Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various
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the stedfastnesse of Noe, that
eetinge of the grape becom dronke. Thou passest nat the
chastitè of Lothe, that lay by his doughter; eke the nobley of
Abraham, whom god reproved by his pryde; also Davides
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mekenesse, whiche for a woman made Urye be slawe. What?
also Hector of Troye, in whom no defaute might be founde, yet
is he reproved that he ne hadde with manhode nat suffred the
warre begonne, ne Paris to have went in-to Grece, by whom gan
al the sorowe. For trewly, him lacketh no venim of privè
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consenting, whiche that openly leveth a wrong to withsaye.
Lo eke an olde proverbe amonges many other: "He that is
stille semeth as he graunted."
Now by these ensamples thou might fully understonde, that
these thinges ben writte to your lerning, and in rightwysenesse of
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tho persones, as thus: To every wight his defaute committed
made goodnesse afterwardes don be the more in reverence and in
open shewing; for ensample, is it nat songe in holy churche,
"Lo, how necessary was Adams synne!" David the king gat
Salomon the king of her that was Uryes wyf. Truly, for reprofe
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is non of these thinges writte. Right so, tho I reherce thy
before-dede, I repreve thee never the more; ne for no villany of
thee are they rehersed, but for worshippe, so thou continewe wel
here-after: and for profit of thy-selfe I rede thou on hem thinke.'
Than sayde I right thus: 'Lady of unitè and accorde, envy
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and wrathe lurken there thou comest in place; ye weten wel
your-selve, and so don many other, that whyle I administred the
office of commen doinge, as in rulinge of the stablisshmentes
amonges the people, I defouled never my conscience for no
maner dede; but ever, by witte and by counsayle of the wysest,
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the maters weren drawen to their right endes. And thus trewly
for you, lady, I have desyred suche cure; and certes, in your
service was I nat ydel, as fer as suche doinge of my cure
streccheth.'
'That is a thing,' quod she, 'that may drawe many hertes of
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noble, and voice of commune in-to glory; and fame is nat but
wrecched and fickle. Alas! that mankynde coveyteth in so leude
a wyse to be rewarded of any good dede, sithe glorie of fame, in
this worlde, is nat but hindringe of glorie in tyme comminge!
And certes (quod she) yet at the hardest suche fame, in-to heven,
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is nat the erthe but a centre to the cercle of heven? A pricke is
wonder litel in respect of al the cercle; and yet, in al this pricke,
may no name be born, in maner of peersing, for many obstacles,
as waters, and wildernesse, and straunge langages. And nat only
names of men ben stilled and holden out of knowleginge by these
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obstacles, but also citees and realmes of prosperitè ben letted to
be knowe, and their reson hindred; so that they mowe nat ben
parfitly in mennes propre understandinge. How shulde than the
name of a singuler Londenoys passe the glorious name of London,
whiche by many it is commended, and by many it is lacked, and
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in many mo places in erthe nat knowen than knowen? For in
many countrees litel is London in knowing or in spech; and yet
among oon maner of people may nat such fame in goodnes
come; for as many as praysen, commenly as many lacken. Fy
than on such maner fame! Slepe, and suffre him that knoweth
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previtè of hertes to dele suche fame in thilke place there nothing
ayenst a sothe shal neither speke ne dare apere, by attourney
ne by other maner. How many greet-named, and many greet
in worthinesse losed, han be tofore this tyme, that now out
of memorie are slidden, and clenely forgeten, for defaute of
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wrytinges! And yet scriptures for greet elde so ben defased, that
no perpetualtè may in hem ben juged. But if thou wolt make
comparisoun to ever, what joye mayst thou have in erthly name?
It is a fayr lykenesse, a pees or oon grayn of whete, to a thousand
shippes ful of corne charged! What nombre is betwene the
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oon and th'other? And yet mowe bothe they be nombred, and
ende in rekening have. But trewly, al that may be nombred is
nothing to recken, as to thilke that may nat be nombred. For
†of the thinges ended is mad comparison; as, oon litel, another
greet; but in thinges to have an ende, and another no ende,
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suche comparisoun may nat be founden. Wherfore in heven to
ben losed with god hath non ende, but endlesse endureth; and
thou canst nothing don aright, but thou desyre the rumour therof
be heled and in every wightes ere; and that dureth but a pricke
in respecte of the other. And so thou sekest reward of folkes
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smale wordes, and of vayne praysinges. Trewly, therin thou
lesest the guerdon of vertue; and lesest the grettest valour of
conscience, and uphap thy renomè everlasting. Therfore boldely
renomè of fame of the erthe shulde be hated, and fame after deth
shulde be desyred of werkes of vertue. [Trewly, vertue] asketh
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guerdoning, and the soule causeth al vertue. Than the soule,
delivered out of prison of erthe, is most worthy suche guerdon
among to have in the everlastinge fame; and nat the body, that
causeth al mannes yvels.
Ch. VIII. 1. Ofte; read Eft. sterne; read steren. I supply with. 2. the. 3. howe. se. 4. meditation. I supply shal. 6. toforne. 8. the. 9. comforte. 11. one shepe. 12. loste. nowe. 13. arte. shepeherd.