nothing he desyreth: and do he never so yvel, it were nat man for to wyte, but to him that suche thing ordayned him to done. Wherfore he ne ought for be punisshed, ne for no good150 dede be rewarded; but of necessitè of rightwisnesse was therfore choice of arbitrement put in mans proper . Truely, if it were otherwyse, it contraried goddes charitè, that badnesse and goodnesse rewardeth after desert of or of mede.’
[ ] ‘Me thinketh this wonder,’ quod I; ‘for god by necessitè155 al thinges coming, and so mote it nedes be; and thilke thinges that ben don † our choice comen nothing of necessitè but wil. may this stonde † ? And so me thinketh truely, that choice fully repugneth goddes forweting. Trewly, lady, me semeth, they mowe nat stande160 † .’
CHAPTER III.[ ]
Ch. III.
THAN gan Love me nere, and with a noble countenance of visage and limmes, dressed her nigh my sitting-place.
‘Take forth,’ quod she, ‘thy pen, and redily wryte these wordes. For if god wol, I shal hem so enforme to , that thy5 leudnesse which I have in that mater shal openly be clered, and thy sight in ful loking therin amended. First, if thou thinke that goddes prescience repugne , it is impossible that they shulde accorde in onheed of sothe to understonding.’10
‘Ye,’ quod I, ‘forsothe; so I it conceyve.’
‘Wel,’ quod she, ‘if thilke impossible were away, the repugnaunce that semeth to be therin were utterly removed.’
‘Shewe me the absence of that impossibilitè,’ quod I.
‘So,’ quod she, ‘I shal. I suppose that they mowe15 stande togider: prescience of god, whom foloweth necessitè of thinges comming, and libertè of arbitrement, whiche thou belevest many thinges to be without necessitè.’
‘Bothe these proporcions be sothe,’ quod I, ‘and wel mowe stande togider; wherfore this case as possible I admit.’20
‘Truely,’ quod she, ‘and this case is impossible.’
‘ so?’ quod I.
‘For herof,’ quod she, ‘foloweth and wexeth another impossible.’
‘Prove me that,’ quod I.25
[ ] ‘That I shal,’ quod she; ‘for somthing is comming without necessitè, and god wot that toforn; for al thing comming he before wot, and that he beforn wot of necessitè is comming, as he wot be the case by necessary ; or els, necessitè, is somthing to be without necessitè; and 30 every wight that hath good understanding, is seen these thinges to be repugnaunt: prescience of god, whiche that foloweth necessitè, and libertè of arbitrement, fro whiche is removed necessitè? For truely, it is necessary that god have forweting of thing withouten any necessitè cominge.’35
‘Ye,’ quod I; ‘but yet remeve ye nat away fro myne understanding the necessitè folowing goddes be foreweting, as thus. God me in service of love to be bounden to this Margariteperle, and therfore by necessitè thus to love am I bounde; and40 if I had nat loved, necessitè had I ben from al lovededes.’
‘Certes,’ quod Love, ‘bicause this mater is good and necessary to declare, I thinke here-in wel to abyde, and not lightly to passe. Thou not (quod she) say , “god me to be45 a lover or no lover,” but thus: “god me to be a lover without necessitè.” And so foloweth, whether thou love or not love, every of hem is and shal be. But thou seest the impossibilitè of the case, and the possibilitè of thilke that thou wendest had been impossible; wherfore the repugnaunce is adnulled.’
50‘Ye,’ quod I; ‘and yet do ye not awaye the strength of necessitè, whan it is said, necessitè it is me in love to abyde, or not to love without necessitè for god it. This maner of necessitè forsothe semeth to some men in-to , that is to sayne, constrayning, or else prohibicion, that is,55 defendinge; wherfore necessitè is me to love of wil. I understande me to be constrayned by some privy strength to the wil of lovinge; and if love, to be defended from the wil of lovinge: and so necessitè me semeth to love, for I love ; or els to love, if I love; wherthrough neither ne60 maugrè in tho thinges I deserve.’
‘ ,’ quod she, ‘thou wel understande, that often we thing necessitè to be, that by no strength to be neither is coarted ne constrayned; and necessitè not to be, that with no defendinge is removed. For we it is65 necessitè god to be immortal, nought deedliche; and it is necessitè, god to be rightful; but not that any strength of maner constrayneth him to be immortal, or defendeth him to be unrightful; for nothing may make him dedly or unrightful. Right so, if I say, necessitè is to be a lover or els70 wil, as god wete. It is nat to understonde that any thing defendeth or forbit thy wil, whiche shal nat be; or els constrayneth it to be, whiche shal be. That same , forsoth, god before wot, whiche he beforn seeth. Any[ ] of wil, that wil neyther is constrayned ne defended any other thing. And so libertè of75 arbitrement it is do, that is of wil. And trewly, my good , if these thinges be wel , I wene that non inconvenient shalt thou fynde betwene goddes forweting and libertè of arbitrement; wherfore I wot wel they may stande togider. Also farthermore, who that understanding of prescience80 properlich considreth, the same wyse that any-thing be afore wist is said, for to be comming it is pronounced; there is nothing toforn wist but thing comming; foreweting is but of may nat be wist; wherfore, whan I sey that god toforn any-thing, necessitè is thilke thing to be comming;85 al is oon if I sey, . But this necessitè neither constrayneth ne defendeth any-thing to be or nat to be. Therfore sothly, if love is put to be, it is said of necessitè to be; or els, for it is put nat to be, it is affirmed nat to be of necessitè; nat for that necessitè constrayneth or defendeth love to be or nat to be. For90 whan I say, if love shal be, of necessitè it shal be, here foloweth necessitè the thing put; it is as moch to say as if it were thus pronounced—“that thing shal be.” other thing signifyeth this necessitè but thus: that shal be, may nat togider be and nat be. Evenlich also it is soth, love was, and is, and shal95 be, nat of necessitè; and nede is to have be al that was; and nedeful is to be al that is; and comming, to al that shal be. And it is nat the same to saye, love to be passed, and love passed to be passed; or love present to be present, and love to be present; or els love to be comminge, and love comminge to be100 comming. Dyversitè in setting of wordes maketh dyversitè in understandinge; in the same sentence they accorden of ; right as it is nat al , love swete to be swete, and love to be swete. For moch love is bitter and sorouful, er hertes ben ; and yet it glad[d]eth thilke sorouful on105 suche love to thinke.’
‘Forsothe,’ quod I, ‘outherwhile I have had mokel blisse in of love that stoundmele hath me sorily anoyed. And certes, lady, for I my-self thus knit with this 110 as by bonde of your service and of no libertè of wil, my wil nat acorde this service to love. I can demin in my-selfe non otherwise but necessitè am I constrayned in this service to abyde. But alas! than, if I nedeful compulsioun maugre me be with-holde, litel for al my traveil have115 I than deserved.’
‘ ,’ quod this lady, ‘I saye as I sayde: me lyketh this mater to declare at the ful, and why: for many men have had dyvers fantasyes and , both on one syde therof and in the other. Of whiche right sone, I trowe, if thou wolt understonde,120 thou yeve the sentence to the partie more probable by , and in soth knowing, by that I have of this mater maked an ende.’
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘of these thinges longe have I had to be lerned; for yet, I wene, goddes wil and his prescience125 acordeth with my service in lovinge of this precious Margarite-perle.[ ] After whom ever, in my thursting desyre wete, I do brenne; unwasting, I langour and fade; and the day of my[ ] desteny in dethe or in joye I † ; but yet in th’ende I am comforted † my supposaile, in blisse and in joye to determine130 after my desyres.’
‘That thing,’ quoth Love, ‘hastely to thee neigh, god graunt of his grace and mercy! And this shal be my prayer, til thou be lykende in herte at thyne owne wil. But to enforme in this mater (quod this lady) thou wost where I lefte; that was:135 love to be swete, and love swete to be swete, is not al for to say. For a tree is nat alway by necessitè white. Somtyme, er it were white, it might have be nat white; and after tyme it is white, it be nat white. But a white tree evermore nedeful is to be white; for neither toforn ne after it was white, might it140 be togider white and nat white. Also love, by necessitè, is nat present as in ; for er it were present, it might have be that it shulde nat have be; and yet it be that it shal nat be present; but thy love present whiche to her, Margarite, hath bounde, nedeful is to be present. Trewly, doing of , nat by necessitè, is comminge toforn it be; it may be145 that it shal nat be comminge. Thing forsoth comming nedeful is to be comming; for it may nat be that comming shal nat be comming. And right as I have sayd of present and of future tymes, the same sentence in sothnesse is of the preterit, that is to say, tyme passed. For thing passed must nedes be passed; and150 er it were, it might have nat be; wherfore it shulde nat have passed. Right so, whan love comming is said of love that is to come, nedeful is to be that is said; for thing comming never is nat comminge. And so, ofte, the same we sayn of the same; as whan we “every man is a man,” or “every lover is a lover,”155 so muste it be nedes. In no waye may he be man and no man togider. And if it be nat by necessitè, that is to say nedeful, al thing comming to be comming, than somthing comming is nat comminge, and that is impossible. Right as these termes “nedeful,” “necessitè,” and “necessary” betoken and signify thing nedes160 to be, and it may nat otherwyse be, right “impossible” signifyeth, that [ ] thing is nat and by no way may it be. Than, pert necessitè, al thing comming is comming; but that is by necessitè foloweth, with nothing to be constrayned. Lo! whan that “comming” is said of thinge, nat alway thing165 necessitè is, it be comming. For if I say, “tomorowe love is comming in this Margarites ,” nat therfore thorow necessitè shal the ilke love be; yet it may be that it shal nat be, it were comming. Neverthelater, somtyme it is soth that somthing be of necessitè, that is sayd “to come”; as170 if I say, to-morowe † comminge the rysinge of the sonne . If therfore with necessitè I pronounce comming of thing to come, in this maner love to-morne comminge in thyne Margarite to , by necessitè is comminge; or els the rysing of the sonne to-morne comminge, through necessitè is comminge. Love sothely,175 whiche may nat be of necessitè alone folowinge, necessitè comming it is . For “futur” of future is said; that is to sayn, “comming” of comminge is said; as, if to-morowe comming is thorow necessitè, comminge it is. Arysing of the sonne, two necessitès in comming, it is to understande; that is 180 necessitè, whiche maketh thing to be; therfore it shal be, for nedeful is that it be. Another is folowing necessitè, whiche nothing constrayneth to be, and so by necessitè it is to come; why? for it is to come. than, whan we sayn that god beforn wot185 thing comming, nedeful [ ] is to be comming; yet therfore make we nat in evermore, to be necessitè comminge. Sothly, thing comming nat be nat comming by no way; for it is the same sentence of understanding as if we say thus: if god beforn wot any-thing, nedeful is that to be comming.190 But yet therfore foloweth nat the prescience of God, thing necessitè to be comming: for al-tho[ugh] god toforn al thinges comming, yet nat therfore he beforn wot every thing comming necessitè. Some thinges he beforn wot comming of free wil out of resonable creature.’
195‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘these termes “nede” and “necessitè” have a queint maner of understanding; they wolden dullen many mennes wittes.’
‘Therfore,’ quod she, ‘I wol hem openly declare, and more clerely than I have toforn, er I departe .
CHAPTER IV.[ ]
Ch. IV.
HERE of this mater,’ quod she, ‘thou understande that, right as it is nat nedeful, god to wilne that he wil, no more in many thinges is nat nedeful, a man to wilne that he wol. And ever, right as nedeful is to be, what that god wol,5 right so to be it is nedeful that man wol in tho thinges, whiche that god hath put in-to mannes of willinge; as, if a man wol love, that he love; and if he ne wol love, that he love nat; and of suche other thinges in mannes . For-why, than that god wol may nat be, whan he wol the wil of man10 no necessitè to be constrayned or els defended for to wilne, and he wol to the wil; than is it nedeful, wil of man to be , and also to be that he wol. In this maner it is soth, that necessitè is mannes werke in loving, that he wol do he wol it nat with necessitè.’
15Quod I than, ‘ it in love of thilke wil, sithen men loven willing of free choice in herte? Wherfore, if it be necessitè, I praye you, lady, of an answere this question to assoyle.’
‘I wol,’ quod she, ‘answere blyvely. Right as men wil not necessitè, right so is not love of wil necessitè;20 ne necessitè wrought thilke same wil. For if he wolde it not with good wil, it shulde nat have been wrought; although that he , it is nedeful to be . But if a man do sinne, it is nothing els but to † that he shulde nat; right so sinne of wil is not to be [ ] maner necessary , no more than wil is25 necessarye. Never-the-later, this is sothe; if a man wol sinne, it is necessarye him to sinne, but th[r]ough thilke necessitè nothing is constrayned ne defended in the wil; right so thilke that wol and , and not may not wilne; and nedeful is that to wilne he not . But thilke to wilne nedeful is; for30 impossible to him it is thing and the same to wilne and not to wilne. The werke, forsothe, of wil, to it is yeve that it be that he hath in wil, and that he wol not, voluntarie † spontanye it is; for by spontanye wil it is do, that is to saye, with good wil not constrayned: than by wil not constrayned it is constrayned to35 be; and that is it may not † be. If this necessitè maketh of wil, whiche that, they weren, they might have ben eschewed and shonned: god than, whiche that knoweth al , and nothing but , al these thinges, as they spontanye or necessarie, †seeth; and as he , so they40 ben. And so with these thinges wel considred, it is open at the ful, that without al maner repugnaunce god wot al maner thinges [ ] ben don by wil, whiche, they weren, [ ] might have ben [ ] never they shulde be. And yet ben they thorow a maner necessitè from .45
Hereby (quod she) lightly ben knowe that not al thinges to be, is of necessitè, though god have hem in his prescience. For som thinges to be, is of of wil. And to make to have ful knowinge of goddes , here me (quod she) what I shal say.’50
‘Blythly, lady,’ quod I, ‘me list this mater entyrely to understande.’
‘Thou ,’ quod she, ‘understande that in heven is goddes beinge; although he be over al by power, yet there is abydinge of55 devyne persone; in whiche heven is everlastinge presence, withouten any movable tyme. There is nothing preterit ne passed, there is nothing future ne comming; but al thinges togider in that place ben present everlasting, without any meving. Wherfore, to[ ] god, al thing is as ; and though a be nat, in kyndly60 nature of thinges, as yet, and if it shulde be herafter, yet evermore we shul saye, god it maketh be tyme present, and ; for no future ne preterit in him may be founde. Wherfore his weting and his before-weting is al in understanding. Than, if weting and before-weting of god putteth in necessitè to al thinges whiche65 he wot or before-wot; ne thing, after eternitè or els after any tyme, he wol or of libertè, but al of necessitè: whiche thing if thou wene it be ayenst , [than is] nat necessitè to be or nat to be, al thing that god wot or before-wot to be or nat to be; and yet nothing defendeth to be wist or to be70 before-wist of him in our willes or our doinges to be , or els comminge to be for free arbitrement. Whan thou these wel understande, than shalt thou fynde it resonable at prove, and that many thinges be nat necessitè but libertè of wil, save necessitè of free wil, as I tofore said,75 and, as me thinketh, al utterly declared.’
‘Me thinketh, lady,’ quod I, ‘so I shulde you nat , and evermore your reverence to kepe, that these thinges contraryen in any understanding; for ye , somtyme is libertè of wil, and also necessitè. Of this have I yet no savour,80 without better .’
‘What wonder,’ quod she, ‘is there in these thinges, sithen al day thou at thyne eye, in many thinges receyven in hemselfe revers, thorow dyvers , as thus:—I pray (quod she) which thinges ben more revers than “comen” and “ ”?85 For if I bidde “come to me,” and thou come, after, whan I bidde “go,” and thou go, thou reversest fro first comming.’
‘That is soth,’ quod I.
‘And yet,’ quod she, ‘in thy first alone, by dyvers , was ful reversinge to understande.’90
‘As ?’ quod I.
‘That shal I shewe ,’ quod she, ‘by ensample of thinges that have kyndly moving. Is there any-thing that meveth more kyndly than doth the hevens eye, whiche I clepe the sonne?’
‘Sothly,’ quod I, ‘me semeth it is most kyndly to move.’95
[ ] ‘Thou sayest soth,’ quod she. ‘Than, if thou loke to the sonne, in what parte he be under heven, evermore he † him in moving fro thilke place, and † meving the ilke same place; to thilke place from whiche he comminge; and without any to that place he neigheth100 from whiche he is chaunged and withdrawe. But in these thinges, after dyversitè of , revers in one thinge may be without repugnaunce. Wherfore in the same wyse, without any repugnaunce, by my tofore maked, al is to beleve, somthing to be necessitè comminge for it is comming, and105 yet with no necessitè constrayned to be comming, but with necessitè that cometh out of free wil, as I have sayd.’
Tho me a litel to speke, and gan my penne of my wryting, and in this wyse.
‘Trewly, lady, as me thinketh, I can allege authoritees ,110 that contrarien your . Job saith of mannes person,[ ] “thou hast his terme, whiche thou might not passe.” Than saye I that no man may shorte ne the day ordayned of his † , altho[ugh] somtyme to us it semeth som man to do a of free wil, he henteth.’115
‘ , forsothe,’ quod she, ‘it is nothing ayenst my ; for god is not begyled, ne he seeth nothing wheder it shal come of libertè or els of necessitè; yet it is said to be ordayned at god immovable, whiche at man, or it be , may be chaunged. Suche thing is also that Poule the apostel of hem that 120[ ] wern purposed to be sayntes, as thus: “whiche that god before and hath predestined conformes of images of his † , that he shulde ben the firste begeten, that is to saye, here amonges many ; and whom he hath predestined, hem he hath125 cleped; and whom he hath cleped, hem he hath justifyed; and whom he hath justifyed, hem he hath magnifyed.” This , after whiche they ben cleped sayntes or holy in the everlasting present, wher is neither tyme passed ne tyme comminge, but ever[ ] it is present, and as mokel a moment as sevin 130 winter; and so withouten any meving is nothing lich temporel presence for thinge that there is ever present. Yet amonges you men, er it be in your presence, it is movable libertè of arbitrement. And right as in the everlasting present no maner thing was ne shal be, but is; and here, in135 your temporel tyme, somthing was, and is, and shal be, but movinge stoundes; and in this is no maner repugnaunce: right so, in the everlasting presence, nothing may be chaunged; and, in your temporel tyme, otherwhyle it is proved movable by libertè of wil or it be do, withouten any inconvenience therof to folowe.140[ ] In your temporel tyme is no suche presence as in the tother; for your present is whan passed and to come ginnen entre; whiche tymes here amonges you everich foloweth other. But the presence everlasting dureth in , withouten any imaginable chaunging, and ever is present and . Trewly, the145 course of the planettes and overwhelminges of the sonne in dayes and nightes, with a newe ginning of his circute after it is ended, that is to sayn, to folowe another: these maken your transitory tymes with chaunginge of lyves and of people, but right as your temporel presence coveiteth every place, and al150 thinges in every of your tymes be contayned, and as both and wist to goddes very knowinge.’
[ ] ‘Than,’ quod I, ‘me wondreth why Poule these wordes by voice of in tyme passed, that god his sayntes before-wist hath predestined, hath cleped, hath justifyed, and155 hath magnifyed. Me thinketh, he shulde have tho wordes in tyme present; and that had ben more accordaunt to the everlasting present than to have spoke in preterit voice of passed understanding.’
‘O,’ quod Love, ‘by these wordes I wel thou hast litel160 understanding of the everlasting presence, or els of my before spoken wordes; for never a thing of tho thou hast nempned was tofore other or after other; but al at ones evenlich at the god ben, and al togider in the everlasting present be to understanding. This eternal presence, as I sayd, hath inclose togider in one al tymes, in which close and one al thinges that ben in165 dyvers tymes and in dyvers places temporel, [ ] without posterioritè or prioritè ben closed perpetual , and maked to in present sight. But there thou sayest that Poule shulde[ ] have spoke thilke forsaid sentence † tyme present, and that most shulde have ben acordaunt the everlasting presence,170 why gabbest thou †in thy wordes? Sothly, I say, Poule moved the wordes by of tyme passed, to shewe fully that thilk wordes were nat put for temporel ; for al [ ] thilk tyme [of] temporallich born, whiche that Poule pronounced god have tofore knowe, and have cleped, than175 magnifyed. it may wel be that Poule used tho wordes of passed , for nede and lacke of a worde in mannes bodily betokeninge the everlasting presence. And therfore, [ ] worde moste semeliche in lykenesse to everlasting presence, he his sentence; for thinges that here-180 ben passed utterly be immovable, y-lyke to the everlasting presence. As thilke that ben there never mowe not ben present, so thinges of tyme passed ne mowe in no wyse not ben passed; but al thinges in your temporal presence, that passen in a litel while, shullen ben not present. So than in that, it is more185 similitude to the everlasting presence, of tyme passed than of tyme temporal present, and so more in accordaunce. In this maner what , of these that ben arbitrement, or els as necessary, holy pronounceth, after eternitè he speketh; in whiche presence is everlasting sothe and nothing but190 sothe immovable; nat after tyme, in whiche naught alway ben your willes and your actes. And right as, while they be nat, it is nat nedeful hem to be, so ofte it is nat nedeful that somtyme they shulde be.’
‘As how?’ quod I; ‘for yet I must be lerned by some195 ensample.’
‘Of love,’ quod she, ‘wol I ensample make, sithen I knowe the heed-knotte in that yelke. Lo! somtyme thou wrytest no , ne art than in no wil to wryte. And right as while thou200 wrytest nat or els wolt nat wryte, it is nat nedeful to wryte or els wilne to wryte. And for to make knowe utterly that thinges ben otherwise in the everlastinge presence than in temporal tyme, , my good : for is in the everlastinge presence, than in temporal tyme it was nat; in205 † tyme, in presence shal it nat be. Than no defendeth , that somthing ne may be in tyme temporal moving, that in eterne is immovable. Forsothe, it is no more contrary ne revers for to be in tyme temporel, and [im] in eternitè, than nat to be in any tyme and to be alway in210 eternitè; or els to come in tyme temporel, and nat have be ne nought comming to be in eternitè. Yet never-the-later. I say nat somthing to be never in tyme temporel, that ever is [ ] eternitè; but in nat to be. For I saye nat thy love to-morne in no tyme to be, but to-day alone215 I be; and yet, never-the-later, it is in eternitè.’
‘A! so,’ quod I, ‘it semeth to me, that comming thing or els passed here in your temporal tyme to be, in eternitè ever and present oweth nat to be demed; and yet foloweth nat thilke , that was or els shal be, in no maner ben passed220[ ] or els comming; than utterly shul we deny for there without it is, in his present maner.’
‘O,’ quod she, ‘myne owne disciple, ginnest thou [be] able to have the name of my servaunt! Thy is clered; away is errour of cloude in unconning; is blyndnesse of225 love; away is thoughtful study of medling maners. Hastely thou entre in-to the joye of me, that am thyn owne maistres! Thou (quod she), in a fewe wordes, wel and clerely concluded mokel of my mater. And right as there is no revers ne in tho thinges, right so, withouten230 any repugnaunce, it is sayd somthing to be movable in tyme temporel, † it be, that in eternité dwelleth immovable, nat afore it be or after that it is, but without cessing; for right naught is there after tyme; that same is there everlastinge that temporalliche somtyme nis; and it be, it not be, as I have sayd.’235
‘ sothly,’ quod I, ‘this have I wel understande; so that me thinketh, that prescience of god and arbitrement withouten any repugnaunce acorden; and that maketh the strength of eternitè, whiche encloseth by presence during al tymes, and al thinges that ben, han ben, and shul ben in any240 tyme. I wolde (quod I) a litel understande, sithen that [ ] al thing thus wot, whether thilke wetinge be of tho thinges, or els thilke thinges ben to ben of goddes weting, and so of god is; and if every thing be goddes weting, and therof take his being, than shulde god be maker and auctour245 of badde werkes, and so he shulde not rightfully punisshe yvel doinges of mankynde.’
Quod Love, ‘I shal , this lesson to lerne. Myne owne trewe servaunt, the noble philosophical poete in Englissh, whiche evermore him besieth and travayleth right sore my name250 to (wherfore al that willen me good owe to do him worship and reverence bothe; trewly, his better ne his pere in of my rules coude I never fynde)—he (quod she), in a that he made of my servant Troilus, hath this mater touched, and at the ful this question assoyled. Certaynly, his noble 255 can I not amende; in goodnes of speche, without any maner of †storiers imaginacion, in witte and in good of sentence he passeth al other makers. In the boke of Troilus, the answere to thy question thou lerne. Never-the-later, yet may lightly thyne understandinge ben lerned,260 if thou have knowing of these to-fornsaid thinges; with that thou have understanding of two the laste chapiters of this seconde boke, that is to say, good to be somthing, and bad to al maner being. For badde is nothing els but absence of good; and [ ] that god in good maketh that good dedes ben good,265 in yvel he maketh that they ben but naught, that they ben bad; for to nothing is badnesse to be [ ].’
‘I have,’ quod I tho, ‘ynough knowing therin; me nedeth of other thinges to here, that is to saye, I shal come to my blisse so long desyred.’270
CHAPTER V.
Ch. V.
‘IN this mater toforn declared,’ quod Love, ‘I have wel shewed, that every man hath arbitrement of thinges in his power, to do or undo what him lyketh. Out of this grounde[ ] muste come the spire, that by processe of tyme shal in 5 sprede, to have braunches and blosmes of waxing frute in grace, of whiche the taste and the savour is endelesse blisse, in ever to onbyde.’
‘ , trewly, lady, I have my grounde wel understonde; but what thing is thilke spire that in-to a tree shulde wexe?10 Expowne me that thing, what ye therof .’
‘That shal I,’ quod she, ‘blithly, and take good hede to the wordes, I rede. Continuaunce in thy good service, by longe processe of tyme in ful hope abyding, without any chaunge to wilne in thyne herte, this is the spire. Whiche, if it be wel kept15 and governed, shal so hugely springe, til the of grace is plentuously out-sprongen. For thy wil be good, yet may not therfore thilk blisse desyred hastely on discenden; it must abyde his sesonable tyme. And so, by processe of growing, with thy good traveyle, it shal in-to more and more wexe,20 til it be found so mighty, that windes of yvel speche, ne scornes of envy, make nat the traveyle overthrowe; ne frostes of mistrust, ne hayles of jelousy right litel might have, in harming of suche springes. Every yonge setling lightly with smale stormes is apeyred; but whan it is woxen in gretnesse, than han25 blastes and † but litel might, any disadvantage to them for to werche.’
‘Myne owne soverayne lady,’ quod I, ‘and welth of myne , and it were lyking un-to your noble grace therthrough nat to be , I suppose ye erren, ye maken jelousy, envy,30 and distourbour to hem that ben your servauntes. I have lerned ofte, this tyme, that in every lovers of jelousyes greves ben sowe, wherfore (me thinketh) ye ne ought in no maner accompte thilke among these other welked wivers and venomous serpentes, as envy, mistrust, and yvel35 speche.’
‘O fole,’ quod she, ‘mistrust with foly, with yvel wil medled, engendreth that welked padde! Truely, if they were distroyed, jelousy were for ever; and yet some maner of jelousy, I wot wel, is ever redy in al the hertes of my trewe servauntes, as thus: to be jelous over him-selfe, lest he be cause of his own40 . This jelousy in ful thought ever shulde be kept, for ferdnesse to lese his love by miskeping, his owne doing in leudnesse, or els thus: lest she, that thou servest so fervently, is beset there her better lyketh, that of al thy good service she compteth nat a cresse. These jelousies in herte for acceptable45 qualitees ben demed; these oughten every trewe lover, by kyndly [ ], evermore haven in his mynde, til fully the grace and blisse of my service be on him discended at wil. And he that than jelousy , or els by wening of his owne folisshe wilfulnesse mistrusteth, truely with fantasy of he is foule50 begyled. Yvel wil hath grounded thilke mater of sorowe in his leude soule, and yet nat-for-than to every wight shulde me nat , ne every wight fully misbeleve; the of these thinges † to be used. Sothly, withouten causeful evidence mistrust in jelousy shulde nat be wened in no wyse person commenly;55 suche leude wickednesse shulde me nat fynde. He that is wyse and with yvel wil nat be acomered, can abyde wel his tyme, til grace and blisse of his service folowing have him so mokel , as his abydinge toforehande hath him .’
‘Certes, lady,’ quod I tho, ‘of nothing me wondreth, sithen60 thilke blisse so precious is and kyndly good, and wel is and worthy in kynde whan it is medled with love and , as ye toforn have declared. Why , anon as hye is , why springeth nat the tother? And as the cometh, why receyveth nat the other? For every thing that is out of his kyndly place, by ful65 ever cometh kyndely to drawe; and his kyndly being ther-to him constrayneth. And the kyndly stede of this blisse is in suche wil medled to † , and nedes in that it shulde have his kyndly being. Wherfore me thinketh, anon as that wil to be shewed and him profreth, thilke blisse shulde him70 hye, thilk wil to receyve; or els of goodnesse worchen nat in hem as they shulde. Lo, be the sonne never so , ever [ ] it hath his kynde werching in erthe. weight on hye on-lofte caried stinteth never til it come to † resting-place. Waters75 to the ever ben they drawing. Thing that is light blythly wil nat sinke, but ever ascendeth and upward draweth. Thus kynde in every thing his kyndly and his beinge-place sheweth. Wherfore † kynde, on this good wil, anon as it were spronge, this blisse shulde thereon discende; her wolde,80 they dwelleden togider; and so have ye your-selfe.’
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘thyne sitteth wonder sore, this blisse for to have; thyne is sore agreved that it tarieth so longe; and if thou durstest, as me thinketh by thyne wordes, this blisse woldest thou blame. But yet I saye, thilke blisse is kyndly good,85 and his kyndely place [ ] in that wil to † . Never-the-later, their comming togider, after kyndes ordinaunce, nat sodaynly betyde; it muste abyde tyme, as kynde yeveth him . For if a man, as this wil medled gonne him shewe, and thilke blisse in haste folowed, so lightly comminge shulde lightly cause90 going. Longe tyme of thursting causeth to be the more delicious whan it is atasted.’
‘ is it,’ quod I than, ‘that so many blisses I al at myne eye, in the firste moment of a sight, with suche wil accorde? Ye, and yet other-whyle with wil assenteth, singulerly by him-selfe;95 there fayleth, traveyle was ; service had no tyme. This is a queynt maner suche doing cometh aboute.’
‘O,’ quod she, ‘that is thus. The erthe kyndely, after and tymes of the yere, bringeth innumerable herbes and trees, bothe profitable and other; but suche as men might 100 (though in norisshinge to mannes kynde serven, or els suche as tournen unto mennes confusion, in case that therof they ataste), comen out of the erthe by their owne kynde, withouten any mannes cure or any businesse in traveyle. And the ilke herbes that to mennes lyvelode necessarily serven,105 without whiche goodly in this lyfe creatures mowen nat enduren, and most ben † to mankynde, without traveyle, tilthe, and longe abydinge-tyme, comen nat out of the erthe, and with sede toforn ordayned, suche herbes to make springe and growe. Right so the blisse, that we have in of during-tyme to abyde, may nat come so lightly, but with 110 traveyle and right besy tilth; and yet good to be sowe; for ofte the croppe fayleth of badde seede, be it never so wel traveyled. And thilke blisse thou spoke of so lightly in comming, trewly, is nat necessary ne abydinge; and but it the better be stamped, and the venomous jeuse out-wrongen, it is lykely to enpoysonen115 al tho that therof tasten. Certes, right bitter ben the herbes that shewen first [ ] the yere of her own kynde. Wel the more is the harvest that yeldeth many graynes, tho longe and sore it hath ben traveyled. What woldest thou demen if a man wold yeve quarters of nobles of golde? That were a precious gift?’120
‘Ye, certes,’ quod I.
‘And what,’ quod she, ‘ quarters ful of ?’
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘that were a riche .’
‘And what,’ quod she, ‘of as mokel azure?’
Quod I, ‘a precious gift at ful.’125
‘Were not,’ quod she, ‘a noble of al these atones?’
‘In good faith,’ quod I, ‘for wanting of Englissh naming of so noble a worde, I can not, for preciousnesse, yeve it a name.’
‘Rightfully,’ quod she, ‘ thou demed; and yet love, in vertue, passeth al the in this erthe. Good wil, accordant130 to , with no maner propertè may be countrevayled. Al the azure in the worlde is nat to accompte in of . Love that with good wil and accordeth, with non erthly riches may nat ben amended. This yeft hast thou yeven, I know it my-selfe, and thy Margarite thilke gift hath receyved; in whiche135 thinge to rewarde she hath her-selfe bounde. But thy , as I said, by no maner riches may be amended; wherfore, with thinge that may nat be amended, thou shalt of thy Margarites rightwisenesse be rewarded. Right suffred yet never but every good dede somtyme to be yolde. Al wolde thy Margarite with140 no rewarde quyte, right, that never-more dyeth, thy mede in merit wol purvey. Certes, such blisse as thou first nempnest, right wil hem rewarde as wel is worthy; and though at thyn eye it semeth, the the desert to passe, right can after sende suche bitternesse, evenly it to rewarde. So145 that blisse, by al wayes of , in gret goodnesse may not ben acompted; but blisse long, both long it abydeth, and endlesse it wol why thy wil is endelesse. For if thou lovedest ever, thy wil is ever ther and neveremore to150 chaunge; evenhed of rewarde must ben don by right; than muste nedes thy grace and this blisse [ ] endelesse in . Evenliche disese asketh evenliche , whiche hastely thou shalt have.’
‘A!’ quod I, ‘it suffyseth not than alone good wil, be it never155 so wel with reson medled, but-if it be in good service longe travayled. And so through service shul men come to the joye; and this, me thinketh, shulde be the wexing , of which ye first meved.
CHAPTER VI.
Ch. VI.
, lady,’ quod I, ‘that tree to wolde I lerne.’
‘So thou shalt,’ quod she, ‘er thou depart hence. The first thing, thou muste thy werke on grounde siker and good,[ ] accordaunt to thy springes. For if thou desyre grapes, thou5 goest not to the hasel; ne, for to roses, thou sekest not on okes; and if thou shalt have hony-soukels, thou the frute of the soure docke. Wherfore, if thou desyre this blisse in , thou must thy there vertue foloweth, and not to loke after the bodily goodes; as I sayd whan thou were10 wryting in thy seconde . And for thou set thy-selfe in so noble a place, and utterly lowed in thyn herte the misgoing of thy first , this †setling is the esier to springe, and the more lighter thy soule in grace to be lissed. And trewly thy , that is to say, thy wil algates ben stedfast in this mater without15 any chaunginge; for if it be stedfast, no man it voyde.’
‘Yes, pardè,’ quod I, ‘my wil ben turned by frendes, and[ ] of manace and thretning in lesinge of my lyfe and of my limmes, and in many other wyse that cometh not to mynde. And also it ofte ben out of thought; for no remembraunce20 may holde thing continuelly in herte, be it never so lusty desyred.’
‘ ,’ quod she, ‘thou thy wil shal folowe, thy wil to be grounded continuelly to abyde. It is thy wil, that thou lovest and loved, and yet shal loven this Margaryte-perle; and in thy wil thou thinkest to holde it. Than is thy wil knit25 in love, not to chaunge for no newe lust besyde; this wil thyn herte from al maner . But than, although thou be thretened in dethe or els in otherwyse, yet is it in thyn arbitrement to chose, thy love to voyde or els to holde; and thilke arbitrement is in a maner a jugement bytwene and thy30 herte. And if thou deme to love thy good wil fayleth, than thou worthy no blisse that good wil shulde deserve; and if thou chose continuaunce in thy good service, than thy good wil abydeth; nedes, blisse folowing of thy good wil must come by strength of thilke jugement; for thy first wil, that taught thyn35 herte to abyde, and it from th’eschaunge, with thy reson is accorded. Trewly, this maner of wil thus shal abyde; impossible it were to turne, if thy be trewe; and if every man diligently the meninges of his wil consider, he shal wel understande that good wil, knit with , but in a false herte40 never is voyded; for power and might of keping this good wil is libertè of arbitrement in , but good wil to kepe may not fayle. Eke than if it fayle, it sheweth it-selfe that good wil in keping is not there. And thus false wil, that putteth out the good, constrayneth the herte to accorde in lovinge of45 thy good wil; and this accordaunce bitwene false wil and thyn herte, in falsitè ben lykened † . Yet a litel wol I say in good wil, thy good willes to rayse and hede to me (quod she) thy willes thou shalt understande. Right as ye han in your body dyvers membres, and fyve sondrye50 wittes, everiche to his owne doing, whiche thinges as instrumentes ye usen; as, your handes to handle; , to go; tonge, to speke; eye, to : right so the soule hath in him certayne steringes and strengthes, whiche he useth as instrumentes to his certayne doinges. is in the soule,55 which he useth, thinges to knowe and to prove; and wil, whiche he useth to wilne; and yet is neyther wil ne al the soule; but everich of hem is a thing by him-selfe in the soule. And right as everich hath thus singuler instrumentes by hemselfe,60 they han as wel dyvers aptes and dyvers maner usinges; and thilke aptes mowen in wil ben cleped is an instrument of willinge in his apetytes. Wherfore mokel sayn, if a resonable creatures soule any thing fervently wilneth, affectuously he wilneth; and thus may wil, by terme of equivocas ,65 in wayes ben understande. is instrument of willing; another is affection of this instrument; and the third is use, that setteth it a-werke. Instrument of willing is thilke strength of the[ ] soule, which that constrayneth to wilne, right as is instrument of resons, which ye usen whan ye loken. of this70 instrument is a thing, by whiche ye be drawe desyrously anything to wilne in coveitous maner, al be it for the tyme out of your mynde; as, if it come in your thought thilke thing to[ ] remembre, anon ye ben willing thilke to done or els to have. And thus is instrument wil; and is wil also, to wilne75 as I said; as, for to wilne helth, whan wil nothing theron thinketh; for anon as it cometh to memorie, it is in wil. And so[ ] is to wilne slepe, whan it is out of mynde; but anon as it is remembred, wil wilneth slepe, whan his tyme cometh of the doinge. For of wil never accordeth to sicknesse,80 ne alway to wake. Right so, in a true lovers of willing, instrument is to wilne tr[o]uthe in his service; and this alway abydeth, although he be sleping or thretned, or els not theron thinking; but anon as it cometh to mynde, anon he is stedfast in that wil to abyde. Use of this instrument forsothe85 is another thing by himselfe; and that have ye not but whan ye be doing in willed thing, by or instrument of wil purposed or desyred; and this maner of usage in my service wysely nedeth to be ruled from wayters with envy closed, from spekers ful of jangeling wordes, from proude folk and hautayn,90that lambes and innocentes bothe scornen and dispysen. Thus in doing varieth the actes of willinge everich from other, and yet ben they cleped “wil,” and the name of wil utterly owen they to have; as instrument of wil is wil, whan ye turne in-to of any thing to don, be it to or to stande, or any such thing95 els. This instrument may ben had, although affect and usage be left out of doing; right as ye have sight and reson, and yet alway use ye* † to loke, [ ] thinges with resonning to prove; and so is instrument of wil, wil; and yet varyeth he from and using bothe. of wil also for wil is cleped, but it varyeth from instrument in this maner wyse, by that , whan it100 cometh in-to mynde, anon-right it is in willinge desyred, and the therof with willing nil not acorde; this is closed in herte, usage and instrument slepe. This slepeth whan instrument[ ] and waken; and of suche maner , trewly, some man hath more and some man lesse. Certes, trewe lovers105 wenen ever therof to litel to have. False lovers in litel wenen have right mokel. Lo, instrument of wil in false and trewe bothe, evenliche is proporcioned; but is more in some places than in some, bycause of the goodnesse that foloweth, and that I thinke hereafter to declare. Use of this instrument is wil,110 but it taketh his name whan wilned thing is in doing; but utterly grace to in thy blisse † to ben rewarded. Thou have than of wil at the ful, and use whan his tyme asketh wysely to ben governed. Sothly, my disciple, without fervent affeccion of wil may no man ben saved. This115 affeccion of good service in good love may not ben grounded, without fervent to the thing in wil coveited. But he that never to have or not to have, affeccion of wil in that hath no resting-place. Why? For whan thing cometh to mynde, and it be not taken in hede to or not come, therfore in120 that place affeccion fayleth; and, for thilke affeccion is so litel, thorow whiche in goodnesse he shulde come to his grace, the litelnesse wil it not suffre to avayle by no way in-to his helpes. Certes, grace and thilke affeccion foloweth. This affeccion, with , dureth in everiche trewe herte, and evermore125 is ; no ferdnesse, no strength it remove, whyle tr[o]uthe in herte abydeth. Sothly, whan falsheed ginneth entre, tr[o]uthe draweth away grace and ; but than thilke falsheed, that trouth[e] hath thus voyded, hath unknit the of understanding bytwene wil and the herte. And who-so130 that , and unknitteth wil to be in other purpose than to the first accorde, knitteth him with contrarye of ; and that is . Lo, than, wil and bringeth a man from the blisse of grace; whiche thing, of pure kynde, every man135 ought to shonne and to eschewe, and to the knot of wil and confirme.
Me thinketh,’ quod she, ‘by thy studient lokes, thou wenest in these wordes me to contrarien from other in other place, as whan thou were somtyme in of wil to140thinges that han brought thee in , which I have consayled to voyde, and thyn herte discover; and there I made thy wil to ben chaunged, whiche now thou wenest I argue to with[h]olde and to kepe! Shortly I say, the revers in these wordes may not ben founde; for though dronkennesse be forboden,145 men shul not alway ben drinklesse. I trowe right, for thou thy wil out of shulde not tourne, thy wil in one [ ] shulde not † . I say, thy wil in thy first with was closed; constrewe forth of the what good lyketh. Trewly, that wil and shulde be knit togider,150 was wil of reson; after tyme thyne herte is assentaunt to them bothe, thou might not chaunge. But if thou from rule of varye, in whiche variaunce to come to thilke blisse desyred, contrariously thou werchest; and nothing may knowe wil and reson but love alone. Than if thou voide love, than † [thou]155 the that knitteth; and so nedes, or els right lightly, that other a-sondre; wherfore thou seest apertly that love holdeth this knot, and amaystreth hem to be bounde. These thinges, as a in circuit of wrethe, ben knit in thy soule without departing.’
‘A! let be! let be!’ quod I; ‘it nedeth not of this no160 rehersayle to make; my soule is yet in blisse, in thinking of that knotte!’
CHAPTER VII.
Ch. VII.
‘VERY trouth,’ quod she, ‘hast thou conceyved of these thinges in thyne ; hastely shalt thou be able very joye and blisse to receyve; and , I wot wel, thou desyrest to knowe the maner of braunches that out of the tree5 shulde .’
‘Therof, lady,’ quod I, ‘hertely I you pray; for than leve I † , that right after I shal of the frute that I so long have desyred.’
‘Thou hast ,’ quod she, ‘in what wyse this toforn this have I declared, as in grounde and in stocke of wexing. First,10[ ] the shulde be thy , ful in thyne ; and the stocke (as I sayde) shulde be continuaunce in good service by long tyme in traveyle, til it were in right wel woxen. And whan this tree suche hath caught as I have rehersed, the braunches than, that the frute shulde forth-bringe,15 speche must they be nedes, in voice of prayer in complayning wyse used.’
‘Out! alas!’ quod I tho, ‘he is soroufully wounded that hydeth his speche, and spareth his complayntes to make! What shal I speke the care? But payne, even , sore hath20 me assayled, and so ferforth in payne me thronge, that I leve my is seer, and never shal it frute forth ! Certes, he is , that dare his prevy mone discover to a true felowe, that conning hath and might, wherthrough his pleint in any thinge may ben amended. And mokel more is he joyed, that with herte25 of hardinesse dare complayne to his lady what cares that he suffreth, by hope of mercy with grace to be avaunced. Truely I saye for me, sithe I this Margarit to serve, durst I never me discover of no maner ; and wel the later hath myn herte hardyed suche thinges to done, for the and worthy30 refresshmentes that she of her grace goodly, without any desert on my halve, ofte hath me rekened. And nere her goodnesse the more with grace and with mercy medled, which passen al desertes, traveyls, and servinges that I in any degre might endite, I wolde wene I shulde be without recover, in getting of this blisse for35 ever! Thus have I stilled my ; thus have I covered my care; that I in sorouful anoy, as gledes and coles wasten[ ] a under deed asshen. Wel the hoter is the that with asshen it is overleyn. Right longe this wo have I suffred.’
‘Lo,’ quod Love, ‘ thou farest! Me thinketh, the palasy-yvel40 hath acomered thy wittes; as faste as thou hyest , anon sodaynly thou movest! Shal nat yet al thy leudnesse out of thy braynes? Dul ben thy skilful understandinges; thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred. Wost thou nat wel (quod she)45 but every tree, in his sesonable tyme of burjoninge, shewe his blomes from within, in signe of what frute shulde out of him , els the frute for that yere men delivered, be the never so good? And though the stocke be mighty at the ful, and the braunches seer, and no burjons shewe, farwel the50 gardiner! He may pype with an yvè-lefe; his frute is fayled. Wherfore thy braunches must burjonen in presence of thy lady, if thou desyre any frute of thy ladies grace. But beware of thy lyfe, that thou no use, as in asking of thinges that in-to shame! For than might thou nat spede, by no maner way55 that I can espy. Vertue wol nat suffre villany out of him-selfe to . Thy wordes may nat be queynt, ne of subtel maner understandinge. Freel-witted people supposen in suche poesies to be begyled; in open understandinge must every be used. “Voice without clere understanding of sentence,” saith Aristotel ,60 “right nought printeth in .” Thy wordes than to abyde in , and clene in ful sentence of trewe mening, platly must thou shewe; and ever be obedient, her hestes and her wils to performe; and be thou set in suche a wit, to wete by a loke ever-more what she . And he that list nat to speke, but65 stilly his suffer, what wonder is it, tho[ugh] he come never to his blisse? Who that traveyleth unwist, and coveyteth thing unknowe, unweting he shal be quyted, and with unknowe thing rewarded.’
[ ] ‘Good lady,’ quod I than, ‘it hath ofte be sene, that †70 and stormes so hugely have in burjoning-tyme, and by perte duresse han of the springes so clene, wherthrough the frute of thilke yere hath fayled. It is a grace, whan burjons han good † , their frutes to bringe. Alas! than, after suche stormes, is it to avoyde, til efte wedring and75 yeres han maked her circute cours al about, er any frute be able to be tasted! He is shent for shame, that foule is rebuked of his speche. He that is in fyre brenning sore smarteth for ; him thinketh ful long er the water come, that shulde the quenche. While men after a leche, the body is buryed.80 Lo! semely this frute wexeth! Me thinketh, that of tho frutes no man ataste, for pure bitternesse in . In this wyse bothe frute and the tree wasten away togider, though mokel besy have be , to bringe it so that it was able to . A lyte speche hath maked that al this labour is in ydel.’85
‘I not,’ quod she, ‘wherof it serveth, thy question to assoyle. Me thinketh duller in wittes than whan I with thee first mette. Although a man be leude, commenly for a fole he is nat demed but-if he no good wol lerne. Sottes and lightly out of mynde the good that men hem. I sayd therfore,90 thy stocke must be stronge, and in wel herted: the tree is ful feble that at the firste dent falleth. And although frute fayleth yere or two, yet shal suche a come tyme or other, that shal bringe out frute that [ ]. Fole, have I not seyd toforn this, as tyme hurteth, right so ayenward tyme 95 and rewardeth; and a tree oft fayled is holde more in whan it frute bringeth. A marchaunt that for ones lesinge in the see no more to aventure thinketh, he shal never with aventure come to richesse. So ofte must men on the oke smyte, til the happy dent have entred, whiche with the okes owne swaye100 maketh it to come al at ones. So ofte falleth the lethy water on the harde rocke, til it have persed it. The even draught of the wyr-drawer maketh the to ben even and supple-werchinge; and if he stinted in his draught, the a-sonder. Every wel springeth, whan it is wel grounded and105 not often removed.’
‘What shal this frute be,’ quod I, ‘ it ginneth rype?’
‘Grace,’ quod she, ‘in joy to endure; and therwith thou .’
‘Grace?’ quod I; ‘me thinketh, I shulde have a for my110 longe travayle?’
‘I shal ,’ quod she; ‘retribucion of thy good willes to have of thy Margarite-perle, it not the name of mede, but of good grace; and that cometh not of thy , but of thy Margarytes goodnesse and vertue alone.’115
Quod I, ‘shulde al my longe travayle have no [ ] grace? And som-tyme your-selven sayd, rightwisnesse evenliche rewardeth, to quyte for another.’
‘That is sothe,’ quod Love, ‘ever as I sayde, as to him that120 good, which to done he were neyther holden ne yet constrayned.’
‘That is sothe,’ quod I.
[ ] ‘Trewly,’ quod she, ‘al that ever thou doest to thyne Margaryteperle, of wil, of love, and of reson thou owest to done it; 125 nothing els but yelding of thy dette in quytinge of thy grace, which she whan ye first mette.’
‘I wene,’ quod I, ‘right grace to me she delivered. Certes, it was harde grace; it hath nyghe me astrangled.’
‘That it was good grace, I wot wel thou wilt it , er130 thou departe hence. If any man yeve to another wight, to whom that he ought not, and whiche that of him-selfe have, a garnement or a cote, though he the cote or els thilke clothing, it is not to to him that was naked the cause of his clothinge, but to him that was yever of the garnement.135 Wherfore I saye, thou that were naked of love, and of thy-selfe non have mightest, it is not to to thyne owne persone, sithen thy love thy Margaryte-perle. Ergo, she was yever of the love, thou it use; and there she grace, thy service to beginne. She is worthy the of this140 grace, for she was the yever. Al the thoughtes, besy doinges, and plesaunce in thy might and in thy wordes that thou devyse, ben but right litel in quytinge of thy dette; had she not ben, suche thing hadde not ben studyed. So al these maters kyndly drawen to this Margaryte-perle, for from thence145 were they borowed; al is her to wyte, the love that thou havest; and thus quytest thou thy dette, in that thou stedfastly servest. And kepe wel that love, I rede, that of her thou hast borowed, and use it in her service thy dette to quyte; and than thou able right sone to have grace; wherfore after mede150 in none halve mayst thou loke. Thus thy ginning and ending is but grace ; and in thy good deserving thy dette thou aquytest; without grace is nothing , what-so-ever thou werche. Thanke thy Margaryte of her grace that † hath gyded, and praye her of continuaunce in thy werkes herafter; and that, for no mishappe, thy grace overthwartly155 tourne. Grace, glorie, and joye is coming good folkes desertes; and by getting of grace, therin shullen ende. And what is more glorie or more joye than and love in charitè, whiche god hath graunted to al tho that wel † deserve?’ And with that this lady al at ones sterte in-to160 my : ‘here wol I onbyde,’ quod she, ‘for ever, and never wol I gon hence; and I wol kepe thee from medlinge while me liste here onbyde; thyne entermeting maners in-to stedfastnesse shullen be chaunged.’
CHAPTER VIII.
Ch. VIII.
SOBERLICHE tho I up myn eyen, and hugely tho was I astonyed of this sodayne adventure; and wolde I have lerned, vertues shulden ben knowen; in whiche thinges, I hope to god, here-after she shal me enfourmen; and namely, sithen her restinge-place is so at my wil; and anon al5 these thinges that this lady said, I remembred me by my-selfe, and[ ] revolved the † of myne understondinge wittes. Tho I fully al these maters there written, by fayned love bothe realmes and hath governed a throwe; lightly me might the fautes espye; rules in love10 shulde ben used; somtyme with fayned love foule I was begyled; I shulde love have knowe; and I shal in love with my service procede. Also furthermore I , of perdurable letters wonderly there graven, these maters whiche I shal nempne. Certes, age ne other in erthe the leest sillable of15 this in no poynte deface, but clerely as the sonne in myne understandinge soule they shynen. This never out of my mynde, I not my love kepe, but willinge in herte; wilne to love I not, but I lovinge have. Love have I , but grace of this Margarite-perle. It is no maner doute, that20 wil wol not love but for it is lovinge, as wil wol not rightfully but for it is rightful it-selve. Also wil is not lovinge for he wol love; but he wol love for he is lovinge; it is al to † to be lovinge, and lovinges in possession to have. Right so wil wol not25 love, for of love hath he no partie. And yet I denye not lovinge wil [ ] wilne more love to have, whiche that he hath not whan he wolde more than he hath; but I saye, he no love wilne if he no love have, through which thilke love he shuld wilne. But to have this loving wil may no man of him-selfe, but through30 grace ; right so no man it kepe, but by grace folowinge. Consider every man aright, and let if that any wight of him-selfe mowe this loving wel , and he therof first have; for if it shulde of him-selfe , either it muste be willing or not willing. Willing by him-selfe may he it not35 have, sithen him fayleth the mater that shulde it . The mater him fayleth; why? He therof have no knowing til whan grace put it in his herte. Thus willing by him-selfe may he it not have; and not willing, may he it not have. Pardè, every conseyt of every creature otherwyse wil [ ] not40 ; wil in with not willing by no way mowe acorde. And although this loving wol come in myn by of arbitrement, as in this booke fully is shewed, yet owe I not therfore as moche alowe my as grace of that Margaryte to me . For neyther might I, without grace to-forn going and45 folowing, thilke grace ne kepe; and lese shal I it never but-if free wil it make , as in willinge otherwyse than grace hath me graunted. For right as whan any person taketh willing to be sobre, and throweth that away, willing to be dronke; or els taketh wil of drinking out of mesure; whiche thing, anon as it is50 , maketh ( his owne gilte by free wil) that [ ] leseth his grace. In whiche thing therfore upon the nobley of grace I mote trusten, and my besy cure thilke grace to kepe, that my free wil, otherwyse than by it shulde werche, cause not my grace to voyde: for thus must I bothe loke to free wil and to55 grace. For right as naturel usage in engendring of children not ben without † , ne also but with the † , for neyther † ne † in begetting it lacke; right so grace and free wil accorden, and withoute hem bothe not lovinge wil in no partie ben getten. But yet is not free wil in gettinge of that thing so mokel as is grace, ne in the kepinge therof60 so moche deserveth; and yet in gettinge and keping bothe they accorde. Trewly, often-tyme grace free wil helpeth, in fordoinge of contrarye thinges, that to willinge love not accorden, and † wil adversitees to withsitte; wherfore †al-togider to grace oweth to ben accepted, that my willing deserveth. Free65 wil to lovinge in this wyse is accorded. I remembre me wel al this (who-so hede taketh) considereth [ ] al thinges to werchinges of mankynde evenly accordeth, as in turning of this worde ‘love’ in-to trouthe or els rightwisnesse, whether that it lyke. For what thing that falleth to man in helping of free70 arbitrement, thilke rightwisnesse to take or els to kepe, whiche a man shal be saved (of whiche thing al this mencion hath maked), in every poynte therof grace oweth to be thanked. Wherfore I saye, every wight havinge this rightwisnesse rightful is; and yet therfore I fele not in my conscience, that to al75 rightful is behoten the blisse everlastinge, but to hem that ben rightful withouten any unrightfulnesse. Some man after some degree rightfully ben accompted as chaste men in living, and yet ben they janglers and ful of envy pressed; to hem shal this blisse never ben delivered. For right as very blisse is without al maner80 nede, right so to no man shal it be yeven but to the rightful, voyde from al maner unrightfulnesse founde; so no man to her blisse shal ben folowed, but he be rightful, and with unrightfulnesse not bounde, and in that degree fully be knowe. This rightfulnesse, in as moche as in him-selfe is, of none yvel is it cause; and of al85 maner goodnesse, trewly, it is † . This helpeth the spirit to withsitte the leude lustes of flesshly lykinge. This and maintayneth the lawe of kynde; and if that otherwhyle me weneth of this precious thing to folowe, therthorough is [ ] the cause; of somwhat els cometh it aboute, who-so90[ ] taketh hede. By rightfulnesse forsothe many holy sayntes good savour in swetenesse to god almighty; but that to some folkes they weren savour of dethe, in-to deedly ende, that not of the sayntes rightwisnesse, but of other wicked mennes 95 badnesse hath proceded. Trewly, the ilke wil, whiche that the Lady of Love me lerned ‘ of wil’ to nempne, which is in willing of profitable thinges, yvel is it not, but whan to flesshly lustes it consenteth ayenst of soule. But that this more clerely be , it is for to knowe, whence and 100 thilke wil is so vicious, and so yvel dedes to perfourme. Grace at the ginninge ordeyned thilke wil in goodnesse ever to have endured, and never to badnesse have assented. Men shulde not byleve, that god thilke wil maked to be firste † , as Adam and Eve; for vicious appetytes, and vicious wil105 to suche appetytes consentinge, ben not on thing in kynde; other thing is for the other. And this wil first in-to man first assented, I holde it profitable to shewe; but if the first condicion of creature wol be considred and apertly loked, lightly the cause of suche wil may be shewed. Intencion of god was,110 that rightfully and blissed shulde nature ben maked, himselfe for to kepe; but neyther blisful ne rightful might it not be, withouten wil in them bothe. Wil of rightfulnesse is thilke same rightfulnesse, as is shewed; but wil of blisse is not thilke blisse, for every man hath not thilke blisse, in whom115 the wil therof is abydinge. In this blisse, after every understandinge, is suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any maner nede, whether it be blisse of aungels or els thilke that grace first in paradise suffred Adam to have. For al-though angels blisse be more than Adams was in paradyse, yet it not120 be † , that Adam in paradyse ne had suffisaunce of blisse; for right as herte is without al maner of coldenesse, and yet another herte more have; right so defended Adam in paradyse to ben blessed, without al maner nede . aungels blisse be moche more, forsothe, it foloweth125 not [ ], lasse than another to have, therfore him nedeth ; but for to wante a whiche that behoveth to ben had, that ‘nede’ ben cleped; and that was not in Adam at the first ginning. God and the Margaryte weten what I . Forsothe, where-as is nede, there is . †God without cause130 to-forngoing made not creature ; for him to understande and love had he firste maked. God made therfore man blissed without al maner indigence; † and at ones creature blisse, and wil of blissednesse, and wil of rightfulnesse, whiche is rightfulnesse it-selve, and of arbitrement, that is, wil, with whiche thilke rightfulnesse may135 he kepe and lese. So and in that wyse [ ] ordayned thilke two, that wil (whiche that “instrument” is , as mencion is maked) shulde use thilke rightfulnesse, by of his soule to good maner of governaunce, in thought and in wordes; and that it shulde use the blisse in obedient maner, withouten140 any incommoditè. Blisse, forsothe, in-to mannes , and rightwisnesse in-to his worship god delivered at ones; but rightfulnesse so was yeven that man might it lese, whiche if he had, but continuelly [ ] have it , he shulde have deserved the avauncement in-to the felowshippe of angels, in whiche thing145[ ] if he that loste, never by him-selfe shulde he it mowe recovere; and as wel the blisse that he was in, as aungels blisse that to-him-wardes was coming, shulde be nome at ones, and he deprived of hem bothe. And thus fil man un-to lykenesse of bestes; and with hem to corrupcion and150 unlusty apetytes was he under-throwen. But yet wil of blisse dwelleth, that by indigence of goodes, whiche that he loste through , by right shulde he ben punisshed. And thus, for he weyved rightfulnesse, hath he his blisse; but fayle of his in his owne comoditè may he not; and †155 comodites to his nature whiche he hath may he not have, to false lustes, whiche ben bestial appetytes, he is turned. Folye of unconning hath him begyled, in wening that thilke ben the comoditees that owen to ben desyred. This of wil by libertè of arbitrement is enduced to wilne thus thing that160 he shulde not; and so is wil not maked yvel but unrightful, by absence of rightfulnesse, whiche thing by ever shulde he have. And of arbitrement may he not wilne, whan he it not haveth; for while he it had, thilke it not to kepe; so that without grace may it not ben recovered. Wil of commoditè,165 in-as-moche as unrightful it is maked by willinge of yvellustes, willing of goodnesse may he not wilne; for wil of instrument of of wil is thralled, sithen that other thing may it not wilne; for wil of instrument to desyreth, and yet ben bothe they170 ‘wil’ cleped. For that instrument wol, through it wilneth; and affeccion desyreth thilke thing wherto instrument him ledeth. And so to unlusty ful servaunt is maked, for unrightfulnesse he not releve; and without rightfulnesse ful may it never have. For kyndly of arbitrement175 without it, veyne and ydel is, forsothe. Wherfore yet I say, (as often have I sayd the same), whan instrument of wil hath rightfulnesse, in no maner but by grace may he ayen retourne rightfulnesse to wilne. For sithen nothing but rightfulnesse alone shulde he wilne, what that ever he wilneth without rightfulnesse,180 unrightfully he it wilneth. These than unrightful appetytes and unthrifty lustes whiche the † desyreth, in as mokel as they ben in kynde, ben they nat bad; but they ben unrightful and badde for they ben in resonable creature, where-as they being, in no waye shulde ben suffred. In beestes neyther ben they yvel185 ne unrightful; for there is their kynde being.
CHAPTER IX.
Ch. IX.
KNOWEN may it wel ben of these thinges declared, that man hath not alway thilke rightfulnesse which by dutè of right evermore haven he shulde, and by no way by him-selfe may he it ne kepe; and after he it hath, if he it5 lese, recover shal he it never without especial grace. Wherfore the comune sentence of the people in opinion, that every thing[ ] after is ruled, false and wicked is to beleve. For predestinacion be as wel of good as of badde, sithen that it is made, whiche he never ne wrought; but,10 for he suffreth hem to be maked, as that he hardeth, whan he naught , or † in-to temptacion, whan he not delivereth: wherfore it is inconvenient if in that maner be sayd, god have destenyed bothe badde and her badde werkes, whan hem ne their yvel dedes [ ] neyther amendeth ne therto hem15 grace † . But specialliche, predestinacion of goodnesse alone is by these clerkes; for in him god that they ben, and that in goodnesse they werchen. But the herof in badnesse is holden, as the Lady of Love hath me lerned, who-so aright in this booke loketh. And utterly it is to weten, that predestinacion properly in god may not ben demed, no more20 than . For in the chapitre of goddes , as Love me rehersed, al these maters ben founden. Al thinges to god ben and in presence duringe. Trewly, presence and predestinacion in disacorden; wherfore, as I was lerned goddes before-weting and free25 choice of wil mowe stonden † , me thinketh the same me , that destenye and accorden, so that neyther of hem bothe to other in nothing contrarieth. And may it not ben , as often as any thing falleth [ ] werching (as if a man another man wrongfully anoyeth, wherfore30 he him sleeth), that it be constrayned to that ende, as mokel cryeth and sayth: ‘Lo, as it was destenyed of god , so it is necessitè falle, and otherwyse might it not betyde.’ Trewly, neyther he that the wrought, ne he that him-selfe venged, none of thilke thinges necessitè wrought;35 for if that [ ] with free wil there had it not willed, neyther had [ ] wrought that he perfourmed; and so utterly grace, that free wil in goodnesse bringeth and kepeth, and fro badnesse it tourneth, in al thinge moste deserveth. This grace maketh sentence in vertue to abyde, wherfore in body and in soule, in ful40 of conninge, after their good deserving in the everlastinge , after the day of dome shul they endelesse ; and they shul ben lerned in that with so mokel of love and of grace, that the leste joye shal of the in glorie rejoice and ben gladded, as if he the same joye had. What wonder,45[ ] sith god is the love and the wisdom? In hem shal he be, and they in god. Now than, whan al false be ashamed, which wenen al bestialtè and erthly thing be and better to the body than hevenly is to the soule; this is the grace and the frute that I long have desyred; it me good the50 savour to .
[ ] , now to I crye of mercy and of grace; and graunt, of thy goodnes, to every maner reder ful understanding in this leude pamflet to have; and let no man wene other cause in55 this werke than is verily the soth. For envy is ever redy, al innocentes to shende; wherfore I wolde that good speche envy evermore hinder.
But no man wene this werke be sufficiently maked; for goddes werke passeth ; no wit to parfit werke may by no60 way purvay th’ende. How shuld I than, so leude, aught wene of perfeccion any ende to ? Never-the-later, grace, glorie, and laude I yelde and with worshipful reverences to the sothfast god, in with unitè closed, whiche that the hevy langour of my sicknesse hath turned in-to mirthe of helth to recover. For65 right as I was sorowed thorow the gloton cloud of manifolde sickly sorow, so mirth [ ] ayencoming helth hath me glad[d]ed and gretly comforted. I beseche and pray therfore, and I crye on goddes gret pitè and on his mokel mercy, that present scorges of my flessh mow maken and of70 my inner helth; so that my passed trespas and tenes through weping of myn eyen ben wasshe, and I, voyded from al maner disese, and no more to wepe herafter, be kept goddes grace; so that goddes , whiche that merciably me hath scorged, herafter in good plite from thence merciably me75 kepe and defende.
In this boke be many privy thinges wimpled and folde; unneth shul leude men the plites unwinde. Wherfore I pray to the holy gost, he lene of his oyntmentes, mennes wittes to clere; and, for goddes love, no man wonder why or how this question come to80 my mynde. For my lusty was of this lady to ben enfourmed, my leudenesse to amende. Certes, I knowe not other mennes wittes, what I shulde aske, or in answere what I shulde saye; I am so leude my-selfe, that mokel more lerninge yet me behoveth. I have therfore as I coude, but not85 sufficiently as I wolde, and as mater yave me sentence; for my[ ] dul is hindred by † of foryeting and with cloude of unconning, that stoppeth the light of my Margarite-perle, wherfore it may not shyne on me as it shulde. I desyre not a good reder, but also I coveite and pray a good , in of wordes and of sentence; and this90 mede I coveite for my travayle, that every inseër and herer of this leude fantasye devoute horisons and prayers to god the juge yelden; and prayen for me in that wyse, that in his dome my sinnes mowe ben and foryeven. He that prayeth for other for him-selfe travayleth.95
Also I praye, that every man parfitly mowe knowe what intencion of herte this have I drawe. was it, that[ ] sightful manna in deserte to children of Israel was spirituel ? Bodily also it was, for mennes bodies it † ; and yet, never-the-later, it signifyed. Right so a jewel100 betokeneth a gemme, and that is a vertuous or els a perle. Margarite, a woman, betokeneth grace, lerning, or wisdom of god, or els holy church. If breed, vertue, is holy[ ] flesshe, what is that our god ? ‘It is the that yeveth ; the flesshe, of nothing it profiteth.’ Flesshe is flesshly105 understandinge; flessh without grace and love naught is worth.[ ] ‘The letter sleeth; the spirit yeveth lyfelich understanding.’ Charitè is love; and love is charitè.
- God graunt us therin to be frended![ ]
- And thus The Testament of Love is ended.110
II.
THE PLOWMANS TALE.
Here beginneth the Plowmans Prologue.
From Thynne (ed. 1542). I give rejected spellings.
-
- THE plucked up his ,
- Whan midsommer mone was comen in,
- And sayd, ‘his beestes shuld ,
- And in the grasse, up to the ;
- They ben feble, both oxe and ,5
- Of hem nis left but and .’
- He of share, and cultre ,
- And his harneys on a .
-
- He his tabard and his eke,
- And on his, heed he set his hat;10
- And sayde, he wolde saynt Thomas seke,
- On he goth forth .
- In scrippe he both breed and lekes,
- He was forswonke and all ;
- Men might have through both his chekes,15
- And every wang-toth and where it sat.
-
- Our hoste all about,
- And this man was sunne y-brent;
- He well by his senged ,
- And by his clothes that were to-rent,20
- He was a man wont to walke about,
- He nas nat alway in cloystre y-pent;
- He not religiousliche ,
- And therfore was he shent.
-
- Our host him axed, ‘what man art thou?’25
- ‘Sir,’ quod he, ‘I am an hyne;
- For I am wont to go to the ,
- And erne my yer that I dyne.
- To swete and swinke I make ,
- My and children therwith to ,30
- And servë god, and I wist ;
- But we men blynd.
-
- For clerkes saye, we shullen be
- For lyvelod and swinke,
- And they right nought us give ,35
- Neyther to ne yet to drinke.
- mowe by lawë, as they ,
- Us curse and dampne to brinke;
- Thus they putten us to ,
- With candles queynt and belles clinke.40
-
- They make us thralles at lust,
- And , we mowe nat els be saved;
- They have the and we the dust,
- Who ther-agayn, they say he raved.’[ ]
-
- ‘What, man,’ quod our host, ‘canst thou ?45
- Come , and tell us some holy .’
- ‘Sir,’ quod he, ‘I herde
- A prest in pulpit a good .’
- ‘ on,’ quod our host, ‘I beseche.’
- ‘Sir, I am redy at your bidding.50
- I you that me reproche
- that I am my tale .
Thus endeth the prologue, and here foloweth the first part of the tale.
Colophon: fyrst parte.
PART I.
-
- A STERNË is stered newe[ ]
- In many stedes in a stounde,
- Of sondry sedes that sewe;55
- It semeth that som ben unsounde.
- For some be growen † ,
- Some souple , simple and small;
- Whether of hem is falser founde,
- The falser, mote him befall!60
-
- That syde is, that I of tell,
- Popes, cardinals, and prelates,
- Parsons, monkes, and fell,
- Priours, abbottes of estates;
- Of and hell they kepe the yates,65
- And Peters successours they ben all;
- This is demed by oldë dates;
- But falshed, it befall!
-
- The other syde ben poore and pale,
- And people put [ ] out of ;70
- And semë sore a-cale ,
- And ever in without ,
- † lollers and ;[ ]
- Who toteth on hem, they untall.[ ]
- They ben arayed all for the ;75
- But falshed, mote it befall!
-
- Many a countrey have I sought,
- To the falser of these two;
- But ever my was for nought,
- All so as I have go.80
- But as I wandred in a wro ,
- In a besyde a wall,
- Two foules I sitte tho;
- The falser, foul mote him befall!
-
- That did plede on the Popes syde,85
- A Griffon of a stature.
- A Pellicane withouten pryde[ ]
- To these lollers layde his lure;
- He mused his matter in ,
- To Christ ever gan he call.90
- The Griffon shewed as as fyre,
- But falshed, mote it befall!
-
- The Pellican began to
- Both of mercy and of ;
- And sayd, that “Christ so gan us ,95
- And meke and merciable gan .
- The Evangely
- A , he Christ over-all,
- In that he mekest was,
- Sith pryde was out of heven fall.100
-
- And so shulde every Christned be;
- Preestes, Peters successours,
- Beth and of degree,
- And usen none erthly honours,
- Neyther , ne curious ,105
- Ne † , ne other proudë pall;[ ]
- Ne nought to cofren up ;
- For falshed, mote it befall!
-
- for no cattel plede,
- But chasten hem in charitè;110
- Ne to no batail men lede
- For inhaunsing of degree;
- Nat wilnë in see,
- Ne in ne hall;
- All worldly defye and flee;115
- For willeth highnes, fall!
-
- Alas! who may sayntes call
- That wilneth welde honour?
- As lowe as Lucifer fall,
- In baleful blacknesse ;120
- That eggeth the people to errour,
- And maketh thrall;
- To Christ I suche traytour,
- As lowe as Lucifer fall.
-
- That willeth to be kinges ,125
- And hygher than the emperour;
- Some that were but
- wollen waxe a warryour.
- God is nat governour,[ ]
- That holdeth his †peragall ;130
- covetyse is counsaylour,
- All falshed nedë fall.
-
- That hye on horse willeth ryde
- In golde of ,
- I-paynted and portred all in pryde;135[ ]
- No knight go so .
- Chaunge of clothing every ,
- With golden girdles and small;
- As boystous as is bere at ;
- All falshed nedë fall.140
-
- With prydë † the pore,
- And somë they with sale;
- Of holy churche maketh an hore,
- And filleth wombe with wyne and ale;
- With money filleth many a male,145
- And chaffren churches when they fall,
- And telleth the people a tale;
- falsë faytours, !
-
- With chaunge of many maner ,
- With and solace ,150
- And filleth wombë, and fast fretes,
- And from the to the ;
- And after with and ,
- And man hem lordes call;
- And hotë spyces ever ;155
- falsë faytours, !
-
- And myters mo than or two,
- I-perled as the quenes heed;
- A of golde, and †perrey , lo!
- As hevy as it were of ;160
- With cloth of both newe and ,
- With †gown as grene as gall,
- By dome will dampnë men to deed;
- All suche faytours, !
-
- And Christes people proudly curse165
- With brode bokes, and braying bell;
- To putte pennyes in purse
- They woll sell both heven and ;
- And in sentence, and thou wilt dwell,
- They willen gesse in hall;170
- And though the soth thou of hem tell,
- In cursinge shalt thou fall.
-
- That is blessed, that they blesse,
- And cursed, that they cursë woll;
- And thus the people they oppresse,175
- And have their lordshippes at full;
- And many be marchauntes of woll,
- And to purse penyes woll come thrall;[ ]
- The people they all to-pull,
- falsë faytours, hem fall!180
-
- Lordes motë to hem loute,
- Obeysaunt to brode blessing;
- They ryden with royall route
- On a courser, as it were a ;
- With saddle of golde 185
- With curious harneys quayntly crallit ,
- Styroppes gaye of ;[ ][ ]
- All suche falshed, befall it!
-
- Christes ministers † they ,
- And rulen all in robberye;190
- But Antichrist they serven clene,
- Attyred all in tyrannye;
- Witnesse of Johns prophecye,
- That is admirall,[ ]
- Tiffelers attyred in trecherye;195
- All suche faytours, hem fall!
-
- Who sayth, that some of hem may sinne,
- He shal be † to be deed;[ ]
- Some of hem woll gladly winne
- All ayenst that god forbed;200
- “All-holyest ” they clepen heed,
- That of rulë is regall;
- Alas! that ever they eten breed;
- For all falshed woll fall.
-
- heed loveth all honour,205
- And to be worshipped in worde and dede;
- Kinges to hem knele and coure;
- To the apostles, that Christ ;[ ]
- To popes hestes taketh more hede
- Than to kepe Christes commaundëment;210
- Of gold and silver ben wede,
- They holdeth him hole omnipotent.[ ]
-
- He ordayneth by his ordinaunce[ ]
- To parish-preestes a powére;
- To another a avaunce,215
- A poynt to his mystere;
- But for he is hyghest in erth here,
- To him reserveth he many a poynt;
- But to Christ, that hath no pere,
- Reserveth he neither opin ne joynt.220[ ]
-
- So semeth he above[n] all,
- And Christ aboven him nothing;
- Whan he sitteth in his stall,
- Dampneth and saveth as him .
- pryde tofore god doth ;225
- An angell bad John to him nat knele,
- But only to god do his ;
- Such willers of worship fele.
-
- They ne clepen Christ but sanctus deus,
- And clepen her heed Sanctissimus;230
- They that ,
- I trowe, they taken hem amisse.
- In erth[ë] here they have blisse,
- hye master is Belial;
- † people from hem wisse!235[ ]
- For all falsë will fall!
-
- They mowë both[ë] binde and lose,
- And all is for holy ;
- To save or dampne they mowë chose,
- Betwene hem now [ ] is .240
- Many a man is killed with ,
- To wete which of hem have lordship shall;
- For , Christ suffred woundes fyve;
- For all falshed will fall.
-
- Christ sayd: Qui gladio percutit245[ ]
- With swerdë shall [ ] dye;
- He bad his preestes and grith,
- And hem not drede for to dye;
- And bad them be both simple and slye,
- And carkë not for no cattall,250
- And † on god that sitteth on hye;
- For all shull foul fall.
-
- These wollen makë men to swere
- Ayenst Christes commaundëment;
- And Christes membres all to-tere255[ ]
- On as he wer newe y-rent.
- Suche lawes they make by assent,
- it choweth as a ball;
- Thus the be fully shent,
- But ever falshed foule it † !260
-
- They usen [ ] no symonye,
- But sellen churches and prioryes;
- Ne [ ] they usen no envye,
- But cursen all hem contraryes;[ ]
- And hyreth men by dayes and yeres265
- With strength to holde hem in stall;
- And culleth all adversaryes;
- Therefor, falshed! thou !
-
- With purse they purchase personage,
- With purse they paynen hem to plede;270
- And men of warrë they woll wage,
- To bringe enemyes to the dede.
- And lordes lyves they woll lede,
- And moche take, and give but small;
- But he it so get, from it shall shede,275[ ]
- And make such falsë right fal!
-
- They halowe nothing but for hyre,
- Churchë, font, ne vestëment;
- And make[n] orders in every shyre,
- But preestes paye for the parchement;280
- Or ryatours they taken rent ,
- Therwith they smere the skall;[ ]
- For many churches ben suspent;
- All falshed, yet it fall!
-
- Some liveth nat in lecherye,285
- But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves,
- And punisheth the for putrye;
- Them-selfe it useth all their lyves.
- And but a man to them [ ] shryves,
- To heven comë never he shall;290
- He shal be cursed as be captyves,
- To hell they that he shall fall.
-
- There was more mercy in Maximien ,
- And in Nero, that never was good,
- Than [ ] is in some of †295
- Whan he hath on his furred .
- They folowe Christ that shedde his [ ]
- To heven, as in-to the ;
- Suche wreches ben worse than ;
- And all faytours, foule hem fall!300
-
- They give almesse to the riche,
- maynteynours, and men of lawe;
- For to lordes they woll be liche,
- An harlottes nat an hawe!
- Sothfastnessë suche han slawe,305[ ]
- They kembe with ;[ ]
- And drede of god they have drawe;
- All suche faytours, hem fall!
-
- They maken parsons for the penny,
- And canons of cardinals;310
- Unnethes amongest hem all any
- That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals!
- For Christ made never no cathedrals,
- Ne with him was no cardinall
- Wyth a hatte as usen mynstrals;315
- But mote it befall!
-
- † tything, and offring both,
- They it by possessio[u]n;
- Thérof nill they none forgo,
- But robben men as .320
- The tything of Turpe lucrum[ ]
- With these maisters is meynall ;
- Tything of bribry and larson
- Will makë falshed full !
-
- They taken to fermë sompnours325[ ]
- To harme the people what they may;
- To pardoners and false faytours
- Sell , I well say;
- And all to holden array,
- To multiply hem more metall,330
- They drede full litell domes day
- Whan all shall fall.
-
- Suche harlottes shull men disclaunder[ ]
- For they shullen make ,
- And ben as proude as Alexaunder,335
- And to the , “wo be ye!”
- By yere shall paye his fee
- To his lemmans call ;
- Suche shull well yvell ,
- And all falsë shull fall!340
-
- And if a man be famed,
- And woldë make purgacioun,
- Than woll the officers be agramed,
- And assigne him fro to ;
- So nede he must[e] paye 345
- Though he be clene as is ,
- And than have an absolutioun;
- But all falsë shull fall!
-
- Though he be of the dede,
- And that he money pay,350
- All the whyle his purse woll blede
- He use it fro day to day!
- These bishoppes officers full gay,
- And this game they usen over-all;
- The to pill is all † pray;355
- All falsë shull fall!
-
- Alas! god ordayned never lawe,
- Ne no of covetyse;
- He it, by his sawe,
- governours mowen of god agryse;360
- For all his rules † rightwyse.
- These newe poyntes ben pure papall,
- And goddes lawë they ;
- And all faytours shul fall!
-
- They that Peter had the key365
- Of and hell, to have and ;
- I trowe Peter no money
- For no sinnes that he !
- successours ben to ,
- In winning all their they wrall;370
- Hir conscience is waxen ;
- And all faytours, foule hem fall!
-
- Peter was never so great a fole
- To his key with such a lorell,
- Or to take cursed a tole375
- He was advysed nothing well.
- I trowe, they have the key of hell;
- † maister is of that place marshall;
- For there they dressen hem to dwell,
- And with there to fall.380
-
- They ben as proude as ,
- As angry, and as envious;
- From good they ben full ,
- In covetyse they ben curious;
- To catche catell as covytous385
- As , that for woll yall;
- Ungoodly, and ;
- And nedely, falshed shal fall!
-
- The pope, and he were Peters ,
- Me , he erreth in this ,390
- Whan choyse of bishoppes is in ,
- To chosen hem in dyvers place;
- A shall write to him for grace,
- For his clerke † he shall;
- So shall he spede[n] his ;395
- And all falsë, hem fall!
-
- Though he † no more good,
- A lordes prayer shal be ;
- Though he be of will or wood,
- Nat understanding what men han ,400
- A , and (that god forbede!)
- As good a my Ball,[ ]
- Suche a pope is foule ,
- And at
Here endeth the first part of this tale, and herafter foloweth the seconde part.
PART II.
-
- TO accorde with this wordë “fal”[ ]
- No more English can I ;
- Shewe another I shall,
- For I have moche to ,480
- preestes han the people ,
- As curteys Christ hath me ,
- And this matter in my
- To make this maner men .
-
- Shortly to shende hem, and shewe 485
- wrongfully they worche and walke;
- O hye god, nothing they , ne ,[ ]
- But in goddes many a balke.
- In hernes holde hem and in halke,
- And prechin of tythes and ,490[ ]
- And untruely of the gospell talke;
- For his mercy, god it !
-
- What is Antichrist to
- But evin Christes adversáry?
- ben many a day495
- To Christes bidding full contráry,
- That from the trouthë clenë ;
- Out of the wayë they ben ;
- And Christes people untruely cary;
- God, for his , it !500
-
- That liven contráry to Christes ,
- In hye pride agaynst mekenesse;
- Agaynst they usen ,
- And angre ayenst sobrenesse;
- Agaynst , wilfulnesse;505
- To Christes tales litell ;
- Agaynst , outragiousnesse;
- But whan god woll, it !
-
- Lordly ayenst lowlinesse,
- And demin all without mercy;510
- And covetyse ayenst largesse,
- Agaynst trewth[e], trechery;
- And agaynst almesse, envy;
- Agaynst Christ they .
- For chastitè, they lechery;515
- God, for his gracë, this !
-
- Ayenst penaunce they use ,
- Ayenst suffraunce, defence;
- Ayenst god they use yvel rightes,
- , punishments ;[ ]520
- Open yvell ayenst continence;
- wicked winning ;
- Sobrenesse they sette in-to dispence;
- But god, for his goodnesse, it !
-
- Why they his powére,525
- And wranglen ayenst all his hestes?
- His living folowen they nothing here,
- But liven than beestes.
- Of fish and they loven feestes,
- As lordes, they ben brode ;530
- Of goddes they haten gestes;[ ]
- God, for his mercy, this !
-
- With † shall have
- That that they be Christes frendes,
- And do nothing as they ;535
- All ben falser than ben fendes.
- On the people they ley bendes,
- As god is in erthe, they han ;
- Sucour for suchë Christ sende us,
- And, for his mercy, this !540
-
- A token of Antichrist they be.
- His careckes ben wyde ;
- Receyved to preche shall no man be
- Without[ë] token of him, I .
- Christen preest to prechen ,545
- From god abovë they ben .
- Goddes to all to show,
- Sinfull man for to .
-
- Christ sente the for to preche;
- The royall riche he did nat so;550
- no the people teche,
- For Antichrist is over-all .
- the people he go;
- He hath bidden, all ;
- Some hath he , and thinketh yet mo;555
- But all this god may well
-
- All tho that han the forsake,
- And liven , as god ,
- In-to prison shullen be take,
- Betin and bounden, and .560
- Herof I rede no man be ;
- Christ sayd, his [ ] shulde be ;
- man ought herof be ;
- For god ful well it woll .
-
- They take on hem royáll powére,565
- And saye, they havë swerdes two,
- curse to hell, slee men here;[ ]
- For at his taking Christ had no mo,
- Yet Peter had of tho.
- But Christ to Peter. smyte gan ,570
- And in-to the sheth putte it tho;
- And all mischeves god !
-
- Christ Peter kepe his ,
- And with his swerde him smyte;
- is no tole with to kepe575[ ]
- But to shep[h]erdes that woll byte.
- Me thinketh, suche shep[h]erdes ben to wyte
- Ayen with that ;
- They dryve with dispyte;
- But al this god may well .580
-
- So successours to Peter be they nought
- Whom [ ] Christ madë ;
- A no shep[h]erde usen ought
- But he wold slee as a .
- For who-so were Peters successour585
- bere his till his ,
- And shadowe hem from every ;
- And all this god may wel .
-
- Successours to Peter ben these
- In that that Peter Christ ,590
- That had lever the love of god [ ] lese
- Than a shep[h]erde had lese his .
- He culleth the as ;
- Of hem [ ] taken the woll untrend ,
- And falsely glose the ;595
- God, for his mercy, † !
-
- After Christ had take Peter the kay,
- Christ sayd, he mustë dye for man;
- That Peter to Christ gan withsay;
- Christ him, ‘go , Sathan!’600
- counsaylours many of these men han
- For worldes wele, god to ;
- Peters successours they ben for-than,
- But all god may well .
-
- For Sathan is to say no more605
- But he that to Christ is;
- In this they lernë Peters lore,
- They sewen him whan he did ;
- They folowe Peter forsothe in this,
- In al that Christ wolde †reprende ,610
- in that that longeth to ;
- God for his mercy hem !
-
- Some of the apostels they sewen in ,
- Of ought that I can understonde,
- Him that betrayed Christ, Judas,615
- That the purse in every londe;
- And al that he might sette on honde,
- He hidde and , and ;
- His rule these traytours han in honde;
- Almighty god [ ] hem !620
-
- And at last his lord gan tray
- Cursedly, through covetyse;
- So wolde these trayen him for money,
- And they wisten in what wyse!
- They be seker of the selfe ensyse ;625
- From all sothnesse they ben ;[ ]
- And covetyse chaungen with queyntyse;
- Almighty god all suche !
-
- Were Christ on erthë here ,
- These wolde dampnë him to dye;630
- All his hestes they han ,
- And , his sawes ben heresy;
- his †maundëments they ,
- And dampne all his to be ;
- For it lyketh nat hem, losengery;635
- God almighty hem !
-
- These han more might in here
- Than hath the and all his lawe,
- They han purchased hem powére
- To taken hem whom nat knawe;640
- And say, that heresy is sawe,
- And so to woll hem ;[ ]
- It was nat so by elder dawe,
- God, for his mercy, it !
-
- The kinges lawe wol no man deme[ ]645
- Angerliche, withouten answere;
- But, if any man these misqueme,
- He shal be as a bere;
- And yet wel they woll him tere,
- And in woll hem 650
- In gyves, and in other gere;
- Whan god woll, it .
-
- The king taxeth nat his men
- But by of the comminaltè;
- But these, yere, woll raunsom hem655
- Maysterfully, more than doth he;
- , by yerë, better be
- Than is the kinges in ;
- Hir officers han gretter fee;
- But this god !660
-
- For who-so woll prove a testament
- Thát is natt all ,
- He shall paye for the parchëment
- The of the money all .
- Thus the people is ,665
- They to hem shulde ;
- There as they grypen, it to ;
- God, for his mercy, it !
-
- A simple ,
- Twenty he shall ;670
- And than have an ,
- And al the yere usen it he !
- Thus they letten hem go a-stray,
- They recke nat though the be ;
- These kepin yvell Peters key,675
- And all shep[h]erdes god !
-
- Wonder is, that the parliament
- And all the lordes of this
- Here-to taken so litell entent
- To helpe the people out of ;680
- For they ben harder in † ,[ ]
- and [ ] bitter
- Than to the king is ;
- God him helpe this to !
-
- What bisshoppes, what 685
- Han in this lande as ,
- Lordshippes, and possessio[u]ns
- More than the lordes, it semeth me!
- That maketh hem lese charitè,
- They mowë nat to god ;690
- In erthe they have so degree,
- God, for his mercy, it !
-
- The emperour yaf the pope somtyme
- So hyghe lordship him ,
- That, at [ ] laste, the sely kyme ,695
- The proudë popë putte him out!
- So of this realme is in ,
- But lordes be ware and † ;
- For these be wonder ,
- The and lordes this !700
Thus endeth the seconde part of this tale, and herafter foloweth the thirde.
PART III.
-
- MOYSES lawe it tho,
- That preestes no lordshippes welde,
- Christes gospel biddeth also
- Thát they no helde;
- Ne Christes apostels were never so 705
- No to † enbrace;
- But smeren and kepe ;
- God amende hem for his grace!
-
- For they ne ben but ,
- Men may knowe hem by ;710
- gretnesse maketh hem god ,
- And take his mekenesse in .
- And they were and had but lyte,
- They nolde nat demen after the face,
- But norishe , and hem nat byte;715
- God amende hem for his grace!”
-
- Grifon.
- “What canst thou preche ayenst chanons
- Thát men clepen seculere?”
- Pelican. “They ben curates of many towns,
- On erthë they have powére.720
- They han prebendes and dere,
- Some two or , and some [ ] mo,
- A personage to ben a ,[ ]
- And yet they serve the also;
-
- And to fermë all that fare725[ ]
- To whom that woll most give therfore;[ ]
- Some woll spende, and some woll spare,
- And some woll laye it up in store.
- A cure of they care nat ,
- Só they mowë money take;730
- Whether soules be wonne or lore,
- they woll nat forsake.
-
- They have a gedering procuratour
- That can the people enplede,
- And robben hem as a ravinour,735
- And to his the money lede;
- And of quicke and eke of dede,
- And richen him and his eke,
- And to robbe the can give good rede
- Of olde and yonge, of hole and .740
-
- Therwith they purchase hem lay-fee
- In londë, there hem lyketh best,
- And builde † brode as a citè
- Both in the est, and eke in the west.
- To purchase thus they ben ful prest;745
- But on the they woll nought ,
- Ne no good give to goddes gest,
- Ne sende him some that all hath .[ ]
-
- By service woll live,
- And trusse that other in-to ;750
- Though all dye unshrive,
- They woll nat give a .
- be as a mirrour
- Bothe to lered and to leude also,
- And teche the people labour;755
- mister men ben all misgo.
-
- Some of hem ben hardë nigges,
- And some of hem ben proude and gay;
- Some spende hir good upon [ ] gigges ,
- And finden hem of aray.760[ ]
- Alas! what these men to say
- That thus dispenden goddis good?
- At the domes day
- shul be worse than wood.
-
- Some churc[h]es never ne sye,765
- Ne never o peny thider ne sende;
- Though the parishens for dye,
- O peny on hem wil they nat spende.
- Have they receivinge of the ,
- They never of the remënant;770
- Alas! the devill hath clene hem blent!
- Suche is Sathanas sojournant.
-
- And usen and harlotry,[ ]
- Covetysë, pompe, and pride,
- Slouthë, wrathe, and eke envy,775
- And sewen sinne by every syde.
- Alas! where thinkë ?
- woll they accomptes ?
- From god they hem nat hyde,
- willers is nat worth a .780[ ]
-
- They ben so roted in richesse,
- That Christes povert is ,
- Served with so many messe,
- Hem thinketh that manna is no mete.
- All is good that they ,785
- They wenë to live evermore;
- But, whan god at dome is ,
- is a feble store.
-
- Unneth they matins ,
- For counting and for ;790
- And yet he jangleth as a ,[ ]
- And understont .
- He woll serve bothe and
- For his fynding and his fee,
- And hyde his and his ;795
- This is a feble charitè.
-
- Other they ben proude, or coveytous,
- Or they ben harde, or [ ] hungry,
- Or they ben liberall or lecherous,
- Or els medlers with marchandry;800
- Or maynteyners of men with maistry,
- Or stewardes, countours, or pledours,
- And serve god in hypocrisy;
- Such preestes ben Christes traytours!
-
- They ben false, they ben vengeable,805
- And begylen men in Christes name;
- They ben unstedfast and unstable;
- To tray , hem thinketh no shame.
- To servë god they ben full lame,
- Goddes theves, and falsly stele;810
- And goddes defame;
- In winning is worldes wele.
-
- Antichrist these serven all;
- I pray , who may say [ ] nay?
- With Antichrist shull fall,815
- They folowen him in dede and fay;
- They servin him in riche array,
- To servë Christ ;
- Why, at the domes day,
- Shull they not folowe him to ?820
-
- That knowen , that they ill
- Ayenst Christes commaundëment,
- And amende hem never ne will,
- But serve Sathan by one assent.
- Who sayth [ ] sothe, he shal be shent,825
- Or speketh ayenst living;
- Who-so well liveth shal be brent ,
- For ben gretter than the king!
-
- Pope, bishoppes, and cardinals,
- Chanons, persons, and ,830
- In goddes service, I , ben ,
- That sacramentës sellen here.
- And ben as proude as Lucifere;
- man loke whether that I !
- powére,835
- It shall be holden heresy.
-
- Loke many orders take
- of , for his servyce,
- That the worldes goodes forsake?
- Who-so taketh orders † other wyse,840
- I , that they shall sore agryse!
- For all the glose that they conne,
- All sewen not this [ ] assyse;
- In yvell tyme they thus bigonne.
-
- Loke many hem all845
- Holden not this hyë !
- With Antichrist they shullen fall,
- For they wolden god .
- God amende hem, that best !
- For many men they maken shende;850
- They weten well, the sothe I ,
- Bút the divell hath foule hem .
-
- Some churches dwell,
- Apparailled , proude of ;
- The seven they sell,855[ ]
- In is .[ ]
- Of mattér they wollen mell,[ ]
- And hem is ;
- To the people they ben fell,
- And holde hem lower then doth the .860
-
- For the tythinge of a ducke,
- Or of an apple, or an ,
- They make men upon a boke;
- Thus they foulen Christes fay.
- yvell ,865
- They mowen , they mowë shryve;
- With mennes wyves strongly play,
- With tillers sturte and stryve
-
- At the , and at the wake;
- And chefe chauntours at the nale ;870
- , and make,[ ]
- Hoppen and houten with heve and hale .
- At fayrë freshe, and at wynë stale,
- Dyne and drinke, and make ;
- The seven set at ;875
- kepe the kayes of ?
-
- Mennes wyves they wollen holde;
- And though that they ben right sory,
- To they shull not be so bolde
- For to the consistory;880
- And make hem mouth “I ,”
- Though they it sawë with ;
- His lemman holden openly,
- No man so hardy to axë why!
-
- He wol have tythinge and offringe,885
- Maugrè who-so-ever it gruche;
- And on the woll singe;
- Goddes prestes nere none suche!
- He on hunting with dogge and bic[c]he,
- And blowen his , and cryën “hey!”890
- And sorcery usen as a ;
- kepen yvell Peters key.
-
- Yet they have stocke or
- Gayly paynted, and proudly dight,
- To maken men upon,895
- And , that it is full of might;
- sette up greet light,
- Other stockes shull therby
- As darkë as it were midnight,
- For it makë no ma[i]stry.900
-
- ,
- , worchest wonder thinges;
- that, that men offren to ,
- Hongen broches, ouches, and ringes;
- The preest purchaseth the offringes,905
- But he nill offre to none image;
- Wo is the soule that he for singes,
- That precheth for suche a pilgrimage!
-
- To men and women that ben ,
- That ben [ ] Christes lykenesse,910
- Men shullen offre at dore
- That suffren honger and distresse;
- And to suche imáges offre lesse,
- That not felë thurst ne ;
- The in gan blesse,915[ ]
- Therfore offreth to feble and .
-
- Buckelers brode, and ,
- † , with baselardes kene,[ ]
- toles about necke they honge;
- With Antichrist preestes ;920
- Upon dedes it is well sene
- they serven, they hono[u]ren;
- Antichristes they clene,
- And goddes goodes fa[l]sly deuouren.
-
- Of scarlet and grene gownes,925
- That be shapë for the newe,
- To clippen and kissen counten in townes
- The damoseles that to the daunce sewe;
- Cutted clothes to sewe hewe,
- With longë pykes on ;930
- Our goddes gospell is not trewe,
- Eyther they serven the divell or !
-
- ben prestes pokes so wyde,
- must enlarge the vestëment;
- The holy gospell they hyde,935
- For they contrarien in rayment.
- preestes of Lucifer ben sent,
- conquerours they ben ,
- at ars y-pent,
- the truthe they han .940
-
- suchë wollen aske is,[ ]
- And woll men crepë to the crouche;[ ]
- None of the , save askes ,
- Without[ë] mede shall no man touche.
- On their warant vouche,945
- That is lawe of the decrè;
- With mede and money thus they mouche,
- And † , they , is charitè!
-
- In the middes of masse
- They nill have no man but for hyre,950
- And, full shortly, let forth passe;
- shull men finde[n] in shyre
- That personages for desyre,
- To live in lykinge and in lustes;
- I not , sans ose ieo dyre ,955
- That ben Antichristes preestes.
-
- Or they yef the why,[ ]
- Or they ben in his servyce,
- And holden forth harlotry;
- ben of feble empryse.960
- Of goddes grame men agryse ,
- For mattérs that taken mede;
- they excuse hem, and in what wyse,
- Me thinketh, they ought drede.
-
- They , that it to no man longeth965
- To reprove † , though they erre;
- But falsely they fongeth,
- And therwith wo and werre.
- dedes be as bright as sterre,
- mannes light;970
- They , the popë not erre,
- Nede that passë mannes might.
-
- Though a prest with his lemman al night,
- And tellen his felowe, and he him,
- He goth to massë ,975
- And sayeth, he singeth out of sinne!
- His bryde abydeth him at his inne,
- And dighteth his dyner the whyle;
- He singeth his masse for he wolde winne,
- And so he weneth god begyle!980
-
- Hem thinketh till they be met;
- And that they usen forth all the yere;
- the when he is ,
- He holdeth no man his pere;
- Of the he hath powére985
- To soyle men, or els they ben lore;
- His make † skere;
- And wo is the that he singeth !”
-
- The Griffon began for to threte,
- And sayd, “of monkes canst thou ought?”990
- The Pellican sayd, “they ben full grete,
- And in this world moch wo hath wrought.
- Saynt Benet , that order brought,
- Ne made hem never on manere;
- I trowe, it never in his thought995
- That they shulde use so powér[e];
-
- That a man shulde a cal,
- Ne serve on kneës, as a .
- He is as as prince in pall
- In , and , and [ ] all thing;1000
- Some myter and ,
- With double worsted well y-dight,[ ]
- With royall and riche ,
- And rydeth courser as a knight.
-
- With hauke[s] and with houndes eke,1005
- With broches or ouches on his hode,
- Some no masse in all a weke,
- Of is moste .
- With lordshippes and with bondmen
- This is a royall ;1010
- Saynt Benet made never none of hem
- To have of man ne .
-
- they ben queynte and curious,
- With cladde, and served clene,
- Proude, angry, and envyous,1015
- Malyce is mochë that they .
- In crafty and covetous,
- Lordly liven in ;
- This is not religious
- to in his .1020
-
- They ben clerkes, courtes they ,
- fully they flyte;
- The that a man amerced be,
- The gladlyer they woll it wryte.
- This is from Christes povertè,1025
- For all with covetyse they endyte;
- On the they have no pitè,
- Ne never hem , but ever hem byte.
-
- And suche ben comen
- Of people, and of hem begete,1030
- That this han y-nomen;
- not but on fete,
- And travaylen sore for that they ete,
- In povert liveth, yonge and ;
- suffreth drought and wete,1035[ ]
- Many hongry meles, thurst, and .
-
- this the monkes han forsake
- For Christes love and saynt ;
- To pryde and have hem take;
- This religio[u]n is yvell .1040
- Had they ben out of religioun,
- They must have honged at the ,
- and fro to
- With sory mete, and not .
-
- Therfore they han this all forsake,1045
- And taken to riches, pryde, and ;
- Full fewe for god woll monkes hem make,
- Litell is suche order for to prayse!
- Saynt Benet ordayned it not so,
- But hem be [ ] cherelich ;[ ]1050
- In
Finis.
III.
JACK UPLAND.
From C. (=printed copy in Caius Coll. library, Cambridge); I give here rejected spellings; readings marked Sp. are from Speght.
I, JACK UPLANDE , make my mone to very god and to all true belevinge in Christ, that Antichrist and his disciples, by colour of holines, and Christes church by many fals figures, wherethrough, by Antichrist and his, many vertues transposed to vices.5
But the fellest that ever Antichrist last[ ] brought into the church, and in a wonder wyse; for they of divers sectes of Antichrist, sowen of divers countrees and . And all men knowen wel, that they ben not obedient to bishoppes, ne lege men to kinges; neither they tillen ne sowen, weden , ne repen woode, corn, ne that man shuld helpe but , hir lyves to sustein. And these men all maner power of god, as they sayen, in heaven and in earth, to sell heaven and hell to whom that lyketh; and these wete never where to been15 .
And therfore, frere, if thine order and rules ben grounded on goddes law, tell thou me, Jack Upland, that I aske of ; and if thou be or thinkest to be on Christes syde, kepe thy pacience.
Saynt Paul , that al our dedes shuld be in charitè,20 and els it is worth, but to god and to[ ] oure owne soules. And for freres chalengen to be clerkes of the church, and next folowinge Christ in livinge, men shulde, for charitè, axe hem some questions, and 25 pray hem to grounde their answers in and in holy ; for els their answere wolde be worth, be it florished never so faire; and, as me think, men might skilfully axe thus of a frere.
[ ] 1. Frere, how many orders be in , and which is the perfitest order? Of what order art thou? Who made 30 order? What is thy rule? Is there ony perfiter rule than Christ himselfe made? If Christes rule be moost , why rulest thou not therafter? Without more, why shall a frere be more punished if he the rule that his patron made, than if he the hestes that god himself made?
35[ ] 2. Approveth Christ ony more religions than , that saynt James of . If he approveth no , why hast thou his rule, and taken another? Why is a frere apostata , that his order and taketh another secte; sith there is but religion of ?
40[ ] 3. Why be ye wedded faster to your than a man is to his wyfe? For a man may his for a or two, as many men do; and if † your a quarter of a , ye shuld be holden apostatas.
[ ] 4. Maketh youre you men of religion, or no? If it45 do, than, ever as it , your religion ; and, after that is better, is you[r] religion better. And whan ye liggen it besyde you, than lig ye youre religion besyde you, and ben . Why ye you so precious clothes, sith no man seketh such but for vaine glorie, as saynt Gregory saith?
505.[ ] What betokeneth youre , your scaplerye, youre knotted girdel, and youre wyde ?
[ ] 6. Why use ye al , more then other Christen men do? What betokeneth that ye clothed all in one maner clothinge?
557. If ye saye it betokeneth love and charitè, certes, than ye be ofte ypocrites, whan ony of you hateth other, and in that, that ye wollen be holy by youre .
[ ] 8. Why not a frere of an-other secte of freres, sith holines stondeth not in the clothes?
[ ] 9. Why holde ye silence in one howse more than ;60 sith men ought over-al to the good and the evell?
[ ] 10. Why you flesh in one house more than in another, if youre rule and youre order be perfit, and the patron that made it?
[ ] 11. Why gette ye your dispensacions, to have it more ?65 Certes, it semeth that ye be ; or he, that made it so that ye may not holde it. And , if ye holde not the rule of youre patrons, ye be not than freres; and so ye lye upon !
[ ] 12. Why make as men whan ye be professed;70 and yet ye be not , but more quicke than were before? And it semeth evell a man to go aboute and begge.
[ ] 13. Why will ye not suffer youre novices your councels in youre chapter-house, that they professed; if youre councels75 been trew, and after god[d]es lawe?
[ ] 14. Why make ye you so costly houses to dwell in; sith Christ did not so, and men shuld have but graves, as men? And yet ye have more than many lordes of Englonde. For ye wenden through the80 realme, and ech night, , ligge in youre owne courtes; and so mow but right few lordes do.
[ ] 15. Why ye to ferme youre limitors, therfore eche a rente; and will not suffer in an-others limitacion, right as ye were your-selves lordes of contreys?85
[ ] 16. Why be ye not under youre bisshops visitacions, and liege men to oure kinge?
17. Why axe ye no letters of bretherhedes of other mens prayers, as ye desyre that other men shulde aske letters of you?
[ ] 18. If youre letters be good, why graunte ye them not generally90 to al maner , for the more charitè?
[ ] 19. Mow ye make ony man more for your prayers, than god hath by oure beleve, by our and his owne graunte? If ye mowe, certes, than ye be above god.
9520.[ ] Why make ye men beleve that your golden trentall songe of you, to take therfore ten shillinges, or at fyve shillinges, will bringe soules out of helle, or of purgatorye? If this be , certes, ye might bring all soules out of payne. And that wolle ye nought; and than ye be out of charitè.
10021.[ ] Why make ye men beleve, that he that is buried in youre shall never come in hell; and ye wite not of youre-selfe, whether ye shall to hell, or no? And if this were sooth, ye shulde selle youre high houses, to make many , for to save many mens soules.
10522.[ ] Why ye mens children for to make hem of youre secte; sith that theft is agaynst goddes heste; and sithe youre secte is not perfit? Ye know not the rule that ye binde him to, be best for him or worst!
[ ] 23. Why ye not your brethren, for their trespas110 after the lawe of the gospell; sith that underneminge is the best that be? But ye put them in ofte, whan they do after goddes lawe; and, by saynt rule, if ony amisse and wolde not amende him, ye should put him from you.
[ ] 24. Why covete ye shrifte, and of other mens parishens,115 and other sacrament that falleth to Christen folke?
[ ] 25. Why busie ye not to shrifte of poore folke, as well as of riche lordes and ladyes; sith they mowe have more of shrifte-fathers than poore ?
26. Why saye ye not the gospel in houses of bedred men; as120 ye do in riche mens, that mowe go to churche and the gospell?
27. Why covette † not to burye poore ; sith that they ben moost holy, as ye that ye ben for youre ?
12528. Why will ye not be at diriges, as ye at riche mens; sith god prayseth hem more than he doth men?
[ ] 29. What is thy prayer worth; sith thou wilt take therefore? For all chapmen ye nede to be moost wyse; for drede of symonye.
13030.[ ] What cause hast thou that thou not the gospell, as god sayeth that thou shuldest; sith it is the best lore, and also oure beleve?
[ ] 31. Why be ye evell that secular prestes shulde the ; sith god him-selfe hath ?
32. Why hate ye the gospell to be ; sith ye be so135 moche holde thereto? For ye winne more by with In principio, than with all the rules that ever youre patrons made. And, in this, minstrels been better than ye. For they contraryen not to the that they maken; but ye contraryen the gospell bothe in worde and dede.140
[ ] 33. Frere, whan thou receivest a peny for to say a masse, whether sellest thou goddes body for that peny, or prayer, or els thy travail? If thou sayest thou wolt not travaile for to saye the masse but for the peny, † , if this be soth, than thou lovest to littel mede for thy soule. And if thou sellest145 goddes body, other thy prayer, than it is very symony; and art become a chapman worse than Judas, that solde it for thirty pens.
[ ] 34. Why wrytest thou names in thy tables, that yeveth moneye; sith god knoweth all ? For it semeth, by thy150 wryting, that god wolde not rewarde him but thou in thy tables; god wolde els it.
[ ] 35. Why thou god in honde, and sclaundrest him that he begged for his ; sith he was lord over all? For than hadde he ben unwyse to have begged, and no nede therto.155
[ ] 36. Frere, after what law rulest thou ? Wher findest thou in goddes law that thou shuldest thus begge?
37. What maner men nedeth for to begge?
whom oweth suche men to begge?
Why beggest thou so for thy brethren?160
If thou sayest, for they have nede; than thou doest it for the more , or els for the , or els for the . If it be the moost of all, than shulde al thy brethren do so; and than no man neded to begge but for him-selfe, for so shuld no man begge but him neded. And if it be the perfeccion, why165 lovest thou than other men more than thy-selfe? For so thou not well in thou shuldest seke the more perfeccion after thy power, livinge thy-selfe moost after god; and thus, that imperfeccion, thou shuldest not so begge for . And if170 it is a good mene thus to begge as thou , than shuld no man do so but they ben in this good mene; and yet such a mene, graunted to you, may never be grounded in goddes lawe; for than both that ben in mene degrè of this worlde shuld go aboute and begge as ye do. And if all shuld do175 so, certes, wel nigh al the world shuld go aboute and begge as ye do: and so shulde there be ten beggers agaynst yever.
38. Why procurest thou men to yeve almes, and sayest it is so ; and thou wilt not thy-selfe winne thee that mede?
18039. Why wilt thou not begge for poore bedred men, that ben poorer than ony of youre secte, that liggen, and mow not go aboute to helpe ; sith we be all brethren in god, and that bretherhed passeth ony other that ye or ony man make? And where moost nede were, there were moost perfeccion;185 either els ye holde not youre pure brethren, or worse. than ye be imperfite in your begginge.
[ ] 40. Why make ye you so many maisters you; sith it is agaynst the of Christ and his apostels?
[ ] 41. ben all your courtes that ye han, and all your190 riche ; sith ye sayen that ye han nought, in ? If ye they ben the popes, why † ye then, of poore men and lordes, so much out the kinges honde to make your pope riche? And sith ye sayen that it is perfeccion to have nought, , why be ye so fast aboute to195 make the pope (that is your † , and putte on him imperfeccion? Sithen ye sayn that your goodes ben all his, and he shulde by be the moost man, it semeth openlich that ye ben cursed children, so to sclaunder your † , and make him . And if ye sayn that goodes be yours, then do200 ye ayenst youre rule; and if it be not ayenst your rule, than might ye have both plough and , and labour as other good men , and not so begge to by , and ydell, as ye . And if ye say that it is more perfeccion to begge than to travaill or worch with youre hand, why ye not openly, and all men to do so, sith it is the best and moost to helpe of her205 soules, as ye make children to begge that might have riche heyres?
[ ] 42. Why make ye not your to poore men, and yeveth hem yeftes, as ye to the ; sith poore men han more nede than the riche?210
[ ] 43. What betokeneth that ye go tweyne and tweyne † ? If ye be out of , ye accorden not in soule.
[ ] 44. Why begge ye, and take salaries therto, more than other prestes; sith that moost taketh, most charge he hath?
45. Why holde ye not saynt Fraunces rule and his testament;215 sith Fraunces saith, that god shewed him this living and this rule? And certes, if it were goddes will, the pope might not fordo it; or els Fraunces was a lyar, that sayde on this wyse. And but this testament that he made accorde with goddes will, els erred he a lyar that were out of ; and as the law220 sayeth, he is that letteth the rightfull will of a man . And this testament is the will of Fraunces that is a man; it seemeth that all his freres ben cursed.
46. Why wil ye not touche no coined money with the crosse,225 ne with the kinges , as ye other jewels both of golde and silver? Certes, if ye despyse the crosse or the kinges , than ye be worthy to be despysed of god and the kinge. And sith ye will money in your and not with youre handes, it seemeth that ye holde more holinesse in your hondes than in your230 ; and than be false to god.
47. Why have ye you fro our kinges lawes and visitinge of our bishoppes more than other Christen men that liven in this realme, if ye be not of to our realme, or to bishoppes? But ye will have the kinges lawes for trespas235 to you; and ye wil have power of other bishops more than other prestes; and also have leave to prison youre brethren as lordes in youre courtes, more than other folkes han that ben the kinges lege men.
24048. Why shal some secte of you freres paye certaine to generall provinciall or minister, or els to soverains, but-if he a number of children, as some men ? And certes, if this be soth, than be ye constrayned, upon certaine payne, to do thefte, agaynst goddes commaundement, non245furtum facies.
[ ] 49. Why be ye so hardy, to graunte, by letters of fraternitè, to men and women, that they shall have part and of all your good dedes; and ye witen never god be with youre dedes because of youre sinne? Also ye never whether250 that man or woman be in state to be saved or damned; than shall he have no in for his owne dedes, ne for none other . And all were it so, that he shuld have part of youre good dedes; yet shulde have no more than god would geve him, after that he were worthy; and so much shall eche man have of255 goddes yefte, withoute youre limitacion. But if ye will saye that ye ben goddes , and that he not do without youre assent, than be ye blasphemers to god.
[ ] 50. What that ye have ordeined, that when such as ye have youre brother or sister, and hath a letter of260 your , that letter † be brought in youre holy chapter and there be ; or els ye will not praye for him? ye willen praye for all other that weren not youre brethren or sistren, than were ye not in right charitè; for that ought to be , and namely in thinges.
26551. Frere, what charitè is this—to overcharge the people by begginge, under of or or masses singing? Sith holy biddeth not thus, but even the contrary; for al such goostly dedes shulde be , as god yeveth hem .
27052. Frere, what charitè is this—to begyle children or they commen to discrecion, and binde to youre orders, that been not grounded in goddes lawe, against frendes wil? Sithen by this foly ben many , both in will and dede, and many ben in hir will during all hir lyfe, that wolde gladly be discharged if they wist how; and so, many ben that275 shulden in other states have ben trewe men.
[ ] 53. Frere, what charitè is this—to make so mony freres in every countrey, to the charge of the people? Sith and vicares alone, ye, secular prestes alone, ye, monkes and chanons alone, with bishops above , were y-nough to the280 church, to do prestes office. And to adde mo than y-nough is a errour, and charge to the people; and this is openly against goddes will, that ordeined all thinges to be in weight, nomber, and . And Christ himself was with twelve apostles and a few disciples, to and do prestes office to all285 the hole world; than was it better don than is now at this tyme by a thousand . And right so as foure fingers with a thumbe in a mannes hande, helpeth a man to worche, and double nomber of fingers in one hond shuld him more; and more nomber that there were, passing the of goddes ordinaunce,290 the more were a man letted to worke: right so, as it semeth, it is of these newe orders that ben added to the church, without grounde of holy and goddes ordinaunce.
54. Frere, what charitè is this—to lye to the people, and saye that ye folowe Christ in more than other men ?295[ ] And yet, in curious and costly howsinge, and fyne and precious clothing, and delicious and lykinge fedinge, and in and jewels and riche ornamentes, freres passen lordes and other men; and soonest they shuld cause aboute, be it never so , though goddes lawe be put .300
55. Frere, what charitè is this—to † up the bokes of holy and hem in tresory, and so hem from secular prestes and curates; and by this cautel to the gospell to the people without mede; and also to defame good prestes of heresy, and lyen on hem openly,305 for to hem to shew goddes lawe, by the holy gospell, to the Christen people?
56. Frere, what charitè is this—to so much holines in your clothing, that ye clepe your , that many blinde310[ ] foles desyren to dye therin more than in an-other? And also, that a frere that his (late founden of men), not be assoiled till he take it again, but is an apostata, as ye , and cursed of god and man both? The frere beleveth treuth and pacience, chastitè, mekenesse, and sobrietè; yet for the more315 of his lyfe he soone be assoiled of his prior; and if he bringe to his house much good by yere, be it never so falsly begged and pilled of the poore and nedy people in aboute, he shal be a noble frere! O lord, whether this be charitè!
320[ ] 57. Frere, what charitè is this—to upon a riche man, and to entyce him to be buried among you from his parish-church, and to suche riche men geve letters of fraternitè confirmed by youre generall , and therby to him in honde that he shall have of all your masses, matins, , fastinges,325 wakinges, and all other good dedes by your brethren of youre order (both whyles he liveth and after that he is ), and yet ye witen never whether youre dedes be acceptable to god, ne whether that man that hath that letter be able by good living to ony part of youre dedes? And yet a poore man, that ye330 wite wel or supposen in to have no good of, ye ne geve such letters, though he be a better man god than suche a riche man; nevertheles, this poore man doth not therof. For, as men supposen, suche letters and many other that freres to men, be full of false deceites of freres, out of 335 and god[d]es lawe and Christen mens faith.
[ ] 58. Frere, what charitè is this—to be confessoures of lordes and , and to other mighty men, and not amend hem in living; but rather, as it semeth, to be the bolder to poore tenauntes and to live in lechery, and there to in your office of340 confessour, for winning of worldly goodes, and to be holden by of suche goostly offices? This seemeth rather pryde of freres than charitè of god.
59. Frere, what charitè is this—to sayn that who-so liveth after youre order, liveth , and next foloweth the state of aposteles in povertè and penaunce; and yet the 345 and of you wende, or sende, or procure to the court of Rome to be cardinales or bishoppes or the popes , and to be assoiled of the vowe of and obedience to your ministers; in the which, as ye sayn, standeth moost perfeccion and merite of youre orders? And thus ye faren350 as Pharisees, that sayen , and do another to the contrarye.
60. Why name ye more the patron of youre order in youre Confiteor, whan ye beginne masse, than other saintes, as apostels, or marters, that churche more glorious than , and clepe hem youre patrons and youre avowries?355
61. Frere, whet[h]er was saint Fraunces, in making of his rule that he thyne order in, a fole and lyar, or els wyse and trew? If ye that he was not a fole but wyse; ne a lyar, but trew; why ye the contrary by youre doing, whan by youre suggestion to the pope ye said that ye 360 not live to holde it without declaracion and dispensacion of the pope? And so, by youre dede, ye lete your patron a fole, that made a rule so that no man wel kepe [ ]; and eke youre dede proveth him a lyar, where he sayeth in his rule, that he and it of the holy gooste. For how might ye, for shame,365 praye the pope to undo that the holy goost , as ye prayed him to dispense with the hardnesse of your order?
[ ] 62. Frere, which of the foure orders of freres is best, to a man that knoweth not which is the beste, but wolde enter into the beste and none other? If thou sayest that is the best, than370 sayest thou that of the other is as good as ; and in this eche frere in the other orders wolle say that thou lyest; for in the maner eche other frere woll say that his order is beste. And thus to eche of the foure orders ben the other contrary in this poynte; in the which if ony say sooth, that is 375 ; for there may but be the beste of foure. So foloweth it, that if ech of these orders answered to this question as thou doest, were false and but trew; and yet no man shulde wite who that were. And thus it semeth, that the moost part of380 freres ben or shulde be lyars in this poynt, and they shulde answere therto. If † say that an-other ordre of the freres is better than or as good; why toke ye not rather therto as to the better, whan thou mightest have chosen at the beginning? And eke, why shuldest thou be an , to thyn order385 and take to that that is better? And so, why goest thou not from thyn order into that?
63. Frere, is there ony perfiter rule of religion than Christ, goddes , gave in his gospell to his brethren, or than that religion that saynt James in his epistle maketh mencion of? If390 † saye ‘yes,’ than puttest thou on Christ, that is of god the † , unpower, or evil will. For eyther than he not make his rule so good as an-other did his, (and so be uncunning, that he might not make his rule so good as another man might, and so were he unmighty and not395 god); or he wolde not make his rule so as an-other did his (and so had he ben evill-willed, namely to himselfe!) For if he might, and , and wold[e] have a rule without , and did not, he was not goddes almighty. For if[ ] ony other rule be perfiter than Christes, than must Christes rule400 lacke of that perfeccion by as much as the other were more perfiter; and so defaute, and Christ had failed in makinge of his rule. But to ony defaute or failinge in god, is blasphemy. If thou saye Christes rule and that religion that saynt James maketh mencion of, is the perfitest; why holdest405 thou not thilke rule without more? And why clepest thou rather of saynt Frances or saynt Dominiks rule or religion or order, than of Christes rule or Christes order?
64. Frere, canst thou in Christes rule of the gospell, with the whiche he taught al men to be saved,410 if they kepte it to endinge? If thou saye it was to ,[ ] than sayest thou that Christ lyed; for he saide of his rule: ‘My yoke is softe, and my burthen light.’ If thou saye Christes rule was to light, that may be assigned for no defaute, for the better may it be kept. If thou sayst that there is no defaute in Christes rule of the gospell, sith Christ him-selfe saith it is light and :415 what nede was it to patrons of freres to adde therto, and so to make an harder religion, to save freres, than was the religion Christes apostels and his disciples helden and weren saved by; but-if they wolden that her freres saten above the apostels in , for the harder religion that they kepen here? And so420[ ] wolde they sitten in above himselfe for the moo and strait observaunces; than so shulde they be better than Christ[ ] himselfe, with misc[h]aunce!
- Go now forth, and youre clerkes,
- And grounde goddes lawe, and geve Jack answere.425
- ,
- I shall , and save to !
If freres not or mow not excuse hem of these questions asked of hem, it semeth that they be horrible gilty against god and even-Christen ; for which gyltes and defautes it were430 worthy that the order that they calle order were . And it is wonder that men susteyne hem or suffer in suche[ ] maner. For holy biddeth that thou do well to the meke, and geve not to the wicked, but forbid to geve hem they be thereby mightier through you. .435
¶ Prynted for Jhon Gough.
Cum Priuilegio Regali.
IV.
JOHN GOWER
UNTO THE WORTHY AND NOBLE KINGE HENRY THE FOURTH.
From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532.); corrected by T. (Trentham MS.) I give the rejected spellings of Th. (Thynne), except where they are corrected by the MS.
-
- O king, Henry the ferthe,
- In whom the gladde fortune is befalle
- The people to governe upon erthe,
- God hath , in comfort of us alle;
- The worship of this land, which was doun falle,5
- Now stant upright, through grace of thy goodnesse,
- Which every man is holde for to blesse.
-
- The highe god, of his justyce alone,
- The right which longeth to thy
- Declared hath to stande in thy persone;10
- And more than god may no man .
- Thy title is knowe upon thyn ;[ ]
- The londes folk hath eek thy right affermed;
- So stant thy regne, of god and man confermed.
-
- Ther is no man may saye in other wyse15
- That god him-self ne hath the right declared;
- Wherof the land is to thy servyse,[ ]
- Which for defaute of helpe hath longe cared.
- But now ther is no mannes herte spared
- To love and serve, and thy plesaunce;20
- And al this is through goddes purveyaunce.[ ]
-
- In alle thing which is of god begonne
- Ther foloweth grace, if it be wel governed;
- Thus tellen they whiche olde bokes conne,
- Wherof, my lord, I wot wel thou art lerned.25
- of thy god; so shalt thou nat be werned
- Of no [the] whiche is resonable;[ ][ ]
- For god unto the goode is favorable.
-
- King Salomon, which hadde at his
- Of god, what thing him was levest crave,30
- He wysdom unto governinge
- Of goddes folk, the whiche he wolde save;
- And as he , it fil him for to have;
- For through his wit, whyl that his regne laste,
- He him and reste, .35
-
- But Alisaundre, as telleth his ,[ ]
- Unto the god besoughte in other weye,
- Of al the worlde to winne the victorie,
- So that under his swerde it obeye;
- In werre he hadde al that he wolde preye.40
- The mighty god him that ;
- The world wan, and it of .
-
- But though it fil at thilke tyme so,
- That Alisaundre his hath ,
- This sinful world was tho;45
- Was noon whiche hath the highe god ;
- No wonder was, though thilke world was .
- Though a tyraunt his purpos winne,
- Al was vengeaunce, and infortune of sinne.
-
- But now the of Crist is come a-place50
- Among the princes in this erthe here,
- It sit hem wel to do pitè and grace,
- But yet it be tempred in manere.
- For they fynden cause in the matere
- Upon the poynt, what afterward betyde,55
- The lawe of right shal nat be a-syde.
-
- So may a king of werre the [ ]
- Ordayne and take, as he therto is holde,
- To clayme and his rightful heritage
- In alle places wher it is with-holde.60
- But other-wyse, if god wolde
- Afferme love and bitween the kinges,
- is the beste, above alle erthly thinges.
-
- Good is t’eschewe werre, and nathelees
- A king may make werre upon his right;65
- For of bataile the fynal ende is pees;
- Thus stant the lawe, that a worthy knight
- Upon his trouthe may go to the fight.
- But-if so were that he mighte chese,
- is the pees of which may no man lese.70
-
- To stere oughte ,
- First, for to sette his liege lord in reste,
- And eek these othre men, that they ne stryve;
- For so this may standen atte beste.
- What king that be the worthieste,75
- The more he mighte our deedly werre ,
- The more he shulde his worthinesse .
-
- Pees is the of al the worldes welthe,
- And to the heven it ledeth eek the ;
- Pees is of soule and lyfe the mannes helthe80
- Of pestilence , and doth the werre .
- My liege lord, tak hede of that I ,
- If werre may be , tak pees on honde,
- Which may nat be withoute goddes sonde.
-
- With pees stant every crëature in reste,85
- Withoute pees ther may no lyf be glad;
- Above al other good, pees is the beste;
- Pees hath him-self, whan werre is al bestad;
- The pees is sauf, the werre is ever adrad.
- Pees is of charitè the keye,90
- Whiche hath the lyf and soule for to weye.
-
- My liege lord, if that list to seche
- The sothe ensamples, the werre hath wrought,
- Thou shalt wel here, of wyse mennes speche,
- That deedly werre tourneth in-to nought.95
- For if these olde bokes be wel ,
- Ther might thou what thing the werre hath do
- Bothe of and conquerour also.
-
- For vayne honóur, or for the worldes good,
- They that whylom the stronge werres made,100
- Wher be they now? wel, in thy mood,
- The day is , the night is derke and fade;
- crueltè, which made hem thanne glade,
- They sorowen now, and yet have naught the more;
- The blood is shad, which no man may restore.105
-
- The werre is moder of the wronges alle;
- It sleeth the preest in holy chirche at masse,
- Forlyth the mayde, and her flour to falle.
- The werre maketh the grete citee lasse,
- And the lawe his overpasse.110
- Ther is nothing, wherof may growe
- Whiche is not caused of the werre, I trowe.
-
- The werre in póverte at his heles,
- Wherof the people is sore greved;
- The werre hath set his cart on thilke wheles115
- Wher that fortune may not be beleved.
- For whan men wene best to have acheved,
- Ful ofte it is al newe to beginne;
- The werre hath nothing siker, thogh he winne.
-
- For-thy, my worthy prince, in Cristes halve,120
- As for a part whos fayth thou hast gyde,
- Ley to this olde sore a newe salve,
- And do the werre away, what-so betyde.
- Purchace pees, and sette it by thy syde,
- And suffre nat thy people be devoured;125
- So shal thy name ever after stande honóured!
-
- If any man be now, or ever was
- Ayein the pees thy prevy counsaylour,
- god be of thy counsayl in this cas,
- And put away the werreyour.130
- For god, whiche is of man the creatour,
- He wolde not men his creature
- Withoute cause of deedly forfayture.
-
- Wher nedeth most, behoveth most to loke;
- My lord, how so thy werres be withoute,135
- Of tyme passed who hede toke,
- Good were at home to right wel aboute;
- For evermore the worste is for to doute.
- But, if thou mightest parfit pees attayne,
- Ther shulde be no cause for to playne.140
-
- Aboute a king, good counsayl is to preyse
- Above al othre thinges most vailable;
- But yet a king within him-self shal peyse
- And seen the thinges that be resonable.
- And ther-upon he shal his wittes stable145
- Among the men to sette pees in ,
- For love of him whiche is the king of .
-
- A! wel is him that shedde never blood
- But-if it were in cause of rightwysnesse!
- For if a king the peril understood150
- What is to slee the people, thanne, I gesse,
- The deedly werres and the hevinesse
- Wher-of pees distourbed is ful ofte,
- Shulde at som tyme cesse and wexe softe.
-
- O king! fulfilled of grace and knighthode,155
- Remembre upon this poynt, for Cristes sake;
- If pees be profred unto thy manhode,
- Thyn honour sauf, let it nat be forsake!
- Though thou the werres darst wel undertake,
- After yet temper thy corage;160
- For lyk to pees ther is non avauntage.
-
- My worthy lord, wel, how-so befalle
- Of thilke lore, as holy bokes sayn;
- Crist is the heed, and we be membres alle,
- As wel as the soverayn.165
- So sit it wel, that charitè be playn,
- Whiche unto god him-selve most accordeth,
- So as the lore of Cristes word recordeth.
-
- In th’olde lawe, Crist him-self was bore,
- Among the ten comaundëments, I rede,170
- How that manslaughter shulde be forbore;
- Such was the wil, that tyme, of the godhede.
- But , whan Crist took his manhede,
- Pees was the firste thing he do crye[ ]
- Ayenst the worldes rancour and envye.175
-
- And, Crist wente out of this erthe here,
- And to heven, he made his testament,
- Wher he bequath to his disciples there
- And yaf his pees, which is the foundement
- Of charitè, withouten whos assent180
- The worldes pees may never wel be tryed,
- Ne lovë kept, ne lawë justifyed.
-
- The Jewes with the hadden werre,
- But they among hem-self stode ever in pees;
- Why shulde than our pees stonde out of ,185
- Which Crist hath chose unto his owne encrees?
- For Crist is more than was Moÿses;
- And Crist hath set the parfit of the lawe,
- The whiche shulde in no wyse be withdrawe.
-
- To yeve us pees was causë why Crist dyde,190
- Withoute pees may nothing stonde avayled;
- But now a man may on every syde
- How Cristes fayth is every day assayled,
- With the , and so batayled
- That, for defaute of helpe and of defence,195
- Unneth hath Crist his dewe reverence.
-
- The righte fayth to kepe of holy chirche
- The firste poynt is named of knighthode;[ ]
- And every man is holde for to wirche
- Upon the poynt stant to his manhode.200
- But now, ! the fame is so brode
- That every man this thing [ ] complayneth;[ ]
- And yet is ther no man help ordayneth.
-
- The worldes cause is wayted over-al;
- Ther be the werres redy, to the fulle;205
- But Cristes owne cause in special,
- Ther ben the swerdes and the speres dulle.
- And with the sentence of the popes bulle
- As for to the folk obeye,
- The chirche is tourned al another weye.210
-
- It is , above any mannes wit,
- Withoute werre how Cristes fayth was wonne;
- And we that been upon this erthë yit
- Ne kepe it nat as it was first begonne.
- To every crëature under the sonne215
- Crist bad him-self, that we shulde preche,
- And to the folke his teche.
-
- More light it is to kepe than to make;
- But that we founden to-fore hond
- We kepe nat, but lete it lightly slake;220
- The pees of Crist hath al to-broke his bond.
- We reste , and suffren every lond
- To slee eche other as thing undefended;
- So stant the werre, and pees is nat amended.
-
- But though the heed of holy chirche above225
- Ne do nat al his hole businesse
- Among the to sette pees and love,
- These kinges oughten, of hir rightwysnesse,
- Hir owne cause among hem-self redresse.
- Thogh Peters ship, as now, hath lost his stere,230
- It lyth in hem barge for to stere.
-
- If holy chirche after the
- Of Cristes word ne be nat al avysed
- To make pees, accord, and unitè
- Among the kinges that be now devysed,235
- Yet, natheles, the lawë stant assysed
- Of mannes wit, to be so resonable
- Withoute that to stande stable.
-
- Of holy chirche we ben children alle,
- And every child is holde for to bowe240
- Unto the moder, how that ever it falle,
- Or elles he reson disalowe.
- And, for that cause, a knight shal first avowe
- The right of holy chirche to defende,
- That no man shal the privilege offende.245
-
- Thus were it to setten al in
- The worldes princes and the prelats bothe,
- For love of him whiche is the king of ;
- And if men shulde algate wexen wrothe,
- The Sarazins, whiche unto Crist ben lothe,250
- Let men be armed ayenst hem to fighte,[ ]
- So may the knight his dede of armes righte.
-
- Upon poynts stant Cristes pees oppressed;[ ]
- First, holy chirche in her-self devyded;
- Which oughte, of reson, first to be redressed;255
- But yet so a cause is nat decyded.
- And thus, whan humble pacience is pryded,
- The remenaunt, which that they shulde reule,
- No wonder is, though it stande out of reule.
-
- Of that the heed is , the limmes aken;260
- These regnes, that to Cristes pees belongen,
- For worldes good, these deedly werres maken,
- Which , as in balaunce, hongen.
- The heed above hem hath nat underfongen
- To sette pees, but every man sleeth other;265
- And in this wyse hath charitè no brother.
-
- The two defautes bringen in the thridde
- Of miscreants, that seen how we debate;
- the two, they fallen in a-midde
- Wher now al-day they fynde an open gate.270
- Lo! thus the deedly werre stant al-gate.
- But ever I hopë of king Henries grace,
- That he it is which shal the pees embrace.
-
- My worthy noble prince, and king ,
- Whom god hath, of his grace, so preserved,275
- and the world upon this poynt,
- As for thy part, that Cristes pees be served.
- So shal thy highe mede be
- To him, whiche al shal quyten atte laste;
- For this herë may no whyle laste.280[ ]
-
- See Alisandre, , and Julius,
- See , David, and Josuë,
- See Charlemayne,
- Fulfild of werre and of mortalitee!
- Hir fame abit, but al is vanitee;285
- For deth, whiche hath the werres under fote,
- Hath an ende, of which ther is no bote.
-
- So a man the sothe wite and knowe,
- That pees is good for every to have;
- The fortune of the werre is ever unknowe,290
- But wher pees is, ther the marches save.
- That now is , to-morwe is under grave.
- The mighty god hath alle grace in honde;
- Withouten him, men may nat longe stonde.[ ]
-
- Of the to winne or lese a chace295[ ]
- May no lyf wite, that the bal be ronne;
- Al stant in god, what thing men shal purchace:
- Th’ende is in him, or that it be begonne;
- Men sayn, the wolle, whan it is wel sponne,
- Doth that the cloth is strong and profitable,300
- And elles it may never be durable.
-
- The worldes chaunces upon aventure
- Ben ever set; but thilke chaunce of pees
- Is so behovely to the crëature
- That above al other .305
- But it may nat † , nathelees,[ ]
- Among the men to lasten any whyle,
- But wher the herte is playn, withoute gyle.
-
- The pees is as it were a sacrament
- To-fore the god, and shal with wordes playne310
- Withouten any double entendëment
- Be treted; for the trouthe can nat feyne.
- But if the men within hem-self be vayne,
- The substaunce of the pees may nat be trewe,
- But every day it chaungeth upon newe.315
-
- But who that is of charitè ,
- He voydeth alle sleightes fer aweye,
- And set his word upon the same
- Wher that his herte hath founde a siker weye;
- And thus, whan conscience is trewly weye,320
- And that handled with the wyse,
- It shal abyde and stande, in alle wyse.
-
- Th’apostel sayth, ther may no lyf be good
- Whiche is nat grounded upon charitè;
- For charitè ne shedde never blood.325
- So hath the werre, as ther, no ;
- For thilke vertue which is sayd ‘pitè’
- With charitè so ferforth is acquaynted
- That in her may no fals be paynted.
-
- , whos is .330[ ]
- Sayth: ‘wher that pitè regneth, is grace’;
- Through which the pees hath al his welthe assysed ,
- So that of werre he dredeth no manace.
- Wher pitè dwelleth, in the same place
- Ther may no deedly crueltè sojourne335
- Wherof that mercy shulde his tourne.[ ]
-
- To what pitè, forth with mercy, doth,
- The cronique is at Rome, in thilke empyre
- Of Constantyn , which is a tale soth,
- Whan him was lever his owne deth desyre340
- Than do the yonge children to martyre.
- Of he lefte the quarele;
- Pitè he wroughte, and pitè was his hele.
-
- For thilke mannes pitè which he dede
- God was pitous, and made him hool at al;345
- Silvester cam, and in the same stede
- Yaf him first in special,
- Which dide away the sinne original,
- And al his lepre it hath so purifyed,
- That his pitè for ever is magnifyed.350
-
- Pitè was cause why this emperour
- Was hool in body and in soule bothe;
- And Rome also was set in thilke honour
- Of Cristes fayth, so that the leve, of lothe
- Whiche hadden be with Crist tofore wrothe,355
- Receyved werë unto Cristes lore.
- Thus shal pitè be praysed evermore.
-
- My worthy liege lord, Henry by name,
- Which hast to governe and righte,
- Men oughten wel thy pitè to proclame,360
- Which openliche, in al the worldes sighte,
- Is shewed, with the helpe of god almighte,
- To yeve us pees, which long hath be debated ,[ ]
- Wherof thy prys shal never be abated.
-
- My lord, in whom hath ever yet be founde365
- Pitè, withoute spotte of violence,
- Keep thilke pees alway, withinne bounde,
- Which god hath planted in thy conscience.
- So shal the cronique of thy pacience
- Among the be take in-to 370
- To the of perdurable .
-
- And to thyn erthely prys, so as I can,
- Whiche every man is holde to commende,
- I Gower, which am al thy liege man,
- This lettre unto thyn excellence I sende,375
- As I, whiche ever unto my lyves ende
- Wol praye for the stat of thy persone,
- In worshipe of thy sceptre and of thy .
-
- Nat only to my king of pees I wryte,
- But to these othre princes Cristen alle,380
- That eche of hem his owne herte endyte
- And the werre, more falle.
- eek the rightful pope upon his stalle;
- Keep charitè, and pitè to honde,
- lawe; and so the pees shal stonde.385
Explicit carmen de pacis commendacione, quod ad laudem et memoriam serenissimi principis domini Regis Henrici quarti, suus humilis orator Johannes Gower composuit.
-
- Electus Christi, [ ] pie rex Henrice, fuisti,
- Qui bene venisti, [ ] cum propria regna petisti;
- Tu mala vicisti [ ] -que bonis bona restituisti,
- Et populo tristi [ ] nova gaudia contribuisti.
-
- Est mihi spes lata, [ ] quod adhuc per te renovata390
- Succedent fata [ ] veteri probitate beata;
- Est tibi nam grata [ ] gratia sponte data.
-
- Henrici quarti primus regni fuit annus[ ]
- Quo mihi defecit visus ad acta mea.
- Omnia tempus habent, finem natura ministrat,395
- Quem virtute sua frangere nemo potest.
- Ultra posse nihil, quamvis mihi velle remansit;
- Amplius ut scribam non mihi posse manet.
- Dum potui, scripsi, sed nunc quia senectus
- Turbauit sensus, scripta relinquo scolis.400
- Scribat qui veniet post me discretior alter,
- Ammodo namque manus et mea penna silent.
- Hoc tamen in fine verborum queso meorum,
- Prospera quod statuat regna futura deus.404
¶ Explicit.
V.
THOMAS HOCCLEVE.
THE LETTER OF CUPID.
From F (Fairfax); various readings from B (Bodley 638); T (Tanner 346); S (Arch. Selden B. 24); A (Ashburnham MS.); Tr. (Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 3. 20). Also in Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); D (Digby 181); Ff (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. 1. 6); and in the Bannatyne MS.
Litera Cupidinis, dei Amoris, directa subditis suis Amatoribus.
-
- CUPIDO, unto whos comaundëment
- The gentil kinrede of by
- And infernal been obedient,
- And mortel al serven ,
- The goddesse sonë soothly,5
- To tho that to our deitee
- Ben , hertly greting sende we!
-
- In general, we that ye knowe
- That ladies of honour and reverence,
- And other gentil 10
- seed of compleynt in our audience
- Of men that hem outrage and offence,
- That it eres greveth for to here;
- So is of this matere.
-
- 15
- That cleped is Albion they most compleyne;
- They , that there is croppe and rote of gyle.
- So conne tho men and feyne
- With stonding dropes eyen tweyne,
- When that hir feleth no distresse,20
- To blinden women with doublenesse.
-
- Hir wordes spoken ben so syghingly,
- chere and contenaunce,
- That every wight that meneth
- Demeth that they in have such grevaunce;25
- They so importáble is hir penaunce
- That, but lady lust to shewe hem grace,
- They right †mot sterven in the place.
-
- ‘A, lady myn!’ they , ‘I ensure,
- As doth me grace, and I shal ever be,30
- that my may and endure,
- To yow as humble and lowe in ech degree
- As possible is, and kepe al secree
- Right as that I do;
- And elles a-two.’35
-
- Ful it is to ;
- For may no man the trouthe deme;
- When out of his mouthe may [ ]
- But it queme,
- So is it of , as hit wolde seme.40
- O feythful woman, ful innocence,
- Thou deceyved fals apparence!
-
- By pitee,
- Wening al thing were as thise men sey,
- They graunte hem grace of hir benignitee45
- For that men shulde nat for sake dey;
- And with good hem in the wey
- Of lovë—kepe it if conne;
- other-whylë women beth y-wonne.
-
- And whan this man the hath by the stele,50[ ]
- And fully is in his possessioun,
- With that woman to dele,
- After if he may in the
- Any woman, his blinde affeccioun[ ]
- bestowë; evel mote he preve!55
- A man, for al his othes, is to !
-
- And, for that every fals man hath a make,
- (As un-to every wight is light to knowe),
- Whan this this woman hath forsake,
- He un-to his felowe;60
- Til he be there, his is on a lowe;
- His fals deceyt may him not suffyse,
- But of his treson telleth al the wyse.
-
- Is this a ? is this honour,
- A man accuse thus, and diffame?65
- is it good, confesse a traitour,
- And bringe woman to a sclandrous name,
- And telle how he body do shame?
- No may he thus to him conquere,
- But un-to him and here!70
-
- To ? Nay, yet was it no ;[ ]
- For al for vertu was that she ;
- But he that brewed hath al this ,
- That so faire, and falsly inward ,
- His the sclaundre, as it reson ,75
- And un-to her perpetuel,
- That in helpe can so wel!
-
- Althogh of men, sleyght and sotiltee,
- A sely, simple, and innocent woman
- Betrayed is, no wonder, sith the citee80
- Of Troye—as the storie can—
- Betrayed was, the disceyt of man,
- And set on fyre, and al over-throwe,
- And destroyed, as men knowe.
-
- men not citees grete, and kinges?85
- What wight can shape remedye
- thise falsly purpósed thinges?
- Who can the craftes to espye
- But man, whos ay
- To thing that souneth in-to falshede?90
- Women, beth ware of mennes sleight, I rede!
-
- And furthermore han thise men in usage
- That, where they not lykly been to spede,
- Suche as been with a double visage
- They prócuren , for to hir nede;95
- He prayeth him in his causë to procede,
- And largely guerdoneth he his travayle;
- wommen how men hem assayle!
-
- Another un-to his felowe seyth:
- ‘Thou fisshest faire! She that thee hath fyred100
- Is fals and , and hath no .
- She for the rode of folke is so desyred
- And, as an hors, fro day to day is hyred
- That, when thou twinnest fro hir companye,
- Another , and blered is thyn eyë!105
-
- ‘Now prikke on , and thy journey
- thou art there; for she, thy ,
- So liberal is, she wol no wight with-sey,
- But smertly of another take ;
- For thus wommen faren, al the !110
- Who-so hem trusteth, hanged he be!
- Ay they desyren chaunge and noveltee!’
-
- Wher-of procedeth this but of envye?
- For he ne winne may,
- He speketh and ,115
- As mannes blabbing is wont alway.
- Thus dyvers men ful often make assay
- For to distourben in sondry wyse,
- For they may not acheven hir empryse.
-
- Ful many a man wolde , for no good,120
- (That hath in love his tyme spent and used)
- Men wiste, his lady his axing withstood,
- And that he were of her pleynly refused,
- Or wast and veyn al that he mused;
- Wherfore he can no better remedye125
- But on his lady him to lye:
-
- ‘Every womman,’ he seyth, ‘is light to gete;
- Can noon sey “nay,” if she be wel y-soght.
- Who-so may , with her to trete,
- Of his ne shal he faile noght,130
- But he on be so depe y-broght[ ]
- That he shende al with open ;
- That loven nat, as that I gesse!’
-
- To thus, what may profyte
- gentils namely, that hem armen sholde,135
- And in defence of wommen hem delyte
- As that the ordre of gentilesse wolde?
- If that a man list gentil to be holde,
- that ther-to is contrarie;
- A sclaundring is his grete adversarie.140
-
- A is of tonge to be light;
- For who-so michel clappeth, gabbeth ofte.
- The tonge of so swift is and so wight
- That, whan it is areysed up-on lofte,
- Resoun it seweth so slowly and softe,145[ ]
- That it him never over-take may:
- Lord! so thise men trusty in !
-
- Al-be-it that man fynde woman nyce,
- Inconstant, rechelees, or ,
- Deynouse , fulfilled of malyce,150
- Withouten feyth or love, and deceyvable,
- Sly, queynt, and fals, in al coupable,
- Wikked and feers, and ful of crueltee,
- It foloweth nat that al wommen be.
-
- Whan that aungels formed had,155
- Among hem ther noon
- That founden was malicious and bad?
- Yis! al men woot that ther was many oon
- That, for hir pryde, fil from heven anoon.
- Shul men therfore aungels proude name?160
- Nay! he that susteneth is to blame.
-
- Of twelve apostels oon a traitour was;
- The remënant yit were and trewe.
- Than, if it happe men fyndë, per ,
- Oo womman fals, swich for t’eschewe,165
- And deme nat that they ben untrewe.
- I see wel mennes
- Hem causeth wommen for to trusten lesse.
-
- O! every man have an herte tendre
- Unto womman, and deme her honurable,170
- his shap be outher thikke or slendre,
- Or be he or good; this is no fable.
- Every man woot, that hath resonable,
- That of a womman he descended is:
- Than is it shame, of to speke amis.175
-
- A wikked may noon forth bring,
- For the fruit is, as that is the tree.
- hede of whom thou took thy biginning;
- Lat thy moder be unto thee.
- her, if thou wolt be!180
- Dispyse thou , in no manere,
- Lest that ther-by thy wikkednesse appere!
-
- An old provérbë is in English:
- Men seyn, ‘that brid or is dishonest ,
- What that he be, and holden ful ,185
- That useth to defoule his owne nest.’
- Men, to sey wel of it is best,
- And nat for to hem ne deprave,
- If that they hir honour kepe and save.
-
- Thise ladies eek compleynen hem on clerkes190
- That they han bokës of hir diffame,
- In which wommen and hir werkes
- And speken of hem and shame,
- And causëlees hem a wikked name.
- Thus they despysed on every syde,195
- And sclaundred, and bilowen on ful wyde.
-
- The sory bokes maken mencioun
- How they betrayden, in ,
- Adam, David, Sampsoun, and Salamoun,
- And many oon mo; who may rehersen al200
- The treson that they havë doon, and shal?
- The world hir malice may not comprehende;
- As that clerkes seyn, it hath ende.
-
- Ovyde, in his boke called ‘Remedye[ ]
- Of Lovë,’ of wommen wryteth;205
- Wherin, I trowe, he dide folye,
- And every wight that in such delyteth.
- A clerkes is, whan he endyteth
- Of , be it prose, or ryme, or vers,
- they ben wikke, al knowe he the revers.210
-
- And that scolers lerne in hir childhede,
- For they of be war sholde in age,
- And for to hem ever been in drede,
- Sin to deceyve is set al hir corage.
- to is avantage,215[ ]
- And namely, suche as men han in be ;
- For many a man by hath .
-
- No charge , what-so thise clerkes seyn;
- Of al hir wrong wryting I do no cure;
- Al hir travayle and labour is in veyn.220
- For, betwex me and my lady Nature,
- Shal be suffred, the world may dure,
- Thise clerkes, by hir cruel ,
- Thus upon kythen hir maistrye.
-
- Whylom ful of hem in my cheyne225[ ]
- , and now, what for unweldy age
- And for unlust, may not to love atteyne,
- And seyn, that love is but dotage.
- Thus, for that they lakken corage,
- They excyten, by hir wikked sawes,230
- For to rebelle agayn me and my lawes.
-
- But, hem that blamen wommen most,
- Suche is force of myn impressioun,
- That I felle can hir bost
- And al hir wrong imaginacioun.235
- It shal not in hir
- The foulest slutte of al a refuse,
- If that me list, for al that they can muse;
-
- But in as desyre
- As thogh she were a duchesse or a quene;240
- So can I folkes on fyre,
- And (as me list) hem sende or tene.
- They that to wommen y-whet so kene
- My persing strokes, how they smyte,
- Shul fele and knowe; and how they kerve and byte.245
-
- Perdee, this grete clerk, this sotil Ovyde
- And many another han deceyved be
- Of , as it knowen is ful wyde;
- no man more; and that is deyntee,
- So excellent a clerk as that was he,250
- And other mo that coude so wel preche
- Betrapped were, for they coude teche.
-
- And trusteth wel, that is no ;
- For pleynly hir .
- They wiste how they coude assayle255
- Hem, and what they in ;
- And they in hir daunger hente .
- With oo venym another was distroyed;[ ]
- And thus thise clerkes often were anoyed.
-
- Thise ladies ne thise gentils, nevertheles,260
- Were noon of tho that in this ;
- But swiche as vertules
- They quitten thus thise olde .
- forthy lesse may suffyse
- Than to deprave wommen generally;265
- For shul they gete noon therby.
-
- If that thise men, that lovers hem pretende,
- To weren feythful, , and trewe,
- And hem to deceyven or offende,
- to love hem wolde nat eschewe.270
- But every day hath man an newe;
- It upon oon abyde can no whyle.[ ]
- What is it, a wight begyle?
-
- Men beren upon honde
- That lightly, and withouten any peyne,275
- They wonne ; they can no wight withstonde
- That his disese list to hem compleyne.
- They been so freel, they mowe hem nat refreyne;
- But who-so lyketh may hem lightly have;
- So hir esy in to grave.280
-
- To maister Iohn de , as suppose,
- Than it was a occupacioun
- In making of the Romance of the Rose;
- So many a sly imaginacioun
- And perils for to rollen up and doun,285
- So , so many a cautele
- For to deceyve a sely !
-
- Nat can I seen, ne my comprehende
- That art and and sotiltee fayle
- For to conquére, and sone make an ende,290
- Whan man a feble place shal ;
- And sone also to venquisshe a
- Of no wight dar maken resistence,
- Ne hath noon to stonden at defence.
-
- Than of necessitee,295
- Sin art asketh so engyn and peyne
- A womman to , what she be,
- Of they not so bareyne[ ]
- As that somme of thise sotil feyne;
- But they ben as that wommen oghten be,300
- Sad, constant, and fulfilled of .
-
- How was Medea to Jasoun[ ]
- In the conquéring of the of !
- How falsly he affeccioun
- By whom victórie he , as he hath wold !305
- How may this man, for shame, be so
- To falsen , that from his dethe and shame
- Him , and gat him so prys and name?
-
- Of Troye also the traitour Eneas,[ ]
- The feythles , how hath he him forswore310
- To Dido, that queen of Cartágë was,
- That him releved of his smertes sore!
- What gentilesse might she han doon more
- she with unfeyned to him kidde?
- And what to ther-of betidde!315
-
- In my Legende of men may fynde[ ]
- (Who-so that lyketh therin for to rede)
- That behest may no man bynde;
- Of reprevable shame han they no drede.
- In mannes trouthe hath no stede;320
- The soil is noght, ther may no trouthe growe!
- To womman namely it is nat unknowe.
-
- Clerkes seyn also: ‘ther is no malyce
- Unto crabbed !’
- O woman! How shalt thou thy-self chevyce,325
- Sin men of so muchel witnesse?
- ! Do forth! no hevinesse!
- Kepë thyn ownë, what men clappe or crake;
- And somme of hem shul , I undertake!
-
- Malyce of wommen, what is it to drede?330
- They no men, distroyen no citees;
- They not oppressen ne overlede,
- Betraye empyres, remes, ne duchees,
- Ne men bereve hir landes ne hir mees,
- , ne houses sette on fyre,335
- Ne false contractes maken for non hyre!
-
- Trust, love, and entere charitee,
- Fervent wil, and corage
- To thewes gode, as it wel to be,
- Han ay, of custome and usage;340
- And wel they can a mannes ire aswage
- With wordes discreet and benigne;
- What they be inward, sheweth
Explicit litera Cupidinis, dei amoris, directa suis subditis amatoribus.
Colophon. D.T. amatoribus; F.om.B.has—The lettre of Cupide, god of love, directed to his suggestys louers.
VI.
TO THE KINGES MOST NOBLE GRACE; AND TO THE LORDES AND KNIGHTES OF THE GARTER.
Cestes Balades ensuyantes feurent faites au tres noble Roy Henry le quint (que dieu pardoint!) et au tres honourable conpaignie du Jarter. I.
From P. (Phillipps 8151); also in Ed. (ed. 1542).
-
- TO you, welle of and worthinesse,
- king , and successour
- Un-to Justinians devout tendrenesse
- In the feith of Jesu, our redemptour;
- And to you, lordes of the Garter , ‘flour5
- Of ,’ as men you clepe and calle;
- The lord of vertu and of grace auctour
- Graunte the fruit of your loos appalle!
-
- O lige lord, that han eek the lyknesse
- Of Constantyn , th’ensaumple and mirour10
- To princes alle, in buxumnesse
- To holy chirche, O verray sustenour
- And piler of our feith, and werreyour
- Ageyn the heresyës galle,[ ]
- Do , do , continue your socour!15
- up Cristes baner; lat it nat falle!
-
- This yle, or this, had been but hethenesse,
- Nad been of your feith the force and vigour![ ]
- And yit, this day, the feendes
- fully to cacche a tyme and hour20
- To have on us, your liges, a sharp shour,
- And to his us knitte and thralle.
- But ay we truste in you, our prótectour;
- On your constaunce we awayten alle.
-
- that no wight have hardinesse,25
- worthy king, Cristen emperour,
- Of the feith to more or lesse
- Openly among people, errour
- al day and rumour.
- swich lawe, and for may befalle,30[ ]
- Observe it wel; ther-to ye dettour.
- so, and god in glorie shal you stalle.
II.
-
- lordes eek, shyninge in noble fame,
- To whiche is the maintenaunce
- Of Cristes cause; in honour of his name35
- Shove on, and putte his foos to the outrance!
- God wolde so; so wolde eek your ligeaunce;[ ]
- To tho two prikketh you your .
- Who-so nat this double observaunce
- Of merit and honour is he!40
-
- Your style seith foos to shame;
- Now kythe of your feith the perséveraunce,
- In which an heep of us halte and lame.
- Our Cristen king of Fraunce,
- And , my lordes, with your alliaunce,45
- And feithful people that ther be
- (Truste I to god) shul quenche al this [ ]
- And this land sette in hy prosperitee.
-
- of hy prowesse is for to tame
- The wilde woodnesse of this ;50
- Right to the that same!
- nat this, but, for goddes plesaunce[ ]
- And his modres, and in signifiaunce
- That of seint Georges liveree,
- him servyce and knightly obeisaunce;55
- For Cristes cause is his, wel knowen ye!
-
- Stif stande in that, and and grame[ ]
- The fo to pees, norice of distaunce ;
- That now is ernest, it into game;
- Dampnáble fro feith werë variaunce!60
- Lord lige, and lordes, have in rémembraunce,
- Lord of al is the Trinitee,
- Of whos vertu the mighty habundaunce
- You herte and strengthe in feithful unitee! Amen.[ ]
Cest tout.
VII.
A MORAL BALADE.
BY HENRY SCOGAN, SQUYER. Here foloweth next a Moral Balade, to my lord the Prince, to my lord of Clarence, to my lord of Bedford, and to my lord of Gloucestre, by Henry Scogan; at a souper of feorthe merchande in the Vyntre in London, at the hous of Lowys Johan. From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1542 ): collated with A. (Ashmole 59), and Cx. (Caxton); readings also given from H. (Harl. 2251).
Title;from A. (which has folowethe nexst); Cx.has Here next foloweth a tretyse, whiche John Skogan sente vnto the lordes and gentilmen of the kynges hows, exortyng them to lose no tyme in theyr yougthe, but to vse vertues; Th.has Scogan vnto the lordes and gentylmen of the kynges house.
-
- MY noble , and eek my lordes dere,
- I, your fader called, ,
- Sende un-to you this here
- Writen myn owne hand full rudëly;
- it be that I not reverently5
- Have writen to your I you praye,
- Myn unconning taketh benignëly
- For goddes sake, and what I seye.
-
- I complayn sore, whan I remembre
- The sodeyn age that is upon me ;10
- I complayn my mispent
- The whiche is impossible to .
- But , the complaynte of
- Is to thinke, that I have so nyce
- That I ne wolde no to me 15
- In al my youthe, but vyces cheryce.
-
- Of whiche I aske mercy of ,
- That art almighty in majestè,
- Beseking thee, to make so even accord
- thee and my soule, that vanitè20
- worldly lust, ne prosperitè
- Have no lordship over my flesshe .
- Thou of reste and parfit unitè,
- Put fro me vyce, and keep my hele.
-
- And yeve me might, I have and space,25
- Me to fully to thy plesaunce;
- Shewe me th’abundaunce of thy grace,
- gode werkes graunt me perséveraunce.
- Of al my youthe forget the ignoraunce;
- Yeve me good wil, to serve ay to queme ;30
- Set al my after ordinaunce,
- And able me to mercy, or thou deme!
-
- My lordes dere, why I this complaint wryte
- To you, I love ,
- Is for to warne you, as I can endyte,35
- That tyme in youthe folily
- Greveth a wight ,
- I hem that to lust and vyce entende.
- Wherfore, , specially,
- Your youthe in vertue shapeth to dispende.40
-
- the rote of youthe in suche a wyse
- That in vertue your growing be alway;
- Loke , goodnesse be in your exercyse,
- That shal you mighty make, at eche assay,
- for to at eche affray.45
- Passeth wysly this pilgrimage,
- Thinke on this word, and it every day;
- That shal you yeve a floured age.
-
- Taketh also hede, how that these noble clerkes
- in bokes of sapience,50
- Saying, that fayth is deed withouten werkes;[ ]
- So is
- Of vertue; and therfore, with diligence,
- Shapeth of vertue so to plante the rote,
- That ye therof have ful experience,55
- To worship of your lyfe and soules bote.[ ]
-
- Taketh hede, lordship ne estat,
- vertue, may not longe endure;
- Thinketh eek how and vertue at debat
- Have been, and shal, the may dure;60
- And the vicious, by aventure,
- Is overthrowe; and thinketh evermore
- That god is vertue and figure
- Of al goodnesse; and therfore folowe his lore.
-
- My mayster Chaucer, god his soulë have!65[ ]
- That in his langage was so curious.
- He whiche is deed and grave,[ ]
- nothing his vertue with his
- Unto his sone;
- ye be, god, of grace,70
- To yeve you might for to be vertuous,
- Through which ye might of his place.
-
- Here may ye see that vertuous noblesse
- not to you by way of auncestrye,
- But it cometh besinesse75
- Of honest lyfe, and not by slogardrye.
- Wherfore in youthe I rede edefye
- The of vertue in so manere
- That in your age may you kepe and gye
- Fro the tempest of wawes here.80
-
- Thinketh vertue and estat
- There is a blessed mariage;
- Vertue is cause of pees, vyce of debat
- In mannes soule; corage,
- Cherissheth , vyces to outrage:85
- Dryveth hem away; let have no wonning
- In your soules; not the heritage
- Which god hath yeve to vertuous living.
-
- Taketh hede also, men of degree
- Through vertue have be set in honour,90
- And ever have lived in greet prosperitee
- cherisshing of vertuous labour.
- Thinketh also, how many a governour
- to estat, hath oft be set ful lowe
- Through misusing right, and errour,95
- I counsaile you, vertue to knowe.
-
- Thus ‘ may ye nothing clayme,’[ ]
- As that my mayster Chaucer sayth expresse,
- ‘But temporel thing, that may hurte and mayme’;
- stocke of vertuous noblesse;100[ ]
- And that he is of ,
- made , and for us alle deyde,
- with ful besinesse,
- And of this thing herke how my mayster seyde:—
-
- The firste stok, fader of ,105[ ]
- What man that claymeth gentil for to be
- Must folowe his trace, and alle his wittes dresse
- Vertu to sewe, and vyces for to flee.
- For unto vertu longeth dignitee,
- And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme,110
- Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.
-
- This firste stok was ful of rightwisnesse,
- Trewe of his word, sobre, pitous, and free,
- Clene of his goste, and loved besinesse
- Ageinst the vyce of slouthe, in honestee;115
- And, but his heir love vertu, as dide he,
- He is noght gentil, though he riche seme,
- Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.
-
- Vyce may wel be heir to old richesse;
- But ther may no man, as men may wel see,120
- Bequethe his heir his vertuous noblesse;
- That is appropred unto no degree,
- But to the firste fader in magestee
- That maketh him his heir, that can him queme,
- Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.125
-
- Lo here, this noble poete of Bretayne
- , in vertuous sentence,
- The youthe of vertue can complayne;
- I pray you, your diligence,
- For your and goddes reverence,130
- in your mynde,
- That, whan ye come your juges presence,
- Ye be not behynde.
-
- lordes have a maner ,
- Though oon shewe a vertuous ,135
- youthe is of so false alayes
- That of that have no joy to here.
- But, as a ship that is stere
- Dryveth up and doun, governaunce,
- Wening that ,140
- Right so fare , for very ignoraunce.
-
- For very shamë, knowe nat, by réson
- That, after an ebbe, ther cometh a flood rage?[ ]
- In the same wyse, youth passeth his séson,
- croked and unweldy palled age;145
- after kalends of dotage;
- And youth provyded,
- Al men wol saye, on vassalage!
- fro worship you devyded.
-
- Boëce the clerk, as men may rede and see,150[ ]
- Saith, in his Boke of Consolacioun,
- What man desyreth † of vyne or tree
- , in the sesoun,
- Must eschewe to oppressioun
- Unto the rote, whyle it is yong and grene;155
- ,
- That doth tene.
-
- , there-ayenst, vertuous noblesse
- Roted in , with good perséveraunce,
- Dryveth away al and wrecchednesse,160
- slogardrye, and distaunce!
- Seeth vertue causeth suffisaunce,
- And suffisaunce exyleth coveityse!
- And hath vertue hath al abundaunce
- Of wele, as as can devyse.165
-
- Taketh hede of Tullius Hostilius,[ ]
- That to degree;
- Through vertue redeth of Julius[ ]
- The conquerour, a man was he;
- Yet, through vertue and ,170
- Of many countree had he governaunce.
- Thus vertue bringeth degree
- Eche wight that to do him .
-
- Rede, here-ayenst, Nero vertulees;[ ]
- Taketh hede also of proude Balthasar;175
- They hated vertue, equitee, and pees.
- Antiochus fil fro his ,
- That he his skin and bones al !
- Loke what they had for hir vyces!
- Who-so wol not by these signes be ,180
- I dar wel say, or nyce is.
-
- I can ; but may ye
- vertue causeth sikernesse,
- And vyces prosperitee;
- The best is, , as I gesse.185
- as you list, I me excuse expresse;
- I be , if that ye mischese.[ ]
- God in vertuous noblesse,
- So that through negligence ye lese!189
Explicit.
Colophon.Cx. Thus endeth the traytye wiche John Skogan sent to the lordes and estates of the kynges hous.
VIII.
JOHN LYDGATE.
THE COMPLAINT OF THE BLACK KNIGHT; OR, THE COMPLAINT OF A LOVERES LYFE.
From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); collated with F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638, imperfect); T. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181); S. (Arch. Selden B. 24); I have also consulted Ad. (Addit. 16165); and P. (Pepys 2006).
-
- IN May, whan Flora, the fresshe lusty quene,
- The soile hath clad in grene, , and whyte,
- And Phebus gan to shede his stremes shene
- Amid the Bole , with al bemes brighte,
- And Lucifer, to chace the night,5
- Ayen the morowe our hath take
- To out of hir sleepe awake,
-
- And hertes hevy for to recomforte
- From dreriheed of hevy nightes sorowe,
- Nature hem ryse, and disporte,10
- Ayen the goodly, morowe;
- And Hope also, with seint Johan to borowe,
- , in of daunger and dispeyre,
- For to the hoolsom lusty eyre:
-
- And with a I gan for to abreyde15[ ]
- of my slombre, and sodainly up
- As he, alas! that nigh for sorowe deyde,
- My so nigh my herte.
- But, for to finde socour of my smerte,
- Or leste of my peyne,20
- That me so sore in every veyne,[ ]
-
- I anon, and I wolde goon
- Into the , to here the singe,[ ]
- Whan that the misty was
- And clere and faire was the ;25
- The dewe also, silver in shyning
- Upon the , as any baume swete,
- Til fyry Tytan , with his persaunt hete,
-
- Had dryed up the lusty licour newe
- Upon the herbes in the grene mede,30
- And that the floures, of many dyvers hewe,
- Upon stalkes gonne for to sprede
- And for to out hir leves on-brede[ ]
- the sonne, in his spere,
- That to hem caste his bemes clere.35
-
- And by a river I gan costey[ ]
- Of water clere as or cristal
- Til at the laste I found a litel wey
- a park, enclosed with a wal
- In rounde, and by a gate smal40
- Who-so that wolde frely
- Into this , walled with grene stoon.
-
- And in I , to here the ,[ ]
- Whiche on the , bothe in playn and vale,
- So loude , that al the 45
- Lyke as it shulde shiver in peces smale;
- And, as me , that the nightingale
- With so gret her voys gan
- Right as her herte for love wolde .
-
- The soil was playn, smothe, and wonder softe50
- Al oversprad with that Nature
- Had mad , celured eek alofte
- With bowes grene, the floures for to cure,[ ]
- That in hir they longe endure
- From al of Phebus fervent fere,55
- Whiche in his so and clere.
-
- The eyre attempre , and the smothe
- Of Zepherus, the whyte,
- So was norisshing by kind,
- That smale buddes, and rounde lyte60
- In maner of her brethe delyte
- To yeve us hope fruit shal take ,
- autumpne, redy for to shake .
-
- I ther Daphne , closed under rinde,
- Grene laurer, and the pyne;65
- The myrre also, that wepeth ever of kinde;
- The cedres hye, upright as a lyne;[ ]
- The eek, that lowe enclyne[ ]
- Her bowes grene to the erthe
- Unto her knight, Demophoun.70
-
- Ther I eek the fresshe hawëthorn
- In whyte , that so ,
- , firre, and , with many a ,
- And many a tree—mo than I can ;
- And, me , I a litel welle ,75
- That had his , as I gan beholde,
- Under an , with colde.
-
- The gravel , the water pure as ,
- The bankes rounde, the envyroning;
- And softe as the yonge 80
- That therupon lustily ;
- The sute of trees aboute compassing[ ]
- Hir shadowe caste, closing the rounde,
- And al the herbes growing on the grounde.
-
- The water was so vertuous85
- might of herbes growing there besyde,
- Not the welle, wher-as [ ]
- Y-slayn was, through vengeaunce of Cupyde ,
- Where so covertly he hyde
- The grayn of dethe upon ech brinke,90[ ]
- That deeth mot folowe, who that ever drinke;
-
- Ne the pittë of the Pegacè
- Under Pernaso, where poetës slepte;
- Nor the welle of pure chastitè
- Which Dyane with nymphes kepte,95
- Whan she naked into the water lepte,
- That slow Acteon with his houndes felle
- Only for he cam so nigh the welle!
-
- Bút this welle, that I here reherce,
- So hoolsom was, that it wolde aswage100
- Bollen hertes, and the venim
- Of pensifheed , with al the cruel rage,
- And refresshe the visage[ ]
- Of hem that were in any werinesse
- Of greet labour, or fallen in distresse.105
-
- And I, that had, through daunger and disdayne,
- So drye a , thoughte I wolde assaye[ ]
- To taste a draughte of this welle, or twayne,
- My bitter langour if it mighte alaye;
- And on the banke anon I lay,110
- And with myn heed unto the welle I raughte,
- And of the water drank I a good draughte;
-
- Wherof, me thought, I was refresshed wele
- Of the brenning that sat so nigh my herte,
- That verily anon I gan to fele115
- An huge part relesed of my smerte;
- And therwithallë anon up I sterte,
- And thoughte I wolde walke, and see more
- Forth in the parke, and in the holtes hore.
-
- And through a laundë as I yede a-pace120
- And gan aboute faste to beholde,
- I found anon a place
- That was beset with treës yonge and olde,
- Whose names here for me shal not be tolde;
- Amidde of whiche stood an herber grene,125
- That benched was, with colours newe and clene.
-
- Thís herber was ful of floures ,
- In-to the whiche as I beholde gan,
- Betwix an hulfere and a wodëbinde,
- As I was war, I saw wher lay a man130
- In blakke and whyte colour , pale and wan,
- And wonder deedly also of his hewe,
- Of hurtes grene and fresshe woundes newe.
-
- And overmore distrayned with sekenesse,
- Besyde al this, he was, ful grevously;135
- For upon him he had an hoot accesse ,
- That day by day him shook ful pitously;
- So that, for of his malady
- And hertly wo, thus lying al alone,
- It was a deeth for to here him grone.140
-
- Wherof astonied, my foot I gan withdrawe,
- Greetly wondring what it mighte be
- That he so lay, and hadde no felawe,
- Ne that I coude no wight with him see;
- Wherof I hadde routhe, and eek pitè,145
- And gan anon, so softely as I coude,
- Among the busshes me to shroude;
-
- If that I mighte in any wyse espye
- What was the cause of his deedly wo,
- Or why that he so pitously gan crye150
- On his fortune, and on ure also;
- With al my might I layde an ere to,
- Every word to marke, what he seyde,
- Out of his swough as he abrayde.[ ]
-
- But first, if I shulde make mencioun155
- Of his persone, and plainly him discryve,
- He was in sothe, without excepcioun,
- To speke of manhode, oon the best on-lyve;
- Ther may no man ayen stryve.
- For of his tyme, and of his age also160
- He proved was, ther men shulde have ado ,
-
- For oon the beste , of brede and lengthe
- So wel y-mad by good proporcioun,
- If he had be in his deliver strengthe;
- But thought and seknesse were occasioun165
- That he thus lay, in lamentacioun,
- Gruffe on the grounde, in place desolat,
- Sole by him-self, and amat.[ ]
-
- And, for me semeth that it is sitting
- His wordes al to putte in remembraunce,170
- To me, that herdë al his complayning
- And al the groundë of his woful chaunce,
- If ther-withal I may you do plesaunce,
- I wol to you, so as I can, anon,
- Lyk as he sayde, reherce everichon.175
-
- But who shal helpe me now to complayne?
- Or who shal now my style gye or lede?[ ]
- O Niobè , let now thy teres rayne
- In-to my penne; and helpe eek in nede,
- Thou woful Mirre, that felest my herte blede180
- Of pitous wo, and myn hand eek
- Whan that I wryte, for this mannes sake!
-
- For unto wo accordeth complayning
- And cherë unto hevinesse;
- To sorowe also, syghing and weping,185
- And pitous mourning, unto drerinesse;
- And that shal of distresse
- In party nedeth to knowe felingly
- Cause and rote of al such malady.
-
- But I, alas! that am of witte but dulle,190
- And of such matere,
- For to discryve and at the fulle
- The woful complaynt, which that ye shal here,
- But even-lyk as doth a skrivenere
- That can no more what that he shal wryte,195
- But as his maister besyde doth endyte;
-
- Right so fare I, that of no sentement
- Saye right naught, in conclusioun,
- But as I herde, whan I was present,
- This man complayne with a pitous soun;200
- For even-lyk, without addicioun
- Or , either more or lesse,
- For to reherce anon I wol me dresse.
-
- And if that any now be in this place
- That fele in brenning or fervence,205
- Or werë to his lady grace
- With false tonges, that with pestilence
- Slee trewe men that never did offence
- In word nor dede, ne in hir entent—
- If any suche be here now present,210
-
- Let him of routhe lay to audience,
- With chere and sobre countenaunce,
- To here this man, by ful high sentence,
- His mortal wo and his perturbaunce
- Cómplayning, now lying in a traunce,215
- With lokes upcaste, and chere,
- Th’ effect of whiche was as ye shal here.—
Compleynt.
Compleynt;inF.only.
-
- THE thought oppressed with inward sighes sore,
- The painful lyf, the body languisshing,
- The woful gost, the herte rent and tore,220
- The pitous chere, pale in compleyning,
- The deedly face, lyk ashes in shyning,
- The salte teres that fro myn eyën falle,
- Parcel declare grounde of my peynes alle:
-
- Whos herte is to blede in hevinesse;225
- The thought, resceyt of wo and of complaynt;
- The brest is cheste of and drerinesse;
- The body eek so feble and so faynt;
- With hote and colde myn acces is so meynt,[ ]
- That now I for defaute of hete,230
- And, hoot as gleed, now sodainly I swete.
-
- Now hoot as fyr, now cold as asshes dede,
- Now hoot cold, now cold fro hete agayn;
- Now cold as , now as coles rede
- For hete I brenne; and thus, betwixe twayne,235
- I possed am, and al forcast in payne;
- So that my hete plainly, as I fele,
- Of grevous cold is causë, every-deel.
-
- This is the cold of inward high ,
- Cold of dispyt, and cold of cruel hate;240
- This is the cold that
- trouthe to fighte debate.
- This is the cold that the fyr abate
- Of trewe mening; alas! the harde whyle!
- This is the cold that me begyle.245
-
- For ever the better that in trouthe I mente
- With al my faythfully to serve,
- With herte and al to be diligent,
- The lesse thank, alas! I can deserve!
- Thus for my trouthe Daunger doth me sterve.250
- For oon that shulde my deeth, of mercy,
- Hath mad newe his swerd to
-
- me, and his arowes to fyle
- To take vengeaunce of wilful crueltè;
- And tonges false, through hir sleightly wyle,255
- Han gonne a werre that wil not stinted be;
- And fals Envye, , and Enmitè,
- Have conspired, al right and lawe,
- Of hir malyce, that Trouthe shal be slawe.
-
- And Male-Bouche gan first the ,260
- To slaundre Trouthe, of indignacioun;
- And Fals-Report so loude ,
- That Misbeleve and Fals-Suspeccioun,
- Have Trouthe brought to his dampnacioun,
- So that, alas! wrongfully he dyeth,265
- And Falsnes now his placë occupyeth,
-
- And entred is in-to Trouthes ,
- And hath therof the ful possessioun.
- O rightful god, that first the trouthe ,
- How may thou suffre such oppressioun,270
- That shulde have jurisdiccioun
- In Trouthes right, to slee him giltëlees?
- In his fraunchyse he may not live in pees.
-
- Falsly accused, and of his foon forjuged ,
- Without answere, whyl he was absent,275
- He dampned was, and may not excused,
- For Crueltè in jugëment
- Of hastinesse, withoute avysëment,
- And bad Disdayn do execute anon
- His jugëment, in presence of his foon.280
-
- Attourney admitted been
- T’ëxcuse Trouthë, ne a word to speke;
- To fayth or the juge list not seen,
- There is no gayn, but he wil be wreke.
- O lord of trouthe, to thee I calle and ;285
- How may thou see, thus in thy presence,
- Withoute mercy, murdred innocence?
-
- Now god, that art of trouthe soverain
- And seëst how I lye for trouthe bounde,
- So sore knit in loves fyry chain290
- Even at the deth, through-girt with many a wounde
- That lykly are never for to sounde,
- And for my trouthe am dampned to the deeth,
- And not abyde, but drawe along the breeth:
-
- Consider and see, in thyn eternal right,295
- How that myn herte professed whylom was
- For to be trewe with al my might
- Only to , the whiche now, alas!
- Of voluntè, withoute trespas,
- Myn accusours hath taken unto grace,300
- And cherissheth hem, my deth for to purchace.
-
- What meneth this? what is this wonder ure
- Of purveyauncë , if I shal it ,
- Of god of love, that false hem so assure,
- And trewe, alas! doun of the whele ben ?305[ ]
- And yet in sothe, this is the worst of ,
- That Falshed wrongfully of Trouthe hath ,
- And Trouthe ayenward of Falshed bereth .
-
- This blinde chaunce, this stormy aventure,
- In lovë hath most his experience;310
- For who that doth with trouthe most his cure
- Shal for his mede finde most offence,
- That serveth love with al his diligence;
- For who can faynë, under ,
- Ne fayleth not to finde grace and .315
-
- For I loved oon, ful longë sith agoon,
- With al my herte, body, and ful might,
- And, to be deed, my herte can not goon
- From his hest, but holde that he hath hight;
- Though I be banisshed out of her sight,320
- And by her mouth dampned that I shal deye,
- † my behest yet I wil ever obeye.
-
- For ever, that the world began,
- Who-so list lokë, and in storie rede,
- He shal ay finde that the trewe man325
- Was put abakke, wher-as the falshede
- Y-furthered was; for Love taketh non hede
- To slee the trewe, and hath of hem no charge,
- Wher-as the false goth freely at hir large.
-
- I take recorde of Palamides ,330
- The trewe man, the noble worthy knight,
- That ever loved, and of no relees;
- Notwithstonding his manhood and his might
- Love unto him did ful greet unright;
- For ay the bet he did in chevalrye,335
- The more he was hindred by envye.
-
- And ay the he did in every place
- Through his knighthood and payne,
- The ferther was he from his grace,
- For to her mercy mighte he never attayne;340
- And to his deth he coude it not refrayne
- For no daungere, but ay obey and serve
- As he best coude, plainly, til he sterve.
-
- What was the fyne also of Hercules ,
- For al his conquest and his worthinesse,345
- That was of strengthe alone ?
- For, lyk as bokes of him expresse,
- He sette pillers, through his hy prowesse,
- Away at , for to signifye[ ]
- That no man mighte him passe in chevalrye.350
-
- The whiche pillers ferre beyonde Inde
- of golde, for a remembraunce;
- And, for al that, was he set behinde
- With hem that Love liste febly avaunce;[ ]
- For [ ] him sette last upon a daunce,355
- Ageynes whom helpe may no stryf;
- For al his trouthe, he loste his lyf.
-
- Phebus also, for al his persaunt light,
- Whan that he wente here in erthe lowe,
- Unto the herte with Venus sight360
- Y-wounded was, through Cupydes bowe,
- And yet his lady liste him not to knowe.
- Though for her love his herte blede,
- She leet him go, and took of him no hede.
-
- What shal I saye of yonge Piramus ?365
- Of trew Tristram , for al his hye renoun?
- Of Achilles, or of Antonius ?
- Of Arcite , or of him Palemoun?[ ]
- What was the endë of hir passioun
- But, after sorowe, deeth, and than hir grave?370
- Lo, here the guerdon tha these lovers have!
-
- But false Jason , with his doublenesse,
- That was untrewe at Colkos to Medee,
- And , rote of unkindënesse,
- And with these two eek the false Enee;375
- Lo! thus the falsë, ay in oon degrè,
- Had in love hir lust and al hir wille;
- And, save , ther was non other skille.
-
- Of Thebes eek the false [ ] Arcyte,
- And Demophon † , for [ ] his slouthe,380[ ]
- They had hir lust and al that might delyte
- For al falshode greet untrouthe.
- Thus ever Love (alas! and that is routhe!)
- His false forthereth what he may,
- And sleeth the trewe ungoodly, day by day.385
-
- For trewe Adon was slayn with the bore
- Amid the forest, in the grene shade;
- For Venus love he feltë al the sore.
- But Vulcanus with her no mercy made;
- The foule chorl had many nightes glade,390
- Wher Mars, her man,
- To finde mercy, comfort noon he can.
-
- Also the yonge fresshe [ ]
- So lusty free [ ], as of his corage,
- That for to serve with al his herte he chees395
- Athalans, so fair of hir visage;
- But Love, alas! quitte him so his wage
- With cruel daunger plainly, at the laste,
- That, with the dethe, guerdonles he paste.
-
- Lo! here the fyne of servyse!400
- Lo! how that Love can his servaunts quyte!
- Lo! how he can his faythful men despyse,
- To slee the , and false to respyte!
- Lo! how he doth the swerd of sorowe byte
- In hertes, suche as his lust obeye,405
- To save the false, and do the trewe deye!
-
- For fayth nor , word, ne assuraunce,
- Trewe mening, awayte, or besinesse,
- Stille , ne faythful attendaunce,
- Manhood, ne might, in armes worthinesse,410
- Pursute of worship, nor hy prowesse,
- In straunge lande ryding, ne travayle,[ ]
- Ful or nought in lovë doth avayle.
-
- Peril of dethe, in see ne lande,
- Hunger ne thurst, sorowe ne ,415
- Ne grete empryses for to take on hande,
- Sheding of blode, ne manful hardinesse,
- Ne ofte woundinge at sautes by distresse,
- Nor † of lyf, nor deeth also—[ ]
- Al is for nought, Love taketh no hede therto!420
-
- But lesings, with hir flaterye,
- Through hir falshede, and with hir doublenesse,
- With tales newe and many fayned lye,
- By fals semblaunt and counterfet humblesse,
- Under colour depeynt with stedfastnesse,425
- With fraude covered under a face
- Accepte been now rathest unto grace,
-
- And can hem-selve now best magnifye
- With fayned port and presumpcioun;
- They haunce hir cause with fals surquedrye430
- Under meninge of double entencioun,
- To thenken oon in hir opinioun
- And saye another; to sette hemselve alofte
- And hinder trouthe, as it is seyn ful ofte.
-
- The whiche thing I now al to dere,435
- Thanked be Venus and the god Cupyde!
- As it is by myn oppressed chere,
- And by his arowes that in my syde,
- That, sauf deth, I nothing abyde
- Fro day to day; alas, the harde whyle!440
- Whan ever his dart that him list to fyle,
-
- My woful herte for to ryve a-two
- For faute of mercy, and lak of pitè
- Of her that causeth al my payne and wo
- And list not ones, of grace, for to see445
- Unto my trouthe through her crueltee;
- And, most of alle, I me complayne,
- That she hath joy to laughen at my peyne!
-
- And wilfully hath [ ] my deeth
- Al giltëlees, and wot no cause why450
- Save for the trouthe that I had aforn
- To her alone to serve faithfully!
- O god ! unto thee I cry,
- And to thy blinde double deitee
- Of this gret wrongë I compleyne me,455
-
- And to thy stormy wilful variaunce
- Y-meynt with chaunge and greet unstablenesse;
- Now up, now doun, so renning is thy chaunce,[ ]
- That thee to truste may be no sikernesse.
- I wyte it nothing but thy doublenesse;460
- And who that is an archer and is †[ ]
- Marketh nothing, but sheteth as he † .[ ]
-
- And for that he hath no discrecioun,
- Withoute he let his arowe go;
- For lakke of sight, and also of resoun,465
- In his shetinge, it happeth ofte so,
- To hurte his rather than his fo;
- So doth this god, [ ] with his sharpe floon
- The trewe sleeth, and the false goon.
-
- And of his wounding this is the worst of alle,470
- Whan he hurteth, so cruel wreche
- And maketh the seke for to crye and calle
- Unto his fo, for to been his leche;
- And hard it is, for a man to seche,
- Upon the point of dethe in ,475
- Unto his fo, to finde remedye!
-
- Thus fareth it now even by me,
- That to my fo, that yaf myn herte a wounde,
- Mote aske grace, mercy, and pitè,
- And namëly, ther wher non may be founde!480[ ]
- For now my sore my leche wil confounde,
- And god of kinde so hath set myn ure,
- My lyves fo to have my wounde in cure!
-
- Alas! the whyle now that I was born![ ]
- Or that I ever saw the brighte sonne!485
- For now I see, that ful longe aforn,
- Or I was born, my desteny was sponne
- By Parcas , to slee me, if they conne;
- For they my deth or my sherte
- Only for trouthe! I may it not asterte.490
-
- The mighty goddesse also of Nature
- That under god hath the governaunce
- Of worldly thinges committed to her cure,
- Disposed , through her wys purveyaunce,
- To yeve my lady so moche suffisaunce495
- Of al vertues, and therwithal purvyde
- To murdre trouthe, hath take Daunger to gyde.
-
- For bountè, beautè, shappe, and semeliheed,
- Prudence, wit, passingly fairnesse,
- Benigne port, glad chere with lowliheed,500
- Of womanheed right ,
- Nature did in her fully empresse,
- Whan she her wroughte; and alther-last Disdayne,
- To hinder trouthe, she made her chamberlayne;
-
- Whan Mistrust also, and Fals-Suspeccioun,505
- With Misbeleve, she made for to be
- Cheef of counsayl to this conclusioun,
- For to exyle , and eek Pitè,
- Out of her court to make Mercy flee,
- So that Dispyt now holdeth forth her reyne,510
- Through hasty bileve of tales that men feyne.
-
- And thus I am, for my trouthe, alas![ ]
- Murdred and slayn with wordes sharpe and kene,
- , god wot, of al maner trespas,
- And lye and blede upon this colde grene.515
- Now mercy, swete! mercy, my lyves quene!
- And to your grace of mercy yet I preye,
- In your servyse that your man may deye!
-
- But if so be that I shal deye algate,
- And that I shal non other mercy have,520
- Yet of my dethe let this be the date
- That by your wille I was brought to my grave;
- Or hastily, if that list me save,
- My sharpe woundes, that ake so and blede,
- Of mercy, charme, and also of womanhede.525[ ]
-
- For other charme, playnly, is ther non
- But only mercy, to helpe in this case;
- For though my woundes blede ever in oon,
- My lyf, my deeth, standeth in youre grace;
- And though my be nothing, alas!530
- I aske mercy in al my beste entente,
- Redy to dye, if that ye assente.
-
- For shal I never stryve
- In worde ne werke; playnly, I ne may;
- For lever I have than to be alyve535
- To dye soothly, and it be ;
- Ye, though it be this same day
- Or whan that ever her to devyse;
- Suffyceth me to dye in your servyse.
-
- And god, that knowest the thought of every wight540
- Right as it is, in † thing thou mayst see,
- Yet, ere I dye, with all my fulle might
- Lowly I pray, to unto me
- That ye, goodly, fayre, fresshe, and free,
- Which for defaute of routhe,545
- Or that I dye, ye may knowe my trouthe.
-
- For that, in sothe, suffyseth me,
- she it knowe in every circumstaunce;
- And after, I am wel that she
- If that hir list, of dethe do vengeaunce550
- Untó me, that am under her ;
- It sit me not her doom to disobeye,
- But, at her , wilfully to .
-
- Withoute grucching or rebellioun
- In wille or worde, I assent,555[ ]
- Or any maner contradiccioun,
- Fully to be at her commaundëment;
- And, if I dyë, in my testament
- My herte I sende, and my spirit also,
- What-so-ever she , with hem to do.560
-
- And alder-last her womanhede
- And to her mercy me I recommaunde,
- That lye now here, betwixe hope and drede,
- Abyding playnly what she list commaunde.
- For utterly, (this nis no demaunde),565
- Welcome to , whyl lasteth breeth,
- Right at her choise, wher it be lyf or deeth!
-
- In this more what mighte I seyn,
- Sith in her hande and in her wille is al,
- Both lyf and deeth, my joy and al my payn?570
- And fynally, my holde I shal,
- Til my spirit, by desteny fatal,
- Whan that her , fro my body wende;
- Have here my trouthe, and thus I make an ende!’
-
- And with that worde he gan as sore575[ ]
- Lyk as his herte ryve wolde atwayne,
- And held his pees, and spak a more.
- But, for to see his wo and mortal payne,
- The teres fro myn eyen rayne
- Ful pitously, for very inward routhe580
- That I him saw so trouthe.
-
- And al this whyle my-self I kepte cloos
- Among the bowes, and my-self hyde,
- Til, at the laste, the woful man aroos,
- And to a logge wente ther besyde,585
- Where, al the May, his custome was t’abyde,
- Sole, to of his paynes kene,
- Fro yeer to yere, under the bowes grene.
-
- And for bicause that it drow to the night
- And that the sonne his ark diurnál590
- Y-passed was, so that his persaunt light,
- His brighte bemes and his stremes al
- Were in the wawes of the water fal,
- Under the bordure of our ocëan,
- His char of golde his cours so swiftly ran:595
-
- And whyl the twylight and the rowes rede
- Of Phebus light were dëaurat a lyte,
- A penne I took, and gan me spede
- The woful playntë of this man to wryte
- Word by wordë, as he did endyte;600
- Lyk as I herde, and coude him tho reporte,
- I have here set, your hertes to disporte.
-
- If ought be mis, layeth the wyte on me,
- For I am worthy for to bere the blame
- If any thing [ ] misreported be,605
- To make this for to seme lame
- Through myn unconning; but, to sayn the same,
- Lyk as this man his complaynt did expresse,
- I aske mercy and forgivënesse.
-
- And, as I wroot, me thoughte I saw a-ferre,610
- Fer in the , lustely appere
- Esperus , the goodly brighte sterre,
- So glad, so fair, so persaunt eek of chere,
- I mene Venus, with her bemes clere,
- That, hevy hertes only to releve,615
- Is wont, of custom, for to shewe at eve.
-
- And I, as , fel on my knee
- And even thus to her gan I to preye:—
- ‘O lady Venus! so faire upon to see,
- Let not this man for his trouthe deye,620
- For that joy thou haddest whan thou leye[ ]
- With Mars thy knight, whan Vulcanus fond,
- And with a chayne invisible you bond
-
- Togider, bothe twayne, in the same whyle
- That al the court above celestial625
- At youre shame gan laughe and smyle!
- A! fairë lady! founde at al,[ ]
- Comfort to careful, O goddesse immortal!
- Be helping now, and do thy diligence
- To let the stremes of thyn influence630
-
- Descende doun, in forthering of the trouthe,
- Namely, of hem that lye in sorowe bounde;
- Shew now thy might, and on hir wo have routhe
- Er fals Daunger slee hem and confounde.
- And specially, let thy might be founde635
- For to , what-so that thou may,
- The trewe man that in the herber lay,
-
- And alle trewe forther, for his sake,
- O gladde sterre, O lady Venus myne!
- And cause his lady him to grace take.640
- Her herte of stele to mercy so enclyne,
- Er that thy bemes go up, to declyne,
- And er that thou now go fro us adoun,
- Fór that love thou haddest to Adoun!’[ ]
-
- And whan that she was gon her reste,645
- I roos anon, and hoom to bedde wente,
- For , me thoughte it for the beste ;
- Prayinge thus, in al my best entente,
- That alle trewe, that be with Daunger shente,
- With mercy may, in of hir payn,650
- Recured be, er May come eft agayn.
-
- And for that I ne may no lenger wake,
- Farewel, ye lovers alle, that be trewe!
- Praying to god; and thus my leve I take,
- That, er the sonne to-morowe be risen newe,655
- And er he have ayein rosen hewe,
- That eche of you may have suche a grace,
- His owne lady in armes to embrace.
-
- I mene thus, , in al honestee,
- Withoute more, ye may togider speke660
- What so ye listë, at good libertee,
- That eche may to other hir herte breke,
- On only to be wreke,[ ]
- That hath so longe, malice and envye,
- Trouthe with his tirannye.665
Lenvoy.
-
- benignitee
- This litel dytè to have in mynde!
- Of womanhedë also for to see
- Your man may youre mercy finde;
- And Pitè eek, that long hath be behinde,670
- Let him ayein be próvoked to grace;
- For, by my trouthe, it is ayeines kinde,
- Fals Daunger to occupye his place!
-
- Go, litel quayre, unto my lyves queen,
- And my very hertes soverayne;675
- And be right glad; for she shal thee seen;
- Suche is thy grace! But I, alas! in payne
- Am left behinde, and not to whom to playne.
- For Mercy, Routhe, Grace, and eek Pitè
- Exyled be, that I may not attayne680
- Recure to finde of myn adversitè.
Explicit.
IX.
THE FLOUR OF CURTESYE.
From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532). Title: Th. The Floure of Curtesy; (ed. 1561 adds—made by Ihon Lidgate). I note here the rejected spellings.
-
- IN , whan the frosty mone
- Was horned, ful of Phebus light,
- And that she gan to reyse her sone,
- Saint Valentyne ! upon thy blisful night
- Of , whan glad is every wight,5
- And foules chese (to voyde olde sorowe)
- his make, upon the morowe;
-
- The same tyme, I herde a larke singe
- Ful lustely, the morowe gray—
- ‘Awake, ye lovers, out of your slombringe,10
- This morowe, in al the haste ye may;
- Some óbservaunce unto this day,
- Your choise ayen of herte to renewe
- In cónfirming, for ever to be trewe!
-
- And ye that be, of , at your large,15
- This lusty day, by custome of nature,
- Take upon you the blisful holy charge
- To serve lovë, whyl your may dure,
- With herte, body, and al your besy cure,
- For evermore, as Venus and 20[ ]
- For you disposeth, and the god Cupyde.
-
- For joye owe we playnly to
- Unto this lordes mighty ordinaunce,
- And, mercilesse, rather for to deye
- Than ever in you be founden variaunce;25
- And, though your be medled with grevaunce,
- And, at your herte, be your wounde,
- Beth alway one, ye are bounde!’
-
- Thát whan I had , and listed longe,
- With herte, the lusty melodye30
- Of this hevenly comfortable songe
- So ágreable, as by ,
- I anon, and faste gan me hye
- a grove, and the way [ ] take
- Foules to sene, his make.35
-
- And yet I was ful thursty in languisshing;
- Myn ague was so fervent in his hete,
- Whan Aurora , for drery complayning,
- Can her wete
- Upon the soile, with silver dewe so swete;40
- For she [ ] durste, for shame, not apere
- Under the light of Phebus clere.
-
- And so, for anguisshe of my paynes kene,
- And for constraynte of my sighes sore,
- I me under a laurer grene45
- Ful pitously; and alway more and more,
- As I into the holtes hore,
- I gan complayne myn deedly smerte,
- That so sore †crampisshed myn herte.
-
- And that I, in my drery payne,50
- , and aboute on every
- The foules , alway twayne and twayne,
- Than I thus: ‘alas! what may this be,
- That every hath his libertee
- Frely to after his desyre55
- his make thus, fro ?
-
- The sely wrenne, the also,
- The litel redbrest, have free
- To flyen y-ferë and † go
- hem liste, ,60
- As they of kynde have ,
- And as Nature, and gyde,[ ]
- Of every thing, to provyde;
-
- But man , alas! the harde stounde!
- Ful cruelly, by kyndes ordinaunce,65
- Constrayned is, and by bounde,
- And debarred from plesaunce.
- What meneth this? What is this purveyaunce
- Of god above, al right of kynde,
- cause, so narowe man to bynde?’70
-
- Thus may I , and playne, alas!
- My woful houre and my disaventure,
- That stonde in the same
- So behyndë, from al helth and cure.
- My wounde abydeth a sursanure ;75
- For me Fortune so felly dispose,
- My is hid, that I not disclose.
-
- For I my herte have set in suche a place
- Wher I am never for to spede;
- So I am hindred from her grace80
- That, save daunger, I have other mede.
- And thus, alas! I not who shal me rede
- Ne for helpe shape remedye,
- For Male-bouche , and for false Envye:
-
- The whiche twayne stondeth in my wey85
- Maliciously; and
- Is very causë also that I dey,
- Ginning and rote of my ;
- So that I fele, [ ] in ,
- Wíth hir traynes that they wol me shende,90
- Of my labour that make an ende!
-
- Yet, or I dye, with herte, wil, and thought
- To god of lovë this avowe I make,
- (As I best can, dere that it be bought,
- it be, that I slepe or wake,95
- Boreas the shake)
- As I have hight, playnly, til I sterve,
- For or wo, that I shal [ ] her serve.
-
- And, for her sake, this holy tyme,
- Saint Valentyne! somwhat shal I wryte100
- Al-though so be that I can not ryme,
- Nor curiously by no crafte endyte,
- Yet lever I have, that she the wyte
- In unconning than in negligence,
- What-ever I sayë of her excellence.105
-
- What-ever I , it is of ,
- In sothfastnesse and no ;
- This I ensure to you that shal it ,
- That it is al under ;
- What I reherce in 110
- Of that I shal to you, as blyve,
- So as I can, her vertues here discryve.—
-
- ¶ Right by example as the somer-sonne
- Passeth the sterre with his shene,
- And Lucifer the skyës donne115
- A-morowe sheweth to voyde nightes tene,
- So verily, withouten any wene,
- My lady passeth (who-so taketh hede)
- Al tho alyve, to speke of womanhede.
-
- And as the ruby hath the soveraintè120
- Of riche stones and the regalyë;
- And [ ] the rose, of and beautè,
- Of fresshe floures, any lyë;
- Right so, in sothe, with her goodly ,
- She passeth al in and ,125[ ]
- Of maner ekë, and of gentilnesse.
-
- For she is bothe the fairest and the beste,
- To al in very sothfastnesse;
- For every vertue is in her at reste;
- And furthermore, to speke of stedfastnesse,130
- She is the rotë; and of
- The very mirrour; and of governaunce
- To al example, withouten variaunce.
-
- Of port benigne, and wonder glad of chere,
- Having evermore her trewe advertence135
- Alway to ; so that her desyre
- Is brydeled by witte and providence;
- Thereto, of wittë and of prudence
- She is the wellë, devoide of pryde,
- That unto vertue her-selven is the gyde!140[ ]
-
- And over this, in her daliaunce
- Lowly she is, , [and secree],
- And goodly gladde by attemperaunce,
- That every wight, of high and degree,
- Are in herte with her for to be;145
- Só that, shortly, if I shal not lye,
- She named is ‘The of Curtesye.’
-
- And there, to speke of ,
- The leste in ,
- Goodly abasshed, having 150
- Of hem that in ;
- For she is consolacioun
- To al that in and in nede,
- To comforte hem, of her womanhede.
-
- And in vertue is her besy charge,155
- Sadde and demure, and but of wordes fewe;
- also of tonges that ben large,
- Eschewing hem that listen to hewe[ ]
- Above heed, hir wordes for to shewe,
- Dishonestly to speke of any wight;160
- She deedly hateth of hem to have a sight.
-
- The herte of whom so honest is and clene,
- And her entent so faithful and entere
- That she ne may, for al the , sustene
- To suffre her any to here,165
- Of nor , neither ne nere,
- resowning, that hinder shulde his name;
- And if she do, she wexeth reed for shame.
-
- So in mening ,
- Without chaunging or any doublenesse;170
- For and
- In her personë, under faithfulnesse;
- For she is of ;
- In herte , for ever to perséver
- she is , and never to dissever.175
-
- I am to rude her vertues
- Cunningly [ ] to discryve and wryte;
- For wel ye wot, have I
- her discrecioun craftely t’endyte;
- For what I , al it is to lyte.180
- to you thus I me excuse,
- That I aqueynted am not with no muse!
-
- By rethoryke my style to governe,
- In her preyse and ,
- I am to , so to discerne,185
- Of her goodnesse to make ,
- Save thus I , in conclusioun,
- If that I shal shortly [ ] commende,
- In her is naught that Nature can amende.
-
- For good she is, to Policene ,190
- And, in , to the quene Helayne;
- Stedfast of herte, as was Dorigene,
- And trouthë, if I shal not fayne:
- In constaunce eke and , she may attayne
- To Cleopatre ; and therto as †195
- As was of Troye the whyte Antigone;
-
- As Hester meke; Judith of prudence;
- Kynde as or Marcia Catoun;[ ]
- And to Grisilde in pacience,
- And Ariadne , of discrecioun;200
- And to Lucrece, that was of Rome toun,
- She may be , as for honestè;
- And, for her , unto Penelope .
-
- To faire Phyllis and to Hipsiphilee ,
- For innocencë and for womanhede;205
- For , unto Canacee ;
- And over this, to speke of goodlihede,
- She passeth that I can of rede;
- For worde and dede, that she naught ne ,
- Acorde in vertue, and her werkes .210
-
- For though that Dydo , with [ ] witte sage,
- Was in her tyme stedfast to Enee,
- Of hastinesse yet she did outrage;
- And so for Jason did also Medee .
- But my lady is so avisee215
- That, and bothe in her demeyne,[ ]
- She maketh alway soverayne.
-
- This is to afore,
- Lad by prudence, and hath the soveraintee;
- And , ruled by her lore,220
- That she † her in no degree;[ ]
- So that, in one, this goodly fresshe
- Surmounting al, withouten any were,
- Is good and fair, in persone .
-
- And though that I, for very ignoraunce,225
- Ne may discryve her vertues by and by,
- Yet on this day, for a rémembraunce,
- supported under her mercy,
- With quaking hondë, I shal ful humbly
- To her hynesse, my for to quyte,230
- A litel balade here bineth endyte,
-
- Ever as I can suppryse in my herte,
- Alway with drede and shame,
- out of lose any asterte
- In this metre, to make it seme lame;235
- Chaucer is deed, that suche a name[ ]
- Of making, that wene,
- Fairest in our tonge, as the laurer grene.
-
- We may for to counterfete
- His style, but it wil not be;240
- The welle is drye, with the swete,
- Bothe of and of Caliopè;[ ]
- And first of al, I wol excuse me
- To her, that is of goodlihede;
- And thus I until hir womanhede:—245
Balade simple.
-
- ¶ ‘With al my , and my ,
- With al the that mighty god of kynde
- Me , sith he me soule and knowing ,
- I chese, and to this bonde ever I me bynde,
- To love you best, I have and mynde’:—250
- Thus herde I foules in the [ ]
- Upon the day of .
-
- ‘Yet chese I, at the , in this ,
- To love you, though I no mercy fynde;
- And if you liste I dyed, I wolde ,255
- As ever twinne I out of this !
- Suffyseth me to your fetheres ynde’:—
- Thus herde I foules in the
- Upon the day of saint Valentyne singe.
-
- ‘And over this, hertes to-bente,260
- In honour of the wodëbynde ,
- I yeve, never to repente
- In joye or wo, that I wynde
- Tofore Cupyde, with his eyën blynde’:—
- The foules , whan Tytan did springe,265
- With , me I herde singe!
.
- ¶ Princesse of , to you I
- This simple dytè, rude as in makinge,
- Of herte and wil faithful in myn ,
- as, this day, [ ] foules herde I singe.270
Here endeth theFlourof .
Colophon: Floure; Curtesy.
X.
A BALADE; IN COMMENDATION OF OUR LADY.
(A devoute balade by Lidegate of Bury, made at the reverence of oure lady, Qwene of mercy.—A.)
From Th.; collated with A. (Ashmole 59); and Sl. (Sloane 1212).
-
- A THOUSAND stories coude mo reherce
- Of olde , touching matere,
- How that Cupyde the gan so
- Of his servauntes, setting on fere ;
- Lo, the fyn of th’errour and the !5
- Lo, here of love the guerdon and grevaunce
- That with wo his servaunts avaunce!
-
- Wherfor playnly I wol my style
- Of one to speke, at nede that wol nat fayle;
- ! for dole, 10
- Her passing pryse, is no mervayle.
- O of grace, now sayle![ ]
- O licour of Cleo, for to wryte
- My penne that I endyte!
-
- Alas! and unable15
- To love suche , al women surmounting,
- be benigne to me, and merciable,
- That is of and eek the spring!
- Wherfor her, in laude and in praysing,
- So as I , supported by her grace,20
- Right thus I say, kneling tofore her face:—
-
- of sterres, with thy stremes clere,[ ]
- Sterre of the see, to shipmen light and gyde,
- O lusty , most plesaunt to apere,
- the cloudes may not hyde;25
- O way of to hem that go or ryde,
- Haven tempest, surest up to ryve ,
- On me have mercy, for thy joyes fyve![ ]
-
- O rightful rule, O of holinesse,
- And lightsom lyne of pitè for to playne,30[ ]
- Original goodnesse,
- conduit of vertue ,
- of mercy, our trouble to restrayne,
- Chambre and of chastitè,
- And named deitè!35
-
- O garden, voyde of wedes wikke,
- Cristallin , of clere consigned,
- olyve, of foyles and thikke,
- redolent cedre, dereworthly digned,
- Remembre on assigned40
- Er fendes hir hem wreche;
- Lanterne of light, thou hir lyves leche!
-
- of , gladsom to al good,
- of the pyne-tree,
- vermayle, refressher of our ,45
- Licour may not be,
- , byding in bountè,
- Thy mantel of mercy sprede,
- And er wo thy wede!
-
- O , flouring spyne,50
- Fountayne , as clere,
- Som drope of dewe to us propyne ;
- withoute nebule, in thy ,
- Medecyne to , pucelle pere,
- doun light of thyn influence55
- thy servauntes, for thy magnificence !
-
- Of al Christen protectrice and tutele,
- of exyled, put in prescripcioun
- To hem that erre in hir ;
- wery tent and pavilioun,60[ ]
- the pausacioun;
- Unto unresty bothe and remedye,
- Fruteful to al in her affye.
-
- To hem that rennen thou itinerárie ,
- O blisful bravie to knightes of thy werre;65
- To wery werkmen denárie ,
- Mede unto mariners that have sayled ferre;
- crowne , streming as a sterre
- To hem that hem in palestre for thy sake,
- Cours of her conquest, thou whyte as any lake !70
-
- mirthe of than citole ,
- Of confessours richest ,
- Unto virgynes eternal lauriole,
- Afore al women having ;
- and mayde, bothe widowe and ,75
- Of is but thou alone!
- Now, sith thou may, be socour to my mone!
-
- O trusty turtle, of al ,[ ]
- O curteyse columbe, replete of al mekenesse,
- O nightingale with thy notes newe,80
- O popinjay, with al clennesse,
- O of love, singing with swetnesse,
- Phebus , awayting til thy brest he lighte
- Under thy winge at domesday us !
-
- O ruby, rubifyed in the 85
- of thy in minde,
- O stedfast of duracioun,[ ]
- fewe feres that tyme might thou finde,
- For noon to him was founden so kinde!
- O hardy herte, O loving crëature,90
- What was it but love that made so endure?
-
- Semely , depe loupe , and blewe ewage,
- Stable as the loupe, ewage of pitè,
- This is to say, the fresshest of visage,
- Thou lovest hem that serven thee.95
- And if offence or in hem be,
- Thou ay redy upon wo to rewe,
- And hem receyvest with ful trewe.[ ]
-
- O goodly , whan that Gabriel[ ]
- With joy grette that may not be nombred!100
- Or half the blisse who coude wryte or tel
- Whan the holy to was obumbred ,
- Wherthrough fendes were encombred?
- O mayde, embelisshed his birthe,
- That man and aungel therof hadden mirthe!105
- Lo, here the and the budde of glorie,[ ]
- Of which the ;[ ]
- Lo, here the same that was in memórie
- Of Isaie, so longe or she was ;
- Lo, here of David the delicious corn ;110
- Lo, here the ground ,
- Becoming man, our raunsom for to yelde!
-
- O glorious vyole, O vytre !
- O fyry Tytan , persing with thy bemes,
- Whos vertuous brightnes was in brest ,115
- That al the world embelisshed with lemes!
- Conservatrice of and ;
- Of Isaies sede swete Sunamyte ,
- Mesure my mourning, myn owne Margaryte !
-
- O Sion,120
- O punical pome ayens pestilence;
- And urne, in whom was bouk and boon
- The agnelet , that faught for our offence
- Ayens the serpent with so high defence
- That lyk a lyoun in he was founde;125
- To him commende us, of mercy habounde !
-
- O precious perle, withouten pere,
- Cockle with from above berayned,
- busshe unbrent, ,
- Flambing with fervence, not with hete ;130
- during no † stayned;
- undefouled of Gedeon ,
- And of Aaron .
-
- arke, piscyne,[ ]
- Laughing , and of pees ;135[ ]
- Columpne and , up ;[ ]
- nere conning, to discryve?[ ]
- , whom he ,
- Unknowing him, by mirácle,
- tabernacle!140[ ]
XI.
TO MY SOVERAIN LADY.
From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); I note rejected spellings.
-
- I HAVE convenient and digne[ ]
- Myn hertes , lady, thee with ,
- Ivorie ; therfore I wol resigne
- In-to , til thou list
- To my making bothe florisshe and ;5
- Than shulde I shewe, in lovë I brende,
- In songes making, thy name to commende.
-
- For if I coude before excellence[ ]
- Singen in love, I wolde, what I fele,
- And ever standen, lady, in thy presence,10
- To shewe in open I love you wele;
- And sith, although your herte be of stele,
- To you, any ,
- Jay en vousma fiaunce.[ ]
-
- might I love ever better 15
- Than in this lilie, lyking to beholde?
- The lace of love, the so wel thou knette ,
- That I may see thee or herte colde,
- And or I passe out of my dayes olde,
- Tofore singing evermore utterly—20
- ‘Your eyën two wol slee me sodainly.’[ ]
-
- For love I langour, blissed be such ,
- it is for you, my hertely suffisaunce;
- I can not , in my distresse,
- So hath herte in governaunce;25
- And after that I † on esperaunce[ ]
- With feble entune, though it herte perce,
- Yet for thy sake this I do reherce.
-
- God , on musike I can not, but I gesse,
- (Alas! why so?) that I might say or singe,30
- So love I you, myn soverain ,
- And ever shal, départinge.
- Mirrour of beautè, for you out shuld I ringe,
- In rémembraunce eke of your eyen clere,
- Thus from you, my soverain lady dere!35
-
- So god your love me slo,
- , for your sake, I singe day by day;
- Herte, why thou a-two,
- with my lady I ne may?
- Thus many a roundel and many a virelay40
- In fresshe Englisshe, whan I me layser finde,
- I do recorde, on you to have minde!
-
- , lady I you love and drede,
- And you unchaunged , in o degree ,
- grace ne may flye fro your womanhede,45
- Disdayneth not for to remembre on me!
- herte bledeth, for I may nat you ;
- And ye my désirous,
- pur , si vous plaist amorous![ ]
-
- What marveyle is, though I in payne be?50
- I am departed from you, my soveraine;
- Fortune, alas! dont vient la ,
- That in no wyse I ne may attayne
- To the beautè of your eyën twayne.
- Wherfore I say, for tristesse me grame,55
- Tant me faitdepartir de ma dame![ ]
-
- Why nere my wisshing brought to suche esploit
- That I might say, for of your presence,
- ‘Ore a mon cuer ce quil veuilloit,[ ]
- Ore a mon cuer the highest excellence60
- That ever had wight;’ and advertence
- Is in you, reweth on my paynes smerte,
- I am so sore wounded to the herte.
-
- To live wel mery, two lovers were y-fere,
- So may I say withouten any blame;65
- If any man [ ] to wilde were,
- I coude him [ ] teche be tame;
- him go love , and it be game!
- For I am brydled unto sobernesse
- For her, that is of women princesse.70
-
- But ever, whan thought embrace,
- Than unto me is ,
- Whan I loke on your goodly fresshe face;
- So mery a mirrour coude I never ;
- And, if I coude, I wolde it magnifye.75
- For never was [ ] so faire y-founde,
- To reken hem al, and also Rosamounde.
-
- And fynally, with mouthe and wil present
- Of double eye, repentaunce,
- Myn herte I yeve you, lady, in this entent,80
- That ye shal therof have governaunce;
- Taking my with hertes obeysaunce,
- ‘Salve, regina!’ singing laste of al,
- To be our helpe, whan we to cal!
-
- Al our lovë is but ydelnesse85
- Save ; who might therto attayne?
- Who-so wol have a name of gentillesse,
- I counsayle him in love that he not fayne.
- Thou swete lady! in every payne,
- mercy most to me avayleth90
- To gye by grace, whan that fortune fayleth.
-
- Nought may be , withouten any fable,
- Your high renome, your womanly beautè;
- Your governaunce, to al worship able,
- Putteth every herte in in his degree.95
- O violet, Odesiree,
- I am for you so amorous,
- moy, [ ,] de cuer joyous![ ]
-
- With fervent herte my brest hath on fyre;
- L’ardant espoir que mon cuer poynt, est mort,100[ ]
- D’avoir l’amour de celle que je desyre,
- I you, swete, most plesaunt of ,
- Et jebien que ceo n’est pas mon tort[ ]
- That for you singe, so as I may, for mone
- For your departing; alone I live, alone.105
-
- Though I , I wolde other chese;
- In your servyce, I wolde be founden ;[ ]
- Therfore I love no labour that ye lese,
- Whan, in longing, sorest ye be ;
- Loke up, ye lovers [ ], and be right 110
- Valentynes day,
- For I have that never forsake I may!
Explicit.
XII.
BALLAD OF GOOD COUNSEL.
From Th. (Thynne’s edition, 1532); collated with Ff. (MS. Ff. 1. 6, Camb. Univ. Library). Another copy in H. (Harl. 2251).
-
- CONSIDER wel, every circumstaunce,
- Of what so-ever thou be—
- Riche, , or mighty of puissaunce,
- Prudent or wyse, discrete or ,
- The of folke in thou nat ;5
- What-ever thou , trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.[ ]
-
- For in thy or in thyn apparayle
- If thou be honestly ,
- the people, of malice, wol nat fayle,10
- Without advyce or reson, for to sayn
- That thyn array is and wrought in vayn;
- What! suffre hem spekë!—and trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.
-
- Thou to kinges be equipolent .15
- With lordes even and peregal ;
- And, if thou be and al to-rent,
- Than wol they say, and jangle over-al,
- art a slogard, that never thryvë shal;
- Yet suffre hem spekë!—and trust wel this,20
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.
-
- If thou be fayr, excelling of beautee,[ ]
- wol they say, that thou art amorous ;
- If thou be and ugly on to see,
- They wol afferme that thou art vicious,25
- The langage is so dispitous;
- hem right ,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.
-
- that thou take a wyf,
- [ ] they wol falsly say, in hir entent,30
- ,
- Voyd of al rest, without ;
- Wyves , this is hir jugëment;
- Yet hem —and trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.35
-
- so be , of parfitnesse,
- avowed to live in chastitee,
- Thán wol folk of thy persone expresse
- thou art impotent in thy degree;
- And thus, whether thou be or deslavee ,40
- Suffre hem spekë—and trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wel alway amis.
-
- if that thou be fat or corpulent,
- Than wol they say thou art a glotoun,
- A , or ellës vinolent;45[ ]
- If thou be of fassioun,
- Cal thee a nigard, in opinioun;
- Yet suffre hem spekë—and trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.
-
- If thou be richë, som wol yeve thee ,50
- And , it cometh of prudent governaunce;
- And som wol sayen, that it cometh of fraud,
- by sleight, or by fals chevisaunce;
- To say the worst, folk have so gret plesaunce;
- suffre hem —and trust wel this,55
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.
-
- If thou be or sobre of countenaunce,
- Men wol say—thou thinkest som ;
- And if [ ] thou be glad of deliaunce,
- Men wol deme dissolucioun ,60
- And fair speche, adulacioun;
- Yet let hem spekë—and trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.
-
- that is holy by perfeccioun,
- Men, of malyce, wol calle ipocryte;65
- And is mery, of clene entencioun,
- Men say, in ryot he doth him delyte;
- Som mourne in blak; som laughe in clothes whyte;
- What! suffre them —and trust wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway amis.70
-
- Honest array, men deme, † pompe and pryde,[ ]
- And who goth poore, men calle him a ;
- And who goth [ ], men marke him on every syde,[ ]
- And saye that he is a spye or a gylour;
- Who , men seyn [ ] he hath tresour;75
- Wherfore , and trust [ ] wel this,
- A wikked tonge wil alway deme amis.
-
- Who speketh mochë, prudent ;
- debateth, men say, he is hardy;
- And saith litel with gret sentiment,80
- Som wol edwyte him of foly;
- Trouth is put down, and up goth flatery;
- And list plainly know the of this,
- wol deme .
-
- For though a man were pacient85
- As was David, through humilitee,[ ]
- Or with Salamon in as prudent,
- Or in knighthode egal Josuë,
- Or manly proved as Judas Machabee,
- Yet, for al that—trust right wel this,90
- A alway deme .
-
- And though man the prowesse
- Of worthy Hector, Troyes champioun,
- The love of Troilus or the ,
- Or of Cesar the famous high renoun,95
- Alisaundres dominacioun,
- Yet, for al that—trust right wel this,
- A alway deme .
-
- though a man of high low degree
- Of Tullius hadde the sugred eloquence,100
- Or of the moralitee,
- Or of Catoun the foresight or ,
- of Charles, magnificence,
- Yet, for al that—trust right wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway deme amis.105
-
- Touching of women the parfit innocence,
- Thogh they had Hestre the mekenes,
- Or of humble pacience,
- Or of Judith the proved stablenes,
- Or virginal clennes,110[ ]
- Yit dar I say and truste right wel this,
- A wikked tonge wol alway deme amis.
-
- The of Penelope,
- Though they it in possessioun,
- beautè, the of Medee,115[ ]
- The unfeyned of ,
- Or of trewe affeccioun,
- Yit dar I say and truste right wel this,
- A alway deme .
-
- Than no man may eschewe120
- The swerde of tonge, but it kerve and byte,
- Ful hard it is, a man to remewe
- Out of daunger,
- or ;
- [this] hir 125
- And hir plesaunce, alwey to deme amis.
-
- Most noble , cherisshers of vertue,
- Remembreth you of high discrecioun,
- The first vertue, to Jesu,
- (By the wryting and sentence of Catoun),130[ ]
- Is a good tonge, in his opinioun;
- Chastyse the , and of do this,
- your hering from al that amis.
XIII.
BEWARE OF DOUBLENESS.
(Balade made by Lydgate.)
-
- THIS world ful of variaunce
- In every thing, taketh hede,
- That faith and trust, and al constaunce,
- Exyled ben, this is no drede;
- And, save only in womanhede,5
- I can [ ] see no sikernesse;
- But for al that, yet, as I rede,
- Be-war alway of doublenesse.
-
- Also fresshe somer-floures
- Whyte and rede, blewe and grene,10
- Ben sodainly, with winter-shoures,
- Mad and fade, withoute wene;
- That trust is non, as ye may ,
- In no-thing, nor no stedfastnesse,
- Except in women, thus I mene;15
- Yet ay be-war of doublenesse.
-
- The croked mone, this is no tale,
- Som whyle is and bright of hewe,
- And after that ful derk and pale,
- And every moneth chaungeth newe;20
- That, the verray sothe knewe,
- Al thing is bilt on brotelnesse,
- Save that women ay be trewe;
- Yet ay be-war of doublenesse.
-
- The lusty fresshe somers day,25
- And Phebus with his bemes clere,
- Towardes night, they drawe away,
- And lenger liste appere;
- , in this present lyf now here
- Nothing in his fairnesse,30[ ]
- Save women ay be founde intere
- And devoid doublenesse.[ ]
-
- The see eke, with his sterne wawes,
- Ech day newe again,
- And, by concours of his lawes,35
- The ebbe , in ;
- After gret drought ther comth a rain,
- That stabelnesse,
- Save that women be hole and plain;
- Yet ay be-war of doublenesse.40
-
- Fortunes wheel goth round aboute
- A thousand tymes, day and night:
- Whos cours standeth ever in doute
- For to transmew; she is so light.
- For which adverteth in your sight45
- Th’untrust of worldly fikelnesse,
- Save women, which of kindly right
- Ne no tache of doublenesse.
-
- What man may the wind restraine
- Or holde a snake by the tail,50
- Or a eel constraine[ ]
- That it voide, withouten fail;
- Or who can a nail
- To make new-fangelnesse,
- Save women, that can gye sail55[ ]
- To rowe boot with doublenesse.
-
- At every haven they can aryve
- Wher-as they wote is good passage;
- Of innocence, they can not stryve
- With wawes nor no rokkes rage;60
- So is lodemanage,
- With and stoon cours to dresse,
- That Salamon was not so sage
- To find in no doublenesse.
-
- who-so accuse65
- Of any double entencioun,
- To speke, , other to muse,
- To pinche at condicioun;
- Al but fals collusioun,
- I dar right wel the sothe expresse;70
- They have no proteccioun
- But shroude under doublenesse.
-
- So wel fortúned is hir chaunce
- The dys to up-so-doun,
- With sys and sink they can avaunce,75
- And than, by revolucioun,
- They sette a fel conclusioun
- Of , in sothfastnesse;
- Though clerkes make mencioun
- Hir kind is fret with doublenesse.80
-
- Sampsoun had experience
- That women ful trewe ,
- Whan Dalida, of innocence ,
- With sheres gan his to rounde;
- To speke also of Rosamounde85
- And Cleopatras feithfulnesse,
- stories plainly wil confounde
- Men that apeche doublenesse.
-
- Sengle thing ne is not preised,
- Nor is of no renoun;90
- In balaunce whan they be peised,
- For lakke of they be doun;
- And for this cause of just resoun,
- These women alle, of rightwisnesse,
- Of chois and free eleccioun95
- Most love eschaunge and .
Lenvoy. - O ye women, been enclyned,
- By influence of your nature,
- To been as pure as gold y-fyned
- In your ,100
- your-self in strong armure
- Lest men your sikernesse:
- Set on your brest, your-self ,
- A mighty of doublenesse.
XIV.
A BALADE: WARNING MEN TO BEWARE OF DECEITFUL WOMEN.
From Trin. (Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 3. 19), printed in Ed. (ed. 1561); T. (Trin. Coll. O. 9. 38); H. (Harl. 2251).
-
- LOKE wel , ye that lovers be;
- Lat nat your lustes you to dotage;
- Be nat enamoured on al thing that ye .
- Sampson the fort, and the sage
- Deceived were, for al gret corage;5
- Men deme is right as they see at y;
- Bewar therfore; the blinde many a fly.[ ]
-
- I mene, in , for al hir cheres ,
- Trust to moche; hir is but geson ;
- The fairest outward wel can they ,10
- Hir stedfastnes endureth but a seson;
- For they frendlines and worchen treson.
- And for they be naturally,
- Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly.
-
- Though al the world do his besy 15
- To make in ,
- Hit nat be, hit is agayn nature;
- The world is do whan they lak ;
- For they can and love ; this is .[ ]
- To trust hem, hit is but fantasy;20
- Bewar therfore; the blind et many a fly.
-
- What wight on-lyve trusteth in hir
- Shal haue at last his guerdon and his mede;
- can shave nerer then rasóurs or sheres;
- Al is nat gold that ! Men, take hede;[ ]25
- Hir galle is hid under a wede.[ ]
- Hit is ful hir fantasy ;
- Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly.
-
- Women, of kinde, have condicions ;[ ]
- The first is, they be fulle of deceit;30
- To spinne also is hir ;
- And women a wonderful ,
- ofte, and al is but a sleight ,
- And whan they list, the is in the y;
- Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly.35
-
- What thing than eyr is lighter and ?[ ]
- The light, men say, that in a throw;
- Al if the light be nat so
- As is the that every wey ;
- And , of reson, deme and trow40
- Women be lightest of company;
- Bewar therfore; the blind et many a fly.
-
- In to say, though al the so [ ]
- Were smothe, whyte and ,
- And the gret see, the ,45
- Were torned in inke, blakker then sable,
- stik a penne, ech man a ,
- wryte ;
- Bewar therfore; the blinde et many a fly.49
XV.
THREE SAYINGS.
A. From Stowe (ed. 1561).
B. From the same.
C. From the same.
-
- (A). A SAYING OF DAN JOHN.
- THER thinges that maketh a man a ,
- Hónour first putteth him in outrage,
- And alder-next solitarie and ;
- The second is unweldy croked age;
- Women also bring men in dotage;5
- And mighty wyne, in many dyvers wyse,
- holden wyse.
-
- (B). YET OF THE SAME.
- Ther thinges causing gret folye,
- Honour first, and age;
- Women and wyne, I ,
- Make wyse men [ ] fallen in dotage;
- Wherfore, by counseil of philosophers sage,5
- In gret honour, this of me,
- With have [ ] humilitee.
-
- (C). BALADE DE BON CONSAIL.
- If it , that god list visyte
- With any tourment or ,
- first the ; and to quyte,
- Upon suffrauncë and
- thou thy , what-ever that it be;5
- thy defence (and thou shalt have no losse)
- The rémembraunce of Crist and of his crosse.
XVI.
LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCY.
TRANSLATED OUT OF FRENCH BY SIR RICHARD ROS.
From Th. (Thynne, ed. 1532); collated with F. (Fairfax 16); and H. (Harl. 372). Also in Ff. (Camb. Univ. Lib. Ff. 1. 6). Bad spellings of Th. are corrected by the MSS. Title.Th.H. La . . mercy; F. Balade de la Bele Dame sanz mercy. H.adds—Translatid . . Ros.
-
- in a dreme, not fully wel awaked,[ ]
- The golden sleep me under his wing;
- Yet nat for-thy I , and wel nigh naked,
- Al sodaynly rémembring
- Of a al other thing5
- Which I do, with-outen more delay,
- For hem to I durst nat .
-
- My charge was this, to translate by and by,
- (Al forgive), as of my penaunce,
- A called Dame Mercy10
- mayster Aleyn made of rémembraunce,
- Cheef with the king of Fraunce.
- And a whyle I musing,
- And in my-self
-
- What wyse I performe sayd processe,15
- Considering by good
- unconning and my gret ,
- And the commaundement
- Which that I had; and thus, in entent,
- I was vexed and tourned up and ;20
- And yet at last, as in ,
-
- I cast my clothes on, and went my way,
- This foresayd charge having in rémembraunce,
- Til I cam to a lusty valey
- Ful of floures, to see, a plesaunce;25
- And so , with their suffraunce
- rede this , touching this matere,
- Thus I , if it you to here.
-
- NAT long ago, ryding an esy paas,
- I fel in thought, of joy ful desperate30
- With greet disese and payne, so that I was
- Of al lovers the most unfortunate,
- Sith his dart most cruel, ful of hate,
- The deeth hath take my lady and maistresse,
- And left me discomfit and mate,35
- Sore languisshing, and in way of distresse.
-
- Than sayd I thus, ‘it falleth me to cesse
- Eyther to ryme or ditees for to make,
- And I, surely, to make a ful promesse
- To laugh no more, but wepe in clothes blake.40
- My joyful tyme, alas! now it slake,
- For in my-self I ;
- Let it be written, such fortune take,
- Which neither me, plese.
-
- If it were so, my wil or myn entent45[ ]
- a joyful thing to wryte,
- coud what it ment;
- To speke therof my tonge hath no delyte.
- with my mouth I laugh moche or lyte,
- Myn eyen shold make a countenaunce untrewe;50
- My hert also wold have therof despyte,
- The weping teres have so large issewe.
-
- These lovers, I leve that to hem longes,[ ]
- Which lede lyf in hope of alegeaunce,
- That is to say, to make and songes,55
- Every of hem, as they fele their grevaunce.
- For she that was my joy and my plesaunce,
- Whos soule I pray god of his mercy save,
- She hath my wil, myn hertes ordinaunce,
- Which here, within this .60
-
- Fro this tyme forth, tyme is to hold my pees;
- It werieth me this mater for to trete;
- Let other lovers put hem-self in prees;
- Their seson is, my tyme is now forgete.
- Fortune by strength hath unshet65
- Wherin was al my worldly richesse,
- And al the goodes which that I have gete
- In my best tyme of youthe and lustinesse.
-
- Love hath me kept under his governaunce;
- If I misdid, god graunt me forgifnesse!70
- If I did wel, yet felte I no plesaunce;
- It caused neither joy nor hevinesse.
- For whan she dyed, that was my maistresse,
- Al my welfare the same purchas;
- The deeth hath my , of witnes,75
- Which for no-thing myn hert shal never pas.’
-
- In this gret , sore troubled in mynde,
- Aloon thus rood I al the morow-tyde,
- Til at the last happed me to fynde
- The place wherin I cast 80
- Whan that I had no further ryde.
- And as I went my logging to purvey,
- Right sone I herde, litel me besyde,
- In a , wher minstrels gan to play.
-
- With that anon I went me bakker-more;85
- My-self and I, me thought, we were y-now;
- But twayn that were my frendes here-before
- Had me espyed, and wot nat how.
- They for me; awayward I me drow,
- Somwhat by force, somwhat by request,90
- That in no wyse I coud my-self rescow,
- But I must come in, and see the feest.
-
- At my coming, the ladies everichoon
- Bad me welcome, god wot, right gentilly,
- And made me chere, ,95
- A gret del better than I was worthy;
- And, of their grace, shewed me gret curtesy
- With good disport, bicause I shuld nat mourne.
- That day I bood stille in their company,
- Which was to me a gracious sojourne.100
-
- The bordes were spred in right litel space;
- The ladies sat, ech as hem semed best.
- did [ ]
- But chosen men, right of the goodliest:
- And som ther were, most fresshest,105
- That sawe their juges, ful demure,
- Without semblaunt either to most or lest,
- Notwithstanding they had hem under cure.
-
- Among al other, oon I gan espy
- Which in gret thought ful often and went110
- As that had ben ravished utterly,
- In his langage nat gretly diligent;
- His countenaunce he kept with greet tourment,
- But his desyr fer passed his resoun;
- For ever his eye after his entent115
- many a tyme, whan it was no sesoun.
-
- To make chere, sore him-self he payned,
- And outwardly he fayned greet gladnesse;
- To singe also by force he was constrayned
- For no plesaunce, but very shamfastnesse;120
- For the complaynt of his most hevinesse
- to his voice alwey without request,
- Lyk as the sowne of birdes doth expresse
- Whan they sing loude, in frith or forest.
-
- Other ther were, that served in the hal,125
- But non lyk him, as after myn advyse;
- For he was pale, and somwhat lene with-al;
- His speche also trembled in fereful wyse;
- And ever aloon, but when he did servyse.
- Al blak he ware, and no devyce but playn.130
- Me thought by him, as my wit coud suffyse,
- His hert was no-thing in his own demeyn.
-
- To hem al he did his diligence,
- And wel he , right as semed me.
- But evermore, whan he was in presence,135
- His chere was don; it wold non other be.
- His scole-maister had suche auctoritè
- That, al the whyle he
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