Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various
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Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible.
But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that
thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to
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distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest
thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games
are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is insuffysaunt"?
I not what thou therof menest.'
'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore
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arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man
rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce.
Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying
tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many
wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe,
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for al his gret sothnesse.
'Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so
precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof
extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche
jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han
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at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence
ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be
supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.'
'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to
thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos
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by the leest point that any wight coude pricke.
Ch. IV. 2. great-. 4. heauy. 5. easy. 6. easyly. 7. One. 8. easy speakynge. catche. put forthe. 9. easy. 11. ladye easely. 13. great. 14. ferre. 16. the lyste. 17. inwytte. 18. disease (twice). 19. nessel; misprint for uessel. 20. wonte. onely. 22. distroyeng. 23. comforte. seare. 24. comforte. 25. haste. 27. soukyng. 28. arne.
30. woxe. 33. thynge. 36. teares. 38. Nowe. wysedom. the. 39. bearest. 40. catche. 43. done her course. 45. blode. 46. leaden. parfyte. thynge. 47. wern. wele; read wol. done. 48. nowe. 49. cease. 53. wherthroughe. 58. nowe. the. 59. reason. 60. put. 61. lette-games. 63. meanest. 65. arne.
67. steeryng. lyeng. 68. eares. 72. wretche. 78. reason. 79. the. let. purpose.
CHAPTER V.
Remembrest nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the
strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos?
Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is
it nat preved by strength?'
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'Yes, forsothe,' quod I.
'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and
Heleyne loved togider, and yet had they not entrecomuned of
speche? Also Acrisius shette Dane his doughter in a tour, for
suertee that no wight shulde of her have no maistry in my
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service; and yet Jupiter by signes, without any speche, had
al his purpose ayenst her fathers wil. And many suche mo have
ben knitte in trouthe, and yet spake they never togider; for
that is a thing enclosed under secretnesse of privytè, why twey
persons entremellen hertes after a sight. The power in knowing,
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of such thinges †to preven, shal nat al utterly be yeven to you
beestes; for many thinges, in suche precious maters, ben
reserved to jugement of devyne purveyaunce; for among lyving
people, by mannes consideracion, moun they nat be determined.
Wherfore I saye, al the envy, al the janglinge, that wel ny [al]
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people upon my servauntes maken †ofte, is rather cause of esployte
than of any hindringe.'
'Why, than,' quod I, 'suffre ye such wrong; and moun, whan
ye list, lightly al such yvels abate? Me semeth, to you it is
a greet unworship.'
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'O,' quod she, 'hold now thy pees. I have founden to many
that han ben to me unkynde, that trewly I wol suffre every wight
in that wyse to have disese; and who that continueth to the ende
wel and trewly, hem wol I helpen, and as for oon of myne in-to
blisse [don] to wende. As [in] marcial doing in Grece, who
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was y-crowned? By god, nat the strongest; but he that rathest
com and lengest abood and continued in the journey, and spared
nat to traveyle as long as the play leste. But thilke person, that
profred him now to my service, [and] therin is a while, and anon
voideth and [is] redy to another; and so now oon he thinketh
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and now another; and in-to water entreth and anon respireth:
such oon list me nat in-to perfit blisse of my service bringe.
A tree ofte set in dyvers places wol nat by kynde endure to bringe
forth frutes. Loke now, I pray thee, how myne olde servauntes
of tyme passed continued in her service, and folowe thou after
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their steppes; and than might thou not fayle, in case thou worche
in this wyse.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'it is nothing lich, this world, to tyme
passed; eke this countrè hath oon maner, and another countrè
hath another. And so may nat a man alway putte to his eye the
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salve that he heled with his hele. For this is sothe: betwixe
two thinges liche, ofte dyversitè is required.'
'Now,' quod she, 'that is sothe; dyversitè of nation, dyversitè of
lawe, as was maked by many resons; for that dyversitè cometh in
by the contrarious malice of wicked people, that han envyous hertes
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ayenst other. But trewly, my lawe to my servauntes ever hath
ben in general, whiche may nat fayle. For right as mannes †lawe
that is ordained by many determinacions, may nat be knowe for
good or badde, til assay of the people han proved it and [founden]
to what ende it draweth; and than it sheweth the necessitè
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