Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various
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ben
sothe, without forginge of lesinges.
160
But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in
janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten
to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and
my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge
sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but
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only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche
I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady,
how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked
men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight
that to these erroneous opinions were assentaunt, and helpes to
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the noyse, and knewen al these thinges better than I my-selven,
apparaylen to fynden newe frendes, and clepen me fals, and
studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne?
O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of
my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to
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the forsayd maters, tho me commended, and yave me name of
trouth, in so manyfolde maners that it was nyghe in every
wightes eere, there-as any of thilke people weren; and on the
other syde, thilke company somtyme passed, yevinge me name
of badde loos: now bothe tho peoples turned the good in-to
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badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that
they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her
olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe,
and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they
aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater
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knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater
is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte
not in praysing of my-selfe; therby shulde I lese the precious
secrè of my conscience. But ye see wel that false opinion of the
people for my trouthe, in telling out of false conspyred maters;
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and after the jugement of these clerkes, I shulde not hyde the
sothe of no maner person, mayster ne other. Wherfore I wolde
not drede, were it put in the consideracion of trewe and of wyse.
And for comers hereafter shullen fully, out of denwere, al the
sothe knowe of these thinges in acte, but as they wern, I have
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put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge.
For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of
trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me †submitted.
But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn)
flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede
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til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben
hindred, withouten any mesure of trouthe.'
Ch. VI. 2. great. beare. 3. read enfame; see l. 6. one. obiections. 7. Nowe. leasynges put on the. 8. wronge. 9. se. encreaseth. 10. the. 11. arte encreased. 12. I supply is. 13. the. harme. false. 15. I supply voyd. arte. 17. disease. 22. reason. 23. fulfylde. 24. sayne. lente. 25. sayne. weaked; read wikked? 26. anoye.
27. sayne. 29. great. 30. forsaken; read forsake. 31. encrease. 32. arne. 33. nowe. howe. 36. disease. se. 37. vnderstande. 38. fame or by goodnesse enfame; read fame by goodnesse or enfame. 39. Supply of. reasonable. 40. wytte. reason to-forne. 41. herde. 42. toforne. 45. conuercion. 48. Howe. zedeoreys or ȝedeoreys. 53. meane se nowe. 55. great. 56. exitours. werne. 61. tel.
63. One. comforte. 64. profyte. 65. profyte. comynaltie. peace. 66. profyte. 68. meanynge. 71. I supply the and that. 72. rancoure. 73. fornecaste. distruction. 74. blynde. 76. Nowe. caste. 77. dwel. 78. threde. 80. howe peace. 81. endused. 84. done. maye. helpe (repeated after comen); read wele. thynge. 86. distroyeng. 87. misdede. 88. frende maye. 94. -forthe. debate. 95. stryfe. distruction. 96. peace. comunaltie. 97. cytie. 98. forthe.
101–6. peace (five times). 104. thynge. perfyte. 107. left. 108. came. 109. perfytely. 110. none. 111–2. peace (twice). 112. one (twice). 113. howe. 114–5. peace (twice). 115. comunalties and cytes. 116. toforne. 119. meanynge. feoble. 120. none. gubernatyfe. 122. passyfe. 126. election. 128. agayne. 129. subiection. 131. distruction. 135. doone.
138. meanynge. 139. heauy. 141. election. Supply was mad. great (twice). Supply that. 142. disease. election. 143. face; read fate. 146. onely. 147. reason. to-forne. 148. shope. 149. electyon. 151. amonge. 154. to forne hande. peace. 156. to forne. 158. apertely. 159. leasynges. 160. nowe. 162. maye. 164. sayde. 165. onely. leigeaunce. 166. se. nowe. 168. Se. 171. cleapen. false.
172. howe. 173. maye. folke. 174. stretch. 179. Nowe. 181. knowyuge (sic). sayng. arne nowe. 183. sayne. 184. nothynge. 185. wote. 186. none. 188. se. 194. werne. 195. meanynge. 196. beare. 197. submytten (!). 198. nowe. sayne. 199. dothe. 200. meane. 201. measure.
CHAPTER VII.
Than gan Love sadly me beholde, and sayd in a changed
voyce, lower than she had spoken in any tyme: 'Fayn
wolde I,' quod she, 'that thou were holpen; but hast thou sayd
any-thing whiche thou might not proven?'
5
'Pardè,' quod I, 'the persones, every thing as I have sayd, han
knowleged hem-selfe.'
'Ye,' quod she, 'but what if they hadden nayed? How
woldest thou have maynteyned it?'
'Sothely,' quod I, 'it is wel wist, bothe amonges the greetest
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and other of the realme, that I profered my body so largely in-to
provinge of tho thinges, that Mars shulde have juged the ende;
but, for sothnesse of my wordes, they durste not to thilke juge
truste.'
'Now, certes,' quod she, 'above al fames in this worlde, the
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name of marcial doinges most plesen to ladyes of my lore; but
sithen thou were redy, and thyne adversaryes in thy presence
refused thilke doing; thy fame ought to be so born as if in dede
it had take to the ende. And therfore every wight that any
droppe of reson hath, and hereth of thee infame for these thinges,
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hath