Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various
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my
120
lippes mowen not suffyse, in speking of her ful laude and worshippe
as they shulde. But who is that [wolde be wyse] in
knowing of the orders of heven, and putteth his resones in the
erthe? I forsothe may not, with blere eyen, the shyning sonne of
vertue in bright whele of this Margaryte beholde; therfore as yet
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I may her not discryve in vertue as I wolde. In tyme cominge,
in another tretyse, thorow goddes grace, this sonne in clerenesse
of vertue to be-knowe, and how she enlumineth al this day,
I thinke to declare.
Ch. I. 2. howe. comforte. 3. hadde. 5. folke. 6. anone. 10. purpose. 12. wytte. 14. wotte. great. 16. (Something seems to be lost here). 17. I supply nedeth. 18. o; read of. 19. erronyous. maye. 20. menne. sayne. 26. amonge.
31. wretchydnesse. fal. I supply of. 32. forthe. 33. stedfaste faythe. 34. darne. 35. endlesse. 36. I supply men. 37. folke. 39. great. 40. onely. 42. fathers; read faders. 44. faythe. 47. put. miracles; read miracle. 48. thangel. 50. saythe. 51. werne. 53. discomfyte. 54. I supply arn. 55. wotte. 56. reason. erroure. 57. reason. bewonde (sic). catchende wytte. 59. with; read whiche. 60. reason. 61. Nowe. 62. alwaye. 63. booke. rancoure. 64. althoughe. 65. booke.
67. I supply of. nowe. 69. wotte. 70. wysdome 71. toke. 73. reason. 75. reasons. 76. parfyte. 78–9. reason (twice). 79. parfyte. 80. maye. persel. 81. parfyte. 85. reason. 86. none. 88. amonge. sayne. 88–91. sede. 91. mowen; read mowe. 92. londe-tyllers. set. 93. hath; read han. 94. meanynge. 95. howe. menne cleape. kynge (sic); read thing. 98. great. 99. the. 101. radde.
104. thynge. done. 107. thynge. 110. boke. 111. done (sic). 112. yonge. 113. canne. sette. 114. thre. 116. thynge. maye. thre. 121. that in knowyng (sic); supply wolde be wyse before in knowing. 125. maye. 126. thorowe. 127. howe.
CHAPTER II.
In this mene whyle this comfortable lady gan singe a wonder
mater of endytinge in Latin; but trewly, the noble colours in
rethorik wyse knitte were so craftely, that my conning wol not
strecche to remembre; but the sentence, I trowe, somdel have
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I in mynde. Certes, they were wonder swete of sowne, and they
were touched al in lamentacion wyse, and by no werbles of
myrthe. Lo! thus gan she singe in Latin, as I may constrewe it
in our Englisshe tonge.
'Alas! that these hevenly bodyes their light and course shewen,
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as nature yave hem in commaundement at the ginning of the first
age; but these thinges in free choice of reson han non
understondinge. But man that ought to passe al thing of doinge, of
right course in kynde, over-whelmed sothnesse by wrongful tytle,
and hath drawen the sterre of envye to gon by his syde, that the
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clips of me, that shulde be his shynande sonne, so ofte is seye,
that it wened thilke errour, thorow hem come in, shulde ben myn
owne defaute. Trewly, therfore, I have me withdrawe, and mad
my dwellinge out of lande in an yle by my-selfe, in the occian
closed; and yet sayn there many, they have me harberowed; but,
20
god wot, they faylen. These thinges me greven to thinke, and
namely on passed gladnesse, that in this worlde was wont me
disporte of highe and lowe; and now it is fayled; they that
wolden maystries me have in thilke stoundes. In heven on
highe, above Saturnes sphere, in sesonable tyme were they
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lodged; but now come queynte counsailours that in no house
wol suffre me sojourne, wherof is pitè; and yet sayn some that
they me have in celler with wyne shed; in gernere, there corn is
layd covered with whete; in sacke, sowed with wolle; in purse,
with money faste knit; among pannes mouled in a †whicche;
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in presse, among clothes layd, with riche pelure arayed; in stable,
among hors and other beestes, as hogges, sheep, and neet; and
in many other wyse. But thou, maker of light (in winking of
thyn eye the sonne is queynt), wost right wel that I in trewe name
was never thus herberowed.
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Somtyme, toforn the sonne in the seventh partie was smiten,
I bar both crosse and mytre, to yeve it where I wolde. With me
the pope wente a-fote; and I tho was worshipped of al holy
church. Kinges baden me their crownes holden. The law was
set as it shuld; tofore the juge, as wel the poore durste shewe
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his greef as the riche, for al his money. I defended tho taylages,
and was redy for the poore to paye. I made grete feestes in my
tyme, and noble songes, and maryed damoselles of gentil feture,
withouten golde or other richesse. Poore clerkes, for witte of
schole, I sette in churches, and made suche persones to preche;
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and tho was service in holy churche honest and devout, in
plesaunce bothe of god and of the people. But now the leude
for symonye is avaunced, and shendeth al holy churche. Now is
steward, for his achates; now †is courtiour, for his debates; now
is eschetour, for his wronges; now is losel, for his songes,
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personer; and [hath his] provendre alone, with whiche manye
thrifty shulde encrese. And yet is this shrewe behynde; free
herte is forsake; and losengeour is take. Lo! it acordeth; for
suche there ben that voluntarie lustes haunten in courte with
ribaudye, that til midnight and more wol playe and wake, but in
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the churche at matins he is behynde, for yvel disposicion of his
stomake; therfore he shulde ete bene-breed (and so did his
syre) his estate ther-with to strengthen. His auter is broke, and
lowe lyth, in poynte to gon to the erthe; but his hors muste ben
esy and hye, to bere him over grete waters. His chalice poore,
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but he hath riche cuppes. No towayle but a shete, there god
shal ben handled; and on his mete-borde there shal ben bord-clothes
and