Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various
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grace I had ben comforted, of lyfe I was ful
dispayred. Trewly, lady, if ye remembre a-right of al maner
thinges, your-selfe cam hastely to sene us see-driven, and to
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weten what we weren. But first ye were deynous of chere, after
whiche ye gonne better a-lighte; and ever, as me thought, ye
lived in greet drede of disese; it semed so by your chere.
And whan I was certifyed of your name, the lenger I loked in
you, the more I you goodly dradde; and ever myn herte on you
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opened the more; and so in a litel tyme my ship was out of
mynde. But, lady, as ye me ladde, I was war bothe of beestes
and of fisshes, a greet nombre thronging togider; among whiche
a muskel, in a blewe shel, had enclosed a Margaryte-perle, the
moste precious and best that ever to-forn cam in my sight.
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And ye tolden your-selfe, that ilke jewel in his kinde was so
good and so vertuous, that her better shulde I never finde, al
sought I ther-after to the worldes ende. And with that I held
my pees a greet whyle; and ever sithen I have me bethought on
the man that sought the precious Margarytes; and whan he had
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founden oon to his lyking, he solde al his good to bye that jewel.
Y-wis, thought I, (and yet so I thinke), now have I founden the
jewel that myn herte desyreth; wherto shulde I seche further?
Trewly, now wol I stinte, and on this Margaryte I sette me for
ever: now than also, sithen I wiste wel it was your wil that
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I shulde so suche a service me take; and so to desyre that thing,
of whiche I never have blisse. There liveth non but he hath
disese; your might than that brought me to suche service, that to
me is cause of sorowe and of joye. I wonder of your worde that
ye sayn, "to bringen men in-to joye"; and, pardè, ye wete wel
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that defaut ne trespace may not resonably ben put to me-wardes,
as fer as my conscience knoweth.
But of my disese me list now a whyle to speke, and to enforme
you in what maner of blisse ye have me thronge. For truly
I wene, that al gladnesse, al joye, and al mirthe is beshet under
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locke, and the keye throwe in suche place that it may not be
founde. My brenning wo hath altred al my hewe. Whan
I shulde slepe, I walowe and I thinke, and me disporte. Thus
combred, I seme that al folk had me mased. Also, lady myne,
desyre hath longe dured, some speking to have; or els at the lest
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have ben enmoysed with sight; and for wantinge of these thinges
my mouth wolde, and he durst, pleyne right sore, sithen yvels
for my goodnesse arn manyfolde to me yolden. I wonder, lady,
trewly, save evermore your reverence, how ye mowe, for shame,
suche thinges suffre on your servaunt to be so multiplied.
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Wherfore, kneling with a lowe herte, I pray you to rue on this
caytif, that of nothing now may serve. Good lady, if ye liste,
now your help to me shewe, that am of your privyest servantes
at al assayes in this tyme, and under your winges of proteccion.
No help to me-wardes is shapen; how shal than straungers in
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any wyse after socour loke, whan I, that am so privy, yet of helpe
I do fayle? Further may I not, but thus in this prison abyde;
what bondes and chaynes me holden, lady, ye see wel your-selfe.
A renyant forjuged hath not halfe the care. But thus, syghing
and sobbing, I wayle here alone; and nere it for comfort of your
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presence, right here wolde I sterve. And yet a litel am I gladded,
that so goodly suche grace and non hap have I hent, graciously
to fynde the precious Margarite, that (al other left) men shulde
bye, if they shulde therfore selle al her substaunce. Wo is me,
that so many let-games and purpose-brekers ben maked wayters,
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suche prisoners as I am to overloke and to hinder; and, for
suche lettours, it is hard any suche jewel to winne. Is this, lady,
an honour to thy deitee? Me thinketh, by right, suche people
shulde have no maistrye, ne ben overlokers over none of thy
servauntes. Trewly, were it leful unto you, to al the goddes
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wolde I playne, that ye rule your devyne purveyaunce amonges
your servantes nothing as ye shulde. Also, lady, my moeble is
insuffysaunt to countervayle the price of this jewel, or els to
make th'eschange. Eke no wight is worthy suche perles to were
but kinges or princes or els their peres. This jewel, for vertue,
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wold adorne and make fayre al a realme; the nobley of vertue is
so moche, that her goodnesse overal is commended. Who is it
that wolde not wayle, but he might suche richesse have at his
wil? The vertue therof out of this prison may me deliver, and
naught els. And if I be not ther-thorow holpen, I see my-selfe
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withouten recovery. Although I might hence voyde, yet wolde
I not; I wolde abyde the day that destenee hath me ordeyned,
whiche I suppose is without amendement; so sore is my herte
bounden, that I may thinken non other. Thus strayte, lady,
hath sir Daunger laced me in stockes, I leve it be not your wil;
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and for I see you taken so litel hede, as me thinketh, and wol
not maken by your might the vertue in mercy of the Margaryte
on me for to strecche, so as ye mowe wel in case that you liste,
my blisse and my mirthe arn feld; sicknesse and sorowe ben
alwaye redy. The cope of tene is wounde aboute al my body,
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that stonding is me best; unneth may I ligge