Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various
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great. 16. the.
17. wyfe. I supply in. hoole. 20. the. 21. wotte. nowe. arte sette. 22. the. 23. bene. 26. thynge. 28. stones repeated in Th. 29. counsayle. apertely. 30. therrours. meanynges. ferre. 31. wystyst. leaue. 32. eare. 33. menne. the. 36. meanynge. 37. I supply and. wolte. parfytely. 37. consolatyoun. 38. pleasaunce. 39. hert. mothers; read moders. I supply she. 40. the. 42. I supply is. 44. correctioun. al; read of. After errour I omit distroyeng (gloss upon forgoing). 47. encreased. sette. 48. dothe. 49. gothe. worshippe.
52. wenyste. Naye nay god wotte. 53. encreasyng. 55–7. passeth (twice); passyst (third time). ete. 57. eatynge. become. 61. whome. 63. begon. ganne. 65. leaueth. wronge. withsay. 68. Nowe. 71. done. 72. song. 73. howe. gate. 74. wyfe. 75. none. 76–7. the (twice). 78. profyte. 81. done. 87. ferre. 88. stretcheth.
91. wretched. 96. respecte. 97. borne. 98. onely. 101. reason. 102. parfitely. Howe. 107. one. 108. Fye. 110. nothynge. 112. Howe. great (twice). 113. nowe. 115. great. 116. maye. wolte. 118. fayre. one grayne of wheate. thousande. 120. one. thother. 121–2. maye. 123. ofte; read of the. made. one. 124. great.
126. none. 127. canste nothynge done. rumoure. 128. healed; read deled? eare. 129. rewarde. 131. valoure. consyence. 134. Supply Trewly, vertue. 136. prisone. guerdone.
CHAPTER IX.
Of twey thinges art thou answered, as me thinketh (quod
Love); and if any thing be in doute in thy soule, shewe
it forth, thyn ignoraunce to clere, and leve it for no shame.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'there is no body in this worlde, that aught
5
coude saye by reson ayenst any of your skilles, as I leve; and by
my witte now fele I wel, that yvel-spekers or berers of enfame
may litel greve or lette my purpos, but rather by suche thinge my
quarel to be forthered.'
'Ye,' quod she,'and it is proved also, that the ilke jewel in
10
my kepinge shal nat there-thorow be stered, of the lest moment
that might be imagined.'
'That is soth,' quod I.
'Wel,' quod she, 'than †leveth there, to declare that thy
insuffisance is no maner letting, as thus: for that she is so worthy,
15
thou shuldest not clymbe so highe; for thy moebles and thyn
estate arn voyded, thou thinkest [thee] fallen in suche miserie,
that gladnesse of thy pursute wol nat on thee discende.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'that is sothe; right suche thought is in myn
herte; for commenly it is spoken, and for an olde proverbe it is
20
leged: "He that heweth to hye, with chippes he may lese
his sight." Wherfore I have ben about, in al that ever I might,
to studye wayes of remedye by one syde or by another.'
'Now,' quod she, 'god forbede †that thou seke any other
doinges but suche as I have lerned thee in our restinge-whyles,
25
and suche herbes as ben planted in oure gardins. Thou shalt
wel understande that above man is but oon god alone.'
'How,' quod I, 'han men to-forn this tyme trusted in writtes
and chauntements, and in helpes of spirites that dwellen in the
ayre, and therby they han getten their desyres, where-as first, for
30
al his manly power, he daunced behynde?'
'O,' quod she, 'fy on suche maters! For trewly, that is
sacrilege; and that shal have no sort with any of my servauntes;
in myne eyen shal suche thing nat be loked after. How often is
it commaunded by these passed wyse, that "to one god shal men
35
serve, and not to goddes?" And who that liste to have myne
helpes, shal aske none helpe of foule spirites. Alas! is nat man
maked semblable to god? Wost thou nat wel, that al vertue of
lyvelich werkinge, by goddes purveyaunce, is underput to resonable
creature in erthe? Is nat every thing, a this halfe god, mad
40
buxom to mannes contemplation, understandinge in heven and
in erthe and in helle? Hath not man beinge with stones, soule of
wexing with trees and herbes? Hath he nat soule of felinge, with
beestes, fisshes, and foules? And he hath soule of reson and
understanding with aungels; so that in him is knit al maner
45
of lyvinges by a resonable proporcioun. Also man is mad of
al the foure elementes. Al universitee is rekened in him alone;
he hath, under god, principalitè above al thinges. Now is his
soule here, now a thousand myle hence; now fer, now nygh;
now hye, now lowe; as fer in a moment as in mountenaunce of
50
ten winter; and al this is in mannes governaunce and disposicion.
Than sheweth it that men ben liche unto goddes, and children of
moost heyght. But now, sithen al thinges [arn] underput to the
wil of resonable creatures, god forbede any man to winne that
lordship, and aske helpe of any-thing lower than him-selfe; and than,
55
namely, of foule thinges innominable. Now than, why shuldest
thou wene to love to highe, sithen nothing is thee above but god
alone? Trewly, I wot wel that thilke jewel is in a maner even in
lyne of degree there thou art thy-selfe, and nought above, save
thus: aungel upon angel, man upon man, and devil upon devil
60
han a maner of soveraigntee; and that shal cese at the daye
of dome. And so I say: though thou be put to serve the
ilke jewel duringe thy lyfe, yet is that no servage of
underputtinge, but a maner of travayling plesaunce, to conquere and
gette that thou hast not. I sette now the hardest: in my service
65
now thou deydest, for sorowe of wantinge in thy desyres; trewly,
al hevenly bodyes with one voyce shul come and make melody in
thy cominge, and saye—"Welcome, our fere, and worthy to entre
into Jupiters joye! For thou with might hast overcome deth;
thou woldest never flitte out of thy service; and we al shul
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now praye to the goddes, rowe by rowe, to make thilk Margarite,
that no routh had in this persone,