Dorigen his wyfe In souerayne blysse leden forthe her lyfe Neuer after was there anger hem bytwene He cherished her as though she were a quene And she was to him trewe for euermore Of these two folkes ye get of me nomore Aurelius that his coste hath al forlorne Curseth the tyme that euer he was borne Alas ê™ he alas that euer I beheyght Of pured golde a thousand pouÌ„de of wright Vnto this philosopher howe shal I do I se no more but that I am for do Myne heritage more I nedes sel And ben a begger here may I no leÌ„ger dwel And shame al my kynrede in this place But I of hym may get better grace But nathelesse I wol of hym assay At certayne dayes yere by yere to pay And thonke hym of hys great curtesye My trouthe wol I kepe I wol not lye With herte â—ore he gothe vnto his cofer And brought golde vnto this phylosopher The value of fyne hundred pouÌ„de as I gesse And hym besecheth of hys gentylnesse To graunt him dayes of the remenaunt And sayd mayster I dare wel make auaunt I fayled neuer of my trouthe as yet For sykerly my hette shal be quyt Towardes you howe that euer I fare To gon a beggyng in my kyrtel bare But wolde ye vouchesafe vpon suerte Two yere or thre for to respyte me Than were I wel for els mot I sel Myne heritage there is no more to tel This philosopher soberly answerde And sayd thus whan he this worde herde Haue I not holde couenaunt vnto the Yes certes wel and truely ê™ he Haste thou not had thy lady as the lyketh No no ê™ he and sorily he syketh what was the cause tel me yf that thou can Aurelius anon his tale began And tolde hym al as ye han herde byfore It nedeth not to reherce it any more He sayd Arueragus of gentylnesse Had leuer dye in sorowe and in distresse Than his wyfe were of her trouthe fals The sorowe of Dorigene he tolde hym al 's Howe lothe she was to ben a wycked wyfe And that she had leuer haue loste her lyfe And y t her trouth she swore throug innoceÌ„ce She neuer erste herde speke of apparence That made me haue of her so great pyte And right as frely as he sent her to me As frely sent I her to hym agayne This is al some there nys no more to same The philosopher answerde leue brother Eueriche of you dyd gentilly to other Thou arte a squier and he is a knyght But god forbyd for his blisful myght But yf a clerke coulde done a gentyl dede As wel as any of you it is do drede Syr I relese the thy thousande pounde As now thou were crope out of the grounde Ne neuer er nowe haddest thou knowen me For syr I wol not taken a peny of the For al my crafte ne nought for my trauayle Thou haste â—payed right wel for my vitayle It is ynough and farwel haue good day And toke his horse rode forthe on his way Lordynges this question wold I aske now whiche was the moste fre as thynketh you Nowe telleth me er that I ferther wende I can no more my tale is at an ende ¶ Here endeth the Frankeleyns tale and begynneth the seconde nonnes prologue THe mynistre the norice vnto vyces Which that men clepen in englishe idlenesse That is porter of the yate of delyces To eschue by her contrarie her oppresse That is to sayne by leful besynesse wel ought we to don your entent Leste that the fende through idlenesse vs heÌ„t For he that with his thousande cordes slye Contynually vs wayteth to be clappe whan he may man in ydlenesse espye He can so lightly catche him in his trappe Tyl that a man be hente right by the lappe He nis not ware the fende hath him in honde wel ought vs werche ydlenesse witstonde And though men dredden neuer for to dye Yet se men wel by reson doutles That ydlenesse is rote of slogardye Of which there cometh neuer no good encres And sythnes that slouth holdeth heÌ„ in a lees Only to slepe and for to eate and drynke And to deuouren al that other swynke And for to put vs from suche ydelnesse That cause is of so great confusyon I haue here done my faythful besynesse After the legende in translacion Right of thy glorious lyfe and passyon Thou w t thy garloÌ„de wrought w t rose lely The mene I mayd and marter seynt Cecely ¶ And thou that arte floure of virgins all Of whom that Bernarde lyst so wel to write To the at my begynnyng fyrst I cal Thou comforte of vs wretches do me endyte Thy maydeÌ„s deth y t wan thorow her merite The eternal lyfe and of the fende victorie As men may after rede in her storie Thou maydeÌ„ mother doughter of thy soÌ„ne Thou wel of mercy synful soules cure In whom that god of bouÌ„te chese for to woÌ„ne Thou humble and hye ouer euery ceature Thou noblest so farre ouer nature That no disdayne the maker had of kynde His soÌ„ne in bloode fleshe to clothe wynde Whiche in the cloystre of thy blisful sydis Toke mannes shappe the eterne loue pees That of the true compas lorde gyde is whom heuen erthe and see withouten les Aye heryen and thou virgyne wemles Bare of thy body dweldest mayden pure The creatour of euery creature Assembled is in the magnifycence with mercy goodnesse and with suche pyt That thou arte the sonne of excellence Not onely that helpest hem that prayenth But often tyme of thy benignyte Ful frely or that men thyne helpe beseche Thou goest beforne and arte her lyues leche Now helpe thou blisful meke fayre mayde Me flemed wretche in this deserte of gal Thynke on the woman of Canane that sayd That whelpes eaten some of y e croÌ„mes smal That from her lordes table ben isal And though y t I vnworthy doughter of Eue Be synful yet accepteth my beleue And for y e fayth is deed withouten werkis So for to werche yeue me wytte and space That I be quyt from y e place y t most derke is O thou that arte so fayre and ful of grace Be myne aduocate in that hye place There as without ende is songe Osanna Thou Christes mother doughter of Anna And of thy light my soule in prison lyght That troubled is by the contagyon Of my body and also by the wyght Of erthly luste and also false affection O hauen O refute O saluacion Of hem that ben in sorowe and distresse Now helpe for to my werke I wol me dresse Yet I pray you that reden that I write Foryeueth me that I do no dyligence This ylke storie subtelly to endyte For bothe haue I the wordes the sentence Of hym that at the sayntes reuerence The storie wrote and folowen her legende And pray you that ye wol my werke amende ¶ Fyrst wol I you the name of seynt
Another eyre anone is moued As I haue of the water proued That euery cercle causeth other Right so of eyre my leue brother Eueryche eyre in other stereth More and more and speche vp bereth Or voyce or noyse worde or sowne Aye through multiplicatiowne Tyl it be at the house of fame Take it on ernest or in game nowe haue I tolde yf thou haue mynde Howe speche or sowne of pure kynde Enclyned was vpwarde to meue Thys mayst thou fele well by preue And that some stede ywys That euery thynge enclyned to is Hath hys kyndlyche stede That seweth it wythout drede That kyndly the mancyoun Of euery speche of euery soun Be it eyther foule or fayre Hath hys kynde place in eyre And syth that euery thynge ywys Out of hys kynde place ywys Moueth thyder for to go If it awaye be therfro As I haue before proued the It seweth euery soune perde Moueth kyndly to pace As vp into his kynde place And thys place of which I tell There as fame lyst to dwell Is sette a myddes of these thre Heuen erth and eke the see As moost conseruatyfe the soun Than is thys the conclusyoun That euery speche of euery man As I the tell fyrst began Meueth vp on heyght to pace Kyndly to Fames place Tel me this nowe faythfully Haue I not proued thus symply wythout any subtylte Of speche or great prolixite Of termes of Philosophie Of fygures of Poetrie Or colours of rethoryke Perde it ought the to lyke For harde langage and harde matere Is encombrous for to here At ones wost thou not well thys And I answered and sayd yes Ha ha quod he lo so I can Leudly vnto a leude man Speke and shewe hym suche skyylles That he maye shake hem by the bylles So palpable they shulden be But tell me thys nowe praye I the Howe thynketh the my conclusyon A good persuasyon Quod I it is and lyke to be Ryght so as thou hast proued me By god quod he and as I leue Thou shalte haue yet or it be eue Of euery worde of thys sentence A profe by experience And wyth thyne eares heren well Toppe and tayle and euery dell That euery worde that spoken is Cometh into Fames house ywys As I haue sayde what wylte thou more And wyth thys worde vpper to sore He began and sayde by saynt Iame Nowe wyll we speke all of game Howe farest thou nowe quod he to me well quod I nowe se quod he By thy trouth yonde adowne where that thou knowest any towne Or house or any other thynge And whan thou hast of aught knowynge Loke that thou warne me And I anone shall tel the Howe farre that thou arte nowe therfro And I adowne gan to loken tho And behelde feldes and playns Nowe hylles and nowe mountayns Nowe valeys and nowe forestes And nowe vnneth great beestes Nowe ryuers nowe Citees Nowe townes nowe great trees Nowe shippes saylyng in the see But thus soone in a whyle he was flowen fro the grounde so hye That al the worlde as to myne eye No more semed than a pricke Or els was the eyre so thycke That I might it not deserne with that he spake to me so yerne And sayde Seest thou any token Or aught that in this worlde is of spoken I sayde nay no wonder is Quod he For neuer halfe so hye as this Nas Alexander of Macedon kyng â–ª Ne of Rome dan Scipion That sawe in dreme at poynt deuyse Heuen and erth hel and paradyse Ne eke the wretche Dedalus Ne his chylde nyce Icharus That flewe so hye that the hete His wynges molte and he fel wete In mydde the see and there he dreynte For whom was made a great complaynte Nowe tourne vpwarde quod he thy face And beholde this large space This eyre but loke that thou ne be Adrad of hem that thou shalt se For in this region certeyne Dwelleth many a cytezeyne Of whiche speketh dan Plato These ben the eyrysshe beestes lo And tho sawe I al the menye Bothe gone and also flye Lo quod he caste vp thyne eye Seyonder lo the Galaxye The whiche men clepe the mylky way For it is whyte And some perfay Callen it watlynge strete That ones was brente with the hete whan the sonnes sonne the reade That hyte Pheton wolde leade A gate his fathers carte and gye The carte horse gan well espye That he coude no gouernaunce And gan for to lepe and praunce And beare hym vp and now downe Tyll he sawe the Scorpiowne which that in heuen a sygne is yet And he for feare lost his wyt Of that and let the reynes gone Of his horse and they anone Sone vp to mount and downe discende Tyll both eyre and erth brende Tyll Iupiter lo at the last Hym slewe and fro the carte cast Lo is it not a great myschaunce To let a foole haue gouernaunce Of thynges that he can not demayne And with this worde soth for to sayne He gan alway vpper to sore And gladed me than more and more So faythfully to me spake he Tho gan I to loke vnder me And behelde the eyrysh beestes Cloudes mystes and tempestes Snowes hayles raynes and wyndes And than gendryng in her kyndes All the waye through which I came O God quod I that made Adam Moche is thy myght and nobles And tho thought I vpon Boece That wryteth a thought may flye so hye with fethers of philosophye To passen eueryche element And whan he hath so farre ywent Than may be sene behynde his bake Cloude and erth and all that of I spake Tho gan I wexe in a were And sayde I wot wel I am here But whether in body or in ghost I not ywys but god thou woost For more clere entendement Nas me neuer yet ysent And than thought I on Marcyan And eke of Anteclaudian That soth was her description Of all the heauens regyon As farre as that I sawe the preue And therfore I can hem leue with that the Egle gan to crye Let be quod he thy fantasye wylt thou lere of sterres ought Nay certaynly quod I ryght nought And why quod he for I am olde Or els wolde I the haue tolde Quod he the starres names lo And all the heuens sygnes to And which they be No force ê™ I Yes parde quod he wost thou why For whan thou redest poetrye How the goddes can stellyfy Byrde fysh or hym or her As the Rauyn and other Or Ariones harpe fyne Castor Polexe or Delphyne Or Athalantes doughters seuen How all these are set in heuen For though thou haue hem oft in hande Yet nost thou nat where they stande No force quod I it is no nede As well I leue so god me spede Hem that wryten of this matere As though I knewe her places here And eke thy seluen here so bryght It shoulde shenden all my syght To loke on hem that maye wel be Quod he and so forthe bare he me A whyle and tho began
Al tel I nat as nowe hys obseruaunces But at the laste the statue of Venus shoke And made a sygne wherby that he toke That hys prayere accepted was that day For though the sygne shewed a delay Yet wist he wel that graunted was his bone And w t glad hert he went him hom ful sone The thyrde houre in equal that Palamon Began to Venus temple for to gon Tp rose the sonne and vp rose Emelye And vnto the temple of Dyane gan hye Her maydens the whiche thyder were lad Ful redely with hem the fyre they had The ensence the clothes the remenaunt al That to the sacrifyce longen shall The hornes ful of meethe as was the gyse There lacked nought to don her sacrifyce Smokyng the temple ful of clothes fayre This Emely with herte debonayre Her body wyshe with water of a wel But how she dyd ryght I dare nat tel But it be any thyng in generall And yet it were a game to here it all To him that meaneth wel it were no charge But it is good a man be at his large Her bright heare was vnkeÌ„pt vntressed all A crowne of a grene oke vnseryall Vpon her heed set ful fayre and mete Two fyres on the aulter gan she bete And dyd her thynges as men may beholde In Stace of Thebes and these bookes olde whan kenled was the fyre w t pitous chere Vnto Dyane she spake as ye may here ¶ O chaste goddesse of the woddes grene To whom both heuen erthe and see is sene Quene of the reygne of pluto derke lowe Goddesse of maydeÌ„s y t myn hert hath know Ful many a yere and woste what I desyre As kepe me fro the vengeaunce of thyn yre That Acteon abought cruelly Chaste goddesse wel woste thou that I Desyre to ben a mayde al my lyfe Ne neuer wol I be loue ne wyfe I am thou woste wel of thy company A mayde and loue huntyng and venery And for to walken in the woddes wylde And not for to ben a wyfe ben with chylde Nought wyl I knowe companye of man Nowe helpe me lady sythe ye may and can For tho thre formes that thou haste in the And Palamon that hath suche a loue to me And eke Arcyte that loueth me so sore This grace I pray the withouten more And sende loue and peace bytwyxt hem two And fro me turne away her hertes so That al her hotte loue and her desyre And al her busy turment and al her fyre Be queynt or turned in an other place And if so be thou wolte not do me that grace Or yf so be my desteny be shapen so That I shal nedes haue one of hem two As sende me hym that moste desyreth me Beholde goddesse of clene chastyte The bytter teares that on my chekes fal Syn thou arte a mayde and keper of vs all My maydenhede thou kepe and wel coÌ„serue And whyle I lyue a mayden wol I y t serue ¶ The fyres brenne vpon the auter clere whyle Emely was thus in her prayere But sodenly she sawe a thyng queynte For ryght anon one of the fyres queynte And quycked agayn and after that anon That other fyre was queynte and al agon And as it queynte it made a whystlyng As don these wete brondes in her brennyng And at the brondes ende out ran anone As it were bloddy droppes many one For whiche so sore agaste was Emelye That she was wel nye madde gan to crye For she ne wyste what it sygnyfyed But onely for the feare thus she cryed And wepte that it was pyte for to here And therwithal Dyane gan to apere With bowe in honde right as an hunteresse And sayd doughter stynte thyn heuynesse Amonge the goddes hye it is affyrmed And by eterne worde wrytten confyrmed Thou shalt be wedded to one of tho That haue for the so much care and wo But vnto whych of hem I may not tel Farewel for I may no lenger dwel The fyres whych on myne auter brenne Shal declaren er that thou gon henne Thys auenture of loue as in thys case And with y e worde the arowes in the case Of the goddes clatteren fast and rynge And forth she went and made vaneshynge For whych thys Emely astonyed was And sayd what mounteth thys alas I put me vnder thy protection Dyane and vnder thy dysposycion And home she goth the next waye This is the effect there is nomore to saye The nexte houre of Mars folowyng this Arcite vnto the temple walked is On fyers Mars to done hys sacrifyse wyth al the myght of hys paynem wyse wyth pytous herte and hye deuocion Ryght thus to Mars he sayd hys orison ¶ O stronge god that in the reygnes colde Of trace honoured arte and lorde yholde And hast in euery reygne and euery lande Of armes al the brydle in thyne hande And hem fortunest as thy lyst deuyse Accepte of me my pytous sacrifyce Yf so be my thought may deserue And that my might be worthy for to serue Thy godhede that I maye ben one of thyne Then praye I the that thou rue on my pyne For thylke payne and thylke hotte fyre In whech thou brentest whylom for desyre when thou vsedest the fayre beaute Of fayre yonge freshe Venus fre And haddest her in thyne armes at thy wyll Al though thou ones on a tyme myssyll when Vulcanus had caught the in hys laas And founde thy lyggynge by hys wyfe alas For thylke sorowe that was in thyne herte Haue ruth as wel on my paynes smerte I am yonge and vnconning as thou wost And as I trowe wyth loue offended most That euer was any lyues creature For she that doth me al thys wo endure Ne retcheth neuer where I synke or flete And wel I wote or she me mercy hete I mote wyth strength wyn her in this place And wel I wote wythout helpe or grace Of the ne may my strength not auayle TheÌ„ helpe me lorde to morow in my batayle For thylke fyre that whylom brent the As well as the fyre nowe brenneth me And do that I to morowe haue vyctorye Myn be the trauayle and thyn be the glorye Thy souerayne teÌ„ple wol I moste honouren Of any place and alwaye most labouren In thy pleasaunce and in thy â—raftes stroÌ„ge And in thy temple I wol my baner honge And al the armes of my companye And euermore vntyl the daye I dye Eterne fyre I wol beforne the fynde And eke to thys auowe I wyl me bynde My berd my heare y t hongeth lowe adoun That neuer yet felte offensioun Of rasour ne of shere I wol the yeue And bene thy true seruaunt whyle I lyue Now lorde haue ruth vpon my sorowes sore Yeue me the victory I aske the nomore ¶ The prayer stynte of Arcite the stronge The rynges on the temple dore they ronge And eke the dores clatren ful faste Of whych Arcite somwhat him agast The fyres brennen vpon the auter bryght
By my trouth I shall now tell This other daye nat gone full longe whyle within the paleyes garden by a well Gan he and I well halfe a daye to dwell Ryght for to speken of an ordinaunce How we the Grekes mitghten disauaunce Soone after that we gone for to lepe And casten with our dartes two and fro Tyll at the last he sayd he wolde slepe And on the grasse adowne he layd him tho And I after gan to romen to and fro Tyll that I herde as I walked alone How he began full wofully to grone Tho gan I stalke hym softly behynde And sekerly the soth for to sayne As I can clepe ayen now to my mynde Right thus to loue he gan hym for to playn He sayde lorde haue routh vpon my payne All haue I ben rebell in myne entent Nowe Men culpa Lorde I me repent O god that at thy disposition Ledest the fyne by iust purueyaunce Of euery wyght my lowe confession Accept in gree sende me suche penaunce As lyketh the but from disesperaunce That may my goost depart alway fro the Thou be my shylde for thy benignitie For certes lord so sore hath she me wouÌ„ded That stode in black with lokyng of her eyeÌ„ That to my hertes botom it is yfounded Thrugh which I wot y t I mot nedes dyen This is y e worst I dar me nought bewreyeÌ„ And well the hoter ben the gledes red That men hem wren w t ashen pale deed with that he smot his heed adowne anon And gan to muttre I nat what truly And I with that gan styll away to gone And let thereof as nothyng wyst had I And came agayne anon stode hym by And sayd awake ye slepen all to longe It semeth nought y t loue doth you wronge That slepen so that nomaÌ„ may you awake whosey euer or this so dull a man Ye frende quod he do ye your heedes ake For loue and let me lyuen as I can But lord that he for wo was pale and wan Yet made he tho as fresh a countenaunce As though he shuld haue led the new dauÌ„ce This passed forth tyll now this other daye It fell that I come runnyng all alone Into his chaÌ„ber founde how y t he laye Vpon his bed but man so sore grone Ne herde I neuer and what was his mone Ne wyst I nought for as I was coÌ„mynge Al sodaynly he left his complaynyng Of which I toke somwhat suspectioun And nere I come founde hym wepe sore And god so wyse be my sauatioun As neuer of thyng had I no routh more For neyther wyth engyn ne with no lore Vnnethes myght I fro the deth hym kepe That yet fele I myne hert for hym wepe And god wot neuer syth that I was borne was I so busy noman for to preche Ne neuer was to wyght so depe sworne Er he tolde who myght ben his leche But now to you rehersen all his spech Or al his wofull wordes for to sowne Ne bid me nouÈt but ye woll se me swon But for to saue his lyfe and els nought And to non harm of you thus am I driuen And for y e loue of god that vs hath wrouÈt Such chere him doth that he I may liueÌ„ Now haue I plat to you myne hert shryueÌ„ And syth ye wot that myne entent is clene Take hede therof for none euyll I mene And riÈt good thrift I pray to god haue ye That han such one ycaught withouten net And be ye wyse as ye be fayre to se wel in the rynge than is the Ruby set There were neuer two so well ymet whan ye ben his all hole as he is your Ther mighty god yet grauÌ„t vs se that hour Nay therof spake I nat Aha quod she As helpe me god ye shenden euery dele A mercy dere nece anon quod he whatso I spake I ment nought but wele By Mars the god that helmed is of stele Now beth not wroth my blod my nece dere Nowe well quod she foryeuen be it here with this he toke his leue home he weÌ„t yea lord how he was glad and wel bygon Creseyde arose and lenger she ne stent But streyght into her closet went anon And set her downe as styll as any stone And euery worde gan vp down to wynde That he had sayd as it came her to mynde And woxe somdele astoned in her thought Ryght for the newe case but whan y t she was ful auysed tho founde she ryght nouÈt Of peryll why that she ought aferde be For man maye loue of possibilitie A woman so his hert may to brest And she nat loue ayen but if her leste But as she sate alone and thought thus Thascrye arose at scarmoche al without And men cryed in the strete se Troylus Hath right now put to flyght y u grekes rout with that gonne al her meyne for to shoute A go we se cast vp the yates wyde For through this strete he mot to palys ryde For other waye is fro the yates none Of dardanus there open is the cheyne with that come he and al his folke anone An easy pace rydyng in routes tweyne Right as his happy day was sothe to seyne For whiche men sayth may nat disturbed be That shal betyde of necessyte This Troylus sate on his baye stede Al armed saue his heed ful ryâ—â—ely And wounded was his horse gan to blede On whiche he rode a pace ful softely But suche a knyghtly syght trewly As was on him was nat withouten fayle To loke on Mars that god is of batayle So lyke a man of armes and a knyght He was to sene fulfylled of hygh prowesse For bothe he had a body and myght To don that thyng as wel as hardynesse And eke to sene him in his geare dresse So freshe so yonge so weldy semed he It was an heuen vpon him for to se His helme to hewen was in twenty places That by a tyssue honge his backe behynde His shelde to dasshed w t swerdes w t maces In whiche men myght many an arowe fynd That thyrled had horne nerfe and rynde And aye the people cried here cometh our ioy And next his brother holder vp of Troye For whiche he wext a lytel reed for shame whan he so herd the people vpon him cryen That to be holde it was a noble game How sobrelych he cast adowne his eyen Cresceyde anon gan all his chere espyen And let it so softe in her hert synke That to her selfe she sayde who yaue me drynke For al her owne thought she wore all red Remembryng her ryght thus lo this is be which y t myne vncle swereth he mot be deed But I on hym haue mercy and pytie And with y t thought for pure ashamed she Gan in her heed to pull and that as fast whyle he and all the people forth by past And gan to cast and rollen vp and downe within her thought his excellent prowesse And his
liber secundus O Blysfull lyght of which the bemes clere Adorneth all the thyrde heuen fayre O sonnes lese o Ioues doughter dere Pleasaunce of loue o goodly debonayre In gentyll hertes aye redy to repayre O very cause of heale and of gladnesse Yheryed be thy myght and thy goodnesse In heauen and hell in erthe and salte see Is felte thy myght yf that I well dyscerne As man beest fyshe herbe and grene tree The fele in tymes wyth vapour eterne God loueth and to loue woll naught werne And in thys worlde no lyues creature wythouten loue is worth or maye endure Ye Ioues fyrst to thylke affectes glade Through whych that thynges lyuen al be CoÌ„menden and amorous hem made On mortall thynge and as you lyst aye ye Yeue hem in loue ease or aduersyte And in a thousand formes downe hym sente For loue in erth whom you lyste he hente Ye fyrce Marce apeasen of hys yre And as you lyst ye maken hertes dygne Algates hem that ye woll set afyre They dreden shame and vyces they resygne Ye done hem curteys be freshe benigne And hye or lowe after a wyght entendeth The ioyes y t he hath your myght it sendeth Ye holden reygne and house in vnite Ye soth fast cause of frendshyp ben also Ye knewen all thylke couered qualyte Of thynges whych that folke wondren so when they can not construe howe it may go She loueth hym or why he loueth here As why this fyshe not that cometh to were Ye folke a lawe haue set in vniuerse And thys knowe I by hem that louers be That who so stryueth w t you hath y e werse Nowe lady bryght for thy benignite At reuerence of hem that seruen the whose clerke I am so techeth me deuyse Some ioye of that is felt in thy seruyce Yea in my naked herte sentement I hylde and do me shewe of thy swetnesse Calâ—ope thy voyce be nowe present For â—â—we is nede seest thou not my dystresse Howe I mote tell anone ryght the gladnesse Of Troylus to Venus heriynge To whych who nede hath god hym brynge ¶ Incipit liber tertius LAy all thys meane whyle Troylus Recordynge hys lesson in thys manere Mafey thought he thus wol I say and thus Thus woll I playne vnto my lady dere That worde is good thys shal be my chere Thys nyll I not foryeten in no wyse God lene hym werken as he can deuyse And lorde so that hys herte gan to quappe Herynge her come and shorte for to syke And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe Came nere and gan in at the curteyn pyke And sayd god do bote on all syke Se who is here you comen to vysyte Lo here is she that is your death to wyte Therwyth it semed as he wepte almoste A a quod Troylus so routhfully where me be wo o myghty god thou woste who is all there I se not truly Syr ê™ Creseyde it is Pandare and I Ye swete herte alas I maye not ryse To knele and do you honoure in some wyse And dressed hym vpwarde she ryght tho Gan both her hondes softe vpon hym ley O for the loue of god do ye not so To me quod she ey what is thys to sey Syr comen am I to you for causes twey Fyrst you to thanke and of your lordshyp eke Continuaunce I wolde you beseke Thys Troylus that herde hys lady praye Of lordship him woxe neither quicke ne deed Ne myght o worde for shame to it saye All though men shulden smyten of hys heed But lorde so he woxe sodeynlyche reed And syr hys lesson that he wende conne To prayen her is through hys wyt yronne Creseyde all thys aspyed well ynough For she was wyse loued hym neuer y t lasse All nere he in all aperte or made it tough Or was to bolde to synge a foole a masse But when hys shame gan somwhat to passe hys resons as I may my rymes holde I woll you tell as techen bokes olde In chauÌ„ged voyce ryght for hys very drede whych voyce eke quoke therto hys manere Goodly abasht and nowe hys hewes rede Nowe pale vnto Creseyde hys lady dere wyth loke downe cast humble iyoldeÌ„ chere Lo the alderfyrst worde that hym after was twyse mercy mercy swete herte And stynt a while wheÌ„ he might out bring The next worde was god wote for I haue As faythfully as I haue had konnynge Ben yours all god so my soule saue And shal tyl that I wofull wyght be graue And though I dare ne can vnto you playne Iwys I suffre not the lasse payne Thus moch as nowe ah womaÌ„lyche wyfe I maye out brynge and yf thys you dysplese That shall I wreke vpon myne owne lyfe Ryght sone I trowe and do your hert an ese Yf wyth my death your herte maye apese But sens that ye han herde me somwhat sey Nowe retche I neuer howe sone that I dey Therwyth hys manly sorowe to beholde It myght haue made an hert of stone to rew And Pandare wept as he to water wolde And poked euer hys nece newe and new And sayd wo begon ben hertes trewe For loue of god make of thys thinge an ende Or slee vs both at ones er that ye wende I what ê™ she by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wylne that I sey Ey what ê™ he that ye haue on hym routh For goddes loue and doth hym not to dey Nowe then thus ê™ she I wolde hym prey To tell me the fyne of hys entente Yet wyst I neuer well what that he mente what that I meane O swete herte dere Quod Troylus o goodly freshe free That wyth the stremes of your eyen clere Ye wolden somtyme frendly on me se And then agreen that I may ben he wythouten braunche of vyce on any wyse In trouth alwaye to do you my seruyse As to my lady ryght and chefe resorte wyth all my wytte and all my diligence And to haue ryght as you lyst comforte Vnder your yerde egall to myne offence As death yf that I breake your defence And that ye deygne me so moche honour Me to coÌ„maunden aught in any hour And I to ben your very humble trewe Secrete and in my paynes pacient And euer to desyren freshly newe To seruen and to ben aye ylike dilygent And with good herte al holy your talent Receyuen wel howe sore that me smerte Lo this meane I myne owne swete hert Quod Pandarus lo here an hard request And reasonable a lady for to warne Nowe nece myne by Natall Ioues feeste were I a god ye shulde sterue as yerne That heren wel this man wol nothyng yern But your honour sene him almost sterue And ben so lothe to suffre him you to serue wyth that she gan her eyen on him cast Full easely and full debonairly Auysyng her and hyed not to fast wyth neuer a worde but sayd hym softely Myn honour safe
was so narowe ymasked and yknette That is vndon on any maner syde That nyll nat ben for ought y t maye betyde And by the honde full oft he wolde take This Pandarus and into garden lede And suche a feaste and such a processe make Hym of Creseyde and of her womanheed And of her beautie that withouten drede It was an heuen his wordes for to here And than he wolde synge in this manere Loue that of erth see hath gouernauÌ„ce Loue that his heestes hath in heuen hye Loue that with an holesome alyaunce Halt people ioyned as hym lyst hem gye Loue that knytteth lawe and company And couples doth in vertue for to dwell Bynde this accorde y t I haue tolde tell That y t the world w t faith which y t is stable Dyuerseth so his stoundes accordyng That elementes that beth so discordable Holden abonde perpetually duryng That Phebus mote his rosy day forth briÌ„g And y t the mone hath lordship ouer y e niÈtes Al this doth loueaye heried be his mightes That y t the see that gredy is to flowen Constrayneth to a certayne ende so His floudes that so fersly they ne growen To drenchen erth and all for euermo And yf that loue ought let his brydle go All that now loueth asondre shulde lepe And lost wer al y t loue halt nowe to hepe So wolde to god that authour is of kynde That with his bonde loue of his vertu lyst To serchen hertes al and fast bynde That froÌ„ his boÌ„d no wight y e wey out wyst And hertes colde hem wold I y t hem twyst To make hem loue that hem lyst aye rew On hertes sore kepe hem that ben trewe In all nedes for the townes werre He was and aye the fyrst in armes dyght And certaynly but yf that bokes erre Haue Hector moost ydradde of any wyght And this encrease of hardynesse and myght Com hym of loue his ladyes thank to wyn That altered his spyrite so within In tyme of truce on hauking wolde he ryde Or els hunt bore beare or lyoun The small beestes let he gon besyde And whan y t he come rydyng into y e towne Full oft his lady from her window downe As fresh as faucon comen out of mue Full redy was hym goodly to salue And moost of loue vertue was his speche And in despyte had al wretchednesse And doutlesse no nede was hym beseche To honouren hem that had worthynesse And easen hem that weren in distresse And glad was he yf any wight wel ferde That louer was whan he it wyst or herde For soth to sayne he loste held euery wiÈt But yf he were in loues hygh seruyce I meane folke that ought it ben of ryght And ouer all this so wel coulde he deuyse Of sentement and in so vncouth wyse All his aray that euery louer thought That all was well what so he sayde or wrought And though that he be come of bloud royal Hym lyst of pryde at no wyght for to chace Benigne he was to eche in generall For which he gat him thaÌ„ke in euery place Thus wolde loue yhered be his grace That pryde and yre enuy and auaryce He gan to flye and euery other vyce Thou lady bright the doughter of Diane Thy blynde winged son eke Dan Cupide Ye sustren nyne eke that by Helicâ—ne In hyl Pernaso lysten fyr to abyde That ye thus ferre han deyned me to gyde I can nomore but syns that ye woll wende Ye heryed ben for aye withouten ende Through you haue I sayd fully in my soÌ„ge Theffect and ioye of Troylus seruyce All be it there was some disease amonge As myne auctour lysteth to deuyse My thyrde boke nowe ende I in this wyse And Troylus in lust and in quyete Is with Creseyde his owne hert swete ¶ Explicit liber tertius BVt all to lytle welaway the whyle Lasteth suche ioy ythonked be fortune That semeth trewest whan she woll begyle And can to fooles so her songe entune That she hem hent y e bleÌ„t traytour coÌ„mune And whaÌ„ a wight is froÌ„ her whele ythrow ThaÌ„ laugheth she maketh hym the mow From Troylus she gan her bryght face Away to wryth and toke of hym none hede And cast hym clene out of his ladyes grace And on her whele she set vp Diomede For which myn hert riÈt now gyueth blede And now my pen alas w t which I wryte Quaketh for drede of that I muste endyte For how Creseyde Troylus forsoke Or at the leste howe that she was vnkynde Mote hence forthe ben mater of my boke As writeÌ„ folke through which it is in mynde Alas that they shulde euer cause fynde To speke her harme yf they on her lye Iwys hem selfe shulde haue the vilanye O ye Herynes nyghtes doughters thre That endlesse complayne euer in payne Megera Alleâ—to and eke Tesiphonee Thou cruell Mars eke father of Quiryne This ylke Fourth boke helpe me to fyne So that the loos and loue and lyfe yfere Of Troylus be fully shewed here ¶ Incipit liber Quartus LIgging in host as I haue sayd er this The grekes stroÌ„g aboute Troy toun Byfell that whan that Phebus shynyng is Vpon the brest of Hercules Lyon That Hector with many a bolde baron Caste on a day with grekes for to fyght As he was wont to greue heÌ„ what he might Not I how longe or shorte it was bytwene This purpose that day they fyghteÌ„ mente But on a day wel armed bright and shene Hector and many a worthy knight out wente with speare in hond and bygge bowes bente And in the berde withouten lenger lette Her fomen in the felde anon hem mette The longe day w t speares sharpe ygrouÌ„de with arowes dartes swerdes maces fell They fight bringen horse man to grouÌ„de And with her axes out the braynes quell But in the laste shoure sothe to tell The folke of Troye hem seluen so misledden That with y e worse at night hom they fleddeÌ„ At wyche day was taken Anthenor Maugre Polymydas or Monesteo Xantyppe Sarpedon Palestynor Polyte or eke the Troyan dan Rupheo And other lasse folke as Phebuseo So that for harme y e day the folke of Troye Dredden to lese a great parte of her ioye Of Priamus was yeue at grekes requeste A tyme of truce and tho they gonnen trete Her Prisoners to chaungen moste and leste And for the surplus yeuen sommes grete This thyng anon was couthe in euery strete Both in thassege in towne and euery where And with the fyrst it came to Calkas eere whan Calkas knew this tretyse shulde hold In consystorie amonge the grekes sone He gan in thring forthe with lordes olde And set hym there as he was wonte to done And with a chaunged face hem bade aboue For loue of god to done that reuerence To stynten noyse yeue him audyence Than sayd he thus lo lordes myne I was Troyan as it is knowen out of
flateryng to be desyred Thus at the last it behouethe the to suffren wyth euen wyll in pacience al that is done wythin the floure of fortune that is to say in this worlde syth thou hast ones put thy necke vnder y e yoke of her For if thou wolt writen a lawe of wending of dwellyng to fortune whyche that thou haste chosen frely to bene thy lady Art thou not wrongfull in that and makeste fortune wrothe and asper by thyne impacience and yet thou mayst not chaungen her If thou coÌ„myttest and be takeste thy sayles to the wynde thou shalte be shouen nat thyder that thou woldeste but whyder that the wynde shoueth the. If thou casteste thy seedes in the feldes thou shouldeste haue in mynd y t the eares ben amonges otherwhile plenteous otherwhile bareyn Thou hast betaken thy selfe to the gouernaunce of fortune and for thy it behoueth the to ben abeysaunt to the maners of thy lady Enforceste thou the to aresten or wyth holdeÌ„ the swyftnesse and the sweygh of her turning whele O thou fole of all mortall fooles yf fortune began to dwell stable she cessed than to ben fortune Hec cum superba verterit vices dextra exestuantis more fertur Euripi DuduÌ„ tremendos seâ—a proterit reges humilemque victi subleuat fallax vultuÌ„ NoÌ„ illa dura mesiros audit haud curat fletus c. WHaÌ„ Fortune wyth a proud ryght hande with turned her chaunging stoundes she fareth lyke the maners of the boylynge Eurype Glosa Euripe is an arme of the see y e ebbeth and sloweth and somtyme the streme is on o syde and somtyme on that other Text. She crewel fortune casteth adoun kinges that whylom weeren ydrad and she disceiuable enhaunceth vp the humble cheer of hym that is discomfyted ne she nether hereth ne recketh of wretched wepynges And she is so harde that she laugheth scorneth the wepyng of hem the which she hath maked to wepe with her frewil Thus she playeth and thus she proueth her streÌ„gthes and sheweth a great wonder to al her seruauÌ„tes yf that a wyghte is seen welefull and ouerthrowe in an hour Vellem autem pauca tecum Fortune ipsius verbis agitare Tu igitur an ius postulet animaduerte P. Quid tu o homo ream me agis quotidianis querelis c. CErtes I wolde pleden wyth the a fewe thynges vsyng the wordes of fortune take hede now thy selfe yf that she aske ryght O thou man wherfore makeste thou me gyltye by thine euerye dayes playnynges what wronge haue I done the what goodes haue I beraft the y t were thyne Striue or pleate wyth me before what iudge that y u wylt of the possession of rychesses or of dignites yf thou mayst shewen me that euer any mortall man hathe receyued anye of tho thynges to bene hys in proper than wyll I graunt frely that thylke thynges were thyn whyche that thou askest whan that nature brought the forth out of thy mothers woÌ„be I receyued the naked and nedye of all thynges and I nourished the with al my rychesses and was redye and ententyfe thorowe my fauoure to sustayne the and that maketh the nowe impacient ayenst me And I enuyronned the wyth all habondaunce and shynyng of al goodes that bene in my right now it lyketh me to wythdrawe myn honde Thou hast had grace as he that hathe vsed forayne goodes Thou haste no ryghte to playne the as though thou haddeste vtterly forlorne al thy thinges why playneste thou thaÌ„ I haue done the no wronge Richesses honours and such other thinges ben of my right My seruauntes knowen me for her lady they come wyth me departed whan I wende I dare wel afferme hardely y t yf tho thinges of whiche thou playneste that thou hast forlorne had ben thyne thou ne haddest not lorn hem Shal I thaÌ„ be defended only to vse my right Certes it is leful to y e heuen to make clere daies after that to ouercome tho same dayes wyth derke nyghtes The yere hath eke leaue to apparayle the vysage of y e erth now w t floures nowe with frute and to coÌ„founde hem somtyme with raynes and wyth colde The see hath eke his right to bene somtyme calme and blandyshynge with smoth water and somtyme to be horrible wyth wawes and wyth tempestes But couetyse of men that maye not be staunched shall it bynde me to be stedfaste sythen that stedfastnesse is vncouthe to my maners Such is my strength and such play I play comenly I turne the whirlyng whele wyth the tournyng cerkle I am glad to chaungen the loweste to the hyest and the hyest to the lowest worthe vp yf thou wolte so it be by thys lawe that thou ne holde not that I do the wronge thoughe thou discende adowne whan the reasonne of my playe asketh it wist thou nat how Cresus king of Lidiens of which kynge Cyrus was ful sore agast a lytle beforene that this Cresus was caught of Cyrus and led to the fyre to be brent but that a rayne discended from heauen that rescowed him And is out of minde how that Paulus consull of Rome whan he had taken the kynge of Perciens weped pytously for the captiuitie of the selfe kynge what other thynge bewaylen the cryinge of tragedyes but onely the dedes of fortune that w t an aukewarde stroke ouertourneth the realmes of great nobley Glose Tragedye is to sayne a ditee of a prosperite for a tyme that endeth in wretchednesse Learnedst not thou in Grece whan thou were yonge that in the entrie or in the seller of Iupiter there ben couched two tonnes that one is full of good that other is ful of harme what ryght haste thou to playne yf thou hast taken more pleÌ„teously of the good syde that is to sayne of rychesse and prosperitie And what eke yf I be not al departed from the what eke if thy mutable yeueth y e right full cause of hope to haue yet better thynges Nathelesse dismaye the not in thy thought And thou that art put in the coÌ„mune realm of all ne desyre not to lyuen by thyne owne propre ryght Si quaÌ„tas rapidis flatibus incitus Pontus versat arenas Aut quot stelliferis edita noctibus celo sydera fulgent Tantas fundat opes nec retrahat manum pleno copia cornu Humanum miseras had ideo genus Cesset slere querelas ce THoughe plentye goddesse of rychesse hylde a downe with a ful horne and withdrawe not her hande as many rychesse as the see turneth vpwarde sandes whan it is moued with rauyshyng blastes or els as many rychesses as there shynen bryght sterres in the heuen on the sterry nyghtes yet for all y e mankynde wold not cesse to wepe wretched playntes And al be it so that god receyued her prayers and yeueth hem as foole large moche golde and apparayleth coueytous folk with noble or clere honours yet semeth hym haue gotten nothing But alway cruel rauyne
the mowynge to done yuell that thou praydest that it myght sone be ended that thou woldest fayne lernen that it ne shulde nat longe endure And that shrewes ben more vnsely yf they were of lenger durynge and moost vnsely yf they weren perdurable And after thys I haue shewed the that more vnsely ben shrewes whan they escapen without her ryghtfull payne than whan they bene punyshed by ryghtfull vengeaunce And of thys sentence foloweth it that than ben shrewes constrayned at the laste with moost greuous tourment whaÌ„ men wene that they ne be nat punyshed â–ª Boece Whan I consyder thy reasons ê™ I I ne trowe nat that men sayn any thynge more verely And yf I tourne ayen to the studyes of men who is he to whom it shulde seme that he ne shulde nat only leuen these thynges but eke gladly herken hem Philo. Certes ê™ she so it is but men maye nat for they haue theyr eyen so wont to the derknesse of erthly thynges that they ne maye nat lyfte hem vp to the lyght of clere sothfastnesse But they beÌ„ lyke to byrdes of whych the night lyghtneth her lokynges and the day blyndeth hem For whaÌ„ men loken nat the ordre of thynges but her lustes and talentes they wene that eyther the leue or the mowynge to done wyckednesse or els the scapynge wythout payne be weleful But consyder the iugemeÌ„t of the perdurable lawe for yf thou conferme thy courage to the best thynges thou ne hast no nede of no Iuge to yeuen the pryce or mede for thou hast ioyned thy selfe to the moost excellent thynges And yf thou haue enclined thy studies to the wycked thynges ne seke no foreyne wrekery out of thy selfe for thou thy selfe hast thrist thy selfe in no wycked thynges ryght as thou mightest lokeÌ„ by diuers tymes the foule erth and the heuen that all other thynges stynten fro without so that thou were in neyther ne se nothynge more Than sholde it semen to the as by only reason of lokyng that thou were nowe in the sterres nowe in the erth but the people loketh nat on these thynges What than shall we than aproche vs to hem that I haue shewed that ben lyke to beestes And what woldest thou sayn of thys yf that a man had al forlorne hys sight and had foryeten that he euer sawe and wened that no thing fayled him of perfection of mankynde Nowe we which mighteÌ„ sene the same thynges wold we nat sayne that he were blynde ne also ne accordeth nat the people to that I shal sayn the which thing is susteyned by as strounge foundementes of reason that is to sayn that more vnsely ben they that doÌ„ wroÌ„ges to other folke than they that the wronge suffren Boe. I wolde heren thilke same reasons ê™ I Philo. Denyest thou ê™ she that all shrewes ne ben worthy to haue tourment Nay ê™ I Philo. But ê™ she I am certayne by many reasons that shrewes ben vnsely Boece It accordeth quod I Phil. Than ne doutest thou not ê™ she that thylke folke that ben worthy of tourment that they ne be wretches Boece It accordeth well quod I Philoso If thou were thaÌ„ sette a iuge or a knower of thynges whether trowest thou that men shulde tourmenten hem that hathe done wronge or els hem that suffred the wronge Boece I doute not ê™ I that I nolde do suffycient satisfaction to hem that haue suffred wronge by the sorowe of hem that hath doone wronge Philo Than semeth it ê™ she that the doer of wronge is more wretche than he that suffred wronge Boece That foloweth well ê™ I Philo. Than ê™ she by these causes and by other causes that ben enforced by the same rote that fylth or synne by the propre nature of it maketh men wretches and it sheweth wel that the wronges that men don nys nat the wretchednesse of hym that receyueth the wronge but the wretchednesse of hym that dothe the wrong But certes ê™ she these oratours or aduocates done all the contrary for they enforcen hem to commone the Iuges to â—aâ—e pyte of hem that done the greuaunces and the wronges the which shrewes it were a more couenable thynge that the accusours or aduocates nat wroth but pyteous and debonayre ledden tho shrewes that haue done wronge to the iugement ryght as men leden syke folke to the leche for that they shulden sekyn out the maladyes of synne by tourment And by thys couenant eyther the entente of aduocates shulde cessen in all or els yf the offyce of the aduocates wolde better profyten to men it shuld be tourned in to the habyte of accusacyoÌ„ that is to sayn they shulden accuse shrewes and nat excusen hem And eke the shrewes hem selfe yf it were lefull to hem to sene at any clyfte the vertue that they haue forletten and sawen that they shuld put ten adowne the fylthes of her vyces by the tourmentes of paynes they ne oughten nat ryght for y e recompensacyon for to geteÌ„ hem bounte and prowesse whiche that they haue loste demen and holde that the ylke paynes weren tourmentes to hem and eke they wolden refuse the attendaunce of her aduocates and taken hem selfe to her Iuges and to her accusours for y e which it betydeth that as to the wyse folkes there nys no place yletten to hate y t is to sayne that hate ne hath no place amonge wyse men For no wight nyl haten good men but yf he were ouer moche a foole and for to haten shrewes it nys no reason for ryght as languysshynge is maladye of body ryght so ben vyces and synne maladye of courage And so as we ne deme nat that they whych that ben syke of her body ben worthy to ben hated but rather worthy of pyte Wel more worthy nat to ben hated but for to ben had in pyte ben they of which the thoughtes ben constrayned by felonous wyckednesse that is more cruell than any languysshynge of body Quid taÌ„tos iuuat excitare motus Et propria fatum sollicitate manu Si mortem petitis propinquat ipsa Sponte sua volucres nec remoratur equos c. WHat delyteth you to excyten so great mouynge of hatredes and to hasteÌ„ and busyen the fatal disposycyon of your deth with your propre handes that is to sayn by batayls or conteke For yf ye axen the dethe it hasteth hym of hys owne wyll ne dethe ne taryeth nat hys swyfte horse And the men that the serpentes and the lyon and the tygre and the beere and the bore seken to sleen wyth theyr tethe yet thylke same men seken to sleen eueryche of hem other wyth swerde Lo for her maners ben dyuers and discordaunt they mouen vnryghtful hostes cruel batayles and wylnen to perysshe by entrechaungynge of dartes but the reason of cruelte nys nat ynough rightful wylte thou thaÌ„ yelden a couenable guerdon to the desertes of men loue rightfully good folkes and haue pyte on shrewes Hinc ego video inquam
thou hast feare and wonder I am dwellyng wyth the god of thonder whych men callen Iupiter That doth me styen ful ofte fer To do al thys commaundement And for thys cause he hathe me sent To the Herke nowe by thy trouth Certayne he hath of the routh That thou hast so truely Longe serued ententyfely Hys blynde neuewe Cupido And fayre Venus also wythout guerdon euer yet And netheles hast set thy wyt Although in thy heed full lytle is To make bokes songes and ditees In ryme or els in cadence As thou best canst in reuerence Of loue and of hys seruauntes eke That haue his seruyce sought and seke And paynest the to prayse his arte Although thou haddest neuer parte wherfore also god me blesse Iouis halte it great humblesse And vertue eke that thou wylt make A nyght full ofte thyne heed to ake In thy studye so thou wrytest And euermore of loue endytest In honour of him and praysynges And in hys folkes furtherynges And in her matter al deuysest And not hym ne his folke dispisest Although thou mayst go in the daunce Of hem that hym lyst not auaunce wherfore as I sayd ywys Iupiter consydereth wel thys And also beausyre of other thynges That is thou hast no tydynges Of loues folke yf they be glade Ne of nothynge els that god made And not onely fro farre countre That no tydynges comen to the Not of thy very neyghbours That dwellen almoost at thy dores Thou herest neyther that ne thys For whan thy labour al done is And hast made all thy rekenynges In stede of rest and of newe thynges Thou goest home to thyne house anone And also dombe as a stone Thou syttest at another boke Tyl fully dased is thy loke And lyuyst thus as an Hermyte Although thyne abstinence is lyte And therfore Iouis through hys grace wyl that I bere the to a place whiche that hyght the house of Fame And to do the sporte and game In some recompensatioun Of thy labour and deuotioun That thou hast had lo causeles To god Cupido the recheles And thus thys god through hys meryte wyl wyth some maner thynge the quyte So that thou wylte be of good chere For trust well that thou shalt here whan we be comen there as I saye Mo wonder thynges dare I laye And of loues folke mo tydynges Both sothsawes and leasynges And mo loues newe begon And longe serued tyl loue is won And mo louers casuelly That bene betydde no man wote why But as a blynde man starteth an Hare And more iolyte and welfare whyle they fynde loue of stele As thynke men and ouer all we le Mo discordes and mo ialousyes Mo murmures and mo nouelryes And also mo dissimulacions And eke feyned reperations And mo berdes in two houres wythout rasour or sysoures Ymade than graynes be of sandes And eke mo holdyng in mo handes And also mo renouelaunces Of olde forleten acqueyntaunces Mo louedayes and mo accordes Than on instumentes bene cordes And eke of loue mo exchaunges Than euer corne were in graunges Vnneth mayst thou trowen thys Quod he no so me helpe god as wys Quod I No why quod he for it were impossible to my wyt Though fame had all the pyes In al a realme and al espyes Howe that yet he shulde here al thys Or they espyen O yes yes Quod he to me that can I preue By reason worthy for to leue So that thou gyue thyne aduertence To vnderstande my sentence Fyrst shal thou here where she dwelleth Ryght so as thyne owne boke telleth Her palays standeth as I shall say Ryght euen amyddes of the way Bytwene heuen erth and see That what so euer in all these thre Is spoken in pryue or apperte The way therto is so ouerte And stante eke in so iuste a place That euery sowne mote to it pace Or what so cometh from any tonge Be it rowned redde or songe Or spoken in surete or drede Certayne it mote thyther nede Nowe herken wel for why I wyl Tellen the a proper skyl And a worthy demonstration In myne ymaginacyon Geffray thou wottest wel thys That euery kyndly thynge that is Hath a kyndly stede there he Maye best in it conserued be Vnto whiche place euery thynge Through his kyndly enclynynge Meueth for to come to whan that it is awaye therfro As thus Lo howe thou mayst al day se Take any thynge that heuy be As stone or leed or thyng of weyght And bere it neuer so hye on heyght Let go thyne hande it falleth downe Ryght so say I by fyre or sowne Or smoke or other thynges lyght Alwaye they seke vpwarde on heyght Lyght thyngs vp downwarde charge whyle eueryche of hem be at large And for thys cause thou mayst well se That euery ryuer vnto the see Enclyned is to go by kynde And by these skylles as I fynde Haue fyshes dwellyng in flode and see And trees eke on the erth be Thus euery thynge by hys reason Hath his owne proper mansion To whiche he seketh to repeyre There as it shulde not appeyre Lo thys sentence is knowen couth Of euery philosophers mouth As Aristotle and dan Platone And other clerkes many one And to confirme my reasoun Thou wost wel that speche is sowne Or els no man might it here Nowe herke what I wyl the lere Sowne is not but eyre ybroken And euery speche that is spoken Loude or pryue foule or fayre In hys substaunce is but eyre For as flame is but lyghted smoke Ryght so is sowne eyre ybroke But thys maye be in many wyse Of whych I wyl the deuyse As sowne cometh of pype or harpe For whan a pype is blowen sharpe The eyre is twyst wyth violence And rent Lo thys is my sentence Eke whan men harpe strynges smyte whether it be muche or lyte Lo wyth the stroke the eyre to breketh And ryght so breketh it whan men speketh Thus wost thou well what thing is speche Nowe hensforth I wyl the teche Howe euery speche voyce or sowne Throughe his multiplycacyowne Thoughe it were pyped of a mouse Mote nedes come to Fames house I proue it thus take hede nowe By experience for yf that thou Threwe in a water nowe a stone well wost thou it wyl make anone A lytle roundle as a cercle Parauenture as brode as a couercle And ryght anone thou shalte se well That whele cercle wyl cause another whele And that the thyrde and so forthe brother Euery cercle causynge other Broder than hym selfe was And thus fro roundel to compas Eche aboute other goynge Causeth of others sterynge And multeplyeng euermo Tyl it be so farre go That it at bothe brynkes be Al thoughe thou may it not se Aboue yet gothe it alway vnder Though thou thynke it a greate wonder And who so saythe of trouthe I vary Bydde hym proue the contrary And right thus euery worde ywys That loud or pryue yspoken is Moueth first an eyre aboute And of his mouynge out of doute
to crye That neuer herde I thynge so hye Holde vp thyne heed for all is well Saynct Iulyan lo bonne hostel Se here the house of Fame lo Mayest thou not here that I do what quod I the great sowne Quod he that rombleth vp and downe In Fames house full of tydynges Both of fayre speche and chydynges And of false and soth compowned Herken well it is not rowned Hearest thou not the great swough Yes perde quod I well ynough And what sowne is it lyke quod he Peter lyke the beatyng of the see Quod I agaynst the roches holowe whan tempestes done her shyppes swalow And that a man stande out of dout A myle thence and here it route Or els lyke the humblyng After the clappe of a thundrynge whan Iouis hath the eyre ybete But it doth me for feare swete Nay drede the not therof quod he It is nothyng that wyll byten the Thou shalt haue no harme truly And with that worde both he and I As nygh the place aryued were As men myght cast with a spere I nyst how but in a strete He set me fayre on my fete And sayde walke forth a pace And tell thyne aduenture and case That thou shalt fynde in fames place Now quod I whyle we haue space To speke or that I go fro the For the loue of god tell me In soth that I wyll of the lere Yf this noyse that I here Be as I haue herde the tell Of folke that downe in erth dwell And coÌ„meth here in the same wyse As I the herde or this deuyse And that here lyues body nys In all that house that yonder is That maketh all this loude fare No quod he by saynct Clare And also wysse god rede me But o thynge I wyl warne the Of the which thou wylt haue wonder Lo to the house of Fame yonder Thou wost how coÌ„meth euery speche It nedeth not the efte to teche But vnderstande now ryght well this whan any speche ycomen is Vp to the palays anon ryght It wexeth lyke the same wyght which that the worde in erth spake Be he clothed in red or blake And hath so very his lykenesse And spake the worde that thou wylt gesse That it the same body be Man or womon he or she And is not this a wonder thynge Yes quod I tho by heuen kynge And with this worde farewel ê™ he And here wyll I abyde the And god of heuen sende the grace Some good to lerne in this place And I of hym toke leaue anone And gan forth to the palayes gone ¶ Explicit liber secundus GOd of scyence and of lyght Apollo throughe thy great myght Thys lytle last booke now thou gye Not that I wyll for maystrye Here art potentiall be shewde But for the ryme is lyght and lewde Yet make it somwhat agreable Though some verse fayle in a syllable And that I do no diligence To shewe craft but sentence And yf deuyne vertue thou wylt helpe me to shewe nowe That in my heed ymarked is Lo that is for to meanen this The house of Fame for to discryue Thou shalt se me go as blyue Vnto the next laurer I se And kysse it for it is thy tree Now entre in my brest anone whan I was from the Egle gone I gan beholde vpon this place And certayne or I forther pace I woll you all the shappe deuyse Of house and cytie and all the wyse How I gan to this place approche That stode vpon so hye a roche Hyer standeth none in Spayne But vp I clambe with moche payne And though to clymbe greued me Yet I ententyfe was to se And for to pooren wondre lowe Yf I coude anywyse yknowe what maner stone this roche was For it was lyke a lymed glas But that it shone full more clere But of what congeled matere It was I nyst redely But at the last espyed I And fonde that it was euery dele A roche of yse and not of stele Thought I by saynt Thomas of kent This were a feble foundement To buylden on a place hye He ought hym lytle to glorifye That heron buylte god so me saue Tho sawe I all the hall ygraue with famous folkes names fele That had bene in moche wele And her fames wyde yblowe But well vnneth myght I knowe Any letters for to rede Her names by for out of drede They weren almoost of thawed so That of the letters one or two were molte away of euery name So vnfamous was wexe her fame But men say what maye euer last Tho gan I in myne hert cast That they were molte away for hete And not away with stormes bete For on that other syde I sey Of this hyll that northwarde ley How it was wrytten ful of names Of folke that had afore great fames Of olde tyme and yet they were As fresh as men had wrytten hem there The selfe day or that houre That I on hem gan to poure But well I wyst what it made It was conserued with the shade All the wrytyng that I sye Of a Castell that so stode on hye And stode eke in so colde a place That heate myght it not deface Tho gan I on this hyll to gone And founde on the coppe a wone That all the men that ben on lyue Ne han the connyng to discryue The beautie of that ylke place Ne coude cast no compace Suche an other for to make That myght of beautie be his make Ne so wondrely ywrought That it astonyeth yet my thought And maketh all my wyt to swynke On this castell for to thynke So that the great beautie The cast craft and curiositie Ne can I not to you deuyse My wyt ne may me not suffyse But nathelesse all the substaunce I haue yet in my remembraunce For why me thought by saynct Gyle Al was of stone of Beryle Both the castell and the toure And eke the hall and euery boure without peces or ioynynges But many subtell compassynges As babeuries and pynnacles Ymageries and tabernacles I sawe and full eke of wyndowes As flakes fallen in great snowes And eke in eche of the pynacles weren sondrye habytacles In which stoden all withouten Full the castell all abouten Of all maner of mynstrales And iestours that tellen tales Both of wepyng and of game And of all that longeth vnto fame There herde I play on an harpe That sowned both well and sharpe Hym Orpheus full craftely And on this syde fast by Satte the harper Orion And Gacides Chirion And other harpers many one And the Briton Glaskyrione And smal harpers with her glees Sat vnder them in dyuers sees And gon on hem vpwarde to gape And countrefayted hem as an ape Or as a crafte countrefayte kynde Tho sawe I standen hem behynde Afarre from hem all by hem selue Many a thousande tymes twelue That made loude mynstralsyes In cormuse and shalmyes And many an other pype That craftely began to pype Both in douâ—ed and in rede That bene
I who is a frayler thyng quod she than the fleshly bodye of a man ouer whyche haue oftentyme flyes and yet lasse thyng than a flye mokel might in greuaunce and anoyenge withouten any withsytting for al thylke mannes mightes And sythen thou frest thy fleshlye bodye in kyndely power fayle how shulde thaÌ„ the accident of a thing ben in more surete of beyng than substancial wherfore thylke thinges y t we clepe power is but accident to the fleshly body and so they may not haue that suretie in might which wanteth in the substanciall body why there is no waye to the knot that loketh aright after the hye way as he shulde VErily it is proued that richesse dignite power ben not trew way to the knot but as rath by such thynges the knotte to be vnbounde wherfore on these thynges I rede no wight trust to gette anye good knotte But what shul we saye of renome in the peoples mouthes shulde y t ben any cause what supposest y u in thine hert Certes quod I yes I trow for your fly resons I dare not sacâ—ly it say Than ê™ she wol I preue y t shrewes as rath shul ben in y e knot as the good y u were ayenst kynde Fayne quod I wolde I that here me thynketh wondre howe renoume shoulde as wel knyt a shrewe as a good person renoume in euery degree hathe auaunced yet wist I neuer the contrary shuld thaÌ„ renoume accorde with a shrewe it may not synke in my stomacke tyll I heare more Nowe quod she haue I not sayd alwayes the shrewes shull not haue the knot what nedeth quod I to reherse that anye more I wote well euery wyght by kyndely reason shrewes in knyttyng wol eschewe Than ê™ she the good ought thylke knotte to haue Howe els quod I It were greate harme quod she that the good were weyued and put out of espoire of the knot yf it be desired O ê™ I alas on suche thynge to thynke I wene that heuen wepeth to se suche wroÌ„ges here bene suffred on erth the good ought it to haue and no wyght els The goodnesse ê™ she of a person may not ben knowe outforth but by renome of the knowers wherfore he must be renoumed of goodnesse to come to the knot So must it be ê™ I or els all lost that we carpen Sothly ê™ she that were great harme but yf a good maÌ„ might haue his desyres in seruyce of thylke knot and a shrewe to be veyned and they ben not knowen in general but by lackyng and pray sing and in renome and so by the coÌ„sequeÌ„ce it foloweth a shrewe to ben praysed knyt and a good to be forsake and vnknyt Ah ê™ I tho haue ye ladye bene here abouten yet wolde I se by grace of our argumentes better declared how good bad do accordeÌ„ by lackyng and praysyng me thynketh it ayeÌ„st kynde Nay ê™ she and that shalt thou se as yerne these elementes han coÌ„trarious qualities in kynde by whiche they mowe not accorde nomore than good bad and in qualities they accorde so that contraryes by qualitie accorden by qualitie Is not erth drye water that is nexte and bytwene therth is wete drye and were ben contrary mowen not accorde yet this discordaunce is bouÌ„d to accorde by cloudes for bothe elementes ben colde Ryght so the eyre that is next the water is wete and eke it is hote This eyre by his hete contraryeth water that is colde but thylke contraryoustye is oned my moysture for both be they moyst Also the fyre y t is next the eyre and it encloseth al about is drye wherthrough it contraryeth eyre that is were in hete they accorde for both they ben hote Thus by these accordauÌ„ces discordauÌ„tes ben ioyned and in a maner of accordaunce they accorden by connection that is knyttyng togyther of that accorde coÌ„meth a maner of melody y t is ryght noble Ryght so good and bad are contrarye in doinges by lackyng and praysyng good is both lacked and praysed of some and bad is both lacked and praysed of some wherfore theyr contrarioustie accorde both by lackynge and praysyng Than foloweth it though good be neuer so mokel praysed oweth more to beÌ„ knit than the bad or els bad for the renome that he hath must be takeÌ„ as wel as y e good and that oweth not No forsoth ê™ I wel ê™ she than is renome no way to the knot Lo fole ê™ she howe clerkes writen of suche glorye of renome O glorie glorie thou arte none other thynge to thousandes of folke but a great sweller of eares Many one hath had full greate renoume by false opynion of varyaunt people And what is fouler thaÌ„ folke wrongfully to ben praysed or by malyce of the people gyltelesse lacked nedes shame foloweth therof to hem y t with wronge prayseth and also to the desertes praysed and vilanye and reprofe of hym that disclauÌ„dreth Good chylde quod she what echeth suche renome to the conscience of a wyse man that loketh and measureth his goodnesse not by sleuelesse wordes of the people but by sothe fastnesse of conscience by god nothyng And if it be fayre a mans name be eched by moch folkes praysyng and fouler thynge that mo folke not praysen I sayde to the a lytle here beforne that no folke in straunge countries nought praysen suche renoume may not comen to theyr eares bycause of vnknowyng and other obstacles as I sayde wherfore more folke not praysen and that is ryghte foule to hym that renome desyreth to wetelesse folke praysen than renoume enhaunce I trowe the thanke of a people is nought worth in remembraunce to take ne it procedeth of no wyse iudgement neuer is it stedfast perdurable it is veyne and flying with wynde wasteth and encreaseth Trulye such glorye ought to be hated Yf gentyllesse be a clere thyng renome and glory to enhauÌ„ce as in rekenyng of thy lynage than is gentyllesse of thy kynne for why it semeth that gentylesse of thy kynne is but praysynge and renoume that come of thyne auncestres desertes and yf so be that praysynge and renoume of theyr desertes make theyr clere gentylesse than mote they nedes ben gentyl for theyr gentil dedes not y u for of thy selfe commeth not suche maner gentylesse praysynge of thy desertes Than gentylesse of thyne auncesters that forayne is to the maketh the not gentyl but vngeÌ„tyl and reproued and yf thou contynuest not theyr gentyllesse And therfore a wyse man ones sayde Better is it thy kynne to bene by the gentyled than thou to glorify of thy kynnes gentylesse and haste no deserte thereof thy selfe How passyng is the beautie of fleshly bodyes more flyttyng than mouable floures of sommer And yf thyne eyen were as good as the Lynx that may sene thorowe many stone walles both fayre and foule in theyr entrayles of no maner hewe shoulde appere to thy syght that were a foule syght Than is fayrenesse by feblesse of eyen but
nowe no domination Pite is exiled no man is merciable Through couetyse is blente discretion The worlde hath made a permutation Fro ryght to wrong fro trouth to fykelnesse That al is lost for lacke of stedastnesse ¶ Lenuoye Prince desyre to be honourable Cherysh thy folke and hate extorcion Suffre nothyng that may be reprouable To thyne estate done in thy region Shewe forth the yerde of castigation Drede god do law loue trouth worthines And wedde thy folke ayen to stedfastnesse ¶ Explicit ¶ Good counsayle of Chaucer FLye ye fro the prease dwell wyth sothfastnesse Suffice vnto thy good yf it be smal For horde hathe hate clymbynge tykelnesse Prease hath enuye and wele is blent ouer al Sauour no more than the behoue shall Rede wel thy selfe that other folke shal rede And trouth the shal delyuer it is no drede Payne the not eche croked to redresse In trust of her that turneth as a balle Great rest stondeth in lytle besynesse Beware also to spurne agayne a nalle Stryue not as doth a Crocke wyth a walle Deme thy selfe that demest others dede And trouth the shal delyuer it is no drede That the is sent receyue in buxomnesse The wrastlyng of this worlde asketh a fal Here is no home here is but wyldernesse Forth pylgrym forth beest out of thy stal Loke vpon heygh and thanke god of al weyue thy lust and let thy goost the lede And trouth the shal delyuer it is no drede ¶ Explicit ¶ Balade of the vyllage wythout payntynge ¶ Playntyfe to fortune THys wretched worldes transmutation As wele wo now pore and nowe honour Wythout order or dew discretion Gouerned is by fortunes errour But nathlesse the lacke of her fauour Ne may not do me singe though that I dye Iay tout pardu mon temps et labour For finally fortune I defye Yet is me lefte the syght of my reasoun To knowe frende fro foe in thy myrrour So much hath yet thy turnyng vp doun I taught me to knowen in an hour But trewly no force of thy reddour To hym that ouer hym selfe hath maystry My suffisaunce shal be my socour For finally fortune I defye O Socrates thou stedfast champion She myght neuer be thy turmentour Thou neuer dreddest her opression Ne in her chere founde thou no fauour Thou knewe the disceyte of her colour And that her moost worshyp is for to lye I knowe her eke a false dissimulour For finally fortune I defye ¶ The answere of fortune No man is wretched but hym selfe it wene He that hath hym selfe hath suffisaunce why sayst thou than I am so to the kene That hast thy selfe out of my gouernaunce say thus graūt mercy of thyne abundaunce That thou hast lent or this y u shalt not striue what wost y u yet howe I wyl the auaunce And eke thou hast thy best frende on lyue I haue the taught diuisyon betwene Frende of effecte and frende of coūtenaunce The nedeth nat the galle of an hyne That cureth eyen derke for her penaunce Nowe seest thou clere y t were in ignoraunce Yet holt thyne anker yet thou maist ariue there bounte bereth the key of my substaūce And eke thou hast thy best frende alyue Howe many haue I refused to sustene Syth I haue the fostred in thy pleasaunce wolt thou than make a statute on thy quene That I shal be aye at thyne ordynaunce Thou borne arte in my reigne of varyaunce Aboute y e whele with other must thou dryue My lore is bette thā which is thy greuaūce And eke thou hast thy best frende a lyue ¶ The answere to fortune Thy lore I dampne it is aduersite My frende mayst y u not reue blynd goddesse That I thy frendes knowe I thanke it the Take hem agayne let hem go lye a presse The nygardes in kepyng her rychesse Prouostyke is thou wolt her toure assayle wicke appetyte cometh aye before syckenesse In general thys rule may not fayle ¶ Fortune Thou pynchest at my mutabilyte For I the lent a droppe of my rychesse And nowe me lyketh to wythdrawe me why shuldest thou my royalte oppresse The see may ebbe and flowe more and lesse The welkē hath mixt to shyne rayne hayle Ryght so must I kyth my brotylnesse In general thys rule may not fayle ¶ The playntyfe Lo the execution of the maieste That al purueyeth of hys ryghtwysenesse That same thyng fortune clepen ye Ye blynde beestes ful of leudnesse The heuen hath properte of sykernesse Thys worlde hath euer restlesse trauayle The laste day is ende of myne entresse In general thys rule may not fayle ¶ Thenuoye of fortune Princes I pray you of your gentylnesse Let not thys man on me thus crye playne And I shal quyte you thys besynesse And yf ye lyst releue hym of hys payne Pray ye hys best frende of his noblesse That to some better estate he maye attayne ¶ Lenuoye TO broken ben the statutes hye in heuen That create were eternally tendure Syth y t I se the bryght goddes seuen Mowe wepe and waile and passion endure As maye in earth a mortal creature Alas fro whence may thys thynge procede Of which errour I dye almost for drede By worde eterne whilom was it shape That fro the fyfth cercle in no manere Ne myght of teares downe escape But nowe so wepeth Venus in her sphere that wyth her teares she wol drench vs here Alas Skogan thys is for thyne offence Thou causest thys deluge of pestilence Hast y u not sayd in blaspheme of the goddis through pride or through thy gret rekilnesse such thinges as in y e lawe of loue forbode is That for thy lady sawe not thy distresse Therfore thou yaue her vp at Myghelinesse Alas Skogon of olde folke ne yonge was neuer erst Skogā blamed for his tong Thou drewe in scorne Cupide eke to recorde Of thilke rebel worde that thou hast spoken For which he wol no lenger be thy lorde And Skogan though hys bow be not brokē He wol not wyth his arowes ben ywroken On the ne me ne none of our figure we shal of him haue neyther hurte ne cure Now certes frend I drede of thine vnhappe Lest for thy gylt the wretche of loue procede On al hem y t bene hore and rounde of shappe That bene so lykely folke to spede Than we shal for our labour haue our mede But wel I wotte thou wolte answere say Lo olde grysel lyst to renne and play Nay Skogan say not so for I me excuse God helpe me so in no ryme doutles Ne thynke I neuer of slepe wake my muse That rusteth in my sheth styl in pees whyle I was yong I put her forth in prees But al shal passe that men prose or ryme Take euery man his tourne as for his tyme Skogan thou knelest at the stremes heed Of grace of al honour and of worthynesse In th ende of whych I am dul as deed Forgoten in solatary
deuyse But al to dere they boughten it or they ryse O Soudon wo y t euer thou art successour To worldly blisse springed with bytternesse The ende of ioye of our worldly laboure wo occupyeth the ende of our gladnesse Herken thys counsayle for thy sekernesse Vpon thy glad day haue thou in mynde The vnware wo or harm y t cometh behynde For shortly for to tellen at a worde The Soudon and the christen euerychone Ben al to hewe and stycked at the borde But it were onely dame Custaunce alone Thys olde Soudonnesse curled crone Hath wyth her frēdes done thys cursed dede For she her selfe wolde al the countre lede Ne there was surreyn none y t was cōuerted That of the coūsayle of the Soudon wot That he nas al to heawe er he asterted And Custaūce han they taken anone fotehot And in a shyppe al sternelesse god wot They han her set bydden her lerne to sayle Out of Surrey ayenwarde to Itayle A certayne tresour that she thyder ladde And soth to sayne vytayle great plente They han her yeuen clothes eke she had And sorth she sayled in the salte se O my custaunce ful of benignite O Emperours yonge doughter dere He that is lorde of fortune be thy stere She blesseth her and w t ful pytous voyce Vnto the crosse of Christ tho sayd she O clere o welful aulter holy croice Reed of the lambes blode ful of pyte That washe y e worlde fro y e olde iniquite Me fro the fende and fro hys clawe kepe That daye that I shal drenchen in the depe Victorious tree protection of trewe That onely worthy were for to bere The kynge of heuē with hys woūdes newe The whyte lambe that hurt was w t a spere Flemere of fendes out of hym and here On whych thy lymmes faythfully extenden Me kepe yeue me myght my lyfe to amēdē Yeares and dayes fleteth thys creature Thrughout y e see of Grece vnto the strayte Of Marocke as it was her auenture O many a sory mele may she bayte After her death ful ofte may she wayte Or that the wylde waues wolde her dryue Vnto the place there she shulde aryue Men mightē askē why she was not slayne Eke at the feest who myght her body saue I answere to that demaunde agayne who saued Daniel in that horrible caue Ther euery wyght were he master er knaue was wyth the lyon frette or he asterte No wyght but god that he bare in his herte God lyst to shewe his wonderful myracle In her for she shuld sene his mighty werkes Christ that is to euery harme tryacle By certayne meanes often as knowē clerkes Doth thinge for certayne ende y t ful derke is To mans wytte that for our ignoraunce Ne can not knowe hys prudent purueyaūce Now syth y t she was not at y e feest yslawe who kepeth her fro the drenchyng in the see who kept Ionas in the fyshes mawe Tyl he was spouted out at Neniue wel may mē knowe it was no wight but he That kept y e people Ebrake from drenchyng wyth drye fete through the see passyng Who hath the foure spirites of y e tempeste That power had both to anoye lande see Both north and south also west and este Anoyeth nether see ne lande ne tre Sothly the cōmaunder therof was he That fro y e tempest aye thys woman kepte As wel when she woke as when she slepte wher might this womā mete drynke haue Thre yere more how lasteth her vitayle who fedde the Egipcyan Marye in the caue Or in deserte none but Christ sans fayle Fyue thousand folk it was as gret maruaile With loues fyue and fysshes two to fede God sent his toyson at her great nede She driueth forthe in to our Occian Throughout the wylde see tyl at the laste Vnder an holde that nempne I ne can Fer in Northumberlōde the waue her caste And in the sande her shyppe stycked so faste That thence nolde it not of al a tyde The wyl of Christ was y t she shuld ther byde The constable of the castel downe is fare To seen this wrecke al the shyp he sought And fonde this wery woman ful of care He founde also the tresoure that she brought In her langage mercy she besought The lyfe out of her body for to twyn Her to delyuer of wo that she was in A mauer latyn corrupte was her speche But algates therby was she vnderstonde The constable whā hym lyst no lenger seche Thys woful woman brought he to londe She kneleth downe thāketh goddes sonde But what she was she wolde no man sey For soule ne fayre though she shulde dey She sayd she was so mased in the see That she foryate her mynde by her trouthe The constable of her hath so great pyte And eke his wyfe that they wepen for routh She was so dyligent withouten slouthe To serue and plese eueryche in that place That al her louen that loken in her face The cōstable dame Hermegilde his wyfe Were paynems and that cōtre euery where But Hermegylde loued her ryght as her lyfe And Custaunce hath so long soiourned there In orisons with many a bytter tere Tyl Iesu hath conuerted through his grace Dame Hermegylde cōstablesse of that place In al that londe durst no christen route Al christen folke ben fledde from that coūtre Through paynems that conquered al about The plages of the North by londe and see To wales fledde the christianyte Of olde Bretons dwellyng in that I le There was her refuge for the meane whyle But yet nas ther neuer christē bretō so exiled That there nas some in her priuete Honoured Christe heathen folke begyled And nye the castel suche there dwellen thre That one of hym was blynde might not se But it were with thylke eyen of his mynde with whiche men seen after they ben blynde Bright was the sonne as in somers day For whiche the constable and his wyfe also And Custaunce han taken the ryght way Towarde the see a furlong waye or two To playen and to romen to and fro And in her walke thre blynde men they met Croked and olde with eyen faste yshette In y e name of Christ cryed this blind bretō Dame hermegylde yeue me syght agayne This lady ware a frayde of the soun Leste that her husbonde shortly for to sayne wold her for Iesus Christes lore haue slayne Til Custāce made her bolde bad her werch The wyl of Christ as doughter of his cherch The cōstable wore abashed of that syght And sayd what amounteth al thys fare Custance answerde syr it is Christes might That helpeth folke out of the fendes snare And soferforth she gan our lawe declare That she the constable er that it was eue Cōuerted hath on Christ made hym bileue This cōstable was nothing lord of this place Of which I speke ther he Custaunce fonde But kept it strongly many a
day Donegylde answerde as at thys tyme nay But here I wol al nyght thou take thy reste To morowe wol I say the what my leste This messaÌ„ger droÌ„ke sadly both ale wyne And stolen were hys letters priuely Out of hys bore whyle he slepte as a swyne And counterfeted was ful subtelly Another letter wrought ful synfully Vnto the kynge dyrecte of thys matere Fro hys constable as ye shal after here The letter spâ—ke the quene delyuered was Of so horrible a fendlyche creature That in the castel none so hardy was That any whyle durst therin endure The mother was an else by auenture I come by charmes or by sorcery And euery wyght hateth her company wo was this kyng wheÌ„ he y t letter had seyn But to no wyght he tolde hys sorowes sore But wyth hys owne honde he wrote ageyn welcome the sonde of Christ for euermore To me that am newe lerned in hys lore Lorde welcome be thy lust thy pleasaunce My iust I put al in thyne ordynaunce Kepeth this childe al be it foule or fayre And eke my wyfe vnto myne home coÌ„myng Christ when him lyst may sende me an heyre More agreable then thys to my lykynge Thys letter he sealeth priuely wepynge whych to the messangere was taken sone And forth he goth ther nys no more to done O messanger fulfylled of dronkennesse StroÌ„ge is thy breth thy lymmes faltreÌ„ aye And thou bewrayest al secretnesse Thy mynde is lorne thou ianglyst as a iaye Thy face is turned in a newe araye There dronkennesse reyneth in any route There nys no couÌ„sayle hyd wythouteÌ„ doute O Donegild I ne haue no englysh digne Vnto thy malyce and thy tyrannye And therfore to the fende I the resygne Let hym endyte of thy traytrye Fye mannyshe fye O nay by god I lye Fye fendyshe spiritâ— for I dare wel tel Though thou here walke thy spirit is in hel This messaÌ„ger cometh fro y e kynge agayne And at the kynges mothers house he lyght And she was of thys messanger ful fayne And pleased hym in al that euer she myght He dronke and wel hys gyrdel vnder pyght He slepeth and he snorteth in hys gyse Al nyght tyl the sonne gan aryse Efte were hys letters stolen euerychon And counterfeted letters in thys wyse The kynge coÌ„maundeth hys constable anon Vp payne of hongyng on an hye iewyse That he ne shulde sustren in no wyse Custaunce wythin hys realme for to abyde Thre dayes and a quarter of a tyde But in the same shyppe as he her fonde Her and her yonge sonne and al her gere He shulde croude and put fro the londe And charge her that she neueâ— eft come there O Custaunce wel may thy goste haue fere And slepynge in thy dreame ben in penauÌ„ce when Donegylde cast al thys ordynaunce This messaÌ„ger on y e morow when he woke Vnto the castel halte the nexte way And to the Constable he the letter toke And when that he thys pytous letter sey Ful ofte he sayd alas and welaway Lord Christ ê™ he how may this world endure So ful of synne is many a creature O myghty god yf that it be thy wyl Syn thou art ryghtful iuge how may it be That thou wylt suffer innocence to spyl And wycked folke to raygne in prosperite O good custaunce alas so wo is me That I mote be thy tourmeÌ„tour or els dey On shames death ther nys none other wey Wepen both yonge olde in that place when that the kynge thys cursed letter sent And Custaunce wyth a deadly pale face The fourth day towarde her shyp she went But nathelesse she taketh in good entent The wyl of Christ knelyng in the stronde She sayd Lorde aye welcome be thy sonde He that me kepte fro that false blame whyles I was on the lande amonge you He can me kepe fro harme eke fro shame In the salte see al though I se not howe As stronge as euer he was he is nowe In hym truste I and in hys mother dere That is to me my sayle and eke my stere Her lytel chylde lay wepynge in her arme And knelynge pytously to hym she sayde Peace lytel sonne I wol do the none harme wyth that her kercher of her heed she brayde And ouer hys lytel eyen she it layde And in her arme she lulleth it ful faste And into heuen her eyen vp she caste Mother quod she mayde bright Mary Soth is that through womans eggement Mankinde was lorne dampned aye to dye For whych thy chylde was on crosse yrent Thy blysful eyen sawe al hys turment Then is there no comparison bytwene Thy wo and any wo that man may sustene Thou se thy chylde yslayne byfore thyn eyen And yet now lyueth my lytel chylde parsaye Nowe lady bryght to whom al woful cryen Thou glory of womanheed thou fayre may Thou hauen of refute bryght sterre of day Rewe on my chylde of thy gentylnesse That rewest on euery ruful in dystresse O lytel chelde alas what is thy gylte That neuer wroughtest synne as yet parde why wol thyne hard father haue the spylte O mercy dere constable quod she As let me lytel chylde dwel here wyth the And yf thou darst not sauen hym fro blame So kysse hym ones in hys fathers name Therwyth she loketh backward to y e loÌ„de And sayd farewel husbande routhlesse And vp she ryst walked downe the stronde Toward the shyp her foloweth al the prees euer she prayeth her child to holdeÌ„ his pees And taketh her leue and with an holy entent She blesseth her and into y e shyppe she went Vitayled was the shippe it is no drede Habundantly sor her full long space And other necessaries that shulde nede She had inowe heried be goddes grace For wynde weder almighty god purchace And bringe her home I can no better say But in the see she driueth forthe her way Alla the kyng cometh home sone after this Vnto hys castel of whyche I tolde And asketh where his wyfe hys chylde is The constable gan aboute hys herte to colde And playnly al the maner hym tolde As ye han herde I can tel it no better And sheweth the king his seale and his letter And sayd lorde as ye commaunded me Vp payne of dethe so haue I done certayne This messanger turmented was tyl he Must beknowen and tel plat and playne Fro night to night in what place he had lain And thus by wytte and subtel enqueryng ymagened was by whoÌ„ this harm gaÌ„ spring The honde was knoweÌ„ y t the letter wrote And al the venym of this cursed dede But in what wyse certaynly I note The effecte is this that Alla out of drede His mother slow that may men playnly rede For that she traytoure was to her alegaunce Thus endeth old Douegild with mischauÌ„ce The sorowe that this Alla nyght day Maketh for hys childe and for hys wyfe also There is no tonge that it tel may But
As in a tombe is al the fayre aboue And vnder the cors suche as ye wote Suche was this ipocrite colde and hote And in this wyse he serued his entent That saue the fende non wist what he ment Tyl he so long had weped and complayned And many a yere hys seruyce to me yfayned Tyl that myn hert to pitous and to nyce Al innocent of hys cruel malyce For ferde of hys dethe as thought me Vpon hys othes and hys suretee Graunted hym loue vpon this condition That euermore myn honour and my renoun were saued bothe preuy and apert This is to say that after hys desert I yaue hym al myn hert and all my thought God wote and in other wyse nought And toke his hert in chaunge of myn for aye But sothe is sayd gone sythen many a day A trewe wight and a thefe thynketh not one And whan he sawe the thyng so fer ygone That I graunted hym fully my loue In suche a gyse as I haue sayd aboue And yeuen hym my trewe hert as fre As he swore he yafe his hert to me Anon this Tygre ful of doublenesse Fyll on hys knees with so deuout humblesse with hye reuerence and eke by his chere So lyke a gentyl louer as of manere So rauyshed as it semed for ioye That neuer Troylus ne Paris of Troy Iason certes ne non other man Syn Lamet was that alderfyrst began To louen two as writen folke beforne Ne neuer sythen Adam was borne Ne couthe man by twenty thousande parte Counterfete the sophymes of hys arte Ne were worthy to vnbocle hys galoche Ther doublenesse or faynyng shulde aproche Ne so couth thanke a wight as he dyd me His maner was an heuen for to se Tyl any woman were she neuer so wyse So paynteth he hys chere poynt deuyse As wel hys wordes as hys countenaunce And I so loued hym for hys obeysaunce And for the trouthe that I demed in his hert That yf so were that any thyng hym smert Al were it neuer so lyte and I it wyst Me thought I fetel dethe at my herte twyst And shortly so ferforth this thyng went That my wyl was his wylles instrument That is to say my wil obeyed his wyl In al thyng as ferre as reason fyl Kepyng the boundes of my worshyp euer Ne neuer had I thyng so lefe ne so leuer As hym god wote ne neuer shal no mo This last lenger than a yere or two That I supposed of hym nothyng but good But fynally thus at the last it stode That fortune wolde that he most twyn Out of that place whiche that I was in where me was wo it is no questyon I can not make of it discriptyon For o thyng dare I tel boldely I knowe what the payne of dethe is therby Suche harm I felte that he ne might beleue ¶ So on a day of me he toke hys leue So sorowfully eke that I wende verely That he had felte as moche harm as I whaÌ„ that I herde him speke saw his hewe But natheles I thought he was so trewe And eke that he repaire shulde agayne withyn a lytel whyle sothe to sayne And reason wolde eke that he must go For hys honour as ofte happeth so That I made vertue of necessite And toke it wel sythe it must nedes be As I best might I hidde fro hym my sorow And toke him by y e hond seit Iohn to borow And sayd thus lo I am yours al Beth suche as I haue ben to you and shal what he answerde it nedeth not reherce who can sayn bet than he who can do wers whan he had al wel ysaid than hath he done Therfore behoueth hym a longe spone That shal eten with a fende thus herd I say So at the last he mote forth hys way And forthe he sleâ—th til he come there him lest whan it come hym to purpose for to rest I trowe he had thylke text in mynde That al thyng repayring to hys kynde Gladeth him selue thus sayn men as I gesse Men louen of kynde newfanglenesse As briddes don that men in cages fede For though y u nyght day take of hem hede And strawe her cage fayre and softe as sylke And gyue hem sugre hony breed and mylke Yet right anon as hys dore is vppe He with his fete wold sporne adown his cup And to the wood he wolde and wormes eate So newfangled ben they of her meate And louen nouelries of proper kynde No gentylnesse of blode may hem bynde So ferde thys Tercelet alas the day Tho he were gentel borne freshe and gaye And goodly for to se and humble and free He sawe vpon a tyme a kyte flee And sodaynly he loued this kyte so That al hys loue is clene fro me goo And hath hys trouthe falsed in this wyse Thus hathe the kyte my loue in her seruyce And I am lorne without remedy And with y e worde this faucon gan to crye And swouned ofte in Canaces barme Great was y e sorowe for that haukes harme That Canace and all her women made They nyst how they might her faucon glade But Canace home bereth here in her lappe And softely in playsters gan her wrappe There as she w t her becke had hurt her selue Nowe can not Canace but herbes delue Out of the grounde and make salues newe Of herbes precious and fyne of hewe To helen with the hauke fro day to nyght She dothe her besynesse and all her might And by her beddes heed she made a mewe And couered it with veluettes blewe In sygne of trouthe that is in women sene And al withouten y e Mewe is peynted grene In which were peynted al these false foules As ben these tydefes tercelettes and owles Ryght for dispyte were peynted hem besyde Pyes on hem for to crye and chyde Thys leue I Canace her hauke kepynge I wol nomore as nowe speke of her rynge Tyl it come efte to purpos for to sayn How that this faucon gate her loue agayn Repentant as the story telleth vs By mediatyon of Camballus The kynges sonne of whiche I of tolde But hensforthe I wol my proces holde To speken of auentures and of batayls That yet was neuer herd of so gret marueâ—ls Fyrst wol I tel you of Cambuscan That in hys tyme many a cyte wan Howe that he wan Theodora to hys wyfe And after wol I speke of Algarsyfe For whom ful ofte in great peryl he was Ne had he ben holpen by the horse of bras And after wol I speke of Camballo That fought in listes with the brethern two For Canace er that he myght her wyn And there I left I wol agayn begyn ¶ Explicit secunda pars Apollo whirleth vp his chare so hye Tyl that the god Mercurius house he slye ¶ There can be founde no more of this foresayd tale whiche hath ben sought in dyuers places ¶ Here foloweth the wordes of the Marchaunt to the Squyer and the wordes of
vs villany Dame ê™ this Pluto be no lenger wroth I gyue it vp but sythe I swore myn othe That I wolde graunt hym hys syght ayen My worde shal stande y t warn I you certeyn I am a kyng it sytte me nat to lye And I ê™ she a quene of Fayrie Her answere she shal haue I vndertake Lette vs no mo wordes herof make Forsoth I wol no lenger you contrary Nowe lette vs turne agayn to Ianuary That in the garden with this faire May Syngeth merier than the popyngay You loue I best and shal and other non So long about the aleyes is he gon Tyl he was comen ayenst thylke pery where as this Damyan sytteth ful mery On hye among these freshe leues grene This freshe Maye that is so bright shene Gan for to sike and sayd alas my syde Nowe syr ê™ she for ought that may be tyde I must haue of these peeres that I here se Or I more dye so sore longeth me To eten of the smal peeres grene Helpe for her loue that is heuyn quene I tel you wel a woman in my plyte May haue to frute so great an appetyte That she may dyen but she it haue Alas ê™ he that I ne had here a knaue That couth clymbe alas alas ê™ he For I am blynde ye syr no force ê™ she But wolde ye vouchsafe for goddes sake The pety in your armes for to take For wel I wotte that ye mystrust me Than shulde I clymbe wel ynough ê™ she So I may fote myght sette vpon your backe Forsoth sayd he in me shal be no lacke Might I you helpe with myne hert blode He stoupeth doun on hys backe she stode And caught her by a twist and vp she goth Ladyes I praye you be nat wroth I can nat glose I am a rude man And sodaynly anon this Damyan Gan pullen vp the smocke and in he thronge A great tent a thrifty and a longe She sayd it was the meryest fytte That euer in her lyfe she was at yet My lordes tent serueth me nothyng thus It foldeth twifolde by swete Iesus He may nat swyue worth a leke And yet he is ful gentyl and ful meke This is leuer to me than an euynsong And whan that Pluto sawe thys wronge To Ianuary he gaue agayn his syght And made hym se aswel as euer he myght And whan he had caught his syght agayn Ne was there neuer man of thyng so fayn But on his wyfe his thought was euer mo Vp to the tree he cast his eyen two And saw how Damian his wife had dressed In suche manere it may nat be expressed But yf I wolde speke vncurtesly And vp he yaâ— a roryng and a crye As dothe the mother whan the child shal dye Out helpe alas harowe he gan to crye For sorowe almost he gan to dye That his wife was swyued in the pery O stronge lady hore what dost thou ¶ And she answered syr what ayleth you Haue pacience and reason in your mynde I haue you holpen of both your eyen blynde Vp peryl of my soule I shal nat lyen As me was taught to helpe with your eyen was nothyng bette for to make you se Than strogle with a man vpon a tree God wote I dyd it in ful good entent ¶ Strogle ê™ he yea algate in it went Styffe and rounde as any bel It is no wonder though thy bely swel The smocke on hys brest lay so theche And euer me though he poynted on y e breche God gyue you bothe on shames deth to dyen He swyued the I sawe it with myne eyen And els I be honged by the halse Than is ê™ she my medicyn false For certayn yf that ye myght se Ye wolde nat say theke wordes to me Ye haue some glymsyng and no parfite sight I se ê™ he as wel as euer I might Thanked be god with bothe myne eyen two And by my trouth me thought he dyd so Ye mase ye mase good syr ê™ she This thanke haue I for that I made you se Alas ê™ she that euer I was so kynde Now dame ê™ he let al passe out of minde Come down my lefe and if I haue missayde God helpe me so as I am yuel apayde But by my fathers soule I wende haue seyn Howe that this Damyan had by the leyn And that thy smocke had lyen vpon his brest Ye syr ê™ she ye may wene as ye lest But syr a man that waketh out of hys slepe He may nat sodaynly wel taken kepe Vpon a thyng ne se it parfitely Tyl that he be adawed verily Right so a man that longe hath blynde be Ne may nat sodaynly so wel yse First whan the sight is newe comen agayn As he that hath a daye or two ysayn Tyl that your sight istabled be a while There may ful many a sight you begyle Beware I pray you for by heuen kyng Ful many a man weneth to se a thyng And it is al another than it semeth He that mysconceyueth ofte mysdemeth And with that worde she lepe doun fro y e tre This Ianuary who is gladde but he He kysseth her he clyppeth her ful ofte And on her wombe he stroketh her ful softe And to hys paleys home he hath her ladde Nowe good men I pray you beth ye al glad Thus endeth here my tale of Ianuary God blesse vs al and hys mother Mary ¶ Thus endeth the Marchauntes tale and here foloweth the wife of Bathes prologue EXperience though none authorite Were in this worlde is ryght ynowe for me To speake of wo that is in mariage For lordinges sith I twelue yere was of age Thonked be god that is eterne on lyue Husbondes at chirche dore haue I had fyue If I so ofte myght haue wedded be And al were worthy men in her degre But me was tolde not longe ago twys That sythen Christ went neuer but onys To weddyng in the caue of Galilee That by thylke ensample taught he me That I ne shulde wedded be but ones ¶ Lo here which a sharpe word for y e nones Besyde a wel Iesu god and man Spake in repâ—efe of the Samaritan Thou hast had fyue husbandes ê™ he And that ilke man that now hath the Is not thyne husbonde thus sayd he certayn what he ment therby I can not sayn But that I aske why the fyfte man was nâ—â— husbonde to the Samaritan Howe many myght she haue in mariage Yet herde I neuer tellen in myne age Vpon this nombre trewe diffynition Men may deuyne and glosen vp and doun But wel I wotte expresse without lye God badde vs for to wexe and multiply That gentyl text can I wel vnderstonde Eke wel I wotte he said myne husbonde Shuld leaue father mother and take to me But of nombre no mention made he Of bigamye or of octogamye Why shul men speke of it villany Lo he the wyse kyng Salomon I trowe had wyues mo than one As wolde god it leful were to
Mette he not that he satte vpon a tree whiche signifyed he shulde honged be Lo Adromeda that was Hectors wyfe That day that Hector shulde lefe his lyfe She dremed in the same night beforne Howe the lyfe of Hector shulde be lorne Yf that day he went vnto bataile She warned him but it might nat auayle He wente for to fyght neuerthelesse But he was slayne anon of Achilles But that tale is to long to tel And eke it is nigh day I may nat dwel Shortely I say as for conclusyon That I shal haue of this auision Aduersyte and I say farthermore That I ne tel of laxatyues no store For they ben venemous I wote it wele I hem defye I loue hem neuer a dele But let vs speke of myrthe stynte al this Madame Pertelot so haue I blys Of one thyng god hath me sent large grace For whan I se the beautie of your face Ye be so scarlet reed aboute your eyen It maketh al my drede for to dyen For also syker as In principio Mulier est hominis confusio ¶ Madame the sentence of this latyn is woman is mannes ioye and his blys For whan I fele on night your softe syde Al be it that I may not on you ryde For that our perche is made so narowe alas I am so ful of ioye and of solas That I defye bothe sweuen and dreme And with y e worde he flew down fro y e beme For it was day and eke the hennes al And with a chucke he gan hem for to cal For he had founde a corne lay in the yerde Royal he was and no more a ferde He feddred Pertelot twenty tyme And tradde her eke as oft er it was prime He loketh as he were a grymme lyoun And on his toes he romed vp and doun Him deyned not to set his fete to the grounde And chucked whan he had a corne ifounde And to him than ran his wyues al As royal as a prince in his hal Leaue I this Chaunteclere in his pasture And after wol I tel of his auenture ¶ whan y e monthe in whiche y e worlde begaÌ„ That hight Marche that god first made maÌ„ was complete and passed were also Sythe Marche began twenty dayes two Befyl that Chauntecler in al his pride His seuen wyues walkyng him besyde Caste vp his eyen to the bright sonne That in the sygne of Taurus was ironne Fourty degrees one and somwhat more He knewe by kynde and by none other lâ—â—e That it was prime crew w t a blisful steueÌ„ The sunne he sayd is clombe vp to the heuen Fourty degrees one soÌ„what more iwys Madame Pertelot my worldes blysse Herken howe this blisful byrdes synge And se the freshe floures howe they sprynge Ful is myne hert of reuel and solas But sodainly him fel a sorouful caas For euer the later ende of ioye is wo God wote worldly ioye is soone ago And if a rethore coude faire endite He in a cronycle myght sauely write As for a souerayne notabilyte Nowe euery wyse man herken to me This storie is also trewe I vndertake As is the boke of Launcelot du Lake That women holde in ful great reuerence Nowe wol I turne ayen to my sentence ¶ A col foxe ful of sleyght and iniquite That in the groue had wouned yeres thre By hygh ymagynacion a forne caste The same nyght through the hedge braste In to the yerde there ChauÌ„teclere the fayre was wonte and eke his wyues to repayre And in a bedde of wortes styl he lay Tyl it was passed vndren of the day waytyng his tyme on Chaunteclere to fal As gladly done these homycides al That in a wayte lye to murdre men O false murdrer ruckyng in thy den O newe Scariot and newe Genylion False dissymuler O greke Synon That broughtest Troy vtterly to sorowe O Chauntecler acursed be the morowe That thou in thy yerde flewe from y e bemes Thou were ful wel warned by thy dremes That ilke day was peryllous to the But what y t god afore wote must nedes be After the opynion of certayne clerkes witnesse of him that any clerke is That in schole is great altercation In this mater and great disputation And hath ben of an hundred thousande men But I ne can not boulte it to the bren As can the holy doctour saynt Austyn Or Boece or the byshop Bradwardyn whether that goddes worthy forewetyng Strayneth me nedely to do a thyng Nedely clepe I symple necessyte Or yf the fre choyce be graunted me To do that same thyng or do it nought Though god forwote it or it was wrought Or yf his wetyng strayneth neuer a dele But by necessyte condycionele I wol not haue to done of suche matere My tale is of a cocke as ye shal here That toke his couÌ„sayle of his wife w t sorow To walke in the yerde vpon the morowe That he had met the dreme as I you tolde womens counsayles ben ful ofte colde Womens counsayle brought vs fyrst to wo And made Adam fro paradise to go There as he was ful mery and well at eâ—â—â— But for I not whom I myght displease If I counsayle of women wolde blame Passe ouer I sayd it in my game Redeth authors wher they trete of such matere And what they say of women ye inowe here These ben the cockes wordes and not myne I can of women no harme deuyne ¶ Faire in the sonde to bathe her merily Lieth Perteloe and al her susters by Ayenst the sunne and Chaunteclere so free Songe meryer than the Mermayde in y e see For Phisiologus saythe vtterly Howe that they syngen wel and merily And so befyl as he cast his eye Among the wortes on a butterflye He was ware of this foxe that laye ful lowe Nothyng than lyst hym for to crowe But cried cocke cocke and vp he stert As one that was affrayde in his hert For naturally beestes desyreth to flye Fro her contrary yf he may it se Tho he neuer erst had seen it with his eye This Chaunteclere whan he gan hym espye He wolde haue fledde but the foxe anone Sayd gentil sir alas what wol ye done Be ye afrayde of me that am your frende Nowe certes I were worse than a fende Yf I to you wolde harme or villany I am not come your counsayle to espye But trewly the cause of my commyng was onely to here howe ye syng For sothly ye haue as mery a steuen As any angel hath that is in heuen Therwith ye haue of musyke more felyng Than had Boece or any that can syng My lorde your father god his soule blesse And eke your mother of her gentylnesse Haue in my house ben to my great ease And certes sir ful fayne wolde I you please But for men speken of syngyng I wol sey So mote I broken wel myn eyen twey â—â—ue you ne herde I neuer man so synge As dyd your father in the mornynge Certes
crowe a goddes name My soÌ„ne kepe wel thy tonge kepe thy freÌ„de A wycked tonge is worse than a fende My sonne from a fende men may hem blesse My sonne god of his endelesse goodnesse walled a tonge with tethe and lyppes eke For man shulde him auyse what he speke My sonne ful ofte for to mykel speche Hath many a man be spylte as clerkes teche But for lytel speche spoken auysedly Is no man shente to speke generally My sonne thy tonge shuldest thou restrayne At al tymes but whan thou doest thy payne To speke of god in honoure and prayere The fyrst vertue sonne yf thou wolt lere Is to restrayne and kepe wel thy tonge Thus lerne children whan they be yonge My sonne of mykel spekyng vnauysed There lasse spekyng had ynough suffysed Cometh mykel harme thus was me taught In moche speche synne wanteth naught woste thou wherfore a rakel tonge serueth Right as asworde forcutteth and forkeâ—ueth An arme on two my dere sonne right so A tonge cutteth frendshyp al a to A tangler is to god abhomynable Rede Salomon so wyse and honourable Rede Dauid in his psalmes rede Senecke My sonne speke not ne wyth thy heed deckâ— Dissimule as thou were deefe if y t thou here The ianglour speketh of perious matere The fleÌ„ming sayth lerne if that thou leste That lytel ianglyng causeth moche reste My sonne if thou no wicked word hast saide The dare not drede for to be bewrayde But he that hath missayd I dare wel sayne He may by no way clepe his worde agayne Thyng that is sayd is sayd forthe it gothe Though him repent or him be neuer so loth He is thral to him to whom he hath sayde A tale for whiche he is nowe yuel apayde My sonne beware be none auctour newe Of tidynges whether they be false or trewe Where so thou come amonge hye or lowe Kepe wel thy tonge thynke on the crowe ¶ Here endeth the Manciples tale and here begynneth the Persons Prologue BY that the Manciple had hys tale ended The sonne fro the south syde is dyscended So lowe that it was not to my syght Degrees of fyue and tweÌ„tye on hyghte Ten a clocke it was so as I gesse For elleuen foote a lytell more or lesse My shadowe was at that tyme as there Of suche fete as my lengthe parted were In syxe fete equally of proportion â—â—â—rwyth the Moones exaltation I meane Libra alwaye gan ascende As we were entrynge at the thropes ende For which our hoste as he was wont to gye Aye in thys case thys ioly companye Sayd in thys wyse lordynges euerychone Nowe lacketh vs no tale more then one Fulfylled is my sentence and my decre who woll nowe tell a tale let se Almoste fulfylled is myne ordinaunce I pray to god so yeue him ryght good chauÌ„ce That telleth thys tale to vs lustely Syr preest ê™ he arte thou a vicary Or arte thou a person say soth by thy fay Be what thou be breke thou not our play For euery man saue thou hath tolde his tale Vnbokell shewe vs what is in thy male For truely me thynketh by thy chere Thou shuldest knyt vp well a great matere Tell vs a fable anone for kockes bones ¶ Thys person hym answerde all at ones Thou gettest fable none tolde of me For Paule that wryteth to Timothe Repreueth hem that wayuen sothfastnesse And teachen fables and suche wretchednesse why shulde I sowe draffe out of my fyst when I maye sowe wheate yf that my lyst For whych I saye yf that ye lyst to here Moralite and of vertuous matere And then yf ye woll yeue me audience I wolde full fayne at Christes reuerence Done you pleasaunce lefull as I can But trusteth well I am a sotherne man I can not ieste rum ram ruf by letter And god wote ryme holde I but lytel better And therfore yf ye lyst I woll not glose I woll you tell a lytell tale in prose To knyt vp al thys feest and make an ende And Iesu for hys grace wyt me sende To shewe you the waye in thys voyage Of thylke perfyte gloriouse pylgrimage That hyght Hierusalem celestiall And yf ye vouchsaue anone I shall Begyn vpon my tale for whych I pray Tel your aduyse I can no better say But nathelesse thys meditacion I put it aye vnder the correction Of clerkes for I am not textuell I take but the sentence trusteth well Therfore I make protestation That I woll stande to correction ¶ Vpon thys worde we haue assented sone For as it semed it was for to done To ende in some vertuous sentence And for to yeue hym space and audience And bad our hoste he shulde to hym saye That all we to tell hys tale hym pray Our hoste had the wordes for vs all Syr preest ê™ he nowe fayre mote you befal Sayeth what ye lyste we shal gladly here And wyth that word he sayd in this manere Telleth ê™ he your meditation But hasteth you the sunne woll adoun Beth fructuous and that in lytell space And to do wel god sende you his grace ¶ Here endeth the Persones prologue and here after foloweth hys tale ¶ Ieremi .vi. State super vias et vt dete et interrogate de semitis antiquis que sit via bona ambulate in ea et inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris OVr swete Lorde God of heuen wolde that no maÌ„ shulde peryshe but that we tourne al to the know lege of hym to the blysfull lyfe that is perdurable amonysheth vs by the prophete Ieremye that sayeth in thys wyse Standeth vpon the wayes and seeth and asketh of olde pathes that is to saye of olde sentences whych is the good waye and walketh in that waye and ye shall fynde refreshynge for your soules c. Many be the wayes espirituels that lede folke to oure Lorde Iesu Christe and to the reygne of glorye Of whych wayes there is a full noble way and full couenable which maye not fayle to man ne to woman that through synne hath mysgone fro the ryght waye of Hierusalem celestiall and thys waye is called penitence of whych man shulde gladly herkeÌ„ and enquire wyth al hys herte to wete what is peniteÌ„ce and whych is called penitence and how many maners bene of actions or werkynges of penitence and howe many speces there bene of penitence and whych thinges appertayne and behoue to penitence and which thynges dystourbe penitence Saynt Ambrose sayeth that penitence is the playnynge of man for the gylte y t he hath done no more to do any thynge for whych him ought to playne And some doctoure sayeth Penitence is the waymentynge of man that soroweth for his synne and paineth him selfe for he hath mysdone PeniteÌ„ce wyth certayne circumstaunces is very repentauÌ„ce of a man that holt hym selfe in sorowe other payne for hys gyltes and for he shal be very penytent he shall fyrst bewayle synnes that he hath done and stedfastlye purpose
yet he iangleth as a iaye And vnderstont hym selfe nothynge He woll serue bothe erle and kynge For hys fyndyng and hys fee And hyde hys tythynge and hys offrynge This is a feble charite ¶ Other they ben proude or coueytous Or they ben harde or hungry Or they ben lyberall or lecherous Or els medlers wyth marchandry Or maynteyners of men wyth maistry Or stewardes countours or pledours And serue God in hypocrisy Such preestes ben Christes false traytours ¶ They ben false they ben vengeable And begylen men in Christes name They ben vnstedfast and vnstable To tray her lorde hem thynketh no shame To serue God they ben full lame Goddes theues and falsly stele And falsely goddes worde defame In wynnyng is her worldes we le ¶ Antichryst these seruen all I pray the who may say nay Wyth Antichryst suche shull fall They folowen hym in dede and fay They seruyn hym in ryche array To serue Chryst suche falsely fayne Why at the dredeful domes day Shull they not folowe hym to payne ¶ That knowen hem selfe that they done yll Ayenst Christes commaundement And amende hem neuer ne wyll But serue Sathan by one assent Who sayth sothe he shal be shent Or speketh ayenst her false lyuyng who so well lyueth shal be brent For suche ben gretter than the kyng ¶ Pope Byshoppes and Cardynals Chanons Persons and Vycaire In goddes seruyce I trowe ben false That sacramentes sellen here And ben as proude as Lucifere Eche man loke whether that I lye Who so speketh ayenst her powere It shall be holden heresy ¶ Loke howe many orders take Onely of Christe for hys seruyce That the worldes goodes forsake who so taketh orders or other wyse I trowe that they shall sore agryse For all the glose that they conne All sewen not thys assyse In yuell tyme they thus begonne ¶ Loke howe many amonge hem all Holden not thys hye waye wyth Antichrist they shullen fall For they wolden God betraye God amende hem that best maye For many men they maken shende They weten well the sothe I saye But the dyuell hath foule hem blende ¶ Some on her churches dwell Apparaylled poorely proude of porte The seuen sacramentes they done sell In cattel catchynge is her comforte Of eche matter they wollen mell And done hem wronge is her dysporte To afray the people they ben fell And holde hem lower then doth the lorde ¶ For the tythynge of a ducke Or of an apple or an aye They make men sweare vpon a boke Thus they foulen Christes say Suche bearen yuell heauen kay They mowen assoyle they mowe shryue wyth mennes wyues strongly play wyth true tyllers sturte and stryue ¶ At the wrestlynge and at the wake And chefe chauntours at the nale Markette beaters and medlynge make Hoppen and houten wyth heue and hale At fayre freshe and at wyne stale Dyne and drynke and make debate The seuen sacramentes set at sayle Howe kepe suche the kayes of heuen gate ¶ Mennes wyues they wollen holde And though that they ben ryght sory To speake they shull not be so bolde For sompnynge to the consystory And make hem saye mouth I lye Though they it sawe wyth her eye Hys lemman holden openly No man so hardy to axe why ¶ He woll haue tythynge and offrynge Maugre who so euer it gruche And twyse on the daye he woll synge Goddes prestes nere none suche He mote on huntyng wyth dogge and byche And blowen hys horne and cryen hey And sorcery vsen as a wytche Suche kepen yuell Peters key ¶ Yet they mote haue some stocke or stone Gayly paynted and proudly dyght To maken men lyuen vpon And saye that it is full of myght Aboute suche men sette vp great lyght Other suche stockes shull stande therby As darke as it were mydnyght For it maye make no mastry ¶ That it leude people se mowe Thou Mary thou worchest wōder thynges Aboute that that men offren to nowe Hongen broches ouches and rynges The preest purchaseth the offrynges But he nyll offre to none ymage wo is the soule that he for synges That precheth for suche a pylgrimage ¶ To men and women that ben poore That ben Christes owne lykenesse Men shullen offre at her dore That suffren honger and dystresse And to suche ymages offre lesse That mowe not fele thurst ne colde The poore in sprete gan Christe blesse Therfore offreth to feble and olde ¶ Buckelers brode and sweardes longe Baudryke wyth baselardes kene Suche toles about her necke they honge wyth Antichrist suche preestes bene Vpon her dedes it is well sene whome they seruen whome they honoren Antichristes they bene clene And goddes goodes fasly deuouren ¶ Of scarlet and grene gay gownes That mote be shape for the newe To clyppen kyssen counten in townes The damoseles that to the daunce sewe Cutted clothes to sewe her hewe wyth longe pykes on her shone Our goddes gospell is not trewe Eyther they seruen the dyuell or none ¶ Nowe ben prestes pokes so wyde That men must enlarge the vestement The holy gospell they done hyde For they contraryen in rayment Suche preestes of Lucifer ben sent Lyke conquetours they ben arayde The proude pendauntes at her ars ypent Falsely the truthe they han betrayde ¶ Shryfte syluer suche wollen aske is And woll men crepe to the crouche None of the sacramentes saue askes wythout mede shall no man touche On her byshoppe theyr warant vouche That is lawe of the decre wyth mede and money thus they mouche And thus they sayne is charite ¶ In the myddes of her masse They nyll haue no man but for hyre And full shortly let forth passe Suche shull men fynde in eche shyre That personages for profyte desyre To lyue in lykynge and in lustes I dare not sayne Sans ose ieo dyre That suche ben Antichristes preestes ¶ Or they yes the byshoppes why Or they mote ben in hys seruyce And holden forth her harlotry Suche prelates ben of feble empryse Of Goddes grame suche men agryse For suche matters that taken mede Howe they excuse hem and in what wyse Me thynketh they ought greatly drede ¶ They sayne that it to no man longeth To reproue them though they erre But falsely goddes goodesse they fongeth And therwyth maynteyne wo and werre Her dedes shulde be as bryght as sterre Her lyuynge leude mannes lyght They saye the pope maye not erre Nede muste that passe mannes myght ¶ Though a prest lye w t his leman al nyght And tellen hys felowe and he hym He goth to masse anone ryght And sayeth he syngeth out of synne Hys byrde abydeth hym at hys ynne And dyghteth hys dyner the meane whyle He syngeth hys masse for he wolde wynne And so he weneth God begyle ¶ Hem thynketh longe tyll they be mette And that they vsen forth all the yere Amonge the folke when he is sette He holdeth no man halfe hys pere Of the byshoppe he hath powere To soyle men or els they ben lore Hys absolution maye make
he thryst Vnder her necke and at the last her kyst I passe al y e which chargeth nought to saye what god foryaue his deth and she also Foryaue and with her vncle gan to play For other cause was there none than so But of this thyng ryght to theffect to go whaÌ„ tyme was home to her house she went And Pandare hath fully his entent Now turne we ayen to Troylus That restlesse full longe a bedde laye And pryuily sent after Pandarus To hym to come in all the haste he may He came anon not ones sayd nay And Troylus full sobrely he gret And downe vpon the beddes syde hym set This Troylus with all thaffectioun Of frendly loue that hert maye deuyse To Pandarus on knees fyll adowne And er that he wolde of the place aryse He gan hym thanken on his best wyse An hundred tyme he gan the tyme blesse That he was borne to bring him to distresse He sayd O frende of frendes the alderbest That euer was the soth for to tell Thou hast in heueÌ„ wrought my soule at rest Fro Phlegeton the fyrye floud of hell That though I might a thousaÌ„d tymes sel Vpon a daye my lyfe in thy seruyse It myght not a mote in that suffyse The sun which that all the worlde may se Sawe neuer yet my lyfe that dare I leye So ioly fayre and goodly as is she whose I am all and shall tyll that I dye And that I thus am hers dare I seye That thanked be the hygh worthynesse Of loue and eke thy kynde besynesse Thus hast thou me no lytle thyng iyeue For why to the obleged be for aye My lyfe why for thrugh thyn help I liue Or els deed had I ben ago many a day And w t that worde downe in his bed he lay And Pandarus full soberly hym herde Tyll all was sayd than he hym answerd My dere frende I haue done for the In any case god wot it is me lefe And am as glad as man maye of it be God helpe me so but take nowe nat agrefe That I shall sayn beware of this mischefe That ther as now brought art to thy blysse That thou thy selfe ne cause it nat to mysse For of fortunes sharpe aduersitie The worst kynde of infortune is this A man to haue ben in prosperitie And it remembre whan it passed is Thou art wyse ynouÈ for thy do nat amys Be nat to rakel though thou syt warme For yf thou be certayne it woll the harme Thou art at ese and holde the well therin For also sure as red is euery fyre As great a craft is to kepe well as wynne Brydle alway well thy speche thy desyre For wordly ioye holdeth nat but by a wyre That preueth well it brest alday so oft For thy nede is to werken with it soft Quod Troylus I hope and god toforne My dere frende that I shall so me bere That in my gilt there shal nothing ben lorn Ne I nyll nat rakle as for to greuen here It nedeth nat this mater oft tere For wistest thou myne hert wel Pandare God wot of this thou woldest lyte care Tho gan he tell hym of his glad nyght And wherof fyrst his hert drad and how And sayd frende as I am true knyght And by that fayth I owe to god and you I had it neuer halfe so hote as now And aye the more that desyre me byteth To loue her best the more it me delyteth I nat my selfe nat wysely what it is But now I fele a newe qualitie Yea all an other than I dyd or this Pandare answered and sayd thus that he That ones may in heuen blysse be He feleth other wayes dare I laye Than thilke tyme he first herde of it saye This is a worde for all that Troylus was neuer full to speke of this matere And for to praysen vnto Pandarus The bountie of his ryght lady dere And Pandarus to thank and maken chere This tale was aye span newe to begyn Tyll that the nyght departed hem atwyn Sone after this for that fortune it wolde I comen was the blysfull tyme swete That Troylus was warned y t he sholde Ther he was erst Creseyde his lady mete For which he felte his hert in ioye flete And faythfully gan al the goddes hery And let se now yf that he can be mery And holden was the forme and all the gyse Of her coÌ„myng and of his also As it was erst which nedeth nought deuise But playnly to theffect ryght for to go In ioye and suretie Pandarus hem two Abed brought whan hem both lest And thus they ben in quyet and in rest Naught nedeth it to you syth they ben met To aske at me yf that they blythe were For it erst was well tho was it bet A thousand folde this nedeth not enquere Ago was euery sorowe and euery fere And both ywys they had and so they wend As moche ioye as hert maye comprehende This nys no lytle thynge of for to sey This passeth euery wyt for to deuyse For eche of hem gan other lustes obey Felicitie which that these clerkes wyse CoÌ„menden so ne may nat here suffyse This ioye may not wrytten be with ynke This passeth all that hert may bethynke But cruel day so welaway the stounde Gan for to aproch as they by signes knewe For which hem thought felen dethes wouÌ„d So wo was hem y t chaungen gan her hew And day they gonnen to despyse all newe Calling traytour enuyous and worse And bytterly the dayes lyght they curse Quod Troylus alas now am I ware That Pyrous and tho swyft stedes thre which that drawen forth the sonnes chare Han gon some bypath in despyte of me And maketh it so soone daye to be And for the sunne hym hasteth thus to ryse Ne shall I neuer don hym sacrifyce But nedes day depart hem must sone And whan her speche don was her chere They twyn anon as they wer wont to don And setten tyme of metyng eft yfere And many a night they wrouÈt in this manere And thus fortune a tyme lad in ioye Creseyde eke this kynges son of Troye In suffysaunce in blysse in syngynges This Troylus gan al his lyfe to lede He spendeth iusteth maketh feestynges He yeueth frely oft and chaungeth wede He helde about hym alway out of drede A world of folke as com him well of kynde The freshest and the best he coulde fynde That suche a voyce was of him a steuen Throughout y u worlde of honour largesse That it vp ronge vnto the yate of heuen And as in loue he was in suche gladnesse That in his hert he demed as I gesse That there nis louer in this worlde at ease So wel as he and thus gan loue him plese The goodlyhed or beautie which y t kynde In any other lady had ysette Can nat y e mouÌ„tenaunce of a gnat vnbynde About his hert of all Creseydes nette He
brende Of other passyon then they wende So that she felte almoste her herte dye Fo wo and wery of that companye For whych myght she no lenger restrayne Her teryes they gan so vp to well That gaue sygnes of her bytter payne In whych her spirite was and must dwell RemeÌ„brynge her froÌ„ heuen vnto whych hell She fallen was sens she forgo the syght Of Troylus and sorowfully she syght And thylke fooles syttynge her aboute wende that she wepte and syghed sore Bycause that she shulde out of the route Departen and neuer playe wyth hem more And they that had knowen her of yore Se her so wepe thought it was kyndnesse And eche of hem wepte eke for her dystresse And besely they gonnen her to comforten One thiÌ„g god wot on which she lytel thouÈt And wyth her tales wenden her dysporten And to be glad they oft her besought But such an ease therwith they her wrought Ryght as a man is eased for to fele For ache of heed to clawen hym on hys hele But after all thys nyce vanyte They toke her leue and home they wenteÌ„ all Creseyde full of sorowfull pyte Into her chambre vp wente out of the hall And on her bedde she gan for deed to fall In purpose neuer thence for to ryse And thus she wrought as I shal you deuyse Her ownded heer y t sonnyshe was of hewe She rent eke her fyngers longe and smale She wronge ful ofte bad god on her rewe And wyth the death to do bote on her bale Her hewe whylom bright that tho was pale Bare wytnesse of her wo her constraynte And thus she spake sobbyng in her coÌ„playnt ¶ Alas quod she out of thys regioun I wofull wretch and infortuned wyght And borne in cursed constellatioun Mote gone thus departen fro my knyght wo worth alas that ylke dayes lyght On which I sawe him fyrst w t eyen twayne That causeth me and I hym all thys payne Therwyth the teeres from her eyen two Downe fell as shoure in Apryll swythe Her whyte brest she bette and for the wo After the death she cryed a thousande syth Sens he that wonte her wo was for to lyth She mote forgone for whych dysauenture She helde her selfe a forloft creature She sayd howe shall he done and I also Howe shuld I lyue yf y t I from him twynne O dere herte eke that I loue so who shall y e sorowe slene that ye ben inne O Calkas father thyne be all thys synne O mother myne that cleaped were Argyue wo worth y t daye that thou me bare on lyue To what fyne shuld I lyue sorowen thus Howe shuld a fyshe wythouten water dure what is Creseyde worth from Troylus Howe shulde a plante or lyues creature Lyue wythouten hys kynde noriture For whych full ofte a by worde here I sey That rotelesse mote grene sone dey I shal don thus sens neither sword ne darte Dare I none handle for the cruelte That ylke daye that I fro you departe yf sorowe of that nyl not my bane be Then shall no meate ne drynke come in me Tyll I my soule out of my brest vnshethe And thus my seluen woll I done to dethe And Troylus my clothes euerychone Shul blacke ben in tokenynge herte swete That I am as out of thys worlde agone That wonte was you to set in quyete And of myne ordre aye tyll death me mete The obseruaunce euer in your absence Shal sorowe ben complaynt abstynence Myne herte eke the wofull gost therin Byqueth I wyth your spirite to complayne Eternally for they shall neuer twyn For though in erth twynned be we twayne Yet in the felde of Pyte out of payne That hyght Elysos shall we ben yfere As Orpheus and Erudice hys fere Thus herte myne for Antenor alas I sone shal be chaunged as I wene But howe shull ye done in thys sorowful cas Howe shall your tendre herte thys sustene But herte myne foryet thys sorowe and tene And me also for sothly for to sey So ye welfare I retche not to dey Howe myght it euer redde ben or ysonge The playnt that she made in her dystresse I not but as for me my lytell tonge Yf I dyscryuen wolde her heuynesse It shulde make her sorowe seme lesse Then that it was and chyldyshly deface Her hye complaynt and therfore I it pace Pandare whych that sent from Troylus was vnto Creseyde as ye haue herde deuyse That for the best it was acorded thus And he full glad to done hym that seruyse Vnto Creseyde in a full secrete wyse There as she lay in turment and in rage Came her to tell al holy hys massage And fonde that she her seluen gan to trete Full petously for wyth her salte teeres Her brest and face ybathed was full wete Her myghty tresses of her sonnysh heere 's Vnbroyden hangen all aboute her eeres whych yaue hym very sygne of matere Of death whych that her herte gan desyre when she hym sawe she gan for sorowe anon Her tery face atwyxte her armes hyde For whych thys Pandare is so wo bygon That in the house he myght vnneth abyde As he that felte sorowe on euery syde For yf Creseyde had erst complayned sore Tho gan she playne a thousand tymes more And in her aspre playnte thus she seyde Pandare fyrst of ioyes mo then two was causynge vnto me Creseyde That nowe transmued ben in cruell wo whether shall I saye to you welcome or no That alderfyrst me brought vnto seruyse Of loue alas that endeth in suche wyse Endeth then loue in wo ye or men lyeth And all worldly blysse as thynketh me The ende of blysse aye sorowe it occupyeth And who troweth not that it so be Let hym vpon me wofull wretch se That my selfe hate and aye my byrth curse Felynge alwaye fro wycke I go to worse who some seeth he seeth sorowe al atonis Payne turment playnte wo and dystresse Out of my wofull body harme there none is As langour anguyshe cruell bytternesse Annoye smerte drede furye eke sycknesse I trowe ywys from heuen teeres rayne For pyte of my aspre and cruell payne And thou my syster full of dyscomforte Quod PaÌ„darus what thinkest thou to do why ne hast thou to thy seluen some resport why wylt thou thus alas thy selfe fordo Leaue al thys werke and take nowe hede to That I shall sayne herken of good entent This message y t by me Troylus you sente Turned her tho Creseyde a wo makynge So great that it a death was for to se Alas ê™ she what wordes maye ye brynge what woll my dere herte sayne to me whych that I drede neuer more to se woll he haue playnte or teeres er I wende I haue ynough yf he therafter sende She was ryght such to sene in her visage As is that wyght that men on bere bynde Her face lyke of paradys the ymage was all ychaunged in another kynde
which with humble true pitous hert A thousande tymes mercy I you praye So reweth on myne aspre paynes smert And doth somwhat as that I shall you say And let vs steale away betwyxt vs tway And thinke y t foly is whaÌ„ a man maye chese For accident his substaunce for to lese I meane thus that syns we nowe or day well steale awaye and ben togyther so what wyt were it to putten it in assaye In case ye shulden to your father go If that ye myghten come ayen or no Thus meane I that were a great folly To put that sykernesse in ieopardy And vulgarly to speken of substaunce Of treasour may we both with vs lede Ynough to lyue in honour and pleasaunce Tyl vnto tyme that we shal ben deed And thus we may eschewen al this drede For euery other waye ye can recorde Myne hert ywys may therwith nat accorde And hardely ne dredeth no pouertie For I haue kyn and frendes els where That though we comen in our bare sherte Vs shulde neyther lacke golde ne gere But ben honoured whyle we dwelten there And go we anon for as in myne intent This is the best yf that ye woll assent Creseyde with a sygh ryght in this wyse Answerde ywys my dere herte true we maye wel steale away as ye deuyse And fynden suche vnthryftye wayes newe But afterwarde full sore it woll vs rewe And helpe me god so at my moost nede As causelesse ye suffren all this drede For thylke day that I for cherysshyng Or drede of father or for any other wyght Or for estate delyte or for weddyng Be false to you my Troylus my knyght Saturnus doughter Iuno through her migh As wode as AchamaÌ„t do me dwel Eternally with styx in the pyt of hell Ad this on euery god celestiall I sweare it you and eke on eche goddesse On euery nymphe and deitie infernall On Satiry and Fauny more and lesse That halfe goddes ben of wyldernesse And Attrapos my threde of lyfe to brest If I be false now trowe me yf ye lest And thou Synoys that as an arowe clere Thrugh Troy reÌ„nest aye dounward to y e se Be wytnesse of this worde y t sayd is here That ylke daye that I vntrue be To Troylus myne owne hert free That thou returne bakwarde to thy well And I with body and soule synke to hell But that ye speke away thus for to go And leten al your frendes god forbede For any woman that ye shulden so And namly syns Troy hath now such nede Of helpe and eke of o thyng taketh hede Yf this were wist my lyfe laye in balaunce And your honour god shylde vs from myschaunce And yf so be that peace herafter betake As all daye heppeth after angre game why lorde y e sorowe wo ye wolden make That ye ne durst come ayen for shame And er that ye ieoparden so your name Beth nat to hasty in this hote fare For hasty man ne wanteth neuer care what trowe ye the people eke al about wolde of it say it is ful lyght to arede They wolden say and swere it out of dout That loue ne draue you nat to do this dede But lust voluptuous and cowarde drede Thus were all lost iwys myne hert dere Your honour which y t now shyneth clere And also thynketh on myne honestie That floureth yet how foul I shuld it sheÌ„d And with what fylth it spotted shulde be If in this forme I shoulde with you wende Ne though I lyued vnto the worldes ende My name shulde I neuer ayenwarde wyn Thus wer I lost and y t were routh synne And for thy slee with reason al this hete Men sayne the suffraunt ouercoÌ„meth parde Eke who so wol haue lefe he lefe mote lete Thus maketh vertue of necessitie By pacience and thynke that lorde is he Of fortune aye y t nought wol of her retche And she ne dauÌ„teth no wight but a wretche And trusteth this that certes hert swete Or Phebus suster Lucina the shene The Lyon passe out of this Ariete I wol ben here withouten any wene I mene as helpe me Iuno heuens quene The tenth day but if that death me assayle I woll you sene withouten any fayle And now so thus be soth quod Troylus I shall well suffre vnto the tenth daye Syns that I se that nedes it mote be thus But for the loue of god yf it be maye So let vs stelen priuely away For euer in one as for to lyuen in rest Myne hert sayth that it woll be the best O mercy god what lyfe is this ê™ she Alas ye slee me thus for very tene I se well now that ye mystrusten me For by your wordes it is well ysene Now for the loue of Scithia the shene Mistrust me nat thus causelesse for routh Sis to be tru I haue you plight my trouth And thynketh wel that soÌ„tyme it was wyt To spende a tyme a tyme for to wyn Ne parde lorne I nat fro you yet Though that we ben a daye or two a twyn Driue out tho fantasyes you within And trusteth me leaueth eke your sorowe Or here my trouth I wyl nat lyue tyll morowe For if ye wyst how sore it doth me smerte Ye wold not cesse of this for god thou wost The pure spyrit wepeth in myne herte To sene you wepen which y t I loue moost And that I mote gon vnto the grekes host Yea nere it that I wyst a remedye To come ayen ryght here I wolde dye But certes I am not so nyce a wyght That I ne can ymagynen away To come ayen that daye that I haue hyght For who may holden a thyng y t wol awaye My father nought for all his queynt playe And by my thrift my wendyng out of Troy An other daye shall turne vs all to ioye For thy with all myne hert I you beseke Yf that you lyst done ought for my prayer And for y e loue which that I loue you eke That er that I departe fro you here That of so good a comfort and a chere I may you sene that ye may bring at rest Myne herte which is at poynt to brest And ouer all this I praye you ê™ she tho Myne owne hertes sothfast suffysaunce Syth I am thyne all hole withouten mo That whyle that I am absent no plesauÌ„ce Of other do me fro your remembraunce For I am euer agast for why men rede That loue is thyng aye ful of besy drede For in thys worlde there leueth lady none If that I were vntrewe as god defende That so betrayed were or wo begone As I that al trouth in you entende And doutlesse yf that iche other wende I were but deed and er ye cause fynde For goddes loue so beth me naught vnkind To this answered Troylus and seyde Now god to whoÌ„ there nys no cause ywrie Me glade as wys I neuer vnto Creseyde Sith thylke day I saw her fyrst wyth eye was
I swynke whan that my wyt is wery it to thynke On heuen yet the sterres weren sene Although full pale ywoxen was the moone And whyten gan the orizonte shene Al eestwarde as it is wonte to doone And Phebus wyth hys rosy carte soone Gan after that to dresse him vp to fare whan Troylus hath sent after Pandare This Pandare that of al the day beforne Ne might hym comen thys Troylus to se Although he on hys heed it had sworne For with the kyng Priam alday was he So that it laye nat in his lyberte No wher to gon but on y e morowe he went To Troylus whan that he for hym sent For in hys herte he coulde wel deuyne That Troylus al nyght for sorowe woke And that he wolde tel hym of hys pyne Thys knew he well ynough wythout boke For which to chaÌ„bre streyght y e way he toke And Troylus tho sobrely he grette And on the bed ful sone he gan hym sette My Pandarus ê™ Troylus the sorowe which that I drie I may not longe endure I trowe I shal not lyuen tyl to morowe For which I wolde alwayes on auenture To the deuysen of my sepulture The forme of my mouable thou dispone Ryght as the semeth best is for to done But of the fyre and flambe funerall In which my body brennen shall to glede And of the feest and playes palestrall At my vygyle I pray the take good hede That that be wel and offre Mars my stede My sworde myn helme leue brother dere My sheld to Pallas yeue that shyneth clere the poudre iÌ„ which min hert ibreÌ„de shal turn That pray I the thou take and it conserue In a vessel that men clepeth an vrne Of golde and to my lady that I serue For loue of whom thus pytously I sterue So yeue it her and do me thys plesaunce To prayen her to kepe it for a remembrauÌ„ce For wel I fele by my maladye And by my dreames nowe and yore ago Al certaynly that I mote nedes dye The oule eke which that hyght ascaphylo Hath after me shryght al these nyghtes two god Mercury now of me wofull wretche The soule gyde and whan the lyste it fetche Pandare answerde and sayd Troylus My dere frende as I haue tolde the yore That it is folye for to sorowen thus And causelesse for which I can no more But who so wol nat trowen rede ne lore I can not sene in hym no remedye But let hym worchen with his fantasye But Troylus I pray the tel me nowe If that thou trowe er thys that any wyght Hath loued paramours as wel as thou Ye god wote fro many a worthy knyght Hath hys ladye gone a fourtenyght And he nat yet made haluendele the fare what nede is the to maken al thys care Sens day by day thou mayst thy seluen se That from his loue or els from hys wyfe A man mote twynnen of necessyte Yee though he loue her as his owne lyfe Yet nyl he wyth him selfe thus maken stryfe For wel thou wost my leue brother dere That alway frendes may not ben yfere how don thys folke y t sene her loues wedded By frendes myght as it betydeth ful ofte And sene hem in her spouses bed ybedded God wote they take it wysely fayre softe For why good hope halt vp her herte alofte And for they can a tyme of sorowe endure As tyme hem hurteth a time doth hem cure So shuldest thou endure and letten slyde The tyme and fonde to ben gald and lyght Ten dayes nys not so longe to abyde And sens she to comen the hath behyght She nyl her heste breken for no wyght For drede the not that she nyl fynde way To come ayen my lyfe that durst I laye Thy sweuenesse eke and al such fantasye Dryue out and let hem faren to mischaunce For they procede of thy melancolye That doth the fele in slepe al thys penaunce A strawe for al sweuenes signifyaunce God helpe me so I counte hem nat abeene ther wot no maÌ„ aright what dremes meene For preestes of the temple tellen thys That dreames bene the reuelations Of goddes and al 's wel they tel ywys That they bene infernales illusyons And leches sayne that of complections Proceden they of faste or glotonye who wot in soth thus what they signyfye Eke other sayne that through impressions As yf a wyght hath faste a thinge in mynde That therof cometh such auisions And other sayne as they in bokes fynde That after tymes of the yere by kynde MeÌ„ dreme that theffect goth by the mone But leue no dreame for it is not to done well worth of dremes aye these olde wyues And trewly eke augurye of these foules For feare of which meÌ„ wemen lese her liues as raueÌ„s qualm or schriching of these oules To trowen on it both false and foule is Alas alas that so noble a creature As is a man shulde drede such ordure For which with al myne herte I the beseche Vnto thy selfe that al thys thou foryeue And ryse nowe vp withouten more speche And let vs cast how forth may best be dryueÌ„ The time eke how freshly we may lyuen whaÌ„ she cometh y u which shall be right sone God helpe me so the best is thus to done Ryse let vs speke of lustye lyfe in Troye That we haue lad and forth the time dryue And eke of tyme comyng vs reioye That bryngen shal our blysse now so blyue And langour of these twyse dayes fyue we shal therwyth so foryete or oppresse That well vnneth it done shal vs duresse Thys towne is ful of lordes al aboute And truce lasten all thys meane whyle Go we playen vs in some lusty route To Sarpedon not hence but a myle And thus thou shalt the tyme wel begyle And driue it forth vnto that blysful morow That thou her se that cause is of thy sorow Nowe ryse my dere brother Troylus For certes it non honoure is to the To wepe and in thy bedde to rouken thus For trewly of o thyng trust to me If thou thus lygge a daye two or thre The folke woll wene y t thou for cowardyse The faynest sicke that thou darst not ryse This Troylus answerde o brother dere Thys knoweÌ„ folke that haue ysuffred paine that though he wepe make sorouful chere That feleth harme and smert in euery vaine No wonder is and though I euer playne Or alway wepe I am nothyng to blame Sens y t I haue loste y e cause of al my game But sens of fyne force I mote aryse I shal aryse as sone as euer I may And god to whom myne hert I sacrifyse So sende vs hastely the tenthe daye For was there neuer foule so fayne of May As I shal ben whan y t she cometh in Troye That cause is of my turment and my ioye But whyder is thy rede ê™ Troylus That we may playe vs beste in al thys toun By
to her wende And sayd why spurnest thou agayne y e wal To slee thy selfe and mend nothynge at all Sith that thy weping but doubleth thy wo I counsayle the make vertue of a nede Go lerne to clap thy clapper to and fro And lerne after the lawe of lepers lede Ther was no bote but forth w t thaÌ„ she yede Fro place to place whyle colde huÌ„gre sore Compelled her to be a ranke beggore That same tyme of Troy the garnysoun which had the cheftayne worthye Troylus Thrugh ieopardy of war had strykeÌ„ down Knyghtes of Grece in noÌ„bre maruaylous with great triumph and laude victorious Agayne to Troy ryght royally they rode The way wher Creseyde w t the leper stode Seing that company come all with o steueÌ„ They gaue a crye shoke cups good spede worthy lordes for goddes loue of heauen To vs lepers parte of your almesse dede Than to her crye noble Troylus toke hede Hauyng pytie nere by the place gan passe wher Creseyd sat nat wetiÌ„g what she was Than vpon hym she kest vp both her eyen And w t a blynke it come intyl his thought That he sometyme her face before had seyn But she was in such plite he knew hernouÈt Yet than her loke into his mynde he brouÈt The swete vysage amorous blenkynge Of fayre Creseyd soÌ„tyme his owne derling No wonder was suppose in mynde that he Toke her fygure so soone and lo now why The ydoll of a thynge in case may be So depe emprynted in the fantasy That it defendeth the wyttes outwardly And so appereth in forme and lyke estate within the mynde as it was figurate A spark of loue than tyl his hert couth spriÌ„g And kyndeled his body in a fyre with hote feuer in swet and trymblynge Him toke whyle he was redy to expyre To beare his shylde his breest begon to tyre within a whyle he chaunged manye a hewe And neuerthelesse nat one another knewe For knyghtly pytie and memoriel Of fayr Creseyd a gyrdle gan he take A purse of golde and many a gay iewel And in y e skyrt of Creseyd downe can shake ThaÌ„ rode awaye and nat a worde he spake Pensife in hert whyle he came to y e towne And for great care oftsith almost fel downe The lepre folke to Creseyde than couth drawe To se the equall distributioun Of y e almous but whan the golde they saw Eche one to other priuely can rowne And sayd you lorde hath more affectioun How euer it be vnto you lazarous Than to vs all we knowe by his almous what lorde is you ê™ she haue ye no fele That doth to vs so great humanitie Yes ê™ a lepre man I knowe him wele Syr Troylus it is a knyght gentle free whan Creseyde vnderstode that it was he Styffer thaÌ„ stele there stert a bytter stound Thrughout her hert fyl down to y e grouÌ„d whan she ouercom with syghyng sore sad with many a carefull crye colde atone Now is my brest with stormy stouÌ„des stad wrapped in wo wretch fulwyl of one Than fel in swoun ful oft or she wolde fâ—ne And euer in her swouning cryed she chus O false Creseyd true knyght Troylus Thy loue thy laude and all thy gentylnesse I compted smal in my prosperitie So effated I was in wantonnesse And clambe vpon the fykel whele so hye All fayth and loue I promoted to the was in thy selfe fekle and furyous O false Creseyde true knyght Troylus For loue of me thou kept countenaunce Honest and chaste in conuersatioun Of all women protectour and defence Thou were and helped theyr opynioun My mynde on fleshly foule affectioun was enclyned to lustes lecherous Fye false Creseyde o true knyght Troylus Louers beware and take good hede about whom y t ye loue for whan ye suffre payne I let you wyt ther is right fewe thrughout whoÌ„ ye may trust to haue true loue agayne Proue whaÌ„ ye wol your labour is in vayne Therfore I rede ye take them as ye fynde For they are as sad as wethercock in wynd Bycause I knowe the great vnstablenesse Bryttell as glasse vnto my selfe I say Trustyng in other as great brutelnesse As inconstaunt and as vntrue of faye ThouÈ som be true I wot riÈt fewe ar they who fyndeth truthe let hym his lady â—â—se None but my selfe as now I woll accuse whan this was sayd w t paper she sat doun And in this maner made her testament Here I bequeth my corse and caryoun with wormes and with toodes to be rent My cup my clapper and myne ornament And al my gold these leper folke shal haue whan I am deed to bury me in graue This royal rynge set with this Rubye red which Troylus in dowry to me sende To hym agayne I leaue it whaÌ„ I am deed To make my careful deth vnto him kende Thus I conclude shortly and make an ende My sprit I leue to Diane where she dwels To walke w t her in waste wodes welles O Diomede thou hast both broche and belt which Troylus gaue me in tokenyng Of his true loue and w t the word she swelt And soone a leper man toke of the rynge Than buryed her withouten tarying To Troylus forth with the rynge he bare And of creseyde the deth he can declare whan he had herde her great infirmitie Her legacy and lamentatioun And how she ended in suche pouertie He swelt for wo fell downe in a swoun For sorowe his hert to brast was boun Syghyng full sadly sayde I can nomore She was vntrue and wo is me therfore Som saith he made a tomb of marble gray And wrote her name and superscription And layde it on her graue where as she laye In golden letters coÌ„taynynge this reasoun Lo fayre ladyes Creseyde of Troy y e toune Somtyme coÌ„pted the floure of womanhed Vnder this stone late leper lyeth deed Now worthy women in this balade short Made for your worshyp and instruction Of charitie I monysh and exhorte Mynge nat your loue with false disception Beare in your mynde this sore conclusion Of fayre Creseyde as I haue sayde before Syth she is deed I speke of her nomore ¶ Thus endeth the piteful and dolorous testament of fayre Creseyde And hereafter foloweth the legende of good women ¶ The legende of good women A Thousande tymes I haue herde men tel That there is ioye in heuen payne in hel And I accorde it wel that it is so But nathelesse yet wot I wele also That there nys none dwelling in this countrie That eyther hath in heuen or hel ybe Ne may of it none other wayes wytten But as he herde sayd or founde it wrytten For by assaye there maye no man it preue But god forbede but men shulde leue well more thynge than they han sene w t eye Men shall nat wenen euery thynge a lye But yf hym selfe it seeth or els it doth For god wot thyng is neuer the lesse soth Though euery
I wolde well suffre the lasse greuously For why in suche an vnprofytable man myne ententes were nothyng endamaged But ye wythdrawen fro me this man that hathe ben nourysshed in my studyes or scholes of Eleaticis and of Achademicis in Grece But goth nowe rather awaye ye mermaydens whyche that ben swete tyll it be at the laste and suffreth thys man to be cured and heled by my muses that is to saye by my notefull sciences And thus thys companye of muses yblamed tasten wrothly the chere downwarde to the erthe and shewynge by reednesse her shame they passedâ—n soroufully the thressholde And I of whome the syght plounged in teeres was derked so that I ne might nat knowe what that woman was of so imperyall auctorite I woxe all abasshed and stonyed and cast my syght downe to the erthe and began styll for to abyde what she wolde done afterwarde Than came she nere and set her downe vpon the vtterest corner of my bedde and she beholdynge my chere that was caste to the erthe heauy and greuous of wepyng coÌ„playned wyth these wordes that I shall sayne the perturbacion of my thought Heu quam precipiti mersa profundo Mens hebet propria luce relicta Tendit ad externas ire tenebras Terrenis quoties flatibus acta Crescit in immensum noxia cura Hic quondam celo liber aperto c. ALas how the thought of this man dreynt in ouerthrowyng depnesse dulleth forletteth his propre clerenesse mynting to gone in to forayne derkenesse as ofte as hys anoyous busynes wexeth without mesure that is driuen wyth worldely wyndes This man that whylom was free to whom the heuen was open and knowen and was wonte to gone in heuenly pathes and sawe the lightnesse of the reed sunne and behelde the sterres of the colde moone and whiche sterre in heauen vseth wandrynge recourses yflytte by dyuers spheres Thys man ouercomer had comprehended all this thynge by nombre of acomptyng in astronomye And ouer this he was wont to seken the causes whence y e sownyng wyndes mouen and besyen the smothe water of the see And what spyrite tourneth the stable heuen And why the sterre ryseth out of the reed este to fallen in the westren wawes And what attempreth the lusty houres of the fyrst sommer ceason and hyghteth and apparayleth the erth wyth rosy floures And who maketh the plentuous Autumpne in full yeres fleten wyth heuy grapes And eke thys man was wonte to tell the dyuers causes of nature that were hydde Alas howe lightly is empted the lyght of hys thought and hys necke is pressed wyth heuy cheynes and beareth hys chere enclyned a downe for the great weight and is constrayned to loken on the fole erthe Sed magis medicine inquit tempus est quam querele Boe. TuÌ„ vero totis in me intenta luminibus Philo. Tune ille es aâ—t qui nostro quondam lacte nutritus nostriseducaius alimeÌ„tis iÌ„ virilis animi robur cuaseras â–ª c. BVt tyme is nowe of medicine ê™ she more thaÌ„ complaynte Forsothe than she entendyng to me warde wyth all the lokyng of her eyen sayde Arâ—e not thou he ê™ she that whylom I nourished with my mylke and fostred wyth my metes were escaped and comen to the corage of a parfayte man Certes I yaue the suche armures that yf thou thy selfe ne haddest fyrste caste hem awaye they shulden haue defended the in sykernesse that may nat be ouercomen Knowest thou not me why art thou stil is it for shame or for astonyeng It were me leuer it were for shame but it semeth me that astonyenge hathe oppressed the. And whan she sawe me not onely styll but rather wythout offyce of tonge and all dombe she layde her hande softely vpon my breste and sayde Here is no peryll ê™ she he is fallen in to a lytarge whiche that is a comune sycknesse to hertes that ben disceyued He hath a lytell foryeten him selfe But certes he shall lightly remembren hym selfe yf so be that he hath knowen me or nowe And that he maye doone so I wyll wype hys eyen a lytell that be derked by the cloude of mortall thynges These wordes sayd she and wyth the lappe of her garnemeÌ„â— yplited in a frouÌ„ce she dried myne eyen that weren full of the wawes of my wepynges Tunc me discussa liquerunt nocte tenebre Luminibusque prior redit vigor Vt cum precipiti glomerantur sidera choro Nimbosisque polus stetit imbribus Sol latet ac non dum celo venientibus astris c. THus whan that nyght was discussed away derkenesse for lete me and to myne eyen repayred agayn her first streÌ„gth And right as by ensample as the sonne is hydde whan the sterres ben couerde with cloudes by a swyfte wynde that hyght Chorus and the firmament stante derked by wete plungy cloudes And that the sterres not aperen vpon the heuen so that the nyght semeth sprad vpon the erthe If than the wynde that hight Boreas ysent out of the caue of the couÌ„trey of Trace beateth thys nyght that is to sayne chaseth it awaye and discouereth the closed daye than shyneth Phebus yshaken with sodayne lyght and smyteth with hys beames in marueylyng eyen Haud aliter tristicie nebulis dissolutis hausi celum ad cognoscendaÌ„ medicantis faciem mentem recepi Itaque vbi in eaÌ„ deduxi oculos intuitumque defixi respicio nutricem meam iâ— cuius ab adolescentia c. RIght so and no other wyse y e cloudes of sorowe dissolued done away I toke heuen and receyued mynde to knowen the face of my phisycien so that I sette myne eyen vpon her and fastned my lokyng I behelde my norice Philosophie in whose house I had conuersed fro my youthe and I sayde thus O thou maystresse of al vertues discended from the souerayne sete why art thou comen in to this solitary place of myne exile Arte thou comen for thou arte made coulpable wyth me of false blames O quod she my norice shulde I forsake the nowe and shulde I not parten with the by comen trauayle y e charge that thou haste suffred for enuy of my name Certes it were not lefull ne syttyng to Philosophie to leten wythout company the way of him y t is innocent Shuld I than redoute my blame and agrise as though there were befallen a new thyng For trowest thou that Philosophie be nowe alder fyrste assayled in peryls by folke of wycked maner Haue I not stryuen wyth full great stryfe in olde tyme before the age of my Plato ayenst the foolehardynesse of folye And eke the same Plato lyuyng hys mayster Socrates deserued victorie of vnryghtfull dethe in my presence The herytage of the whyche Socrates the heritage is to sayne the doctryne of the whyche Socrates in hys opinyon of felycite that I cleape welefulnesse whan that the people of Epycuriens and Stoiciens many other enforced them to go rauishe euery man for hys parte that is to sayne
cast vnder by many paryls Askest thou glorye â–ª thou shalte ben so distracte by aspre thynges that thou shalt forgone sikernesse And yf thou woldest leden thy lyfe in delytes euery wight shall despisen the forleeÌ„ the as thou y t art thrall to thyng y t is ryght foule bryttel y t is to sayne seruaunt to thy bodye Nowe is it than well ysene how lytle and howe bryttel possessyon they coueyten that putten the goodes of the bodye aboue her owne reason For mayst thou surmounten these olyfauntes in greatnesse or in weyght of body or mayst thou be streÌ„ger than the bull Mayest thou be swyfter than the tygre Beholde the spaces and the stablenesse and y e swyfte course of heauen stynt somtime to wondren on foule thinges The which heauen certes nis not rather for these thynges to be wondred vpon than for the reason by which it is gouerned But the shynyng of thy fourme that is to sayne the beautye of thy bodye howe swyftly passing is it and howe transitorie certes it is more flyttynge than the mutabylitie of floures of the sommer season For so as Aristotel telleth that yf that men hadde eyen of a beaste that hyght lynx so that the lokynge of folke myght peercen thorowe tho thynges that withstonden it who so loked than in then trayles of the body of Alcibiades that was full fabre in the superfycie without it shuld seme ryght foule And for thy yf thou semest fayre thy nature ne maketh not that but the disceiuauÌ„ce of feblenesse of the eyen that looken But prayse the goodes of the body as moche as euer y e lyst so y t thou knowe algates y t what so it be that is to sayne of the goodes of the bodye whyche that thou wondreste vpon maye bene destroyed or els dissolued by the heate of a feuer of thre dayes Of which for sayd thinges I may reducen this shortly in a summe that these wordly goodes which y t ne mowen yeuen y t they behighten ne ben not parfyte by the congregation of all goodes that they ne be not wayes ne pathes y t bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to be blysfull Heu heu qÌ„ miseros tramite deuios abducit ignorantia Non aurum in viridi queritis arbore c. ALas which follye and whiche ignoraunce mysleadeth wandryng wretches from the path of very good Certes ye seken no gold in grene trees ne ye gadren not precyous stones in vynes ne ye ne hyden not your gynnes in hye mountaynes to catchen fysh of the which ye maye maken ryche feestes And yf ye lyke to hunt to Roes ye ne go not to the foordes of the water that hyght Thyrene And ouer this men know wel the crekes and the cauernes of the see yhid in y e sloudes knowen eke which water is most plenteous of white perles knowen which water aboundeth most of red purpure that is to sayne of a maner shelfysh with which men dyen purpure and knowen which stroÌ„des abounden moost of tendre fysshes or of sharpe fysshes that hyght Echynes But folke suffren hem selfe to ben so blynde that hem ne retchen not to knowe where thylke goodes ben yhid whiche that they coueten but plungen hem in earth and seken there thylke good that surmounteth the heauen that beareth the sterres what prayer maye I maken that be digne to the nyce thoughtes of men But I praye that they coueyten rychesse and honoures so that whan they haue gotten tho false goodes wyth greate trauayle that therby they mowen knowen the very goodes Hactenus mendacis formam felici tatis ostendisse sufficerit ê™ si perspicaciter intuearis ordo est deinceps c IT suffyseth that I haue sayde hytherto the fourme of false welefulnesse so y t yf thou loke now clerely the ordre of myne entention requyreth from heÌ„ce forth to shewen the very welfulnesse B. For sothe ê™ I I se well now that suffysaunce maye not coÌ„men by riches ne power by realmes ne reuerence by dignities ne gentlesse by glory ne ioye by delyces Phi. And haste thou well knowen the causes ê™ she why it is Boece Certes me semeth ê™ I that I se hem ryght as though it were through a lytle clyfte But me were leauer knowen hem more openly of the. P. Certes ê™ she the reason is alreadye For thylke thyng that symply is one thynge without anye deuysyon the errour and folly of mankynde deuydeth and departeth it mysleadeth it and transporteth from very and parfyte good to goodes that be false and vnparfyte But say me this wenest thou that he that hath nede of power that hym ne lacketh nothynge B. Nay ê™ I P. Certes ê™ she y u sayst aryght for yf so be that there is a thing that in any parte be febler of power certes as in that it mote nedes be nedy of forayne helpe Bocce Ryght so it is ê™ I Phi. Suffisaunce and power ben of one kynde B. So semeth ê™ I Philoso And demest thou quod she that a thynge that is of this maner that is to say suffysaunt and myghtye ought been dispysed or els that it be ryght digne of reuerence aboue all thynges B. Certes ê™ I it is no dout that it is ryght worthye to be reuerenced P. Let vs adden ê™ she reuerence to suffysaunce and to power so that we demen y t these thre thynges he all one thynge B. Certes quod I let vs adden it yf we wyl grauÌ„t the soth P. what demest thou ê™ she than is that a darke thyng and not noble that is suffysauÌ„t reuerent and myghty or els that it is ryght noble and ryght clere by celebrat of renoume CoÌ„sydre thaÌ„ ê™ she as we haue graunted here beforne that he that ne hath no nede of nothyng and is moost myghtye and most digne of honour yf hym nedeth any clerenesse of renoume which clerenesse he myght not graunten of hym selfe so for lack of thylke clearenesse he myght semen the febler on any syde or the more outcaste Glose That is to saye naye For who so that is suffysaunt myghtye and reuerente clearenesse of renoume foloweth of the forsayde thynges he hath it all readye of hys suffysaunce B. I may not quod I denye it but I mot graunten as it is that this thynge is ryght celebrable by clerenesse of renoume and noblesse Phil. Than foloweth quod she that we adden clerenesse of renoume to the foresayde thynges so that there be amonges hem no dyfferencee Boece This is a consequence ê™ I Philoso This thinge than ê™ she that ne hath nede of no forayne thynge and that maye doo all thynge by hys strengthes and that is noble and honourable is it not a mery thyng and ioyfull Boece But whence quod I that anye sorowe myghte come to this thynge that is suche certes I maye not thynke Philosop Than mote we graunten ê™ she that this thynge be full of gladnesse yf the forsayde thynges be sothe And certes
Phi. The thynges than ê™ she that ne bene no goodes whan they bene diuers whan they begynnen to be al one thyng than bene they goodes ne cometh it not thaÌ„ by the gettyng of vnyte that they be maked goodes Boece So semeth it quod I Philo. But al thynge that is good ê™ she graunteste thou that it be good by the participation of good or no Boece I graunt it quod I Philoso Than must thou grauÌ„ted quod she by semblable reason that one and good be one same thynge For of thynges of whyche the effecte nys not naturelly diuers nedes her substaunce must be one same thyng Boece I ne maye not denye it quod I Philoso Haste thou not knowen well ê™ I that all thynge that is hath so longe hys dwellyng and his substaunce as longe as it is one but whan it forletteth to bene one it muste nedes dyen and corrumpen togyther B. In which maner ê™ I Philo. Ryght as in beestes quod she whan the soule and the bodye bene conioyned in one and dwellen togyther it is cleped a beest and whan her vnite is distroyed by the dysceuerauÌ„ce of that one from that other than sheweth it wel y t it is a deed thing and it is no lenger no beast And the body of a wight whyle it dwelleth in one fourme by coniunction of membres it is well sene that it is a fygure of mankynde And yf the partyes of the bydye be deuyded and disceuered that one from that other that they distroye the vnite y e body forleteth to be that it was beforne And who so wold renue in the same maner by all thynges he shulde sene y t without dout euery thynge is in hys substaunce as longe as it is one And whan it forleteth to be one it dyeth and perisheth Boece whaÌ„ I consyder quod I manye thynges I se none other Philoso Is there any thyng ê™ she that in as muche as it lyueth naturelly that forleteth the talent or the apetyte of his beynge and desyreth to come to deathe and to corruption Boece If I consyder quod I the beastes that haue anye maner nature of wyllyng and nyllyng I ne fynde no beest but yf it be constrayned fro wythout forthe that forleteth or dyspyceth the entencion to lyuen and to duren or that wyll hys thankes hasten hym to dyen For euerye beaste trauayleth hym to defende and kepe the sauacion of hys lyfe and escheweth death and dystruction But certes I doute me of herbes and trees that ne haue no felynge soules ne no naturell workynges seruynge to appetytes as beastes haue whether they haue appetyte to dwelle and to duren Philosoph Certes quod she therof dare the not doute Nowe loke vpon the herbes and trees for they wexen fyrste in suche place as bene couenable to hem in whyche places they mowe not dyen ne dryen as longe as her nature maye defende hem For some of hem wexen in feldes some wexen in mouÌ„taignes and other wexe in mareys and other cleauen on rockes and some wexen pleÌ„teous in sondes And yf any wyght enforce hym to beare hem in to other places they wexen drye For nature yeueth to euerye thynge that is conueniente to hym and trauayleth that they ne dye as longe as they haue power to dwellen and to lyuen what wylte thou sayne of thys that they drawen all her nouryshynges by her rootes ryghte as they haddeÌ„ her mouthes yplouÌ„ged within the earthes and sheaden by her maryes her wodde and her barke And what wylte thou sayne of thys that thylke thynge that is ryghte softe as the marye is that is alwaye hydde in the seate all within and that is defended from wythoute by the stedfastnesse of wodde and that the vttereste barkes is put ayenst the distemperaunce of the heauen as a defendoure myghtye to suffrâ—â— harme And thus certes mayste thou well sene howe great is the dyligence of nature For all thynges renouelen and publyshed hem wyth seede ymultyplyed Ne there nys no man that ne wote well that they ne bene ryghte as a foundemente and edefyce for to duren not onely for a tyme but ryghte as for to dure perdurably by generatioÌ„ And y t thinges eke that men went ne haue no soules ne desyre they not by semblable reason to kepen that is hys that is to sayne that is accordynge to her nature in conseruation of her beyng and enduryng For wherfore els beareth lyghtnesse the flambes vp and the weyghte presseth the earth adowne but for as muche as thylke places and thylke mouinges be couenable to eueryth of hem And forsothe euery thynge kepeth thylke that is accordynge propre to hym ryght as thynges that bene contraryous and enemies corrumpen hem And yet the harde thinges as stones cleauen and holden her parties togyther right fast harde and defenden hem in withstaÌ„dyng that they ne departen lyghtly and yeuen place to hem that breaken or deuydeÌ„ hem but nathlesse they retournen ayen soone in to the sam thynges from whence they be araced But fyre fâ—eeth and refuseth all deuysyon Ne I ne treate not nowe here of wylful mouinges of the soule that is knowyng but of naturell entention of thynges as thus Ryght as we swalowen the meate that we receyuen and ne thynke not on it and as we draw our breath in slepyng that we weten whyle we slepen For certes in the beestes the loue of her lyuynges ne of her beynges ne cometh not of the wylnynges of the soule but of the begynnynges of nature for certes thoroughe constraynynge causes wyll desyreth embraseth ful oft tymes the deth that nature dredeth that is to sayn as thus that a man maye be constrayned so by some cause that his wyl desyreth and taketh the deathe whyche that nature hateth dredeth full sore And some tyme we sene the contrary as thus y t the wyll of a wyght disturbeth and constrayneth that that nature alwaye desyreth and requyreth that is to say y t werkes of generacion by the which generacion onely dwelleth and is susteyned the longe durabylite of mortall thynges as thus Thys charite and this loue that euery thynge hathe to hym selfe ne cometh not of the mouynge of the soule but of the entencion of nature For the purueyaunce of God hathe yeuen to thynges that bene create of hym thys that is a full great cause to lyuen and to duren for whyche they desyren naturelly her lyfe as longe as euer they mowen for whych thou mayst not dreden by no maner that all thynges that bene anye where that they ne requireÌ„ naturelly the ferme stablenesse of perdurable dwellyng and eke the eschewyng of distruction Boece I coÌ„fesse ê™ I that I se wel now and certaynly withouten dout the thinges that a whyle ago semeden vncertaine to me Philoso But ê™ she thylke thynge that desyreth to be and dwell perdurablye he desyreth to bene one for yf that one were distroyed certes beynge shulde there none dwellen to no wyght Boece That is
teares wepten for pyte Tho was not the heade of Ixion tonemented by the ouerthrowynge whele And Tantalus that was distroyed by the woodnesse of longe thurst dispysed the floodes to drynke The foule that hyght Vultur that eateth the stomake or the gyserne of Tityus is so fulfylled of hys songe that it nyll eaten ne tyren no more At the laste the Lorde and iuge of soules was moued to myserirordies and cryed we bene ouercomeÌ„ ê™ he yeue we to Orpheus hys wyfe to beare hym company he hath well ybought her by hys songes and hys dyties but we wyll putten a law 〈◊〉 thys and couenaunte in the yefte that is to sayn y t tyl he be out of hel yf he loke behinde hym that hys wyfe shall come agayne vnto vs. But what is he that maye yeue a law to louers loue is a greater law and a stronger to him selfe than any lawe that meÌ„ may yeuen Alas whan Orpheus and hys wyfe were almost at the termes of the night that is to sayne at the laste boundes of hell Orpheus loked backewarde on Eurydice hyâ— wyfe and loste her and was deade Thys table apertayneth to you all who so euer desyreth or seketh to lede his thought in to the souerayne daye that is to saye to clerenesse of souerayne good For who so euer be so ouercomen that he fixe his eyen into the pytte of hell that is to sayne who so euer sette hys thoughtes in erthly thynges all y t euer he hath draweÌ„ of y e noble good celestiall he leseth it whan he loketh to the helles thys is to sayne into lowe thynges of the earth ¶ Thus endeth the thyrde boke of Boece and here after foloweth the fourth HEc cum philosophia dignita te vultus et oris grauitate seruata leniter suauiter que cecinisset Tum ego nondum penitus insiti meroris oblitus c. WHen Philosophie had songen softly delectably the forsayd thynges kepyng y e dignite of her chere the weyghte of her wordes I theÌ„ that ne had all vtterly foryeten the wepyng and the mournynge that was set in myne herte forbrake the entencion of her that entended yet to sayne some other thynges O quod I thou that arte gyderesse of verye lyght the thinges that thou hast sayd me hytherto ben to me so clere and shewynge by the dyuyne lokynge of hem and by thy reasons that they ne mowen ben ouercomen And thylke thynges that thou toldest me all be it so that I had whylom foryeten hem for â—he sorowe of the wronge that hath be done to me yet neuerthelesse they ne weren not vtterly vnknowen to me But thys same is namely a ryght greate cause of my sorowe so y t as the gouernour of thynges is good yf that yuels moweÌ„ ben by any wayes or els yf that yuels passen wythout punyshyng the which thyng only how worthy is it to ben woÌ„dred vpon Thou consydrest it well thy selfe certaynly But yet to this thynge there is yet an other thynge ioyned more to be wondred vpon For felonye is emperesse and floureth ful of rychesse and vertue nys not all only wyth out medes but it is cast downe and eke fortroden vnder the fete of felonous folke and it abyeth the tourmentes in stede of wycked fâ—ions Of all whyche thynges there is no wyght maye maruaylen ynough ne complaynen that such thynges be done in the reygne of god that al thynges wote and al thynges maye and ne wyl not only but good thinges Then sayd she thus Certes quod she that were a great maruayle an abashyng wyth out ende and well more horrible then al the monsters yf it were as thou wenest that is to sayne that in the ryghte ordayne house of so moch a father and an ordaynour of meyne that the vessels that ben foule and vyle shuld ben honoured and heryed and the precious vessels shuld ben defouled and vyle But it is not so for yf the thynges that I haue concluded a lytel here beforne ben kept hole and vnaraced thou shalte well knowe by the authorite of god of the whose reygne I speke that certes the good folke be alwaye myghty and shrewes ben alwaye outcaste and feble Ne the vyces be neuer more wythout payne ne the vertues ne be not wythout mede And that blysfulnesse cometh alway to good folke and infortune cometh alway to wicked folke And thou shalt well knowen many thynges of thys kynde that shuld ceasen thy playntes and strengthen the wyth stedfast sadnesse And for thou hast sene the forme of very blysfulnesse by me that haue whylom shewed it the and thou haste knowen in whome blysfulnesse is set althynge treated that I trow be necessary to put forth I shall shewen the the waye that shall bryngen the ayen vnto thyne house and I shall fyxe fethers in thy thought by which it maye arysen in heyght so that all tribulation ydone awaye thou by my gydynge and by my pathe and by my fledes shalte mowen retourne hole and sounde into thy countrey Sunt etenim penne volueres michi Que celsa conscendunt polt Quas sibi cli velox mens induit c. THen for thy swyfte fethers y t surmounten the heyght of the heuen when the swyft thought hath clothed it in tho feathers it dyspiseth the hatefull erthes and surmounteth the rouÌ„denesse of the great ayre and it seeth the cloudes behynde hys backe passeth the heyghte of the regyon of the fyre that enchaufeth by the swyfte mouynge of the fyrmament tyll that he aryseth into the houses that bearen the sterres and ioyneth the waye wyth the sunne Phebus and felowshyppeth the waye of the olde colde Saturnus he ymaked a knyght of the clere sterre that is to sayeÌ„ wheÌ„ the thought is made goddes knight by the sekynge of clere trouthe to comen to the verye knowlege of god And thilk soule reÌ„neth by y e clerke of sterrres in al the places there as the shynynge nyght is ypaynted that is to sayne the nyght that is cloudlesse For on nyghtes that be cloudlesse it semeth that the heauen were paynted wyth dyuers ymages of sterres And wheÌ„ he hath done there ynough he shall forleten the laste heuen and he shall presen and wenden on the backe of the swyft fyrmament and he shal be maked parfyte of the worshypfull lyght of god There holdeth the lorde of thinges the sceptre of hys might and attempreth the gouernementes of the worlde and the shynynge iuge of thynges stable in hym selfe gouerneth y e swyft carte or wayne that is to sayne the cyrculer mouynge of the sunne And yf thy waye ledeth y e ayen so that thou be brought thyder then wylt thou saye that is the countrye that thou requyrest of whych thou ne haddest no mynde but nowe it remembreth me well here was I borne here wol I fasteÌ„ my degre here wol I dwel But yf the lyketh then to loken on the darkenesses of the earth that thou haste forleten then shalte
purged in wrekynge by the distruction of Troye the lost chaÌ„bres of maryage in hys brother that is to saye that Agamemnon wan ayen Heleyne that was Menelaus wyfe hys brother In the meane whyle that thilke Agamemnon desired to yeuen sayles to the grekes nauy and broughte ayen the wyndes by bloude He vnclothed hym of pyte of father and the sorye preest yeueth in sacrifyeng the wretched cuttynge of the throte of the doughter that is to say that AgameÌ„non let cutte the throte of hys doughter by the preest to maken aliaunce wyth his goddes for to haue wynd wyth whiche he myght wenden to Troye Itacus that is to saye vlixes bewepte hys felowes ylorne the which felowes the feirs Poliphemus lyggynge in hys greate caue had fretten and dreynt in his empty wombe But nathlesse Poliphemus woode for hys blynde vysage yelde to Vlixes ioye by hys sorouful teeres that is to saye that Vlixes smote out the eye of Poilphemus that stode in the forheed for whyche Vlixes had ioye whan he sawe Poliphemus wepynge and blynde Hercules is celebrable for hys harde traueyle he daunted the proude Ceutaurus halfe horse halfe man berafte the dyspoylyng fro the cruel lyon y t is to say he slough y e lyon berafte hym hys skynne He smote the byrdes y t hgiht Arpyes with certaine arowes He rauyshed apples fro the wakyng dragon and his hande was the more heauy for the golden metal He drough Cerberus the hounde of hell by the triple chaynes He ouercomer as it is said hath put an vnmeke lorde fodder to his cruel horse that is to say Hercules slough Dyomedes and made hys horse to freten him he Hercules slough I dra the serpente and brente the venym And Achileus the floud defouled in his forheed dreynt his shamfast vysage in his strondes that is to say that Achileus coulde transfigure hym selfe into dyuers lykenesse as he faught with Hercules at last he turned him into a bull Hercules brake one of his hornes and he for shame hyd him in his riuer And ouer that he Hercules cast adowne Antheus the gyaunte in the strondes of Lybiâ— And Cacus appeysed the wrathes of Euander that is to say that Hercules slought the monstre Cacus appeysed with that death the wrath of Euander And the bristled bore marked with vomes the shulders of Hercules the which sholders the hye cercle of heueÌ„ shulde thrist And y e last of his labours was y t he susteyned the heauen vpon his necke vnbowed he deserued eftsones the heueÌ„ to be the last ende of trauayle Goth nowe then ye stronge men there as the great ensample â—edeth you O nyce meÌ„ why make ye your backes as who saith o ye slowe delicate meâ— why se ye aduersities ne fyght not ayenst hem by vertue to wynneÌ„ y e mede of heueÌ„ â—oâ— the mede ouercomeÌ„ yeueth y e sterres y t is to sayne that whan that erthly lust is ouercomen a man is maked worthye to the heuen ¶ Here endeth the fourth boke of Boece foloweth the fyfth ¶ Dixierat orationisque cursum ad alia quedam tractanda atque expedien da vertebat B. Tum ego recta quidem inquam c. SHe had sayd turned the course of her reason to some other thinges to be treated to be sped B. ThaÌ„ sayd I certes rightfull is thine amonesting ful digne by auctorite But that thou saidest whyloÌ„ that the question of the diuyne purueyauÌ„ce is enlaced wyth manye other questions I vnderstande well and proue it by the same thyng But I aske yf that thou wenest that hap be any thynge in anye wayes yf thou wenest that hap be any thyng what is it P. Than ê™ she I haste me to yelden and assoylen to the det of my behest and to sheweÌ„ and open the way by which way thou mayst come ayen to thy countrey but al be it so y t the thinges whych that thou askest bene ryght profytable to knowe yet bene they dyuers somwhat fro the path of my purpose and it is to dout that thou ne be maked werye by mysse wayes so that thou ne mayste not suffyse to measure the ryght way B. Ne dout the ther of nothyng quod I For to knowen thylke thynges togyther in the whiche thynges I delyte me greatly y t shall bene to me in stede of rest syth it nys not to douten of the thynges folowynge whan euerye thynge of thy desputacyon shall haue bene stedfaste to me by vndoutous fayth Phi. Than sayde she that maner wol I done to the and began to speaken ryght thus Certes ê™ she yf anye wyght definyshe hap in thys maner that is to sayn that hap is betiding ybrought forth by folysh mouynge by no knyttyng of causes I conferme that hap nys ryght naught in no wyse and I deme all vtterly that hap nys ne dwelleth but a voyce as who sayeth but an ydell worde wythout any signification of thynge coÌ„mytted to that voyce For what place myght bene lefte or dwellyng in folye to disordinaunce syth that God leadeth and constrayneth al thynges by ordre for this sentence is very soth that nothynge hath his beyng of naught to the which sentence none of these olde folke ne wythsayde neuer al be it so that they ne vnderstande it not by God prince begynner of workynge but they casten as a maner foundemente of subiecte material that is to sayne of the nature of all reason And yf that any thynge is waxen or comeÌ„ of no causes thaÌ„ shal it seme y t thylke thing is comen or woxen of naught But yf thys ne maye not be done than is it nat possible that hap be any such thing as I haue definyshed a lytle here beforne Boece How shal it than be ê™ I nys there than no thyng that by ryght may bene cleped eyther hap or els aduenture or fortune or is there ought albeit so that it is hyd fro the people to which thinge these wordes bene couenable Phi. Myne Aristotle ê™ she in the boke of hys phisyke definysheth thys thynge by short reason nigh to the soth B. In which maner ê™ I P. As ofte ê™ she as men done any thynge for grace of any other thynge another thynge than thylke thyng that men entenden to done betideth by some causes it is ycleped hap right as a man dalfe the erth bycause of tyllynge of the felde and founde there a gobet of golde bedoluen than weneÌ„ folke that it is befal by fortunous betydyng But forsoth it nys not of nought for it hath his propre causes of whych causes y e course vnforeseen and vnware semeth to haue maken hap For if the tyller of the felde ne dolue not in the erth and yf the hyder of the golde ne had hyd the golde in that place the golde ne had not bene founde These bene than the causes of the abredgynge of fortuit hap the whiche abredgyng of
wyth her goynge or wyth her fete and to gone eyther by the grene feldes or els to walken vnder the woodes And all be it so that thou seest that they discorden by dyuers fourmes algates her faces enclyned heauyeth her dull wyttes onely the lynage of man heaueth highest hys hye heed and standeth lyght wyth hys vpryght bodye and beholdeth the erthes vnder hym And but yf thou erthly man waxest yuell out of thy wytte thys fygure amonesteth the that askest the heuen with thy right vysage and hast areysed thy forheed to bearen vp on hygh thy corage so that thy thouÈt ne be not heuyed ne put lowe vnder fote syth that thy body is so hygh areysed Quoniam igitur vti paulo ante monstratum est omne quod scitur c. THerfore than as I haue shewed a lytell here beforn y t all thing y t is wyst nys not knowen by thys nature propre but by y e nature of heÌ„ y t coÌ„prehenden it Let vs loken nowe in as moch as it is lefull to vs as who saith let vs loken nowe as we may which that is the estate of the diuyne substaunce so that we may well knowe eke what his science is The commune iugement of all creatures reasonables than is that God is eterne Let vs consydre than what is eternyte for certes that shall shewen vs togyder the diuyne nature and the diuyne science Eternyte than is perfyte possessyon and all togyder of lyfe intermynable and that sheweth the more clerely by the coÌ„paryson or collacyon of temporall thynges For all thyng that lyueth in tyme it is present and procedeth fro preterytees in to futures that is to sayne from tyme passed in to tyme comynge ne there nys nothynge establysshed in tyme that maye enbracen togyther all the space of thys lyfe for certes yet ne hathe it not taken the tyme of to morowe and it hath lost that of yesterday And certes in the lyfe of thys daye ye ne lyueÌ„ nomore but ryght as in thys mouable and transytorye moment Than thylke thynge that suffreth temporall condycion al though that it neuer began to be ne though it neuer cease to be as Arystoteles demed of the worlde although the life of it be stretched wyth infynite of tyme yet algates nys it no suche thynge as men might trowen by right that it is eterne For all thought that it comprehende and enbrace the space of the lyfe infynite yet algates ne embraseth it not y e space of the lyfe all togyther for it ne hath not the futures that be not yet ne it ne hathe no lenger the preteritees that beÌ„ don or passed But thylke thyng than that hath and comprehendeth togyder al the plentie of the lyfe intermynable to whome there ne fayleth naught of the future and to whom there nys naught of the preterite escaped or passed thylke same is ywitnessed and proued by right to ben etern And it behoueth by necessyte that thylke thynge be alway present to him selfe and coÌ„petent as who saythe alway present to hym selfe and so mighty that all be ryght at hys pleasaunce and that he haue all present the infynyte of y e mouable tyme. Wherfore some men trowen wrongfully that whan they heren that it semed to Plato that thys worlde had neuer begynnynge of tyme that it neuer shall haue faylyng they wene in thylke maner that this worlde be maked eterne wyth hys maker as who saith they wene that this worlde and god be maked togyther eterne And that is a wrongfull wenynge for other thyng it is to be ladde by the lyfe interminable as Plato graunted to the worlde and other thyng it is to embrace togyther al y e presence of the lyfe that is intermynable which thynge is clere and manyfest to the diuyne thought Ne it ne shulde not seme to vs that god is elder than thynges that ben maked by quantyte of tyme but rather by y e prosperyte of hys symple nature For thys ylke infynyte mouynges of temporall thynges foloweth this presentary estate of this life immouable so as it ne may not countrefayten ne fayne it ne be euenlyke to it for y e immobilyte that is to say that is in the eternyte of god it fayleth falleth in to mouyng fro the symplicite of the presence of god disencreaseth in y e infynite quantyte of future preterite And so as it maye not haue togyther al the plentie of the lyfe algates yet for as moch as it ceaseth neuer for to ben in some maner yet it semeth somdele to vs that it foloweth resembleth thylke thing that it ne may not attayne to ne fulfyllen and byndeth it selfe to some maner presence of this lytel moment the which presence of this lytel and swift moment for that it beareth a maner ymage or lykenesse of the aye dwellyng of god it graunteth to such maner thynges as it betydeth to that it semeth hem as these thinges haue ben and ben And for that the presence of such lytell moment ne may not dwell therfore it rauyshed and toke thinfynite way of tyme that is to say by successyon and by this maner it is done for that it shulde coÌ„tinue the lyfe in goyng of y t which lyfe it ne myght not enbrace the plentye of dwellyng And for thy if we wollen put worthy names to thynges that folowen Plato let vs saye than sothlye that god is eterne and that the worlde is perpetuell Than syth euery iugemeÌ„t knoweth and comprehendeth by hys own nature thynges that ben subiect vnto hym there is to god alwayes an eterne and a presentarye estate And the scyence of hym that ouerpasseth all temporall moment dwelleth in symplycite of hys presence and enbraseth and consydereth all the infynyte spaces of tymes preterytes and of tymes futures and loketh in hys symple knowyng all thynges of preterite right as they wereÌ„ ydon presentlye ryght nowe If thou wylte than thynken and aduyse the prescyence by which it knoweth all thynges thou ne shalt not demen it as prescience of thynges to comen but thou shalt demen more ryghtfully that it is scyence of presence or of instaunce that neuer ne fayleth for whyche it nys not ycleped preuidence but it shulde rather ben cleaped purneyaunce whyche is establyshed ful ferre fro ryght lowe thynges and beholdeth frome a ferre all thynges right as it were fro the hye heyght of thynges Why askest thou than or why dysputest thou thaÌ„ that thylke thynges ben done by necessyte whyche that ben ysene and yknowen by the deuyne syght sythe that forsoth men ne maken nat thylke thynges necessarye whyche that they sene ben ydone in her syght for addeth thy beholdynge any necessyte to thylke thynges which thou beholdest present Boe. Naye ê™ I Philo. Certes ê™ she than yf men myghten maken anye digne coÌ„paryson or collacyon of the presence dyuyne and of the presence of mankynde right so as ye sene some thynges in this temporall presence ryght so seeth god all
thynge by his eterne presence wherfore this diuyne prescience ne chaungeth not the nature of the propertie of thinges but beholdeth such thinges present to him ward as they shulden betyden to you warde in tyme to comen Ne it ne confoundeth not the iugementes of thynges but by one syght of hys thought he knoweth the thynges to comen as well necessary as not necessary Right so whan ye sene togyther a man walke on the erth and y e sunne arysen in the heuen all be it so that ye sene togyther that one and that other yet neuerthelesse ye demen and discernen that that one is voltuÌ„ary and that other is necessary Ryght so than the diuyne lokyng beholding al thinges vnder hym ne troubleth nat the qualyte of thynges that ben certaynly present to him warde but as to the condycyon of tyme forsoth they ben future for whiche it foloweth that this nys none opinyon but rather a sted fast knowynge ystrengthed by sothnesse that whan that god knoweth any thynge to be he ne vnwote nat that thilke thyng wanteth necessyte to be thys is to sayne that whan that god knoweth any thynge to betyde he wote well y t it ne hathe no necessyte to betyde And yf thou seyst here that thylke thynge that god sâ—eth to betyde it ne maye not vnbetyde as who sayth it mote betyde and thilke thynge that ne may nat vnbetyde it mote betyden by necessyte that thou streyn me to this name of the necessyte Certes I wyll well confessen and be knowen a thyng of full sad trouth but vnneth shall there any wyght mowe sene it or come therto but yf that he be beholder of the deuyne thought for I wyll answere the thus that thylke thyng that is future wheÌ„ it is referred to the deuyne knowyng than it is necessary But certes whan it is vnderstandeÌ„ in hys own kynde men sene it vtterly fre and absolute fro al necessyte For certes there ben two maners of necessytees that one necessyte is symple as thus that is behoueth by necessyte that all men ben mortall or deedly Another necessyte is condicyonel as thus if thou wost that a man walketh it behoueth by necessyte that he walke thylke thyng than that any wight hath yknowe to be it ne maye nat be none otherwyse than he knoweth it to be But this condicion ne draweth nat with her thilk necessyte simple for certes this necessite condicionall y e propre nature of it ne maketh it nat but the adiection of the condycyon maketh it For no necessyte ne constrayneth a maÌ„ to gone that goth by his propre wyll al be it so that whan he goth that it is necessary that he gothe Right on this same maner than yf that the purueyaunce of god seeth any thyng present thaÌ„ mote thylke thynge ben by necessyte although that it ne haue no necessyte of his owne nature But certes the futures that betyden by fredom of arbytrie god seeth hem al togyder present These thynges thaÌ„ if they ben referred to the deuyne syght than ben they maked necessary by the condicyon of the deuyne knowyng But certes yf thylke thynges ben consydered by hem selfe they ben absolute of necessyte and ne forleten not ne cessen nat of the lyberte of her own nature ThaÌ„ certes wythout doute all the thynges shullen ben don whyche that god woot beforne that they ben to comen and betyden of free arbytrie or of frewyll that al be it so that they betyden yet algates ne lese they not her propre nature in beynge by the whyche fyrst or they weren done they hadden power not to haue betyde Boe. What is thys to sayne than ê™ I that thynges ne be not necessarye by her propre nature so that they comen in all maners in the lykenesse of necessyte by condicyoÌ„ of the diuyne science Philo. This is the difference ê™ she that tho thynges whyche that I purposed the a lytell here beforne that is to sayn sonne arysyng and the man walkyng that therwhyles that thylke thynges ben done they ne myght not ben vndone Nathelesse that one of hem or it was done it behoueth by necessyte that it was doone but not that other Ryght so it is here that the thynges whych that god hath present withouten doute they shullen ben but some of hem dyscendeth of the nature of thynges as y e sunne arysynge and some discendeth of the power of the doers as the man walkynge Boece Than sayde I no wrong that yf these thynges be referred to the diuyne knowyng than ben they necessarye and yf they ben consydred by hem selfe than ben they absolute fro the bonde of necessyte Ryght so as all thynges that apereth or sheweth to the wyttes yf thou referre hem to reason it is vnyuersal and yf thou loke it or refer it to it selfe than is it synguler But nowe yf thou sayest thus that yf that it be in my power to chaungen my purpose than shall I voyden the pourueyaunce of god whan perauenture I shall haue chaunged the thynges whyche that he knoweth beforne Phi. Than shall I answeren the thus Certes thou mayst wel chauÌ„ge thy purpose but for as moche as the present sothnesse of the diuyne purueyaunce beholdeth that thou mayste chaunge thy purpose and whether thou chaunge it or no and why derwarde that thou tourne it thou ne mayste not eschue the diuyne prescience right so thou ne mayste not flye the syght of the present eye all though that thou tourne thy selfe by thy fre wyll in to dyuers actioÌ„s But thou mayst sayne ayen to thys thus Howe shall it than be shall not the diuyne science ben chaunged by my dysposycion whan that I wyll one thyng nowe and nowe another thyng And thylke prescience ne semeth it not to entrechaunge stoundes of knowing as who saith ne shall it not semen to vs that the dyuyne prescience entrechaungeth hys dyuers stouÌ„des of knowynge so that it knowe somtyme one thynge and somtyme it knoweth the contrarye of that thynge Philo. No forsothe ê™ she for the diuyne syght renneth beforne and seeth al the futures and clepeth hem ayen and retourneth hem to the propre prescience of hys propre knowynge ne he entrechaungeth not so as thou wenest the stoundes of hys foreknowynge as nowe this nowe that but he dwellyng aye cometh beforne and enbraseth at o stroke all the mutacions And this prescience to compreheden and to sene all thynges god ne hath not takeÌ„ it of the betydinges of thynges to comen but of hys propre symplicite And hereby is assoyled thylke thynges that thou puttest a lytell here beforne that is to sayn that it is vnworthy thyng to sayne y t our futures yeuen cause of the prescieÌ„ce of god For certes strength of the diuyne science whyche that enbraseth all thynges by his presentarie knowynge establyssheth maner to all thynges and it ne oweth not to latter thynges And sythe y t these thynges ben thus that is to sayne that necessyte is not in
ryght when I herde that Howe that they wolde on huntynge gone I was ryght glad and vp anone Toke my horse and forth I wente Out of my chambre I neuer stente Tyll I come to the felde wythout There ouer toke I a great route Of hunters and eke of foresters And many relayes and lymers And hyed hem to the forest fast And I wyth hem so at the last I asked one ladde a lymere Say felowe who shall hunte here Quod I and he answered ayen Syr the Emperour Octauien Quod he and is here fast by A goddes halfe in good tyme quod I Go we fast and gan to ryde when we come to the forest syde Euery man dyd ryght sone As to huntynge fell to doue The mayster hunte anone fote hote wyth his horne blewe thre mote At the vncouplynge of hys houndes wythin a whyle the herte founde is Ihalowed and rechased fast Longe tyme and so at the last Thys herte roused and stale awaye Fro all the houndes a preuy waye The houndes had ouershot hym all And were vpon a defaulte yfall Therwyth the hunte wonder faste Blewe a forloyne at the laste I was go walked fro my tre And as I wente there came by me A whelpe that fawned me as I stoode That had yfolowed and coude no good It came and crepte to me as lowe Ryght as it had me yknowe Helde downe hys heede ioyned his eeres And layde all smoth downe hys heere 's I wolde haue caught it anone It fledde and was fro me gone As I hym folowed and it forth wente Downe by a floury grene it wente Full thycke of grasse full softe and swete wyth floures fele fayre vnder fete And lytell vsed it semed thus For both Flora and zepherus They two that make floures growe Had made her dwellynge there I trowe For it was on to beholde As though the erthe enuye wolde To be gayer then the heuen To haue mo floures suche seuen As in the welken sterres be It had forget the pouerte That wynter through hys colde morowes Had made it suffre and hys sorowes All was foryeten and that was sene For all the woode was woxen grene Swetnesse of dewe had made it waxe It is no nede eke for to axe where there were many grene greues Of thycke of trees so full of leues And euery tree stode by hym selue Fro other well ten foote or twelue So great trees so huge of strength Of fourty or fyfty fedome length Cleane wythout bowe or stycke wyth croppes brode and eke as thycke They were not an ynche a sonder That it was shadde ouer all vnder And many an harte and many an hynde was both before me and behynde Of fawnes sowers buckes does was full of the wodde and many roes And many squyrels that sete Full hygh vpon the trees and ete And in her maner made feestes Shortly it was so full of beestes That though Argus the noble countour Sat to reken in hys countour And reken wyth hys fygures ten For by tho fygures newe al ken Yf they be crafty reken and nombre And tell of euery thynge the nombre Yet shulde he fayle to reken euen The wonders me met in my sweuen But forth I romed ryght wonder faste Donwe the wodde so at the laste I was ware of a man in blacke That sate and had yturned hys backe To an ooke an huge tree Lorde thought I who maye that be what eyleth hym to sytten here Anone ryght I went nere Then founde I sytte euen vpryght A wonder welfarynge knyght By the maner me thought so Of good mokell and ryght yonge therto Of the age of foure and twenty yere Vpon hys berde but lytell heere And he was clothed all in blacke I stalked euen vnto hys backe And there I stode as styll as ought The sothe to say he sawe me nought For why he hynge his heed adowne And with a deedly sorouful sowne He made of ryme ten verses or twelue Of a complaynt to him selue The moste pyte the moste routhe That euer I herde for by my trouthe It was great wonder that nature Myght suffre any creature To haue suche sorowe and he not deed Ful pytous pale and nothyng reed He sayd a laye a maner songe without note without songe And was this for ful wel I can Reherse it right thus it began I haue of sorowe so great wone That ioye gette I neuer none Nowe that I se my lady bright whiche I haue loued withal my myght Is fro me deed and is agone And thus in sorowe lefte me alone Alas deth what ayleth the That thou noldest haue taken me when that thou toke my lady swete Of all goodnesse she had none mete That was so fayre so freshe so fre So good that men maye well se when he had made thus hys complaynte Hys sorowfull herte gan fast faynte And hys spirites wexen dede The bloode was fledde for pure drede Downe to hys herte to maken hym warme For well it feled the herte had harme To wete eke why it was adradde By kynde and for to make it gladde For it is membre principall Of the body and that made all Hys hewe chaunge and wexe grene And pale for there no bloode is sene In no maner lymme of hys Anone therwyth when I sawe thys He farde thus yuell there he sete I wente and stode ryght at hys fete And grette hym but he spake nought But argued wyth hys owne thought And in hys wytte dysputed faste why and howe hys lyfe myght laste Hym thought hys sorowes were so smerte And lay so colde vpon hys herte So through hys sorowe holy thought Made hym that he herde me nought For he had welnye loste hys mynde Though Pan that mē clepeth god of kynde were for hys sorowes neuer so wrothe But at the last to sayne ryght sothe He was ware of me howe I stoode Before hym and dyd of my hoode And had ygret hym as I best coude Debonayrly and nothynge loude He sayd I praye the be not wrothe I herde the not to sayne the sothe Ne I sawe the not syr truely Ah good syr no force quod I I am ryght sory yf I haue ought Dystroubled you out of your thought Foryeue me yf I haue mysse take Yes thamendes is lyght to make Quod he for there lyeth none therto There is nothynge myssayde nor do Lo howe goodly spake thys knyght As it had be another wyght And made it neyther tough ne queynt And I sawe that and gan me aqueynt wyth hym and founde hym so tretable Ryght wonder skylfull and resonable As me thought for all hys bale Anone ryght I gan fynde a tale To hym to loke where I myght ought Haue more knowlegynge of hys thought Syr quod I thys game is done I holde that thys herte be gone These huntes can hym no where se I do no force therof quod he My thought is theron neuer a dele By our lorde quod I I trowe you wele Ryght
he betrayed Adriane The dyuel be his soules bane For had he laughed or yloured He must haue bene al denoured If Adriane ne had be And for she had of him pyte She made hym fro the deth escape And he made her a full false iape For after thys wythin a whyle He lefte her slepynge in an yle Deserte alone ryght in the see And stale awaye and let her be And toke her suster Phedra tho wyth him and gan to shyp go And yet he had sworne to her On al that euer he coulde swere That so she saued him his lyfe He wolde taken her to his wyfe For she desyred nothynge elles In certayne as the boke vs telles But for to excuse thys Eneas Fullyche of al his greate trespas The boke sayth sauns fayle The goddes bade him go to Itayle And leauen Affriques regioun And fayre Dydo and her towne Tho sawe I graue howe to Itayle Dan Eneas gan for to fayle And howe the tempest al began And howe he lost his steresman whiche that the sterne or he to kepe Smote ouer the borde as he slepe And also saugh I howe Sybyle And Eneas besyde an yle To hel wente for to se His father Anchises the fre And howe he there founde Palymurus And also Dido and Deiphebus And eueryche tourment eke in hel Sawe he whych longe is for to tel whych paynes who so lyste knowe He must rede many a rowe In Virgyle or in Claudian Or Daunt that it tellen can Tho sawe I eke al the aryuayle That Eneas had made in Itayle And wyth kinge Latyn his trete And all the batayls that he was at hym selfe and his knyghtes Or he had al ywon hys ryghtes And howe he Turnus reste hys lyfe And wan Lauyna to hys wyfe And al the merueylous sygnals Of the goddes celestials Howe maugre Iuno Eneas For al her sleyght and her compas Atcheued all hys auenture For Iupiter toke on him cure At the prayer of Venus whiche I praye alwaye saue vs And vs aye of our sorowes lyght whan I had sene al thys syght In thys noble temple thus Hey lorde thought I that madest vs Yet sawe I neuer suche noblesse Of ymages nor suche rychesse As I se grauen in this church But naught wote I who did hem worche Ne where I am ne in what countre But nowe wyll I out gone and se Ryght at the wyket yf I can Sene ought where steryng any man That maye me tellen where I am whan I out of the dore cam I fast about me behelde Than sawe I but a large felde As farre as euer I myght se wythout towne house or tre Or bushe or grasse or eared lande For all the felde was but a sande As small as men may se at eye In the deserte of Lyby Ne no maner creature That is yformed by nature Ne sawe I me to rede or wysse O Christ thought I that art in blysse From fanton and illusyoun Me saue and with deuocioun Myne eyen to the heauen I cast Tho was I ware lo at the last That falt by the sunne on hye As kenne myght I wyth myne eye Me thought I sawe an Egle sore But that it semed muche more Than I had any Egle yseyne Thys is as soth as deth certeyne It was of golde and shone so bryght That neuer sawe men suche a syght But yf the heuen had ywonne As newe of god another sunne So shone the Egles fethers bryght And somwhat downwarde gan it lyght ¶ Explicit liber primus NOwe herken euerye maner man That Englyshe vnderstand can And lysteth of my dreame to here For now at erst shal ye lere So sely and so dredefull a visyon That I saye neyther Scipion Ne kynge Nabugodonosore Pharao Turnus ne Alcanore Ne metten such a dreame as thys Nowe fayre blysfull O Cipris So be my fauour at this tyme That ye me tendyte and ryme Helpeth that in Pernaso dwell Besyde Elycon the clere well O thought that wrote all that I met And in the treasorye it set Of my brayne nowe shall men se If any vertue in the be To tell all my dreme a ryght Nowe kyth thy engyn and thy myght Thys Egle of which I haue you tolde That with fethers shone al of golde whiche that so hye gan to sore I gan beholde more and more To sene her beaute and the wonder But neuer was that dynte of thonder Ne that thynge that men call foudre That smyte somtyme a towre to poudre And in hys swyfte commyng brende That so swyfte gan downwarde discende As thys foule whan it behelde That I a rowme was in the felde And wyth his grym pawes stronge wythin his sharpe nayles longe Me flyeng at a swappe he hente And wyth his sours agayne vp wente Me caryeng in his clawes starke As lyghtly as I had bene a larke Howe hye I can not tellen yowe For I came vp I nyst neuer howe For so astonyed and asweued was euery vertue in me heued what wyth his sours and my dreed That all my felynge gan to deed For why it was a great affray Thus I longe in his clawes lay Tyl at last he to me spake In mannes voyce and sayd awake And be not agast so for shame And callen me tho by my name And for I shulde better abrayde Me to awake thus he sayde Right in the same voice and steuyn That vseth one that I can neuyn And with that voice soth to sayne My mynde came to me agayne For it was goodly sayd to me So nas it neuer wonte to be And here withall I gan to stere As he me in his fete bere Tyl that he felt that I had heate And felte eke tho myne herte beate And tho gan he me to disporte And wyth gentyll wordes me comforte And sayd twyse saynt Mary Thou arte a noyous thynge to cary And nothynge nedeth it perde For also wyse god helpe me As thou no harme shalte haue of this And thys case that betydde the is As for thy lore and for thy prowe Lette se â—arst thou loke yet nowe Be ful ensured boldely I am thy frende and therwith I Gan for to wonder in my mynde O god quod I that madest al kynde Shal I none otherwyse dye Whether Ioue wyll me stellyfye Or what thynge may this signifye I am neyther Enocke ne Helye Ne Romulus ne Ganemede That were bore vp as men rede To heuen with dan Iupiter And made the goddes boteler Lo this was tho my fantasye But he that bare gan espy That I so thought and sayde this Thou demest of thy selfe amys For Ioue is not there aboute I dare the put ful out of doute To make of the yet a sterre But er I bere the moche ferre I wyl the tel what I am And whyther thou shalte and why I cam To do this so that thou take Good herte and not for fere quake Gladly quod I nowe wel quod he First I that in my fete haue the Of whom
at feestes with the brede And many a floyte and lytlynge horne And pypes made of grene corne As haue these lytle herde gromes That kepen beestes in the bromes Ther sawe I than dan Cytherus And of Athenes dan Proserus And Mercia that lost her skynne Both in face body and chynne For that she wolde enuyen so To pypen bette than Apollo There sawe I eke famous olde and yonge Pypers of all the dutche tonge To lerne loue daunces sprynges Keyes and the straunge thynges Tho sawe I in an other place Standyng in a large space Of hem that maken blody soun In trumpe beme and claryoun For in fyght and blood sheddynges Is vsed gladly clarionynges There herde I trumpe Messenus Of whom that speketh Virgilius There herde I Ioab trumpe also Theodomas and other mo And all that vsed clarion In Casteloygne and Aragon That in her tymes famous were To lernen sawe I trumpen there There sawe I syt in other sees Playing vpon other sondry glees which that I can not neuen Mo than starres ben in heuen Of which I nyl as now not ryme For ease of you and losse of tyme For tyme ylost this knowe ye By no way maye recouered be There sawe I playing iuggelours Magyciens and tragitours And Phetonysses charmeresses Olde wytches sorceresses That vsen exorsisacions And eke subfumigacions And clerkes eke which conne well All this magyke naturell That craftely do her ententes To maken in certayne ascendentes Ymages lo through which magyke To maken a man ben hole or seke There sawe I the quene Medea And Cyrces eke and Caliophia There sawe I Hermes Ballenus Lymote and eke Symon Magus There sawe I and knewe by name That by suche arte done men haue fame There sawe I Coll tragetour Vpon a table of Sycamour Playe an vncouth thyng to tell I sawe hym cary a wynde mell Vnder a walnote shale what shulde I make lenger tale Of al the people that I sey I coude not tell tyll domisdey whan I had all this folke beholde And founde me lose and not holde And I amused a longe whyle Vpon this wall of Beryle That shone lyghter than a glas And made well more than it was As kynde thyng of fame is And than anon after this I gan forth comen tyll I fonde The castell yate on my ryght honde which so wel coruen was That neuer suche another nas And yet it was by auenture Ywrought by great and subtyll cure It nedeth not you more to tellen To make you to longe dwellen Of these yates floryshynges Ne of compaces ne of karuynges Ne how the hackyng in masonryes As corbettes and ymageryes But Lorde so fayre it was to shewe For it was all with golde behewe But in I went and that anone There met I crying many one A larges a larges holde vp well God saue the lady of this pell Our owne gentle lady Fame And hem that wyllen to haue a name Of vs thus herde I cryen all And fast comen out of the hall And shoke nobles and starlynges And crowned were as kynges with crownes wrought full of losynges And many rybans and many frynges were on her clothes truly Tho at the last espyed I That purseuauntes and heraudes That cryen ryche folkes laudes It weren all and euery man Of hem as I you tell can Had on hym throwe a vesture which men clepe a cote armure Embroudred wonderly ryche As though they were not ylyche But nought wyl I so mote I thryue Be about to discryue All these armes that there weren That they thus on her cotes weren For it to me were impossyble Men myght make of hem a byble Twenty fote thycke as I trowe For certayne whoso coulde knowe Myght there all the armes sene Of famous folke that had been In Affrike Europe and Asye Syth fyrst began cheualrye Lo how shulde I now tell all this Ne of the hall eke what nede is To tellen you that euery wall Ofâ—e and rofe and flore withall was plated halfe a fote thycke Of golde and that nas not wycke But for to proue in all wyse As fyne as ducket in Venyse Of which to lyte all in my pouche is And they were set as thycke of ouches Fyne of the fynest stones fayre That men reden in the lapidayre Or as grasses growen in a mede But it were all to longe to rede The names and therfore I pace But in this lustye and ryche place That Fames hall called was Full moche prees of folke there nas Ne croudyng for to moche prees But all on hye aboue a dees Satte in a see imperial That made was of a Ruby royall which that a carbuncle is ycalled I sawe perpetually ystalled A femynine creature That neuer formed by nature was suche an other thyng I say For altherfyrst soth to say Me thought that she was so lyte That the length of a cubyte was lenger than she semed be But thus soone a in whyle she Her selfe tho wondderly streyght That with her fete she therth reyght And with her heed she touched heuen There as shyneth the sterres seuen And therto yet as to my wyt I sawe a great wonder yet Vpon her eyen to beholde But certaynly I hem neuer tolde For as fele eyen had she As fethers vpon foules be Or weren on the beestes foure That gods trone can honour As wryteth Iohn in the Apocalyps Her heere that was owndy and cryps As burned golde it shone to se And soth to tellen also she Had also fele vp standyng eares And tonges as on beest ben heere 's And on her sete woxen sawe I Partriche wynges redely But lorde the perry and the rychesse I sawe syttynge on the goddesse And the heuenly melody Of songes full of armony I herde about her trone ysonge That all the pallayes wall tonge So songe the myghty Muse she That cleped is Caliope And her seuen systerne eke That in her faces semen meke And euermore eternally The songe of Fame tho herde I Heryed be thou and thy name Goddes of renoun and of fame Tho was I ware at the last As I myne eyen gan vp cast That this ylke noble quene On her shulders gan sustene Both the armes and the name Of tho that had large fame Alysandre and Hercules That with a sherte his lyfe dyd lese And this founde I syttyng this goddesse In noble honour and rychesse Of which I stynt a whyle nowe Other thyng to tellen you Tho sawe I stande on thother syde Streyght downe to the dores wyde From the dees many a pyllere Of metall that shone not full clere But though they were of no rychesse Yet were they made for great noblesse And in hem great sentence And â—olke of hye and digne reuerence Of which to tell wyll I sonde Vpon a pyller sawe I stonde Alderfyrst there I sye Vpon a pyller stonde on hye That was of lede and of yron fyne Hym of the secte saturnyne The Ebrayke Iosephus the olde That of Iewes
wol turne and leaue theyr olde euyll vnderstondyng and knytte this goodnesse and profer so farre in seruyce that name of seruauntes myght they haue Theyr iangles shal cease me thynketh heÌ„ lacketh mater now to alege Certes ê™ loue yf they of good wyll thus tourned as thou sayest wolen truly perfourme yet shul they be abled partye of this blysse to haue they woll not yet shull my seruauntes the werre well susteyne in myne helpe of mayntinauÌ„ce to the ende And they for theyr good trauayl shullen in rewarde so be ben meded that end lesse ioye bodye and soule togyther in this shullen abyden there is euer action of blysse withouten possible corruption there is action perpetuell in werke withoute trauayle there is euerlastyng passyfe withouten any of labour continuel plyte without seasynge coueted to endure No tonge may tel ne hert maye thynke the leest poynte of this blysse God brynge me thyder ê™ I than Contynueth well ê™ she to the ende and y u myght not fayle than for thoughe thou spede not here yet shal the passyon of thy martred life ben wrytten and rad toforne the greate Iupyter that god is of routh an hygh in the holownesse of heuen there he syt in his trone euer thou shalt forwarde ben holden amoÌ„ge all these heuens for a knyght that myghtest with no penaunce bene discomfyted He is a very martyr that lyuynglye goinge is gnawen to the bones Certes ê™ I these bene good wordes of comfort a lytle myne herte is reioysed in a mery wyse Ye ê™ she and he that is in heuen feleth more ioye than whaÌ„ he first herde therof speke So it is quod I but wyst I the sothe that after disease comfort wolde folowe with blysse so as ye haue often declared I wolde well suffre this passyon with the better chere but my thoughtfull sorowe is endlesse to thynke how I am cast out of a welfare yet dayneth not this euyll none herte none hede to mewarde thorowe which thynges wolde greatly me by wayes of comfort disporte to weten in my selfe a lytle with other niâ— ben ymoued and my sorowes peysen not in her balaunce the weyght of a peese Slynges of her daunger so heuyly peysen they drawe my causes so hyghe that in her eyen they semen but lyght and ryght lytle O for ê™ she heuen with skyes that foule cloudes maken and darke wethers wyth great tempestes and huge maketh the mery dayes with soft shynynge sunnes Also the yere withdraweth floures beautye of herbes and of earth The same yeres maketh sprynges and iolitie in Vere so to renouell with paynted colours that erth semeth as gaye as heuen Sees that blasteth with wawes throweth shyppes of which the lyuyng creatures for great peryll for hem dreden ryght so the same sees maken smothe waters and golden saylynge and coÌ„forteth hem w t noble hauen that first were so ferde Hast thou not ê™ she lerned in thy youth y e Iupyter hath in his warderobe bothe garmentes of ioye and of sorowe what woste thou howe soone he woll tourne of the garment of care and cloth the in blysse parde it is not farre fro the. Lo an olde prouerbe aleged by manye wyse whan bale is greatest than is bote a nye bore whereof wylte thou dismaye hope well and serue well and that shall the saue with thy good beleue Ye ye quod I yet se I not by reason how this blysse is comyng I wot it is coÌ„tingent it may fal on other O ê™ she I haue mokell to done to clere thyne vnderstandynge and voyde these erroures out of thy mynde I woll proue it by reason thy wo maye not alway enduren Euery thynge kyndely quod she is gouerned and ruled by the heauenly bodyes which hauen full werchyng here on earth after course of these bodyes all course of youre doinges here bene gouerned and ruled by kynde Thou wost wel by course of planettes all your proceden to euerych of synguler houres be enterchaunged stondmele aboute by submytted worchyng naturally to suffâ—e of which chaunges commeth these transitory tymes that maketh reuoluing of your yeres thus stondmele euerye hath full myght of worchyng tyl al seuen han had her course about Of which worchinges possessyon of houres the dayes of the weke haue take her names after denominacyon in these seuen planettes Lo your sondaye gynneth at the fyrst houre after noone on the saturdaye in which houre is than the sunne in ful myght of worchynge of whom sonday taketh hys name Nexte hym foloweth Venus after Mercurius than the Mone so than Saturnus after whom Iouis than Mars ayen than the Sunne and so forth be .xxiiii houres togyther in which houre gynnynge in the second day stant the mone as master for that tyme to rule of whom mondaye taketh his name this course foloweth of all other dayes generally in doing This cours of nature of these bodyes chaungynge stynten at a certayne terme lymytted by theyr fyrst kynde and of hem all gouernementes in this elemented worlde proceaden as in sprynges constellacions engendrures and all that folowen kynde and reason wherefore the course that foloweth sorowe ioye kyndly moten entrechaungen theyr tymes so that alway on wele as alwaye on woo may not endure Thus seest thou apertly thy sorowe into wele mote bene chaunged wherefore in suche case to better syde euermore enclyne thou shuldest Truly nexte the ende of sorowe anon entreth ioye by maner of necessitie it wol ne may none other betide and so thy contigence is disproued yf thou holde this opinyon anye more thy wytte is ryght leude wherfore in full conclusyon of all this thylke Margaryte thou desyreste hath ben to the dere in thy herte and for her hast thou suffred many thoughtful diseases hereafter shall be cause of mokell myrth and ioye and loke how glad canst thou ben and cease al thy passed heuynesse with manifold ioyes And than woll I as blythlye here the speken thy myrthes in ioye as I nowe haue yherde thy sorowes and thy complayntes And yf I mowe in ought thy ioye encrease by my trouth on my syde shal not be leaued for no maner trauayle that I with all my myghtes ryght blythly woll helpe and euer ben redy you both to plese And than thanked I that lady with al goodly maner that I worthely coude and truly I was greatly reioysed in myne hert of her fayre behestes and profred me to be slawe in al that she me wolde ordayne whyle my lyfe lested ME thynketh ê™ I that ye haue ryght wel declared that way to y e knot shuld not ben in non of these disprouing thinges nowe ordre of our purpose this asketh that ye shulde me shewe yf any waye be thyther and whyche thylke waye shulde ben so that openly may be sey the very hye waye in full confusyoun of these other thynges Thou shalt ê™ she vnderstande that one of thre lyues as I first sayd euery creature
of mankinde is sprongen and so forth procedeth These lyues bene thorowe names departed in thre maner of kyndes as bestyallyche manlyche and resonablyche of which two bene vsed by fleshlye bodye and the thyrde by his soule Bestyall amonge reasâ—nables is forboden in euery lawe and euery sect both in chrysten and other for euerye wyght dispyseth hem that lyueth by lustes and delyttes as hym that is thrall bounden seruaunt to thynges ryght foule suche ben counted werse than men he shall not in theyr degre ben rekened ne for such one alowed Heretykes sayne they chosen lyfe bestial that voluptuouslye lyuen so that as I fyrst sayde to the in manly and reasonable lyuynges our mater was to declare but manly lyfe in lyuyng after flesh or els fleshly wayes to chese maye not blysse in this knot be conquered as by reason it is proued wherfore by resonable lyfe he must nedes it haue syth away is to this knotte but not by the fyrste tway lyues wherefore neades mote it ben to the thyrde and for to lyue in flesh but not after flesh is more resonablyeh than manliche rekened by clerkes Therfore how this way commeth in I wol it blithly declare Se now quod she that these bodyly goodes of manlyche lyuynges yelden sorowful stoundes and smeretande houres who so we le remembre hym to theyr endes in their worchynges they ben thoughtfull and sory Ryght as a bee that hath hadde his honye anon at his flyght begynneth to stynge So thylke bodyly goodes at the last mot away and than stynge they at her goinge whereâ— through entreth and clene voydeth al blysse of this knotte Forsoth quod I me thynketh I am wel serued in shewiÌ„g of these wordes although I had lytle in respect amonge other greate and worthye yet had I a fayre parcell as me thought for the tyme in fortherynge of my sustenaunce whiche whyle it dured I thought me hauyng mokell hony to myne estate I had rychesse suffyciauntly to weyue nede I had dignitie to be reuerenced in worship Power me thought that I had to kepe fro myne enemyes and me semed to shyne in glory of renoume as manhode asketh in meane for no wyght in myne administration coude none euyls ne trecherye by sothe cause on me put Lady your selfe weten wel that of tho confedecacyes maked by my soueraynes I nas but a seruaunt and yet mokell meane folke woll fullye ayenste reason thilke maters mayntayne in which mayntenaunce glorye them selfe and as often ye hauen sayde therof ought nothyng in euyll to be layde to mewardes sythen as repentaunt I am tourned and nomore I thynke neyther tho thynges ne none suche other to susteyne but vtterly destroy without medlynge maner in all my myghtes Howe am I nowe caste oute of all swetnesse of blysse and myscheuously stongen my passed ioye sorowfullye muste I wayle and lyue as a wretche Euery of tho ioyes is turned into his contrary For rychesse nowe haue I pouertye for dignitie now am I emprysoned in stede of power wretchednesse I suffer and for glory of renoume I am now dispysed and soulyche hated thus hath farne Fortune that sodaynly am I ouerthrowen and out of all wealth dispoyled Trulye me thynketh this way in entre is ryght harde god graunt me better grace er it be al passed y e other way lady me thought ryght swete Now certes ê™ Loue me lyst for to chyde what ayleth thy darke dulnesse woll it not in clerenesse ben sharped Haue I not by many reasons to the shewed suche bodily goodes faylen to yeue blis their might so ferforth wol not stretche Shame ê™ she it is to say thou lyest in thy wordes Thou ne hast wyst but ryght fewe that these bodyly goodes had al at ones commenly they dwellen not togyther He that plentie hath in richesse of his kynne is ashamed another of lynage ryght noble and well knowe but pouerte him haÌ„dleth he were leuer vnknow An other hath these but renome of peoples praysyng maye he not haue ouer al he is hated and defamed of thynges ryght foule An other is fayre and semely but dignite hym fayleth and he that hath dignite is croked or lame or els mishappen and fouly dispysed thus pertable these goodes dwellen coÌ„menlye in one houshold ben they but selde Lo how reetched is your trust on thynge y t wol not accorde Me thynketh thou clepest thylke plyte thou were in selynes of fortune and thou sayest for that y e selynesse is departed thou art a wretche Than foloweth this vpon thy wordes euerye soule resonable of man may not dye and yf death endeth selynesse and maketh wretches as nedes of fortune maketh it an ende Than soules after deth of y e body in wretchednesse shuld lyuen But we know many that han getten the blysse of heuen after theyr deth Howe than may this lyfe maken men blysful that whaÌ„ it passeth it yeueth no wretchednesse manye tymes blysse yf in this lyfe he con lyue as he shulde And wolt thou accompt with fortune that now at the fyrst she hath done the tene and sorow yf thou looke to the maner of al glad thynges sorowful y u mayest not naye it that yet and namely nowe thou standest in noble plyt in a good gynnyng w t good forth goinge hereafter And yf thou wene to be a wretch for such welth is passed why thaÌ„ art thou not wel fortunate for bad thynges anguys wretchednesse beÌ„ passed Art thou now come first into the hostrye of this lyfe or els the booth of this world art thou now a sodayne gest into this wretched exyle wenest there be any thing in this erth stable Is not thy fyrst arest passed y e brouÈt the in mortal sorowe Ben these not mortal thinges agone with ignoraunce of bestiall wyt and hast receyued reason in knowynge of vertue what coÌ„fort is in thy hert the knowynge sykerly in my seruyce be grounded And wost thou not wel as I sayde y t death maketh ende of al fortune what thaÌ„ staÌ„dest thou in noble plyte lytle hede or rekenynge to take yf thou let fortune passe dyng or els that she flye whan her lyst now by thy lyue Pardy a maÌ„ hath nothyng so lefe as his life and for to holde that he doth al his cure and dyligent trauayle Than saye I thou arte blisfull fortunate selye yf thou knowe thy goodes that thou hast yet beloued whiche nothinge maye dout that they ne bene more worthy than thy lyfe what is that ê™ I Good conteÌ„placion ê™ she of well doinge in vertue in tyme coming both in plesaunce of me of thy Margaryte perle Haestly thyne hert in ful blysse with her shal be eased Therfore dismay the not fortune in hate greuously ayeÌ„st thy bodily persoÌ„ ne yet to gret tempest hath she not seÌ„t to y e sithen y e holding cables ankres of thy life holden by knytting so fast that thou discomforte the nought of tyme y t is nowe ne dispayre
of coloure in blewe stedfastnesse in peace betokenyng within and without Margaryt is engendred by heuenly dewe sheweth in it selfe by fynenesse of coloure whether the engendrure were maked on morowe or on eue thus sayth kynd of this perle This precious Margaryte that thou seruest sheweth it self dyscended by nobley of vertue from thys heuenlych dewe norished and congeled in mekenesse that mother is of all vertues and by werkes that men sene withouten the signyfication of the coloures ben shewed mercy and pytie in the herte wyth peace to al other and all thys is yclosed in a muskle who so redily these vertues lokeÌ„ All thyng that hath soule is reduced in to good by meane thynges as thus In to god man is reduced by soules resonable and so forthe beestes or bodyes that mowe not mouen after place ben reduced in to manne by beestes meue that mouyn from place to place so that thylke bodyes that han felynge soules and moue not frome places holdeÌ„ the lowest degree of soulynge thynges in felynge and suche ben reduced in to man by meanes So it foloweth the muskle as mother of al vertues halte the place of mekenesse to hys lowest degree discendeth downe of heuen and there by a maner of virgyne engendrure arne these Margaretes engendred and afterwarde congeled Made not mekenesse so low the hye heuen to enclose catche out therof so noble a dewe that after coÌ„gelement a Margaryte wyth endelesse vertue and euerlastyng ioy was wyth full vessell of grace yeuen to euery creature that goodlye wolde it receyue Certes ê™ I these thynges ben ryght noble I haue er thys herde these same sawes Than ê™ she thou woste well these thynges ben sothe â–ª yea forsothe ê™ I at the full Nowe ê™ she that thys Margaryte is full of vertue it is well proued wherfore some grace some mercye amonge other vertues I wotte ryght wel on the shall discende â–ª ye ê™ I yet wolde I haue better declared vertues in thys Margaryte kyndely to ben grounded That shal I shewe the ê™ she and thou woldest it lerne Lerne ê™ I what nedeth suche wordes wete ye nat well lady youre selfe that all my cure all my dyligence and all my might haue turned by your counsayle in plesaunce of that perle all my thought and all my studye with your helpe desyreth in worshyppe thylke iewel to encrease all my trauayle and al my besynesse in youre seruyce thys Margaryte to gladde in somehalue me were leauer her honoure her pleasaunce and her good chere thorowe me for to be mayntayned and kepte and I of suche thynge in her lykynge to be cause than al y e welthe of bodyly goodes ye coude reckeÌ„ And wolde neuer god but I put my selfe in great ieoperdye of all that I wolde that is nowe no more but my lyfe alone rather than I shulde suffre thylke iewell in anye poynt ben blemyshed as ferre as I may suffre and wyth my myghtes stretche Suche thynge ê™ she maye mokel further thy grace and the in my seruyce auaunce But nowe quod Loue wylte thou graunte me thylke Margaryte to ben good O good good ê™ I why tempte ye me and tene wyth suche maner speche I wolde graunte that though I shulde anone dye and by my trouthe fyght in the quarell yf any wyght wolde countreplede It is so moche the lighter ê™ Loue to proue our entent Ye ê™ I but yet wolde I here howe ye wolde proue that she were good by reasonable skyl that it mowe not ben denyed for althoughe I knowe and so dothe many other manyfolde goodnesse vertue in this Margaryte ben prynted yet some men there ben that no goodnesse spekeÌ„ and wher euer your wordes ben herde and your reasons ben shewed suche yuell spekers lady by auctorite of your excellence shullen ben stopped ashamed And more they that han none acquayntaunce in her persone yet mowe they knowe her vertues and ben the more enformed in what wyse they mowe sette theyr hertes whan hem lyste in to your seruyce any entre make for trewly al thys to begynne I wote well my selfe that thylke iewel is so precious perle as a womanly woman in her kynde in whome of goodnesse of vertue and also of answerynge shappe of lymmes and fetures so well in all poyntes acordyng nothyng fayleth I leue that kynde her made wyth great studye for kynde in her person nothyng hath foryet and that is well sene In euery good wyghtes herte she hath grace of commendynge and of vertuous praysyng Alas that euer kynde made her deedely saue onely in that I wot well that Nature in fourmyng of her in no thynge hathe erred CErtes ê™ Loue thou hast well begonne and I aske the thys questyon Is not in generall euerye thynge good I not ê™ I No ê™ she sawe not god euerye thynge that he made and werne ryght good Than is wonder ê™ I howe yuell thynges comen a place sythen that al thynges weren right good Thus ê™ she I woll declare eueryche qualyte and euery action and euery thyng that hath any maner of beynge it is of god and god it made of whom is all goodnesse and all beyng of him is no badnesse badde to be is naught good to be is somwhat and therfore good and beyng is one in vnderstandyng Howe may this be ê™ I for often han shrewes me assayled and mokell badnesse therin haue I founden so me semeth bad to be somwhat in kynde Thou shalt ê™ she vnderstande that suche maner badnesse whyche is vsed to purifye wronge doers is somwhat and god it made and beyng hath and that is good other badnesse no beyng hath vtterly it is in the negatyue of somwhat and that is naught and no thyng beyng The parties essenciall of beyng arne sayde in double wyse as that it is and these parties ben founde in euerye creature for all thynge a this halfe the fyrste beyng is beyng through partycipacion takyng partye of beyng so that euerye â—eature is dyfference bytwene beynge and of hym through whom it is hys owne beyng ryght as euery good is a maner of beynge so is it good thorowe beynge for it is naught other to be and euery thynge though it be good it is not of hym selfe good but it is good by that it is ordinable to the great goodnesse This dualite after clerkes determission is founden in euery creature be it neuer so syngle of onhed Ye ê™ I but there as it is ysayd that god sawe euery thynge of his makyng and were right good as youre selfe sayde to me not longe tyme sythen I aske whether euery creature is ysayd good throughe goodnesse vnfourmed eyther els fourmed and afterwarde yf it be accepte vtterly good I shall saye the ê™ she these great passed clerkes han deuyded good in to good beyng alone and that is nothynge but good for nothynge is good in that wyse but god Also in good by partycipacion and that is ycleped good for farre fette and representatyue of
of verye lyght faylinge maketh derke nyght in hys connynge Thus in derkenesse of many doutes he walketh and for blyndenesse of vnderstandynge he ne wote in what waye he is in forsothe suche one may lightly ben begyled To whome came loue fayned not clothed of my lyuery but vnlefull iustye habyte wyth softe spech and mery and with fayre honyed wordes heretykes mysse menynge people skleren and wymplen theyr errours Austen wytnesseth of an heretyke that in hys fyrst begynnynge he was a man right expert in resones and swete in hys wordes and the werkes myscorden Thus fareth fayned loue in her fyrst werchynges thou knowest these thynges for trewe thou haste hem proued by experience Somtyme in doyng to thyn owne person in which thyng thou hast founde mater of mokel dysease was not fayned loue redely purueyed thy wyttes to catch and tourne thy good thoughtes trewlye she hath wounded the conscience of many wyth floryshynge of mokel ianglynge wordes and good worthe thanked I it for no glose I am gladde of my prudence thou haste so manlye her veyned To me arte thou moche holden that in thy kynde course of good meanyng I returne thy mynde I trow ne had I shewed the thy Margarite thou haddest neuer returned Of fyrste in good parfyte ioye was euer fayned loue impaciēt as the water of Siloe whyche euermore floweth wyth stylnesse priuy noyse tyll it come nyghe the brynke then gynneth it so out of measure to bolne with nouelleries of chaūgynge stormes that in course of euery rennynge it is in poynte to spyll al his circuite of cankes Thus fayned loue priuelye at the fullest of hys flowynge newe stormes debate to arayse And all be it that Mercurius often wyth hole vnderstandynge knowen suche peryllous matters yet Venetiens so lusty ben and so leude in theyr wyttes that in suche thynges ryght lytell or nought done they fele wryttē and cryen to theyr felawes here is blysse here is ioy and thus into one same erroure mokel folke they drawen Come they sayne and be we dronken of our pappes that ben fallas and lyenge glose of whych mowe they not souke mylke of helthe but deedlye venym and poyson corrupcyon of sorowe Mylke of fallas is venym of dyscryte Mylke of lyeng glose is venym of corrupcion Lo what thynge cometh out of these pappes vse we coueyted collynges desyre we and meddle we false wordes wyth sote and sote wyth false trewly this is the sorynesse of fayned loue nedes of these surfettes sycknesse must folowe Thus as an oxe to thy langoryng deth were thou drawe the sote of the smoke hath y e all defased Euer the deper thou somtyme wadest y e soner thou it founde yf it had the kylled it had be lytell wonder But on that other syde my trewe seruaūt not faynen ne dysceyue conne sothly theyr doynge is open my foundement endureth be the burthē neuer so great euer in one it lasteth it yeueth lyfe and blysful goodnesse in the last endes though the gynnynges ben sharpe Thus of two contraryes contrarye ben the effectes And so thylke Margaryte thou seruest shall sene the by her seruyce oute of peryllous trybulacyon delyuered bycause of her seruyce into newe dysease fallen by hope of amendement in the laste ende wyth ioye to be gladded wherfore of kynde pure her mercy wyth grace of good helpe shall she graūt and els I shal her so straine that with pyte shall she ben amaystred Remembre in thyne herte how horrybly somtyme to thyne Margaryte thou trespasest and in a greate wyse ayenst her thou forfeytest clepe aye thy mynde and know thyne owne gyltes What goodnesse what bountye wyth mokell folowynge pyte founde thou in that tyme were thou not goodlye accepted into grace by my pluckynge was she to foryeuenesse enclyned And after I her styred to drawe the to house and yet wendest thou vtterlye for euer haue ben refused But well thou wost sythen that I in suche sharpe dysease might so greatly auayle what thynkest in thy wyt howe ferre maye my wytte stretche And thou lache not on thy syde I wol make the knotte Certes in thy good beryng I wol acorde with the psauter I haue foūde Dauid in my seruice trewe and with holy oyle of peace and of rest longe by hymdesyred vtterly he shal be anoynted Truste well to me and I woll the not fayle The leuynge of y e fyrst waye with good hert of continuaunce that I se in the grounded thys purpose to perfourme draweth me by maner of cōstraining that nedes must I ben thyne helper although myrth a whyle be taryed it shall come at suche season that thy thought shall ben ioyed And wolde neuer god sythē thyne herte to my reasons arne assented and openlye haste confessed thyne amysse goynge and nowe cryest after mercye but yf mercy folowed thy blisse shal ben redy ywys thou ne wost howe sone Nowe be a good chylde I rede The kynde of vertues in thy Margarite rehersed by strength of me in thy person shul werche Comforte the in this for thou mayst not myscary And these wordes sayde she streyght her on lengthe and rested a whyle ¶ Thus endeth the seconde booke and here after foloweth the thyrde boke OF nōbre sayne these clerkes y t it is naturell sūme of discrete thinges as in tellynge one two thre so forth but amonge all nombres thre is determined for moste certayne Wherfore in nombre certayne this werke of my besy leudnesse I thynke to ende and parfourme Ensample by thys world in thre tymes is deuyded of whych the fyrst is cleped Demacion that is to say goyng out of trewe way and al that tho deyden in hel were they punyshed for a mans synne tyll grace mercy fette hem thence and there ended the fyrste tyme. The seconde tyme lasteth from the cōmynge of merciable grace vntyll the ende of transytory tyme in whyche is shewed y e true way in fordoyng of the badde and that is ycleped tyme of grace and that thynge is not yeuen by deserte of yeldynge one benefyte for another but onely through goodnesse of the yeuer of grace in thilke tyme. Who so cā well vnderstande is shapen to be saued in souled blysse The thyrd tyme shal gyn when trāsytory thynges of worldes han made their end and that shal ben in ioye glory and rest both body and soule that well han deserued in the tyme of grace And thus in that heuen togyther shul they dwel perpetuelly without any ymaginatyfe yuel in any halue These tymes are fygured by tho thre dayes that oure god was closed in erthe and in the thyrde arose shewynge our resurrection to ioye and blysse of tho that it deseruē by his merciable grace So this leud boke in thre maters accordaūt to tho tymes lyghtly by a good inseer maye ben vnderstande as in the fyrste erroure of mysse goynge is shewed with sorowful pyne punyshed is cryed after mercye In the secōde is grace in good waye proued whyche
abydynge of deuyne person in which heuen is euerlastynge presence wthouteÌ„ any mouable tyme there sole haue I not sayd toforne this as tyme hurteth ryght so ayenwarde tyme healeth and rewardeth and a tre oft fayled is hold more deyntye whan it frute forth bryngeth A marchaunt that for ones lesyng in the see nomore to auenture thynketh he shal neuer with auenture come to rychesse so oft must men on the oke smyte tyll the happye dente haue entred which with y e okes owne sway maketh it to come all at ones So ofte falleth the lethy water on the harde rocke tyll it haue thorow persed it The euen draught of the wyre drawer maketh the wyre to ben euen and supple werchyng and if he stynted in his draught the wyre breaketh a sonder Euery tre wel springeth whaÌ„ it is wel grouÌ„ded and not often remoued what shall this frute be ê™ I nowe it gynnethe rype Grace quod she in parfyte ioye to endure and ther with hou begon Grace ê™ I me thiÌ„keth I shulde haue a rewarde for my long trauayle I shal tell the quod she retrybution of thy good wylles to haue of thy Margaryte perle it beareth not the name of mede but only of good grace and that cometh not of thy deserte but of thy Margarytes goodnesse vertue alone Quod I shulde al my longe trauayle haue no reward but thorow grace and somtyme your seluen sayde ryghtwisnesse euenlyche rewardeth to quyte one benefite for an other That is soth quod loue euer as I sayd as to hym that doeth good which to done he were neyther holdeÌ„ ne yet constrayned That is soth quod I Truly quod she all that euer thou dost to thy margaryte peerle of wyll of loue and of reason thou owest to done it yet is nothyng els but yeldynge of thy det in quytyng of thy grace which she the lent whaÌ„ ye fyrst met I wene quod I ryght lytle grace to me she delyuered Certes it was harde grace it hath nigh me astrangled That it was good grace I wot wel thou wylt it graunt er thou depart hence Yf anye man yeue to an other wyght to whom that he ought not and which that of hym selfe nothyng maye haue a garmeÌ„t or a cote though he weare the cote or elles thylke clothynge it is not to put hym y t was naked the cause of his clothyng but onely to him that was yeuer of the garnement wherfore I saye thou that were naked of loue of thy selfe none haue myghtest it is not to put thyne owne persoÌ„ sythen thy loue came to thorowe thy Margaryte perle Ergo she was yeuer of the loue although thou it vse and there lent she the grace thy seruyce to begynne She is worthye the thanke of this grace for she was the yeuer All the thoughtes besy doinges and plesauÌ„ce in thy might and in thy wordes that thou canste deuyse ben but ryght lytle in quytynge of thy dette had she not ben suche thyng had not ben studyed So all these maters kyndly drawen homewarde to this Margaryte peerle for from thence were they borowed all is holy her to wyte the loue that thou hauest and thus quytest thou thy dette in that thou stedfastly seruest And kepe well that loue I the rede that of her thou hast borowed and vse it in her seruyce thy dette to quyte and than art thou able right sone to haue grace wherfore after mede in none halue mayest thou loke Thus thy gynnyng and endyng is but grace alone and in thy good deseruyng thy det thou aquytest without grace is nothing worth what so euer thou werche Thanke thy Margaryte of her great grace that hytherto the hath gyded and praye her of contynuaunce forthe in thy werkes hereafter and that for no myshappe thy grace ouerthwartly tourne Grace glorye and ioye is commynge thorowe good folkes desertes and by gettynge of grace therin shulde ende And what is more glorye or more ioye than wysdome and loue in parfite charitie which god hath graunted to all tho that well can deserue And with that this lady al at ones start into myne hert here woll I onbyde ê™ she for euer And neuer woll I gone hence and I woll kepe the from medlynge whyle me lyst here onbyde thyne intremetyng maners into stedfastnesse shullen be chaunged SObrelyche tho threwe I vp myne eyen and hugelye tho was I astonyed of thys sodayne aduenture and fayne wolde I haue learned howe vertues shulden ben knoweÌ„ in whyche thynges I hoope to God hereafter she shall me enfourmen and namelye sythen her restynge place is nowe so nyghe at my wyll and anon all these thynges that thys lady sayde I remembred me by my selfe and reuolued the lyues of myne vnderstandyng wyttes Tho founde I fully all these maters parfitly there wrytten howe mysse rule by fayned loue both realmes and cyties hathe gouerned a great throwe How lyghtly me might the fautes espye howe rules in loue shoulde ben vsed howe sometyme with fayned loue foule I was begyled howe I shoulde loue haue knowe and how I shall in loue wyth my seruyce procede Also furthermore I founde of perdurable letters wonderly ther grauen these maters which I shal nempne Certes none age ne other thynge in earthe maye the leest syllable of this in no poynte deface but clerelye as the sunne in myne vnderstandyng soule they shynen This maye neuer out of my mynde how I may not my loue kepe but thorowe wyllynge in herte wylne to loue maye I not but I louynge haue Loue haue I none but thorowe grace of this Margaryte peerle It is no maner dout that wyl woll not loue but for it is louyng as wyl woll not ryghtfully but for it is ryghtful it selue Also wyll is not louyng for he woll loue but he woll loue for he is louynge It is all one to wyll to be louynge and louynges in possessyon to haue Ryght so wyll wol not loue for of loue hath he in no partye and yet I deny not louynge wyl wylne more loue to haue which that he hath not whan he wolde more than he hath but I saye he maye no loue wylne yf he no loue haue throughe whiche thylke loue he shulde wylne but to haue this louynge wyll may no man of hym selfe but onely through grace toforne going Ryght so maye noman it kepe but by grace folowynge Consydre nowe euery man aryght and let sene if that any wyght of hym selfe mowe this louynge wyl get and he therof fyrste nothynge haue for yf it shulde of hym selfe sprynge eyther it must be wyllyng or not wyllynge â–ª wyllynge by hym selfe maye he it not haue sythen him fayleth the mater that shulde it forth bryng the mater hym fayleth why â–ª he may thereof haue no knowyng tyll whan grace put it in his herte Thus wyllyng by hym selfe may he it not haue and not wyllynge maye he it not haue Parde euery conceyt of euery reasonable creature otherwyse wyl not graunt wyll in affyrmatyfe